The Dukes' Skippers are doing well at Reid CA.
Today I found quite a few, but they were not too co-operative for photos!
Friday I decided to head up to Strathroy. The lagoons are easily accessible and one cell has some excellent mud for shorebirds. ( A Ruff was there just over a week ago!). As I left home, there was patchy fog, but it got worse as I headed towards Strathroy! By the time I arrived, it was too foggy to see the mudflat by scope, so I walked around the one cell.
 |
| Solitary Sandpiper in Fog |
By the time I finished, it had cleared enough to bring out the scope. There was not a lot of variety, but Least Sandpipers numbered over 50, with a couple Semipalmated Sandpipers, a Semipalmated Plover and several Lesser Yellowlegs.
Solitary Sandpipers numbered four or five.
After finishing there, I headed over to Clark Wright CA, not too far away. This is a neat little spot I visit at least once a year. I find it good for butterflies when conditions are right. I had American Coppers here several years ago, but the trail has been re-routed away from where they were.
A decent find popped up in the form of a Mulberry Wing. This elusive sedge skipper was one I thought I would not find this year, so that made the day.
After this walk, I decided to head back south west and ended up at Wardsville Woods. This is a favourite spot to walk and a good place to look for butterflies. Some odes are here too!
Not done yet, I kept going and ended up at Clear Creek. I wanted to walk the old quarry area as it is excellent for odes and butterflies. Goal was to see a Comet Darner, which I discovered here a couple of years ago.
They will patrol over the pond, so I kept looking. Soon, I spotted one! Very distinctive red abdomen!
They are considered rare vagrant to Ontario, but some are established in known locations.
Calico Pennants are very common here.
I spent quite a bit of time in the area. There is another pond up the slope to the north.
After some time, I spotted a couple of Broad-winged Skippers around some phragmites. This species apparently uses phragmites as a food plant.
Later, I caught sight of an American Snout. It was not too co-operative, lol.
Today, I headed to north Lambton for lack of anything else to do. I checked out Forest lagoons--always an excellent place for fall shorebird migration. There was not much there today, but quite a few Lesser Yellowlegs.
 |
| Shoveler Silhouette |
Moving on, I thought Ipperwash Forested Dunes and Swales would be a nice walk in early morning. There were not too many birds, but many mosquitoes!
I spotted a Green Heron sitting on a nest at one point.
I was looking for insects as well. A Shadow Darner posed briefly.
It was getting too hot and humid by the time I finished, but just before I left, I spotted a Coral Hairstreak. It was a first for this year, one that I thought I would miss for the first time.
Closer to home, I stopped by Moore WMA, McKeough and Reid for some brief looks. I wanted to get a photo of a Royal River Cruiser, but that never happened even though I saw them at each location!
There were quite a few mussels at Moore today. This one caught my eye as it was one I had not seen before. I thought it may be a Fawnsfoot, which is quite rare, but that was my guess. Certainly looked different with the greenish colour and pattern. Likely a Deertoe which is "vulnerable" in Ontario.
Deertoes seem to be rather numerous at Moore.
Other Moore mussels:
 |
| Mapleleaf |
 |
| Deetoe |
At McKeough I did see one Flag-tailed Spinyleg.
 |
| Eastern Amberwing (f) |
At Reid, several Dukes' Skippers were flying, as mentioned above.
I did not find any hairstreaks at all. There will be some kicking around, but we are mostly done with them in this area for yet another year.
 |
| Banded from a few days ago |
It is a horrible year for the invasion of Gypsy Moths. They are everywhere, and in many areas the oaks are leaf-less. I found this Eastern Pondhawk having lunch at Reid. It appears to have a Gypsy Moth!
No comments:
Post a Comment