Oliphant Fen is located on Shoreline Avenue in Oliphant, Ontario. There is parking on the side of the road and two entry points to the boardwalk, which is about .25 kilometres long. This is one of my favourite spots to photograph wildflowers, butterflies and dragonflies. In the spring you’ll find lady slippers and gentians but we usually make it either in the summer or the fall, since we visit it while camping at MacGregor Point Provincial Park. Sauble Falls Provincial Park is even closer to the fen!

In terms of wildlife, you’ll see a variety of birds around the fen, including Bald Eagles that sometimes nest on a supplied platform near the beach. We have seen them flying by with snakes in their talons before.

We didn’t see any eagles on this particular summer trip but we saw several White-faced Meadowhawks, although I only photographed the females.

We spotted this frog lazing around in the waters of the fen. There was a glare on the water and I didn’t have my polarizer on but I’d guess, by the colour of the dorsolateral folds that is it a Northern Leopard Frog.

I’m not great at identifying a lot of butterflies, especially the ones that are so similar to each other, like the Crescents and the Fritillaries, but I would guess that this is a Northern Crescent? What do you think?

I was surprised to find this American Toad in the fen. It was in the drier areas and it seemed to be hanging on to the small grasses. Perhaps he was lost?

Due to its lack of markings I’m going to say that this is a Dun Skipper, but again, don’t quote me on that.

Very few trees or shrubs grow in the fen but you will see some tamaracks and some Shrubby Cinquefoils or Potentillas.

We saw a variety of wildflowers and grasses during this summer visit. I am still trying to learn many of their names by heart and identify the others.