Spring Has Sprung....More or Less

 Nice to see birds arriving and other creatures popping up after a long winter.

Last Thursday, I finally saw my first Eastern Bluebirds for the year at Wilkesport.  This photo is highly cropped though.

Friday, I was itching to go for a long walk out Rondeau's marsh trail.  I was a bit hesitant at first due to the very large snow drifts still existing.  However, I was determined to go for a walk.

It may take weeks for them to melt!

I walked almost to the Long Pond trail.  While thousands of ducks were on the Bay, there was not much of note.  However, it was a nice walk once one was past the drifts!

This mink did not survive the winter!

Sunday I went to Point Pelee for a change in scenery.  Unfortunately, I ran into some rain!   Just my luck, but it eventually stopped and I was able to get out and walk.

Lots of sparrows had come in.  Included were Field and Savannah at De Laurier.

Along Mersea Road 19, a Turkey Vulture was feeding on a dead coyote.

Sunday, I did not do much!

Today, I managed to get out for a walk at Mitchell's Bay first thing.  Lots of waterfowl on the Bay.  While looking, I noticed some very large white birds set down in the distance.  Turned out to be White Pelicans!  I only saw six in flight, but a crappy photo revealed at least 12!

Certainly rather early for here, but they have already been seen at Holiday Beach.  They have been increasing in numbers in the past years.  

An annual occurrence at Mitchell's Bay, these are always nice to see near home.

This afternoon warmed up quite nicely, so I went for a long walk at Reid CA.  Chorus frogs were deafening at times.  They are very wary, but I managed to get some photos.

Along the shoreline, I came across the rare Lilliput mussel.  It is easily recognized to me by its small size.

As well, a more common, but vulnerable Mapleleaf, was nearby.

A couple of Eastern Commas were flying, a first for the spring for me.  However, they did not co-operate for the camera!

More Running Around-Looking For Things of Interest

 Last Friday I checked out the Sombra Western Meadowlark.  It finally came close and perched on the wire beside the road.  Unfortunately, I was looking towards the sun, so I had to doctor the photos.

It will be interesting to see how long it stays.  I doubt it will find a suitable mate!

I then went for a walk at Reid CA around the back field.  More insects are showing as one would expect.  

Eastern Giant Swallowtail

Juvenal's Duskywing

I photographed this dragonfly, not looking too close, and I did not pursue it.  I should have since it was a Pronghorn Clubtail!  One of the more uncommon clubtails, but regular in this area.

South of town I came across a pair of Ring-necked Pheasants.  Although non-native, they are are very difficult to find in the wild anymore.

Next day, I ended up at Point Pelee.  Some days I do not know what to do and just start driving!  It is always a crap shoot as to what one may find.  Again, I seemed to pick the wrong day.  Nothing of note in birds, and hardly an odonate to be found, not to mention butterflies.

American White Pelicans area a regular feature around the Tip this time of year.

Sunday was rather rainy for the morning.  In the afternoon I was bored to the point where I went for a walk at McKeough.

Azure Bluets are regular in one spot.

Turtles included a couple of Map and a couple of softshell.  Of the dozens of times I have been there, I do not think I ever saw a softshell at McKeough (!).

Lots of Maps here too.

Monday was foggy to start, but very calm.  I had no idea where to go, but just headed towards Rondeau.  By the time I started walking, the fog had lifted.  I walked the beach all the way from the light beacon, way out south beach!  There was just enough activity to keep me interested.

I only saw one Little Gull this outing.

There are always things to find along the beach.  I found another old shotgun shell brass.  From what I can tell, it was made from 1935- early 1950's.

I really wanted to go to Wardsville this day, but the clouds and fog delayed that until after Rondeau.  It was nice and sunny when I arrived at Wardsville Woods.  I had high hopes for lots of odonates, but yet again, there were hardly any!  However, there were some highlights.

Early on, I spotted one of the specialties for here, a Cobra Clubtail.

One of the key features is the face, where there is a line across it.

As it got warmer, more things came out including some Double-striped Bluets around the pond.

Also, a first-of-year Violet Dancer.

There were a few Twelve-spotted Skimmers.

I kept making rounds, not giving up, and later on I came across an Arrowhead Spiketail, another specialty of the property.

In fact there were two.  Still looking for its cousin, the Twin-spotted Spiketail!

One can always spot a spiketail in flight.  They are large and have a certain flight characteristic, at least to me.  Also their perch position seems unique.

There are always lots of moths everywhere one goes, but I only look at the more attractive ones.  A very common type is the White-striped Black.

Today, I just had to go to another place!  Every year in June at some point I check out Joany's Woods north of Sylvan on the Middlesex border.  It can be good for birds and insects.  I was there  a bit too early I guess, for lots of insects.  There were hardly any odonates.  Are we in a lull for them right now?

The only clubtail I got on was a Midland.

There were a few butterflies, including my first-of-year Great Spangled Fritillary.

For birds, the usual ones were there but not in big numbers (except Red-eyed Vireos).  Blue-winged Warblers are normally plentiful there, but I only heard two in the distance over the 8+ km I walked.  However, I heard five Mourning Warblers which is more than usual.

Getting to Joany's, I always pass through Hungry Hollow and by Fossil Road.  Down Fossil Road one can access the river, and this is a premier spot to look for odonates.  Indeed, I stopped there!

Yet again, there was hardly an ode to be seen.  The river was also running very high due to the ridiculous amount of rain we have been getting lately.  That is a big factor in limiting habitat.

I did see a single American Rubyspot.

I also photographed this non-descript damsel not knowing what it was.  Turns out it is a female Eastern Red Damsel!  

I have honestly never seen one before, but they are quite uncommon.  And, rather tiny to boot. In our area, they are only seen in this spot and at nearby Rock Glen.  Likely they are elsewhere in some unknown spots.  Also seen in the Komoka area near London.

I did not stay long, being quite disappointed.  But, going back up the slope, something caught my eye.  A male Eastern Red Damsel!  I was in an extremely awkward spot, so could not get proper photographs without moving and flushing it.

That certainly made my day!  I will be back there later on when (hopefully) the water recedes and more odonates emerge.

Just June Junk

 The other day, I headed north to Sarnia to see a somewhat uncommon butterfly for our region.  A few years ago, Silvery Blue was discovered at Blackwell Trails park.  The park is a former dump converted back to nature and has some good creatures within.

Last year if anyone recalls, I went there and saw the Silvery Blue, a rather attractive lep, for the first time.  This year, I had no problem finding several (about 10) on the wing.  They rarely stop, so getting a photo is difficult.  I managed one good photo, the same one on this blog header.

Silvery Blue is rare in SW Ontario.  There are some records going way back (1981, 1982) at Point Pelee, and there is one NE of Wallaceburg along McCallum Line in 2014.  One has to go farther afield to see them in any numbers!

There were several other species of butterflies, including these two:

Common Checkered-Skipper

Wild Indigo Duskywing

While there, I tallied an Olive-sided Flycatcher, which has been elusive for many this spring in our region.  In typical pose, dressed in a vest, atop a dead tree.

Red-headed Woodpecker is also at Blackwell Trails.

The rare Comet Darner is also found at Logan's Pond within the property.  I have seen it there in the past, but we will have to wait until about mid July to see it!

I zig-zagged home and stopped by Moore WMA.  Odonates are now showing up in variety, and I saw my first Midland Clubtails of the year there.

Water levels are dropping with the lack of rain, and more mussels were showing.  Nothing new, but this nice Mapleleaf wanted to be photographed.

On Thursday, I headed to east Chatham-Kent to see what was around.  Some good birds were seen/heard.

A female Calico Pennant had just emerged at the old quarry at Clear Creek.

Over at Erieau, some "summer" Canvasbacks were resting off the rail trail.

I headed to Point Pelee on Friday.  Some good birds had been showing up there recently, but of course not on my visit (again!).  Just a matter of luck, as some have better luck than others.

However, this time of year, American White Pelicans are a regular at the Tip.  Up to 19 came in on my watch.  Always nice to see!

A couple of immature Little Gulls were mixing with the bonies at the Tip.  Here is one resting on the sand.

Today I stayed close to home and did some bird atlassing.  I realized I had one more point count to do in one square, so I did that.

I did some birding at McKeough CA, then went down to Reid CA.  Nothing new really, but one always has to check!  A late Gray-cheeked Thrush was of note at Reid.

Speaking of odes, Racket-tailed Emerald has recently emerged.  I found a few at Reid today, an excellent place locally to find them.

Seems like the dog days of summer already, but it only early June!  When will we get some much-needed rain?