More Insects, some shorebirds, and a Bat

 A few days ago I visited my local conservation areas.  A new batch of Least Skippers has emerged at Peers Wetland.

Stream Bluets is one of our more common bluets.  Here is a pair at Peers making them even more common!

Up at Reid CA, I walked around the back field.  There are some plants in flower in the far back corner, attracting insects.  I thought this one was quite unique.

On iNaturalist, it comes up with a scientific name of Euperilampus triangularis

There is some Grey-headed Coneflower.  I doubt it was deliberately planted here in this particular location, but it is here in any case.

O course, I always come across a couple of Royal River Cruisers.  Like many things this year, they are not as plentiful as in the past.

At McKeough, I came across a Bronze Copper again!

Sunday was overcast and a bit rainy, so not much happening.  I came across a Common Bog Fly at Peers, a species which I had never seen before.

Spot-winged Gliders seemed to have arrived in the area.  I had one in the yard, which was new for here.

I also saw a couple at Peers Wetland.

Monday was a lazy day, so little happened!

Today, I ventured down to Blenheim lagoons to see what shorebirds were in.  The Red-necked Phalarope from the previous day was missing in action.  There will be more!

Highlight was a flyover of an Upland Sandpiper.  Steve and I heard it, then saw it directly overhead quite high heading east.  They probably do not nest in C-K anymore, but they must fly over on their way south!  It was my first in C-K in a long time.

Among other common shorebirds, a Baird's was in the sprinkler cell area.

After the lagoon visit, I headed down to Erieau marsh trail.  Nothing outstanding there, but I found a Red Bat caught up in burdock.

Burdock, an alien plant, has been known to tangle up birds as well.

I came across some Cicada Killer Wasps at McGeachy.  First I have seen this summer.

I was home by noon, but after lunch I headed up to Moore WMA to take advantage of the nice weather.  I have avoided the place for more than a month due to the excessive rainfall this summer that has brought up river levels.  Today, it was low enough to get onto the causeway.  Not much to see though.  Lots of Blue-fronted Dancers doing their thing.  Only a couple of Blue-tipped, but I could not close to them.

Blue-tipped Dancer

The only good thing about the high water recently, is that it has kept the giant ragweed down!

Summer is a good time to look for mussels when the water is low, but this summer has been the exception.  I have missed that this year.  However, I did find a couple of common ones today.

Giant Floater

Fragile Papershell

I also stopped  by Nicholl's Memorial Forest and Wetland at Wilkesport.  I did see one Royal River Cruiser hanging around.

There was not much at the little pond in the back field, but another Slender Spreadwing briefly posed....