Trail Talk 370 - July 2, 2025

I am always on the lookout for butterflies, so I notice a lot of moths and other insects. Two of the more interesting insects were an arotes amoenus parastioid wasp and a black saddlebag dragonfly.   The wasp has two very long antennae and 4 long white legs.  There was no information about it other than being described in 1829, and there are only 311 observations on iNaturalist.  (for comparison the endangered Peary caribou has 28 observations and the Vancouver Island marmot 108). Black saddlebag dragonflies are not rare with over 16,000 observations but the nearest reports are 1 at Goderich beach, 6 near Mitchell and one near Inverhuron. These dragonflies are very good to have around as they love mosquito larva and the adults.

            On Saturday June 21^st nine of us hiked from River Line to Sharpes Creek Line on the Maitland Trail. This was before the heat wave with overcast skies and some light rain. We stopped along the way to admire the collection of gnomes. There was some thunder and lightning, fortunately not when we were on high ground. Near the end, we got some significant rain. Several hikers were wearing shorts, which are an advantage in hot weather, however if you are sensitive to poison ivy they are inadvisable as there are patches of poison ivy close to the Maitland Trail in quite a few places. On Tuesday, along the Sugar Bush Trail, I saw a great spangled fritillary – the first one seen this year. Other recent sightings have included a medium sized and a small sized snapping turtle and a wood frog.  I also had a close look at a ground hog and a wild turkey on a Hullett hike. The ground hog was in the grass at the edge of the parking area.  I was busy trying to photograph a little wood satyr, when suddenly a wild turkey flew up. It had one young chicken; I expect it hoped I would not see them.

            On our Wednesday hike from River Line to Robert Edgar Bridge, there were a lot of skippers near the bridge. I returned there after the hike and counted 50 European skippers, the first ones seen this year. We also saw quite a few Northern crescent butterflies.

I recently discovered that the Avon Trail is also celebrating their 50^th anniversary.  They have been holding 10 end to end hikes to cover their 130 km of trail, their last one being on July 5^th

            The Menesetung bridge across the Maitland River at Goderich is closed until an expected completion date in November.

Sunday July 6^th 9 am to noon 4^th End to End hike Sharpes Creek Line to Boundary (Robert Edgar) Bridge.  This is quite a tough section with several hills to climb. Moderately fast pace. For more information and to confirm your attendance please contact Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com .

Saturday, July 12, 2025 1 pm to 3.30 pm  Cycle the G2G and Ball’s Bridge. Ride Details: Start at McGaw Siding Start ride to Ball’s Bridge, 20 km out and back. Difficulty: Beginner to Moderate (can walk any of the short hills that are too steep). For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Donald Andrew at 519 530-9019 by calling or texting. This is a level 1, easy paced bike ride.

Sunday, July 20, 2025 10 am to 12.30 pm Cycle: MacGregor Point Provincial Park Ride Details: Meet at Park entrance gate. Obtain a park pass from a library or pay a $14 day pass. Difficulty: Moderate as some of the trails are bumpy due to roots and stones.

Tuesday Trompers meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to hike for about an hour. If you wish to be on this email list, sign the annual waiver and complete the form on the MTA website.

Midweek hikers meet at 9 a.m. and hike for 1 ½ to 2 hours on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Contact Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com.