ERS 346 Outing #2

Time and Date: (19/10/26) | 1030 – 1200
Duration: 90 minutes
Location: Bruce Peninsula National Park, Tobermory, Ontario
Weather: Temperature = 9 C; Cloud Cover = 25%, Precipitation = None, Wind = 3 (Beaufort Scale)
Habitat/Vegetation: Alvar, Woodland, Wetland (Bog/Fen), Beach

On my camping trip with the Parks Canada Club to the Bruce Peninsula National Park, we went for a hike on October 26th, 2019. We went through several types of habitats, starting with a wetland covered by raised boardwalk. There were about 20 of us, so in general it was difficult to observe wildlife, however on our way from the parking lot my friend Krista found an unfortunately dead Dekay’s Brownsnake that had likely been hit by a car. I believe it may have been crossing from the wetland side over to the forest side while looking for a hibernaculum site, as this happened in late October, and it looked recently dead. Just before the boardwalk started, I also found what I later identified (using iNaturalist) as a Spotted Cucumber Beetle, sunning itself on a plant. This is potentially because many insects are ectothermal, and need to obtain heat from the environment.

From the boardwalk, I could see Purple Pitcher Plants. I learned about these carnivorous plants in a second year field course in Tobermory, which was how I recognized them; their reddish-purple hue and pitcher shape were unmistakable. They use their shape to collect water when it rains and attract insects, which is a very interesting adaptation (potentially due to the thin, nutrient-poor soils of alvarous wetlands).

The boardwalk continued and transitioned to a trail in an alvarous forest on one side and the Georgian Bay on the other. The forest was beautiful, and comprised mostly of coniferous trees, including Tamarack and Eastern White Cedar, one of my favourite species. I was alone for this part of the hike, as our group broke up and some people went to the beach, so I had a bit more time to examine things closer, such as a large variety of mushrooms growing on a blanket of moss along the shaded path. Unfortunately, my mushroom identification skills are non-existent, and even after researching them I wasn’t able to come up with any concrete identifications, other than the fact that they’re all gilled mushrooms. Later on the trail, I met up with my friend Ale, and when I pointed out a fungus on a fallen log, he identified it as an Orange Jelly Spot, which is basically exactly what it sounds like.

After I had done a loop through the forest, I decided to explore the beach, where I found a caterpillar that I later identified as a Hickory Tussock Moth. With research, I believe that, due to its size and the time of year, it was about to pupate, which occurs in leaf litter. I’m not sure why it was in the habitat I found it in (on the beach), other than it might have been sunning itself. While heading back on the boardwalk, I also spotted a ladybug, or an Asian Lady Beetle, which was identified due to its reddish/orange body and black spots. All in all, it was a great hike, and although I didn’t see as many wildlife species as I would have liked, I had a fun time.

Posted on November 25, 2019 07:51 PM by