Sunday, July 24, 2016

Some Rondeau Birding and Sedge Skippers

I had nothing scheduled this weekend, so I decided to check out Rondeau.  Saturday, I first stopped at Blenheim Lagoons to check out shorebirds.  There was nothing new, but you never know until you check, and it is a good time for a Ruff!  I have seen several Ruffs in the past years, but it was not to be this day.
A couple of fresh Bronze Coppers were along the dike.




Nothing of note was at Rondeau Park, but it is getting time to see some migrant warblers from the north.  There were lots of Yellow Warblers but they will soon depart.

Red-eyed Vireo consuming katydid


Some common butterflies were seen including a few Eyed Browns.



A highlight was finding a small Fox Snake along the trail.



I was a bit late in seeing Oswego Tea in bloom this year!



After lunch Saturday I did a brief walk at Reid CA.  Some Dukes' and Broad-winged Skippers were flying, but I could only get the camera on a couple of Dukes'.  They were back in the shaded areas so quality is not good.




A fresh brood of Giant Swallowtails is now out.



Sunday, I headed back down to Rondeau Park. I wanted to do a long walk out marsh trail.   I had intentions of looking for sedge skippers, but was not brave enough to wade through the sedges (!).  One needs to get right in the sedges to see anything.
However, I did luck out and found one Mulberry Wing alongside the trail.

Dwayne's nemesis this year


Mulberry Wing are fairly common at Rondeau.  Brenda Kulon reported over 70 on the butterfly count a couple of weeks ago.

Eyed Browns are most common out marsh trail.



Common Terns were plentiful near Dog Beach.  There were very few Bonaparte's Gulls today.




5 comments:

  1. Blake, thanks for the mention! I wanted to go out to the Rondeau Butterfly count for at least the last two years but somehow keep missing them. Will try for next year! Nice assortment of nature sightings. A Fox Snake is always nice to see --- at a distance. -DM

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    1. I thought of you right away! Fox Snakes are not too bad. I brought one small one into the office at work one day years ago. The office staff took off so fast you could not see them for the dust!

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  2. Small Fox Snake? That's giant compared to the 6-inch one that bit me last fall! Lesson learned: Small doesn't mean timid :)

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    1. Of course I have seen them much much bigger than this. (Quite often dead on the road!).

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