Hiking at Cawthra Mulock

My hike today was at the Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve, just south of the Holland Marsh, in King Township, between Bathurst and Dufferin Streets. The western trailhead on Dufferin Street does not present a visually-promising start: a large weedy meadow flanked by huge hydro towers. 300 metres and 5 minutes in however, things take on a promising aspect. My hikes are usually taken to bring me selfishly close to nature, but today I was keeping in mind the fervent protests of many Ontarians concerning a planned Ontario Hydro installation nearby. The Premier of Ontario has intervened and it seems the project is a go, no matter what. The case for the hydro plant is seemingly well made in that the surrounding countryside here is already host to a large transformer station and major intersecting power lines. On the surface it seems an excellent business case has been made, but sadly, environmental, social and aesthetic considerations fall by the wayside. The trails on this 268-acre site serve their purpose quite well and are deservingly popular. Some of the pictures I took are show below. The nature reserve and its trails will continue to exist, cheek by jowl, with the the hydro towers (new and old). The trick will be to not look over your shoulder.

I sat on a bench and enjoyed the view over a pretty little pond, which has a resident Kingfisher who wouldn't come close enough for a good picture. I'll get him next time.

I found the remains of an ancient farmstead interesting, especially what appeared to be a square silo.
Markers on the main trail are red paint on old wooden posts or white arrows with a red background on metal posts. There are four connecting trails in total.

Butterflies, like this obliging Red Admiral, abounded at Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve today.

Please comment if you wish.
BtheB