An eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus, comes out to investigate what we’re up to in Taylor Creek Park last week. © BCP 2011
Out for a walk in Taylor Creek Park last week with Melanie, a leader with the Toronto Field Naturalists. She’s leading a walk in a few weeks on the subject of spring ephemerals, and needed to get a better idea of how the early bloomers were coming along.
Not surprisingly, she found that all our bright bloomers are a few weeks behind. That’s not to say there weren’t some lovely flowers out to see, though.
We searched her favourite spots and on some south-facing hillsides there were so many flowers we had to tippy-toe through the mud and duff and greenery to ensure we didn’t stomp on any precious blooms.
As we were picking our way carefully up one steep hill, I saw a flash of movement at the very top of the hill, quite some distance from where we were perched on a rather precarious angle. It was tiny and very, very fast. A chippy, probably?
Just in case the little guy decided to make an appearance, I grabbed my extra-long lens to be ready. Then, as quick as a wink, the little brown blur revealed himself to indeed be a chipmunk. And I got lucky. Instead of staying in the tangle of leaves, roots and fallen branches on the degraded hillside, the chipmunk jumped on to the top of the log at the crest of the hill, allowing me to get a clear shot of him.
Looks like this little eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus, was curious to see what these two strange, very large creatures were doing on his hill.
In my next entry I’ll post a picture of a woodpecker I saw in the park the same day. I could use some help with identification.
© BCP 2011
1 comment