Touring around this weekend, I ended up in north Lambton on Saturday morning. I walked the Ipperwash Forested Dunes and Swales. It was a pleasant walk, but there were few migrant birds. Red-breasted Nuthatches were more plentiful, as they are elsewhere right now.
Near the end of my walk, a butterfly landed rather high in a tree. I was not sure what it was at first, but turned out to be a Compton Tortoiseshell. As mentioned previously, they are having a banner year. First time I have seen one here!
I then moved up to Karner Blue Sanctuary at Port Franks. It was terribly quiet for birds, but a family of Eastern Bluebirds kept me occupied in that department.
Here is a reliable spot to see Leonard's Skippers around the Rough and Cylindrical Blazing Star plants.
This is a later-summer skipper that we see in August and September.
Other skippers included Silver-spotted, Peck's and Northern Broken-Dash.
A plant I remembered from a year ago on the bioblitz was Ebony Spleenwort.
I stopped by Forest Lagoons on the way back. A few shorebirds there, but not much. This place has not been producing of late!
Nearer home, a stop at McKeough revealed very little, as it was getting way too hot!
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| Eastern Amberwing |
Today, was a toss-up so I went down to McLean Conservation Lands. It is certainly the best spot around for shorebirds and lots of other birds. Nothing new though....we need a change in weather!
The Red Knot was still kicking around, but it was right close to the road today.
The summering Dunlin need not be mentioned, and only one Baird's Sandpiper today.
I then went into the park. Practically no warblers on south point, but vireos were plentiful. I had five vireo species, including the White-eyed still singing away.
There were even more gulls and terns on the east beach today. At least 1000 Ring-billed, plus several hundred Common Terns, Bonaparte's etc., but no rarities.
I was so intrigued by the stop along the Thames east of Thamesville on Friday, that I went back today. Several Smoky Rubyspots were there, but were rather skittish and I only got a photo of one today.
Here is a photo of both a Smoky and an American Rubyspot on the same rock.
There is a shallow spot where I found many mussels. Several species there, which I still have problems ID'ing.
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| Pimpleback |
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| Deertoe |
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| Pimpleback |
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| possible Elktoe |
Another checkered skipper in the yard this afternoon....
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