Who doesn’t love to go for a hike on a bright, relatively warm winter day? Well, this was the perfect day to get out and do some hiking and shooting, and I took full advantage of it!

The Perch Creek Habitat is located on Churchhill Sideroad, between Petrolia and Sarnia, Ontario. It is a bit difficult to spot if you’ve never been there before because it’s a small parking lot and the sign is at the trail head. Check out the Google map if you’re checking it out for the first time.

As the sign says, Perch Creek is a joint endeavour between the County of Lambton and the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority.

The park is well used by hikers and wildlife enthusiasts. There is also a pond near the front east end that many use for pond hockey in the winter, although no one was there this day.

Dried wildflowers were all over the meadow areas and they were blowing in the wind. Several different wildflower species still had seeds that the birds were feasting on.

Throughout the park there are a few large trees, but most are smaller and fairly recently planted.

This old, colourful birdhouse looked like it had seen better days and I didn’t see any evidence that a bird was currently enjoying the its protection.

The trails were deeply cut and very easy to follow. The planted forests are still young and somewhat dense, which means they will eventually compete to thrive.

I love these old craggy trees that loom over the surrounding area. This tree is so tall, compared to those around it, that it can be seen from quite a distance.

The main trail is wider and fairly flat for most of the initial trail but then the landscape dips. Other parts of the trail are less accessible due to fallen trees across the trail.

Perch Creek is a great place to spot deer, owls, a variety of birds, including the Woodcock, and other wildlife.

If you are a dog owner, the trail is a nice length but please pick up after your pets!

Enjoy.