Ian Darragh
Toronto, CA
Member since November 17, 2019
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Even damsel flies do it
Damselflies mating on a beech leaf beside Wilket Creek in midtown Toronto. They form a heart-shape when they mate. The male grabs the female behind her head, while the female bends her body so her receptacle fits into the male's penis. The male has spoon-shaped appendages on his penis which he uses to scoop out any sperm deposited by rival males before depositing his own. The male (right) is colourful while the female is drab. During recent summers there has been an abundance of damselflies flitting and mating along Toronto’s Wilket Creek Ravine which indicates the ravine is ecologically healthy. Damselflies are voracious predators, consuming vast quantities of mosquitoes and other biting insects. So they are very beneficial to humans, as well as being a treat to watch.
A "weed" used as traditional medicine
Jewelweed in flower in a marsh in Wilket Creek, Toronto. Jewelweed has long been used by Indigenous peoples to alleviate itchiness caused by stinging nettles and poison ivy.
Rocky Raccoon Recycles
Toronto's raccoon population is exploding, and it is quite common to see them waddling along sidewalks in the middle of the day. Some have even been photographed taking the subway. Toronto's raccoons have earned the nickname "trash pandas." This one was more interested in recycling. This photo was made at Edwards Gardens in mid-town Toronto.
Sign of spring
A trout lily in bloom in Wilket Creek Ravine, Toronto, in early Spring. Trout lilies are only a few inches high, so I had to place my camera on a leaf on the ground to get this perspective of an "ant's eye" view of the flower. Walking in Toronto's ravines provides a way of escaping the noise and congestion of the city streets. The ravines provide corridors for wildlife to migrate within the city from the moraines to the north to Lake Ontario.
Red-tailed hawk swooping in
I was on a path on the edge of Wilket Creek Ravine when I spotted a red tailed hawk gliding back and forth tracking chipmunks on the floor of the ravine. This photo was made near Edwards Gardens in mid-town Toronto.