Rondeau to MeadowWoods And An Ojibway Visit

 Saturday was a fairly long day, as I started at Rondeau Park early, then went into Elgin County.

I did quite a bit of walking under cloudy skies at Rondeau.  Nothing of note in the way of birds, but I just wanted to go for a long walk.

I first walked down Rondeau Road to Gardiner.  On a sad note, almost every American Beech has been infected with Beech leaf disease, or whatever it is.  Photos not the best, since it was a typically gloomy weekend morning.

I stopped by dog beach to take a look.  I noted quite a bit of erosion along this side of the park.  All those NE winds this spring......!

By the time I left the park, it looked like the skies were going to clear.  That was a good thing, as the main event of the day was a walk at MeadowWoods, a Thames Talbot Land Trust property along Gray Line in Elgin County.

But before the designated arrival time, I stopped at Clear Creek quarry.  There was not much flying in the way of insects.  Too early for Comet Darner, and other things are a bit late.

Azure Bluets were in good numbers, and I did see a couple of Violet Dancers.

Very few dragonflies, but a few Calico Pennants had just emerged.

Hardly any butterflies here, but this Peck's Skipper briefly posed.

I also walked the Bury Cemetery trail to kill a little more time.

I arrived at MeadowWoods just before 13:00h.

It is one of their "closed" properties, so there is no public access.  Only special tours are given from time to time.

It was farmland and pasture back in the day up until about 1980, but it has grown in naturally quite a bit.  It was purchased by Stan and Anita Caveny and enhanced over the years until it was turned over to TTLT.

There are ponds on the property which were constructed early on, and harbour lots of wildlife.  In particular, odonates.

I guarantee there is a Spatterdock Darner flying out there!

There are rare species including the Comet Darner (which will appear at the end of this month), and Spatterdock Darner.  We were lucky enough to see a couple of Spatterdock Darners, which had just arrived perhaps the day before.  Unfortunately, it is a species that rarely sits still, and I was not able to obtain a photo.  I have only seen Spatterdock at Sifton Bog, and up at Ipperwash (dunes and swales).

Some plants near the pond included Interrupted Fern.

And several Swamp Thistle, a native plant.

We took a long walk over to some constructed ponds, walking on the spot where there was once a cheese factory!

At one of the ponds, there were several Amber-winged Spreadwings, an attractive species.

Azure Bluets were there by the hundreds.  I never realized how abundant this species is!

Today I went in the "other" direction down to Ojibway near Windsor.  I only decided at the last minute, since the weather seemed perfect today.  Early Sunday morning is a nice time to drive to Windsor anyway with practically no traffic.

The annual OFO/Essex County Field Naturalists field trip was today.  I joined in last year, and found it a nice change of pace.

It warmed up nicely, and we observed quite a few birds and other things.

At the pond near the nature centre, there were three species of turtles.  Unfortunately, one was Red-eared Slider (actually I saw two).

Along the Titcombe road, we looked at several things, including butterflies.  At one point, I spotted a Zabulon Skipper!  Although more regular in this area, it was the first one I have seen at Ojibway.

There were several of the similar Hobomok Skippers.

Other species included Northern Crescent.

And, Peck's Skipper.

Fox Snakes even made an appearance. How anyone spotted this one, is a mystery, but it was way up in a tree.

Nearby. some Tree Swallows were not happy.  A Fox Snake likely had a deluxe breakfast in a nesting box!

There are lots of rare plants at Ojibway, but our brief walk did not reveal many. Ohio Spiderwort is abundant in the area.

It was an enjoyable morning!

A Special Viewing and A Visit To MeadowWoods

 Not much to report since my last post since the weather has been unco-operative.  Way too much rain!  The ground is so saturated, there is no place for the water to go in some places.

Back in September, when I was on my little trip, I got word of a hummingbird coming to a feeder in south Chatham-Kent.  Not our usual resident, but a Rufous!  Every year I go on my week off, something of note turns up in Chatham-Kent, and this year was no exception.  Luckily this one stayed.

Word was not widespread due to location, which was not suitable to large crowds.  Unfortunate, but that happens from time to time.  On Friday September 24, I had the opportunity to view the bird.  We saw it immediately upon arrival!

It was an aggressive creature, not letting any Ruby-throated take advantage of the nectar feeders.

Appreciation certainly goes to the homeowner who graciously allowed some visitors to view the bird.  And to Steve Charbonneau for letting us know and arranging for us to see the hummingbird.

Location is rather private, so no public access.

This was only my second Rufous Hummingbird in Ontario.  My first one was in Kingsville on December 1 many years ago.  I was lucky that day, as I was one of the last birders to see the bird.  It was not seen after that date!

This past Sunday, I attended an official event for one of Thames Talbot Land Trust's newest properties.  It was at MeadowWoods, along Gray Line in Elgin County.  Unfortunately, the weather was horrible, but at least the program was under a tent.

I saw many familiar faces, and it was nice to chat with some of them.

There were guided tours after the ceremony, but I did not stay due to the rain and mucky terrain.  I was highly disappointed, as once again the weather did not co-operate.  This is really getting too common!

The property is over 100 acres, some of it woodland, and former farmland which has quickly turned to natural vegetation.  Several ponds have been created to enhance wildlife and plants.

It was purchased by Stan and Anita Caveney of London as a conservation project.  They generously donated the property to TTLT last year.  There is no public access, but tours are arranged from time to time.

Several rare species have been recorded on the property, including odes such as Spatterdock Darner and Comet Darner.

Comet Darner

The area has an interesting history as well, as past settlers utilized the land.  Perhaps in the future I can get a tour of the property when the weather gets its act together!

The Thames Talbot Land Trust has preserved many properties over the years, and is certainly a top-notch organization in my opinion.  While at the ceremony, I picked up a copy of the new booklet that covers the history of the TTLT.