Dear Readers, for a combination of urban concrete infrastructure and nature you can’t beat the Ravines. Cut over millennia by the rivers and tributaries which run through Toronto, their value for both flood protection and biodiversity has been recognised in previous years, and a lot of work has gone into preventing subsidence, ensuring that the streams run freely and looking at the influence of invasive species (of which more in a later post). But today it was glorious weather, and an opportunity for a walk.

First up though, how about this? At the very top of this skyscraper is a window-cleaner, cheerfully dangling.

Hold on, little fella! Gordon Bennett, there’s not enough money in the whole world to pay me to do that job. I hope he’s recompensed fairly.

Anyhow, back to the ravine. We get off at St Claire subway station and head into the green. First up though, there’s an example of Toronto’s love of putting a completely extraneous ‘e’ at the end of words. It’s not just a Toronto thing either – my aunties in Collingwood lived in a building called ‘The Olde Library’. Here it’s ‘the Towne Mall’. I half expect a towne crier to burst forth. Don’t get me wrong though. I do love an endearing eccentricity. After all, I have plenty of my owne.

Onwards! The trees are greening up, and I think we’re just a few days early for maximum cherry blossom, though with high winds and pouring rain expected later this week it may not last for very long.

And then we’re down into the ravine, where we’re greeted by a mass of forsythia, which is native to south-east Asia or Europe. What’s it doing down here? I’m guessing it’s a garden escapee.

And then a butterfly shoots by. And then another one. In all I see about thirty Red Admirals. I’m thinking that they are probably on their way north from warmer climes, or could possibly have emerged from hibernation, on this the first warmish day in April.

There are masses of these plants too, Siberian Squill if I”m not mistaken, another non-native plant. It’s making very attractive carpets of blue, but I do wonder if it’s crowding out natives such as trilliums.

The catkins are in bloom, and some of the Red Admirals are trying to feed from them.

And look at the houses just perched on the edge of the ravine! I think I’d be a bit worried about the whole place just sliding into the stream but hey, maybe I’m just risk-averse. The view of the tree tops must be fantastic.

Another invasive plant – Phragmites reeds, also a problem in Tommy Thompson Park.

I’m intrigued by the various bridges over the ravine – one used to carry a rail line, two are road bridges and one is a foot bridge. They are spectacular feats of engineering.

But mostly I’m here for the plants and animals. Look at all the coltsfoot! And again, it’s not native, but attractive to pollinators nonetheless, including the Painted Lady butterflies that also seemed to be on the move in some numbers.

The one butterfly that I’d not seen before was moving too fast for a photo – it’s known as a Camberwell Beauty in the UK, and a Mourning Cloak in North America. What a beauty!

I heard and then spotted some chickadees…

But then I saw a treecreeper, and then another, and then another, all running up and down the tree trunks looking for insects. In the UK I’m lucky to see one every five years, but here they seem much commoner and less nervous. This isn’t the same species as I see (this is known as a Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) but its unmistakably a close relative.

So, what a really wonderful walk, in perfect conditions. And at the exit, it was interesting to see yet another huge house perched on the edge of the ravine, but also a whole lot of work being done to shore up the sides, with planting to hold the soil and temporary netting to keep things in place. Let’s hope it all works.

And finally finally, I am very much admiring the artwork on the Bell Telephone boxes around town, and must take a few more snaps. How about this magnificent fox?

And I’m still waiting to see one of these guys. Someone told me that you can often see them in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, but no luck so far. I’ve been practicing appearing big and aggressive, just in case.