Cooler nights and a profusion of aster & goldenrod flowers have signaled the arrival of autumn in the garden. Our ‘Summer Series’ Education Programme has ended for 2021. We are grateful to all of our event leaders and visitors who made the year successful.

Hummingbird migration is drawing to a close but several are still visiting the salvia, red sage and other flowers. Visit our new ‘Filmed in the Garden’ to view a great video on Ruby-throated Hummingbirds by Mark Williams.

‘Filmed in the Garden’ features several videos shot in the Urquhart Butterfly Garden in 2021. Current videos feature the Great Golden Digger Wasp and another with great shots of Preying Mantis, both by Mark Williams. Thank you Mark!

 Monarch butterfly numbers are building and will continue strong until successive cold fronts, north winds and sunny days carry them south. Watch for them flitting around the Butterfly Bushes or drifting by overhead.

Another great spot for autumn butterflies is the Crabapple trees near the cedar hedge at the west end of the Garden. On sunny days butterflies can be seen along the path feeding on the rotting fruit on the ground.

Other welcome sights include American Goldfinches and Eastern Chipmunk feasting on the Cup Plant seedheads as Cedar Waxwings pluck berries.   Don’t forget to watch for the bird migration overhead.

The September 7th deadline for entering the 2021 Urquhart Butterfly Garden Photo Contest has come and gone. We are grateful to have received many excellent photos of a diverse array of garden wildlife.

Photo Contest Award Announcement:

The 2021 Photo Contest Award Winners will annouced on our website on the morning of Tuesday, October 12th, 2021. Stay tuned!

Up next in our 2021 Education Program Summer Series:

Urquhart Butterfly Garden Centennial Park, Dundas

Butterfly & Nature Identification Walk – Matthew Mills

Free Workshop Saturday September 11 at 10 am

Our own staff naturalist Matt Mills will lead our final walk of the year a Guided Nature Walk and tour of the garden. Early fall is a time of change for wildlife in the garden, but there is always plenty to see.

Monarch butterfly migration is underway, and we may see small groups in the garden or migrating overhead. A day with north winds could bring the hawk migration right overhead and insect diversity will be high in the abundant fall flowers.

The session is open to all, and you will leave with a new knowledge and understanding of the wonderful diversity of wildlife at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden.  

Saturday September 11 at 10 am.

You are requested to bring your binoculars & a chair. Be prepared to spend 1 hour in the full
sun of the garden – a hat and sunglasses are helpful. 

The event will be cancelled in the event of rain.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is immediately adjacent to Centennial Park and the Hamilton Air Force Association at 128 King St. E in Dundas.

There is plenty of free parking and the location is easily accessible by public transportation or bicycle.
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For more information contact:

Joanna Chapman

jchapman@295.ca
905-627-8917

Funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation

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 The Urquhart Butterfly Garden,

Centennial Park, Dundas.                                                        

Birds of the Butterfly Garden & Canal Park

Brian Wylie

Saturday, September 4 at 10 am

Brian Wylie is a very observant naturalist and birder.   Brian can tell you about our birds,  their lives, and  migration patterns. It is surprising how many species of bird are hiding in plain view.    

By early September many birds are getting ready to leave us for the winter.  He will explain why some Robins leave us in the fall others stay and overwinter here.

Brian Wylie has been interested in birds and other creatures since he was a child, and for many years been a very active member of the Hamilton Naturalist’s Club.  He welcomes both young and old to his workshops, and has a great facility for explaining the mysteries of nature to young children. Join Brian on September 4 at 10am, for a free workshop.

• Please bring your binoculars & a chair
• Please no dogs
• Session will be cancelled in the event of rain
• Ample on site free parking & on a bus route

Funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation

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For more information contact: 

Joanna Chapman (905-627-8917)

email: jchapman@295.ca

Urquhart Butterfly Garden

Centennial Park, Dundas

Butterfly & Nature Identification Walk

Matthew Mills

Free Workshop Saturday August 28th at 10 am

Our own staff naturalist Matt Mills will guide a Butterfly and Nature Identification walk and tour of the garden. Late summer is an excellent time to view a diversity of butterflies in the Urquhart Butterfly Garden. 

Monarch numbers begin to build as they stage for migration, good numbers of summering species are still on the wing and rare butterflies blown north on summer heat waves are possible. Bird migration begins in earnest in late August so we will watch for movement overhead and new visitors in the garden.

The session is open to all, and you will leave with a new knowledge and understanding of the wonderful diversity of wildlife at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden.  Saturday August 28 at 10 am.

You are requested to bring a chair and wear a hat. We will spend 1 hour in the full sun of the garden. The event will be cancelled in the event of rain.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is immediately adjacent to Centennial Park and the Hamilton Air Force Association at 128 King St. E in Dundas.

There is plenty of free parking and the location is easily accessible by public transportation or bicycle.

Funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation

……………………………………………………………

For more information contact:

Joanna Chapman
jchapman@295.ca
905-627-8917