“After the cool spring rains, sunshine dazzles through the still open canopy, bathing the forest wildflowers with its warming light, transforming the recently dull forest into something magical and alive.” – Ed Lehming

Yesterday, after a few days inside, waiting for the cold and rain to let up, I went for a hike at one of my favourite local conservation areas, North Walker Woods. This locale has a special appeal to me, primarily because of two large patches of wildflowers, similar but different. One area is south-facing, opening up to farm fields, and usually a few weeks ahead of its companion patch, nestled within the forest on the opposite, north trail.

The two parts of the trail both offer me large tracts of wonderful white trilliums (trillium grandiflorum), but the south trail has a completely different variety of companion plants, like Early Meadow Rue, Large Flowered Bellwort, and Violets, which are not broadly present in the north tract, which features Trout Lily, Spring Beauties, Hepatica, Wild Ginger, and Wild Leeks.

I enjoy the ability to take in two slightly different environments and it also allows me a larger window of time in which to enjoy and photograph such variety of spring wildflowers, all within the same hike of about 8 kilometers.

As I ventured out, the day was still very cool and rain and sleet kept falling intermittently. But, I had had enough of being inside and wanted to see how far the recently opening white trilliums had advanced. Despite a few soakings, there were some moments, like the one pictured above, of wonderful sunshine that fell on the rain soaked flowers, giving them a beautify dewey appearance.

The forecast today is for much nicer weather but I expect that will also bring on a few more biting insects, like black flies, which take away some of the enjoyment I have experienced the past few weeks.

Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/400 sec, f/14, ISO 800