This year I spent most of my April and May walks prowling through a mall woodlot and adjacent grassy park in south Oakville. The park was new to me and only a few reports had been made to eBird and iNaturalist about what species it shelters. Although popular with dog-walkers, it also wasn’t crowded which meant I could breathe more easily and stop to take photos. I found a variety of lovely wildflowers including Spring Beauties and some interesting birds on my walks.
Virginia Spring Beauties Bloom Abundantly in this Oakville Park
The leaves help identify these as Virginia Spring Beauties. A similar kind called Carolina Spring Beauties grows not too far away so I looked closely. At this park, these small pink flowers spread in pools of pink across the dead leaves. I don’t often get to see so many at once.
Large White Trilliums Start Small and Keep Growing Larger as They Bloom
When I first saw the plentiful Trilliums emerging from the leaf litter as this Oakville park, I wasn’t sure what kind they were. They seemed so small and stout stemmed. First the buds opened and the small white flowers emerged but as the weeks passed they kept growing until most became ‘normal’ Trillium sized.
One of the Trilliums I found also had the green colour which is probably caused by a virus. So far, only one seemed to have this trait.
Would a Wood Anemone Grow In the Woods?
I tried to look for other less common wildflowers without walking off the trails. One white flower I spotted was very short, shorter even then some of the Spring Beauties around it. It looked like a Wood Anemone but the leaves were more sharply and deeply cut than the other ones I’ve seen nearby.
The leaves grew on three stems set in a whorl around the flower stem. That ruled out the abundant Meadow Anemone. There are some Thimbleweeds that are simliar to this but they are usually much taller plants. For now, my best guess is Wood Anemones.
A Few Other Spring Beauties in Oakville
While I don’t expect they will stay, I also saw some other beauties in the woods.
This Chestnut-sided Warbler eventually flew down low enough that I could get a clear photo.
This Yellow-rumped Warbler spent almost as much time chasing another one as it did catching midges.
If this Palm Warbler looks a little damp its because it just took a bath in a spring pond.
This Common Yellowthroat was more interested in catching food than in posing.
All in all it has been rewarding to see what lurks in a small woodlot near home. I hope to keep adding to my lists on eBird and iNaturalist as the year rolls on.
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Do you have any favourite “spring beauties?” Please share your views with a comment.