Some September Sightings

 Last Tuesday, I stopped by McKeough CA for a morning walk.  Highlight was a Zabulon Skipper!  It was a first record for that place.

One can only wonder how many are really out there.  They are certainly expanding.

Eastern Tailed-Blues are plentiful right now, especially at McKeough.

Wild Indigo Duskywings are popping up as well.

A couple of insect/arachnid sightings in the next couple of days:

Lance-tipped Darner

Yellow Garden Spider

On Friday, I went down to Rondeau to walk the marsh trail. I was hoping to spend quite a bit of time there, but we were mislead by the weather forecast.  The evening before I am pretty sure it said some sun and very little chance of rain.  Dead wrong!  It was threatening rain.

That was unfortunate because there were hundreds of birds, most moving south.  I only could spend two hours on the trail.  Here is  a link to my eBird list:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S389630415

I did notice two Common Nighthawks flying as well.  Sometimes they fly during the day!

I only managed this photo of an Osprey.

It rained the rest of the day!

Not to be detered, I went back the next day to tackle the marsh trail.  Luckily, it was much the same deal with birds, but with sunny skies.  I walked to the half way point, seeing more species than the previous day.

Common Yellowthroat

Red-eyed Vireo with meal (earwig?)

A couple of butterflies along the way.

Question Mark

Common Painted-Lady

Common Checkered-Skipper (at home)

Yesterday, I drove along the St. Clair River first thing.

barge Ashtabula

For my morning walk, I went to McKeough CA.  It was quite enjoyable with picture-perfect weather.

Holt Line Bridge

  As well, there were lots of birds.  Included was a Purple Finch.  They seem to be moving through in small numbers now.

Cedar Waxwing

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Common Painted-Lady seems to be popping up everywhere lately.

Later in the afternoon, I saw quite a few bees and wasps in the garden.  Included was an oddity called a Louisiana Painted-Dark Bee.  I had one of these in the past here.

Today I headed down towards Rondeau and Erieau.  I checked a harvested tomato field and saw a Buff-breasted Sandpiper east of New Scotland.

I then headed over to Erieau to walk the marsh trail.  There were a few warblers and other birds, plus some hummingbirds.

This afternoon, it was too nice to pass up an opportunity to check out McKeough and Reid.

There were a few birds, including this Philadelphia Vireo having a meal.

Came a cross a Grey Comma at McKeough, something I have have not seen since early summer.

Some Wild Indigo Duskywings were flying nearby.

A Reid, a couple of Royal River Cruisers were flying. Soon, they will be done until next June!

A few warblers were flitting through the woods.  Included was an Ovenbird, which was in a shaded area.  I did not have time to put the correct settings on the camera, so it is blurry.

Been watching for birds in the evening at home.  The odd warblers are moving through, but not much passing over lately.

End of August Report!

 Here we are at the last day of August....already.  I have been out as much as possible, except yesterday when it rained off and on all day.  Taking advantage of every hour.

Each evening I sit on the back porch watching for birds.  The odd warbler has gone through.  One of my favourite things to see are Common Nighthawks.  I have seen about seven so far, but I can only see a small amount of sky.

Some butterflies recently include those what I have seen in the garden.  Common Checkered-Skippers are almost a daily occurence.

Other common things have shown up as well.

Silver-spotted Skipper

Orange Sulphur

This past Friday I walked out Rondeau's marsh trail to the half way point.  A few birds kept me interested, including the aptly-named Black-and-White Warbler.

Another Olive-sided Flycatcher caught my eye.  I have seen lots in this year's fall migration!

There is some good matting along the shoreline that attracts shorebirds.

Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers

Yellowlegs of the lesser variety

Solitary Sandpipers were in good numbers (at least seven).

I stopped at Keith Mclean C. L. before heading home.  There was finally some mud showing.  I half-expected a Hudsonian Godwit, but I could not turn the lone dowitcher into one.

Early Saturday morning I toured locally.  Yet another two Olive-sided Flycatchers were at Peers Wetland.

I then decided to head to the Thamesville area and check for rubyspots.  It did not turn out well.  The river was running a little high, and the bank was too steep and grown-in to see much.  I was particularly interested in Smoky Rubyspot.  I may have seen one, but anything I could photograph was its common counterpart. (note:  photos uploaded here are not reproducing well for some reason).

I then moved on to Wardsville Woods. There was not much there to photograph.  A few warblers and such were moving through the woods.

Today, I decided to give Rondeau a try.  Big mistake!  Hardly any birds. Oh well, last couple of visits were decent.

The iconic concrete structure is getting further out into the lake it seems.

I walked back the beach from "trail's end".

I could see a small sailing vessel coming from Erieau.

I thought it looked familiar.  It was the Playfair out of Toronto.  Every summer teenagers get training on this and its sister the Pathfinder .  These brigantines have been around for decades.  I have seen them on the St. Clair River as well.

At one point I noticed about 15 Eastern Kingbirds. along the treeline.  

Leaving Rondeau somewhat disappointed, I headed over to Erieau to walk the marsh trail. I was not expecting much, but there were more birds here than at Rondeau!  Quite a few warblers, including a dozen Cape May.  They certainly have been plentiful this year.  In any case, it is my favourite warbler

And indeed, yet another Olive-sided Flycatcher working the dead trees past the viewing stand.  Heavily back-lit, I took a photo anyway.

On to another week.......

Recent Tidbits

I have not had much to report in the last week here on this forum.  Since I am posting daily on Facebook, there is some overlap there!

I have been to Mitchell's Bay a few times, Rondeau a couple of times, and the usual local places several times.  Not much to photograph on the those visits!  I mainly look for things of interest.

Last Friday, I went for a long walk out Rondeau's marsh trail to Long Pond.  It was more for exercise than anything.  There were about eight species of migrant warblers, and a few flycatchers.

The only shorebird other than Killdeer was a Solitary Sandpiper at the end of my walk right by the start of the trail.

Here are a couple of butterflies seen (or parts thereof).

Spicebush Swallowtail

Red Admiral

Saturday morning it threatened rain, and eventually it did rain!

View from Peers Wetland of incoming storm

Sunday I went down Blenheim and Erieau way.  The lagoons had basically the same shorebirds, plus a pair of Red-necked Phalaropes.  Seems to be a good year so far for them.  Last year I completely missed the species!  This year I have seen six so far.

In the afternoon, I went for a walk through the woods at Reid Conservation Lands.  I kept an eye out for anything of interest.

This bright red fungus caught my eye.  It is Red Raspberry Slime Mold.  Needed the macro setting to get this photo.

The Twinleaf plants are still showing, soon to disappear until next spring.

Other things seen:

Red-tailed Hawk feather

Ghost Pipe

Leopard Frog

Common Checkered-Skipper

Monday was cloudy off and on, so I did not do much.  Did a lot of driving around!  But of course I did not see much.

Green Cone-headed Planthopper

Monarch

Prairie Dock at Peers Wetland

Today was quite nice as I headed down to Rondeau Park.  I suspected it would be a good day for birds.....and it was!  I spent most of the time on south point trail.  There were lots of warblers, vireos and flycatchers.  

I tallied 12 species of warblers.  Cape May Warblers were bountiful, as I counted 24.  Highlight was a Connecticut Warbler just before getting back to the parking lot.  Although it was quite co-opreative, I could not get a clear shot with the camera.  Here is the best photo:

In the spring, we may hear them singing, but they remain unseen.  That was the case this past spring!

South point trail has a new sign.  There is no maintenance beyond the "S-curve".  Beyond that, it is extremely grown-in, now hardly recognizable.

All for now.....