Virtual Tour: Black Hole Preserve - Part 1

The Black Hole Preserve is, in my opinion, the most fascinating property that The Kensington Conservancy protects. There seems to be an endless supply of interesting plants and wildlife to to see on this 200+ acre property. I will also be breaking this tour into multiple parts, as I could likely end up writing a dozen blog posts.

For today's tour, I started at the north end of the property along Highway 17. The first thing I did was check out the nesting boxes that we have here. Tree Swallows are currently nesting in one of the boxes, as seen below. There were no eggs in it yet, but I suspect they'll be laid any day now.

The north end of the property is a semi-open area that was historically farmed. Ecological succession is taking place and many trees and shrubs are growing in the field now, but there's still a relatively large area that is still open. Many of the flowering plants that are found in this field are actually non-native to the area. Many non-native plants thrive in disturbed sites, and an old farm field definitely is a disturbed site. These species are not invasive though, so there's no real need to worry about them having a negative impact on the native biodiversity on the property.

At the south end of the open area, I found some Eastern Tent Caterpillars. While their nests can be pretty "gross", contrary to popular belief, they are a native species and a natural part of the local ecosystem. They're actually quite pretty looking caterpillars, but in moth form, they're brown and plain. The solid yellow line down their back differentiates them from Forest Tent Caterpillars, which have spots down the back. Forest Tent Caterpillars go through 10-15 year cycles where they are really abundant and can cause significant damage, but they are also a native species. 

In all the time I've spent out in nature in my life, I've luckily never run into a bear. I've seen plenty, but always when I've been in the comfort of a vehicle or house, or at least very close to either. Black Bears are definitely found on the Black Hole Preserve though. I've found their scat many times and often it's pretty fresh. This pine tree has had claw marks on it from a bear for years now and I always point it out when I take groups in for a tour. 

After a quick trip through the treeline south of the open area, I made it to the wetland. This is a view that I'll never get tired of. The photo doesn't really do it justice either, it's something you have to experience in person. On a typical year, TKC offers guided hikes, at no charge, to TKC preserves, so if you're interested in seeing this yourself, let me know!

After taking in the view, I looked down and realized that I was surrounded by Pink Lady's Slippers! There were well over a dozen of them right here. Also shown below is some Round-leaved Sundew. This plant is pretty hard to photograph, so you'll have to come see it in person someday to get a good look at it. They're a carnivorous plant! Insects get stuck to them, then the plant digests them. 

The wetland is home to a variety of birds each year. While I didn't see any Canada Goose families on this visit, three adults came flying in. There were about half a dozen Wood Ducks flying around, but they were always too fast for my camera. Red-winged Blackbirds were everywhere, as usual. Below is a photo of a male and then of a female, they look so different! They're also very territorial. They'll chase away any larger bird that they think is a threat to their nest. While I didn't get a photo of a Red-winged Blackbird doing it, I did get a photo of a Common Grackle chasing the Sandhill Crane that flew over!

With the high water levels, I was unable to cross the wetland to get to the south side. The beaver dam that I normally cross was partially underwater! I'll need to bring hip waders next time. Luckily though, I was still able to walk along the edge of the wetland and make my hike a loop, rather than just walking back out the way I came in.

Below is a collection of some of the other flora and fauna that I observed on the property. Each photo has a caption describing what it is if you hover your mouse over it or click the photo.

Choke Cherry

Bunchberry

Orange Hawkweed

Silvery Blue

Starflower

Variegated Pond-Lily

Watershield

American White Waterlily

Chalk-fronted Corporal

Beaver lodge

Cedar Waxwings

Meadow Anemone

Four-spotted Skimmer

Snowshoe Hare

Sign of beaver activity

After wrapping up my hike, I headed over the the northeast corner of the Black Hole Preserve to the old bridge that goes over the Anderson Creek. Many of you have likely seen this bridge while driving by on Highway 17, but many of you might not have known that it's on TKC property. Anderson Creek flows from some small lakes north of here and empties out into Anderson Bay, just west of Kensington Point.

While standing on the bridge, I could see maybe a dozens bumblebees buzzing around this blooming choke cherry. There were at least two species of bumblebee here, the first one is a Tricoloured Bumble Bee and the second one is a Common Eastern Bumble Bee. I've personally seen 6 species of bumblebee around here, but there's been 14 recorded on iNaturalist for the Algoma District. Next time you see one, try to take a picture and see if you can identify it! 

Thanks again for taking the time to read my virtual tour, I hope you enjoyed it! Below are some more scenic photos of the wetlands here, should you be interested in checking them out.

Stay tuned for next week's tour!