SG: This Red Admiral butterfly was laying eggs on Stinging Nettles. The caterpillars wrap themselves in the leaves of this touch-me-not plant for protection from predators.

SG: Discovered while planting, this tiny (1 cm diameter) land snail seemed to be trying to look much larger inside the empty shell of a Cepaea snail.

SG: Looking closely, I found these tiny fuzzy caterpillars carefully camouflaged among small fuzzy leaves at the growing tip of the Boneset plants.

Two black ducks have been around the pond since earlier this month, and quite likely longer, because I also saw them late into the autumn of last year.

A very attractive native geranium.

Another section of the Backyard Garden, this one called woodland walk where native plants that thrive in shade are planted.

The "model" backyard garden is thriving with all the rain.

Buckthorn is the host for oat rust which causes problems for oat crops and I think, for wheat also.

The delicate adult lacewing looks quite ethereal, unlike its larvae which is a voracious predator of aphids. Therefore lacewings are a good insect to have in your garden, since aphids are common.

The larva of one of the goldenrod beetles, this one discharging a string of frass.

A poor quality shot but the only one I managed to get because the beetle was moving fast.

This robin was very agitated and obviously I was near a nest, so I took a couple of photos on the fly as it were, and hurried off so food could be taken to the young.

These long slender bodied spiders have remarkably long legs, which is the first thing one notices about them. However, their name, long-jawed is explained by Bug Guide this way: "The common name is due to the extended length of the chelicerae (jaws) compared to those of other orb weavers (Araneidae)."

A very familiar and welcome splash of bright colour in the spring woods.

This lone sawfly was found on a black locust tree. Here it is giving the typical defensive pose adopted by so many sawfly larvae.

The lupines are finally in bloom in the butterfly meadow. They attract a lot of attention from photographers as well as from bees. The varied colours, mostly shades of blue and lilac with the odd pink one thrown in, are very eye-catching.

These pretty flowers are a non-native member of the mustard family. They can be found in several different shades from white to pink to purple, as the next shot shows.

A close up view of the creamy white flowers of the nannyberry shrub.

This bee was dead, clinging by its mouth to the leaf of a goldenrod. It appears that it may have been infected by a fungus. The habit of clinging to a plant by mouth is seen in many flies afflicted with the Entomophthora fungus.

Another native shrub that spreads abundantly and whose flowers attract numerous insects including bees.

Although non-native, attracts many insects including the silvery blue butterfly who lays eggs on it.

SG: Not a beautiful image, but significant to us. I (Sandy) had never heard of this species when I found it on my land in the country. I took photos, posted them on Facebook, and had an identification the same day, thanks to several botanist friends. I collected seeds, grew plants the following spring and our Tuesday group planted about a dozen on the south side of our Old Woodlot. The following week, most had been nibbled by rabbits. We installed a low fence, the plants grew back, and we were able to remove the fence about a month later. Last year, we noted that the plants had survived the winter and they bloomed in summer. This year, they have obviously self-seeded, and hundreds of tiny plants are growing among the original ones. This looks like a success story, but we still have to keep an eye out in case this turns into an invasive species - yes, even native plants can be "invasive" if they start to replace other plants. It's unlikely this one will prove to be invasive, but when we are introducing new plants to a habitat, it's best to be careful.

A female oriole amongst the flowers.

While most trilliums are past their peak, there are a few still crisply white and fresh in the old woods.

Found this one in the wild plums along the service road through the garden.

Of course, there are many song sparrows around the garden, now busily nesting, and it won't be that long before they start a second brood.

A small flock of waxwings were in an apple tree above the ravine, all of them plucking flowers and eating them.

In this photo you can just about see a white petal from an apple blossom in the bird's bill.

I was surprised to see this redbud sapling in the old woods. The few distinctive pink blossoms caught my eye as I walked the trail. Native to regions further south, this is a common understory tree in the eastern US. The Arboretum, adjacent to FWG, has a few redbud trees.

Although this native plant is considered endangered in the wild in Ontario, it has done well planted in the Backyard Garden and the old woods areas of the Fletcher Garden.

The cool damp weather is kind to ferns and these ones are lush, creating an almost tropical effect in the old woods.

It is still early enough that most flowers in the meadow have not yet appeared. However, it is an attractive spot to sit. There is a bench placed near a crabapple tree which is smothered in blossoms and filling the air with their scent. A nice place to sit and watch for birds and butterflies.

This member of the mustard family produces distinctive flat disc-shaped pods that are quite attractive. See next photo for a closer view of the pods.

The large hawthorn shrub by the pond is in full flower and quite spectacular.

This is one of many areas adopted by a volunteer who works hard at removing the invasive dog-strangling vine (DSV)(Vincetoxicum rossicum) and planting native species instead. It takes a lot of work and dedication to keep the areas free of the all-encompassing DSV.

Saw a few of these growing in the Old Woods area.