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Site description:
The observation site (The Site) is located at King Street East and Bond Street on the Harmony Creek trail in Oshawa, Ontario. The site is located in an urbanized park with an engineered flood plain and built habitat. The site extends approximately 40 – 50 metres from the harmony creek (which runs north south along the west boundary of the site) on the west to the guard rail of Bond Street on the east. The site follows the creek for approximately 80 metres from a tunnel where Harmony creek passes below King Street in the south to a park bench at the north boundary.
The east creek bank is vegetated with trees, flowering plants and small shrubs. These plants, trees, and shrubs extend from the creek bank, approximately 5 metres to the Harmony Creek Trail – which is paved with asphalt. On the opposite side of the trail (east side), the flood plain is vegetated with manicured grass for approximately 15 – 20 metres. To the east of this grass is a slope that forms the upper boundary of the flood plain. This slope is vegetated with tall grasses, flowering plants and several mature trees.
Time: 4:15 pm. August 9, 2020. Mid-late summer.
Weather:
Partially cloudy. Winds 20 km SSW. 27 degrees Celsius.
Observations:
- A construction site is set up to the south of the observation area. The path under King street is closed with fencing.
- Crickets audible in the vegetation near the creek at the south end.
- Grass is dry and brown to the east of the path.
- House sparrow observed on the path. It is flying back and forth between from shrubs and the asphalt. Shrubs have grape vines in them.
- Creek is running calm and clear. No fish observed. No odours or sheens observed. The construction team has installed some netting in the creek.
- Grassy area on the slope to the east has Dog Strangling Vine growing on it. Vine looks de hydrated. Leaves are shriveled.
- Monarch butterfly observed flying through the area. No milkweed observed during inspection.
Questions:
- What avian species frequent the area?
- Is the dog strangling vine spreading? The vines looked to be stressed. Are they producing seeds?
- The creek runs through an urbanized area with significant human impact, are any fish species present? Are there any species that run upstream to spawn in the fall at this location?
