Mostly Insects This Past Week

 The weather has been rather cool lately, but this time of year I am more focused on insects.  Again, leps and odes have been somewhat scarce this year but one can only look around.

Last Sunday I started at Mitchell's Bay.  Birds were of the expected kind.

Great Egret

At one point, I noticed a Gray Catbird struggling with a very large moth.  I could not get close enough to determine species, but it was obviously a sphinx moth.

Later, after submitting to iNaturalist, it was determined to be a Carolina Sphinx, one that I had not encountered before.

Obviously this catbird was not going to swallow this thing whole!

After things warmed up, I ventured east to Wardsville Woods.  

Scenes along the creek

Yet again, odes were scarce, but a few butterflies were flying.  Best was a Baltimore Checkerspot in the Ann White meadow.

A Great-spangled Fritillary here as well.

I have had this species here before.

Some Crossline Skippers were on the wing as well.

At the pond, this Slaty Skimmer posed briefly, along with Calico Pennant and Twelve-spotted Skimmer.

Monday was an "off" day, but Tuesday I travelled a little further and went to John E. Pearce PP south of Wallacetown. Of course I was there a little too early to see many insects.

Heading back west, this Coyote was bounding across a field on Coyne Road.

Wardsville Woods was on the way back, so it was a must stop.  Yet again, odes were very scarce (what is going on this year?).  Early on, I encountered this clubtail.

I moved on and came back to the spot and it was still in the area.  Turned out to be a Cobra Clubtail, a rarity known here.

Some other insects included these:

Helmeted Squash Bug

Pale Green Assasin Bug

Black-dotted Glyph

The next day, I checked out Reid C. L.  No hairstreaks!  But I was early in the day.  There were several Common Thick-leg flies along the trail.

A fresh Great-spangled Fritillary was working the area.

Only one Appalachian Brown.

At one point, I noticed a Gray Treefrog trying to hide.

On Friday, I ventured to Point Pelee. I had not been there much at all this year, but this day seemed to be the day to go.

I walked out Shuster Trail and down east beach to the Tip. A Prothonotary Warbler was singing along Shuster at one point.

The Tip had lots of American White Pelicans.  Over 40 in fact.

Lots of gulls, but nothing of note.

Just south of the solar panel, I encountered the first ode (where are they?) of the day.  It was a decent one in the form of a Prince Baskettail.

I walked back west beach trail.  The theme continued of very few butterflies and dragonflies.

Back at the VC, I saw Rick's car in the parking lot, but he was nowhere to be seen.  lol.

I stopped at Hillman Marsh and walked around the shorebird cell.  There was lots of Slender Spreadwings, but very few leps and odes.  Good grief, where is everything?

At the back corner, this Yellow-billed Cuckoo had one ode in its mouth.

Today was foggy, but I drove around.  The singing Dickcissels were still at the Sombra solar farm and the floodway at Baseline Road bridge.  Nothing else of note.

Looks like it will finally warm up this coming week, so hopefull insect life will pick up.....

Recent Chat

 (needed to thnk of a catchy title!)

This past Wednesday, I decided to do some birding in Sarnia. Stopped by Wawanosh Wetland first thing. Not often I get there anymore, but when I first started birding, it was a place I went to often.

A good variety of birds there on this outing.  A lost Lesser Scaup was swimming in the main pond.

At one point I thought I heard a Blackpoll Warbler sing.  I did not think much of it (at this date?) and continued on.  Later, I came to the same spot and indeed a Blackpoll Warbler WAS singing!

This is exceptionally late at this date, and likely a record late spring date for Lambton by a longshot.  Latest I have ever seen a Blackpoll Warbler was at Rondeau Park June 22, 2003.  Needless to say it was (and still is) record late for spring.

I also walked around Dow Wetlands.  The Clay-colored Sparrows and Sedge Wrens were still present.  No doubt nesting.  None co-operated for the camera!

Highlight was a bunch of Baltimore Checkerspots.  This attractive butterfly always gets one's attention.

Before getting home, I stopped in Reid Conservation Lands to see how the hemp dogbane plants were coming along.  Just coming into bloom.  I had Northern Oak Hairstreak on my mind, as it was prime time for them to emerge.  None seen.

There were lots of Peck's Skippers.

At one point I saw a large dragonfly go to perch.  I thought it was a female Twelve-spotted Skimmer, but it turned out to be a Prince Baskettail.  They are quite similar in appearance.  Not often I seen a Prince.  This one had a bent abdomen.

Thursday was museum day.......

Friday I headed up to north Lambton just short of Grand Bend.  The Klondyke Sports Park is a good birding spot.  A few days ago, James Holdsworth came across a Yellow-breasted Chat.  Quite rare for Lambton!

This day was the first chance I had to go up that way (1.5h drive from Wallaceburg).  I had not yet come across a Chat for this year, despite trying at Rondeau.

Upon arrival, I could hear the bird singing, but it remained unseen.  They are famous for being elusive!  It took about an hour and a half before I caught a brief glimpse of it.  No chance for a photo!

Yellow-breasted Chat from the past (Point Pelee)

While up that way, I stopped in at other places.  One was the Sandrin Tract in the County forest.  As eluded to in a previous post, the "bowl" is almost dried up, so no good for dragonflies.  Several rarities have been seen here in the past though.

Here are a couple of butterflies:

Red-spotted Purple

Hackberry Emperor

Next stop was Ipperwash Forested Dunes and Swales.  I walked the Cedar Trail which parallels the wetland.  It was flooded in spots, but luckily I had waterproof footwear on.

Here are some insects there:

Slaty Skimmer (male)

Slaty Skimmer (female)

Elegant Spreadwing

Racket-tailed Emerald

Hobomok Skipper

I headed towards home after this walk, but had one last stop in mind.  I am not satisfied each year until I see an Oak Hairstreak!  The Indian Hemp was in full bloom, attracting insects.  After almost an hour I was just about to leave, when something caught my eye.  A Northern Oak Hairstreak just popped in!

Hopefully they will have a better showing this year.  I only saw one in each of the last two years, and I was the only one to have seen one.

Today I toured in south Lambton just north of Wallaceburg.  Dickcissels in three locations, but still none co-operated for the camera.  I did get a crappy photo of one though.

I stopped by Reid before heading home, but it was fairly early in the day, and no hairstreaks.

This afternoon I went to Sarnia for a little celebration of Lambton Wildlife Inc. It all started sixty years ago!

More Dickcissels and Things Here and There

I have been out and about, but not as much as I usually do. For the most part, I have not gone far.  Trying to cut down on driving, no ambition, no place to go, busy.  Those are my excuses!

Walked Nicholl's Memorial Forest and wetland on Tuesday. I photographed this dragonfly beside the pond.  Not even sure what it was at the time.

I think it is just a teneral Blue Dasher female.

Last Tuesday I checked out some traditional spots around south Lambton County for Dickcissels.  The first stop was a pasture area on Stanley Line just west of Kimball Road.  Success!  There was one male singing way back, and certainly too far for a photo attempt.

The only other spot was at a communications tower beside the Sombra solar farm.  Although this one was close, it did not co-operate for a photo like most things lately!

By the way, Ospreys nested on this tower this year.  Strangely, I did not know they were there until later.  This is a very tall tower, so I did not look high enough (that is my excuse!).

The next day, I did a similar tour.  The Dickcissel was still beside the solar farm.  There was also one at the barn and pasture on Holt Line just east of Baseline Road.  It too did not want its photo taken.  This is an annual spot as well.

June 11 was museum day, so I did not do any amount of looking around.

Friday, I wanted to go some place completely different.  Komoka Provincial Park on the west side of London was the destination.

It is actually a fairly large park with several access points.  I went to two of them.  I had not been there in several years, other than a stop at the parking lot off Gideon Drive a couple of years ago for the Blue Grosbeak.

I first went to the entrance off Komoka Road.

Great Egret on the pond

Some butterflies:

Common Ringlet

Hackberry Emperor

Then went to the entrance on Gideon Drive.  A whole system of trails are here going into various habitats including mature forest.  I only stayed on the outside.  Nothing special encountered.  Some Long Dash Skippers were along the trails off Gideon Drive.

I headed back via highway 2.  I stopped at Wardsville Woods for a look.  Yet again it was disappointing for odes.  Not sure what is going on this year, but there is certainly a lack of odes and leps in many places.

I did spot a Racket-tailed Emerald at one point.

Just before leaving, an Arrowhead Spiketail made an appearance.

Saturday was yard sale day, so no travelling!  It was a perfect weather day, good for a yard sale, but difficult to pass on being out and about.

Sunday was a rather glum day, but I toured locally.  I did finally see an Osprey at the Sombra solar farm.

A Dickcissel was singing near the Baseline bridge north of Holt Line.  Likely the same bird from a couple of days previous.

I went for a long walk at Reid C. L.  Slim pickings, but it was somewhat cloudy and early in the day.

Eastern Calligrapher

Yesterday I went down Rondeau and Erieau way.  Weather was perfect for being out.  I first checked out Keith McLean C. L.  A pelican had been there a couple days previous, and I was not expecting it to still be there.  But it was!  Fast asleep at first.  One would hardly know that white blob was a pelican.

It did poke its head up a little later to reveal its tell-tale head and beak.

Also went for a walk at McGeachy Pond and the Erieau Marsh trail. Nothing of note.

Today was one of those days I had no place to go.  Just did some yard work and things on the house.

Blue Dasher