Insects 'n Things of Late

 I have been checking out various spots lately for anything of interest.  It is certainly not a banner year for butterflies and odonates.  It has been difficult to find much at all.

Saturday, I checked out Wardsville Woods.  It was quite disappointing.  No spiketails and only a couple of Midland Clubtails.

Midland Clubtail with snack

Some butterflies included Silvery Checkerspot and Giant Swallowtail, among singles of others.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Giant Swallowtail

Tawny-edged Skipper

Sunday it was difficult to find anything.  No sign of the Northern Oak Hairstreaks yet at Reid CA.  The river was running high at Moore WMA, so that flushed away any odes!

Blue-fronted dancer

Blue-fronted Dancer

Yesterday I went down Lake St. Clair way.  I spent some time looking at the Bay off the south shore nature trail, then went for a walk at St. Clair NWA.

Caspian Tern

Of note at the NWA, was a pair of Northern Harriers.  I failed to get the action on photos, but I saw a female flying about, then a male came in with some food in hand.  In mid-air, the male transferred the food to the female!  Never witnessed this before.  The female then circled a bit, then went down into the marsh, assumingly to a nest.

female with the food

Also there was an Osprey.

Today, I checked out south Lambton north of Wallaceburg.  No dickcissels that I could find!  I then went for a walk at Reid CA. Again, things were sparse, and no sign of the Oak Hairstreaks.  They are usually out by now, but things are behind this year.  As well their favourite nectaring plant, hemp-dogbane or whatever you want to call it, was not quite in bloom.  More notably, it is almost wiped out at Reid.  Things are getting quite grown-in there which no doubt is a factor.

Some insects at Reid.

Least Skipper

Black-patched Clepsis Moth

Also stopped by Moore WMA where the water level is down enough to check out the causeway.  Very few odes.  Water was a still a bit high to find mussels, but a few were exposed.

Mapleleaf

 

Pink Heelsplitter

Cliff Swallows were late in arriving near Peers Wetland this spring.  They are building nests under the bridge of late.