Plovers, Dragons, Leps on the Bruce

The last couple of days I spent in Bruce County.  I year ago I did a similar trip and it was time to take a couple of days off again after a couple of big jobs got completed at work last week.
Sunday morning I headed straight to Port Elgin where Piping Plovers nested on the beach.  It has been a long time since I have seen a Piping Plover.
This is a new location for them!  They are easily seen at the pier area where you can park for free.  The adult bird was accompanying four young birds.

It was neat to see them scurry around the fenced area and hearing the occasional piping sound.

I camped at MacGregor Point P. P. where I usually do.  The rest of Sunday afternoon was spent in the park looking for whatever was to be found.  The sun did not come out until around lunch time so butterflies were not moving much.
I walked around the Tower Trail first.

Chalk-fronted Corporal

Frosted Whiteface

Next was the 4 km long Lake Ridge Trail.  One area of this trail can produce a variety of butterflies.  An old field area had lots of Common Milkweed were I found several Acadian and Coral Hairstreaks among Peck's and other skippers.  I was getting worried this year not having seen an Acadian yet, but here I found some beauties.  I think the Acadian is the prettiest hairstreak!

Lots of Peck's Skippers were on this trail.

My next walk was the visitor centre area and along the lake. A boggy area near the VC can be interesting and I found some emerald dragonflies. They did not sit still for any length of time, but with the shape of the abdomen, I knew they had to be Racket-tailed Emeralds.  I had never taken note of them before.

There is a little peninsula north of the VC that has a nice edge to look for butterflies.  Here I found some Aphrodite Fritillaries, Tawny-edged Skippers and others.

Just by sheer luck, I spotted some movement on distant Swamp Milkweed.  I could not get close due to the high water this year, but it was obviously a Dorcas Copper.  Turns out that was the only one I saw this trip! Last year I got them at Petrel Point nature reserve.

highly cropped!

Coral Hairstreaks were along here too.

What a Beauty!

I saw various other dragonflies including this one which I am not sure to species.

may be another emerald?

Also this one which is probably teneral.

????

Monday was spent on the peninsula.  I drove The Bury Road which has some nice pastures and grasslands. Lots of Eastern Meadowlarks and Grasshopper Sparrows were there but no rarities.  Always the potential though......
I drove down Dyer's Bay Road just for fun.  Would have been nice to get back out to the Cabot Head Lighthouse, but that was just too far for this trip.  I some Sandhill Cranes here.

Dorcas Bay was on the agenda next. Obviously very heavy rain fell over the weekend as the trails were flooded!  I managed to get around though.  Butterflies were few, but one area had lots of Tawny-edged.
I spotted a Long Dash in the same spot as last year!

Dragonflies were around including this Four-spotted Skimmer.

At the fen, a couple of interesting dragonflies were flying about.  They looked like emeralds, and it took a long time for one to perch.

Oscellated Emerald

Had to look this one up, but obviously an Oscellated Emerald.  Another one I had not taken note of before!

After lunch in busy Tobermory, I worked my way back stopping at various places.  One spot was Petrel Point nature reserve which I have been visiting for over 20 years.  Just a neat spot to observe rare plants/orchids and see some insects as well.  More on the plants later.  I did see Dusky Clubtail dragonfly once again this year, but butterflies were very scarce.  An Eyed Brown was very co-operative at the trail start.

On the way home today, I stopped at Inverhuron P. P. for a walk along the rocky lakeshore.

Before lunch, I stopped at Pinery P. P.  It was obvious to me that the butterfly count last month was too early for hairstreaks this year.  First hairstreak I saw was a Striped.

I saw several Coral there today especially on Butterfly Milkweed. That milkweed is very prolific this year everywhere.  Most I have ever seen!

The only duskywing of the trip was this Wild Indigo at Pinery.

Just for curiosity, I also walked Karner Blue property.  There were several Coral there as well!

Edwards' Hairstreaks were plentiful too.  A couple of Banded were around also.

One of the nicest Edwards' I have seen!

Just for the heck of it, I stopped at Moore WMA just before getting home.  I had some Striped Hairstreaks and one Hickory.  So, this trip I managed to see all the usual hairstreaks!

Sunset MacGregor Point 21 July 2014

The Bruce Beckons!

I needed to get away for a couple of days, but not too far.  Weekends are always booked in the summer, so I headed out on Sunday to check out some spots in Bruce County, with my camping base at MacGregor Point Provincial Park.

Chantry Island (note Greater Yellowlegs on rock)

The weather was good and not too many people around.  But, yesterday I decided to drive through Sauble Beach (along the beach) just for curiosity.  There had to be 15,000+ people, and it was a Monday.  I do not know what people find so fascinating about spending a day baking themselves on an over-crowded beach!!??
Sunday I spent in the provincial park.  I was focused more on insects this trip since it is only July.  I found there were not a lot of butterflies up there this year either. Appalachian Browns seemed to be the most numerous.

Northern Pearly-eyes were mixed in as well as the odd Eyed Brown.

Skippers were scarce, but there were lots of Northern Broken-Dash and some Delaware.

Other butterflies included Canadian Tiger Swallowtail and White Admiral  This is an overlap zone as I have had Eastern Tiger swallowtail and Red-spotted Purple there.

The only White Admiral LOL!

A numbers of fritillaries including Great Spangled were flying.  I think I saw Aphrodite as well, but these things had too much energy and did not perch for any length of time.

I did find quite a number of Tawny-edged Skippers especially up at Dorcas Bay.

Yesterday (Monday) I visited one of my favourite spots--Dorcas Bay.  Always lots of wildlife and plants to look at.  I was hoping to get Dorcas Copper, but it is getting late I think.  I did not find any there, but I found a Coral Hairstreak, one I did not really expect.

There is a trail just in from the shoreline there that leads to the alvar, and you can walk back along the beach.  Also a trail that serves as an access road is good farther in. (see Google photo below).  Actually I found loads of butterflies there including an Atlantis Fritillary.

Peck's and Long Dash also had me interested.

I have been visiting this place for at least 20 years as it used to be a nature reserve of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists.  I have always been fascinated by this place!  (Especially with a Great Gray Owl in early July).  There used to be another trail between the access road and the shoreline that followed an old hydro line corridor.  It was always good for finding Massasauga Rattlesnakes.

Yesterday I stopped at various places including the new trail system at the Lindsay Tract.  Nothing special there, but a network of trails go through the woods and skirt a wetland.

I stopped at another favourite spot, Petrel Point, which is a nature reserve of Ontario Nature.  Some rare plants are here.  A couple of years ago I happened to meet Joe Johnston from Wiarton there who is knowledgeable about plants on the Bruce.
I saw a couple of plants that were interesting.

Horned Bladderwort

Heal-All

Well, here I finally found Dorcas Copper.  I saw three or four, somewhat worn individuals.  The Purplish Copper is similar, but I would assume this is a female Dorcas.

More Peck's and Tawny-edged were here.  This worn tawny on pitcher plant leaves was interesting.

And by the way, a family of Merlins was making a lot of noise nearby!

Next stop was Isaac Lake wildlife area.  It was ten years ago I last was there while doing a big day in May on the Bruce.  It sure has filled in since then!  No photos there.

There are a multitude of spots to look for birds on the peninsula--many of which I did not know about until I did that Big Day with a friend.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (MacGregor Point is one of the most northerly confirmed breeding spots)

Back at MacGregor Point, it was dead calm last evening. While walking along the shoreline near the visitor centre, I was somewhat surprised to find a Common Buckeye since they are scarce this year.

It was nice to hear Hermit Thrushes and others singing at the campsite.  I heard Whip-poor-wills at dawn and dusk both days.  Unfortunately, no owls!

More things tomorrow... inc. dragonflies!

Sunset July 21

More weekend photos from Bruce Co.

MacGregor Point Provincial Park is a large park created after the Bruce Nuclear Plant was built.  It was to allow camping which was discontinued at Inverhuron Provincial Park to the south of the plant.  Heavy water was being produced at the nuclear plant and the fear of a disaster was the reason.  However, camping is now allowed at Inverhuron. It is also a nice park.  I have visited it on occasion, but never camped there.

Chantry Island just after Friday's sudden storm.

 Eastern Pondhawk (f)

Ruby Meadowhawk (most common dragonfly there)

Scene at McGregor Point:

Baby Snapper! 

 Black-throated Blue Warbler at Black Creek PP

Pitcher Plant at Dorcas Bay

Fringed Gentian ready to bloom (very common plant)

Spotted Knapweed at dusk  (thought it looked nice!)

Ruffed Grouse in very early morning!

plant at Dorcas Bay

hybrid ship at Goderich!