I usually head into Elgin County in early August.....well it is now mid August! Today I went as far as Port Stanley lagoons. There have been good birds seen there over the years, but nothing new was there today.
I stayed about an hour as the birds moved around.
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| Short-billed Dowitchers |
Just a few species of common shorebirds were there. I was hoping for a phalarope!
Many Pied-billed Grebes as well.
An American Coot was notable in the one cell, but it was way at the back.
Next stop was Fingal Wildlife Management Area-the SW trail near Ian Carmichael Pond.
There used to be a good prairie planting area here, but it has deteriorated somewhat in recent years.
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| Eastern Tailed-Blue |
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| Silver-spotted Skipper |
South of Iona, I always stop at Southwold Earthworks. It can be good for butterflies there especially if it has not been mowed recently and the clover is blooming. There was lots of clover today.
Several Tawny-edged Skippers were present.
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| Tawny-edged Skippers |
Also, Peck's and Dun and Common Sootywing.
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| Common Sootywing |
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| Peck's Skipper |
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| American Beech at Southwold Earthworks |
On the way back home, I stopped at Wardsville Woods. It was rather disappointing with regards to birds and butterflies today.
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| Worn-out Buckeye! |
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| American Lady |
When I got in my car, I noticed a Hackberry Emperor! I never saw until I got in my car, so I do not know where it came from. Must have been on my clothing.
Much farther west, I decided to try for the rubyspots at the Victoria Road bridge south of Thamesville.
It is difficult getting to the spot east of the bridge to see them, but I saw 3 American Rubyspots and one Smoky Rubyspot (hi Allen!). Could not get close to them though.
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| Smoky Rubyspot |
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| American Rubyspot |
Well, I decided to head down to Ridgetown Lagoons as well. Not much there except a few Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers and too many Canada Geese.
Decided to check Blenheim as well. Not worth it! The shorebirds were scared up but there quite a few Semipalmated Sandpipers, a few Least and 2 Short-billed Dowitchers.
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| Semisands in Flight |
They started mowing today, so much of the butterfly habitat is destroyed or going to be so. A few Common Checkered-Skippers were seen.
They are in Wallaceburg as well. Yesterday I had one at Peers Wetland!
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