Recent Chat

 (needed to thnk of a catchy title!)

This past Wednesday, I decided to do some birding in Sarnia. Stopped by Wawanosh Wetland first thing. Not often I get there anymore, but when I first started birding, it was a place I went to often.

A good variety of birds there on this outing.  A lost Lesser Scaup was swimming in the main pond.

At one point I thought I heard a Blackpoll Warbler sing.  I did not think much of it (at this date?) and continued on.  Later, I came to the same spot and indeed a Blackpoll Warbler WAS singing!

This is exceptionally late at this date, and likely a record late spring date for Lambton by a longshot.  Latest I have ever seen a Blackpoll Warbler was at Rondeau Park June 22, 2003.  Needless to say it was (and still is) record late for spring.

I also walked around Dow Wetlands.  The Clay-colored Sparrows and Sedge Wrens were still present.  No doubt nesting.  None co-operated for the camera!

Highlight was a bunch of Baltimore Checkerspots.  This attractive butterfly always gets one's attention.

Before getting home, I stopped in Reid Conservation Lands to see how the hemp dogbane plants were coming along.  Just coming into bloom.  I had Northern Oak Hairstreak on my mind, as it was prime time for them to emerge.  None seen.

There were lots of Peck's Skippers.

At one point I saw a large dragonfly go to perch.  I thought it was a female Twelve-spotted Skimmer, but it turned out to be a Prince Baskettail.  They are quite similar in appearance.  Not often I seen a Prince.  This one had a bent abdomen.

Thursday was museum day.......

Friday I headed up to north Lambton just short of Grand Bend.  The Klondyke Sports Park is a good birding spot.  A few days ago, James Holdsworth came across a Yellow-breasted Chat.  Quite rare for Lambton!

This day was the first chance I had to go up that way (1.5h drive from Wallaceburg).  I had not yet come across a Chat for this year, despite trying at Rondeau.

Upon arrival, I could hear the bird singing, but it remained unseen.  They are famous for being elusive!  It took about an hour and a half before I caught a brief glimpse of it.  No chance for a photo!

Yellow-breasted Chat from the past (Point Pelee)

While up that way, I stopped in at other places.  One was the Sandrin Tract in the County forest.  As eluded to in a previous post, the "bowl" is almost dried up, so no good for dragonflies.  Several rarities have been seen here in the past though.

Here are a couple of butterflies:

Red-spotted Purple

Hackberry Emperor

Next stop was Ipperwash Forested Dunes and Swales.  I walked the Cedar Trail which parallels the wetland.  It was flooded in spots, but luckily I had waterproof footwear on.

Here are some insects there:

Slaty Skimmer (male)

Slaty Skimmer (female)

Elegant Spreadwing

Racket-tailed Emerald

Hobomok Skipper

I headed towards home after this walk, but had one last stop in mind.  I am not satisfied each year until I see an Oak Hairstreak!  The Indian Hemp was in full bloom, attracting insects.  After almost an hour I was just about to leave, when something caught my eye.  A Northern Oak Hairstreak just popped in!

Hopefully they will have a better showing this year.  I only saw one in each of the last two years, and I was the only one to have seen one.

Today I toured in south Lambton just north of Wallaceburg.  Dickcissels in three locations, but still none co-operated for the camera.  I did get a crappy photo of one though.

I stopped by Reid before heading home, but it was fairly early in the day, and no hairstreaks.

This afternoon I went to Sarnia for a little celebration of Lambton Wildlife Inc. It all started sixty years ago!

Bog Visit and a Hairstreak Holds On

 Today was one of the finer weather days we have had under clear skies and decent temps.  I had the urge to go to the Sifton Bog in London!  It was known by a number of names in the distant past, and more recently the Byron Bog as it was within the village of Byron.

The bog is one of the most southerly acidic bogs in Canada, very unique for our area.  It was a basically a depression left after the last ice age that never drained.

It harbours some rare plants including carnivoris-type plants typcially found in bogs farther north.  Trees include Black Spruce and Tamarack.  As well, some decent insects are found there including the Spatterdock Darner and Bog Copper.

My main goal today was to see the Bog Copper and other insects.  Although I have seen them before, it was time for a refresher!

Right away, I found a Bog Copper. An attractive insect indeed.

There were not many odonates, but perhaps I was a bit early in the day.  Some sedge sprites were just off the viewing platform, but very difficult to try and photograph.

One spreadwing appeared to be an Emerald.

Dragonflies included Twelve-spotted Skimmers, Blue Dashers and Dot-tailed Whitefaces.

I saw no sign of the rare Spatterdock Darner, like in my previous visit a few years ago.

Some plants included the attractive Tuberous Grasspink.

On the pond was the Watershield.

On the way home, I stopped by Wardsville Woods since it was basically not far off the route home.  Hardly any odonates!  Very disappointing.  I did see a couple of smallish clubtails flying around, but they were out of reach and never landed.  I suspect they were Riverine Clubtails!

Yesterday I stopped by Reid Conservation Lands early in the morning not expecting to see much.  Indeed there was not much, but I did see my first hairstreaks of season.  The very first one was a Northern Oak!

Thankfully it stayed long enough to get a decent photograph.  The left side has big chunk out of a key area on the wing, so I only took photos of its right profile!

The species has declined significantly over the years, but hopefully it holds on at Reid.  I only saw one in 2024, and none in 2023.  It was a relief to see this yesterday.

A couple of Banded Hairstreaks were seen as well, but too active to photograph!

They're Baaack! And A Three Hour Tour

Hairstreaks that is.  Yesterday Banded Hairstreak was found at Point Pelee (Steve Pike), and was apparently record early by one day.  

Today, I was on an outing at Ojibway Park (down Windsor way) and we found some Banded Hairstreaks.  Really though, they are about on schedule.

After getting home early this afternoon, I headed up to Reid CA on a hunch, and after some patience, I found a Northern Oak Hairstreak!

It was a moment of celebration, since last year none were found.  For whatever reason, we could not find a single one.  I spent countless hours in hopes of seeing one last year, but to no avail.  In general, 2023 was a horrible year for hairstreaks and many other leps as well.

The Northern Oak is an early-emerging hairstreak, and today's date was pretty much on schedule and average.  However, my earliest is 13 June 2021 when I found two at Reid.  In 2022 I found one on the 15th.

This hairstreak is critically endangered in Ontario, found in only a few sites.  My discovery of the Northern Oak 'colony' at Reid in June 2008 was a first for Canada.  I also found some at Moore WMA that year as well, for a second colony.  Singles had been seen previously at Point Pelee (14 June 1999), near Black Oak Park (LaSalle, 2005), and a couple of times at Brunet Park (2009 and 2014). So there has to be some sort of colony in that area. Indeed suitable habitat (oaks) is plentiful there.

Subsequently, we found one on Walpole Island 11 July 2015 (identified by myself), and one was found by the Pye brothers at Mosa Forest (Skunk's Misery) in 2021.  There is certainly suitable habitat in both locations.

Back to today, I joined a combined Ontario Field Ornithologists/Essex County Field Naturalists outing at Ojibway Park.  Its original intent was birds, but it turned out to be a nature outing looking at all things big and small.

One could spend a whole day and more in the area checking out the natural areas, but we stuck to the Titcombe path and an adjacent trail for the morning.  It took about three hours.

There are lots of plants to look at, but spiderwort is quite abundant here.

Purple Milkweed, one of the rarer milkweeds, stuck out in a few spots.

At one of the woodland ponds, Common Bladderwort was growing.

There were numerous butterflies, and here a few:

Northern Cloudywing

Silvery Checkerspot

Hobomok Skipper

Little Glassywing

Little Wood Satyr

This duskywing was very worn, so I am not certain as to species (yet)!

It was a perfect day weatherwise and quite enjoyable with what we observed and of course the camaraderie of like-minded people.

Canada Day Weekend Wanderings

 Time is passing by quickly, but I am making best use of my time.  I stopped by Reid CA late Wednesday and found six Oak Hairstreaks in short order.  A seventh was an eyeopener!  

Sometimes we get aberrant butterflies, and this Oak Hairstreak took the cake.

Some others:

I am finding very few Banded Hairstreaks this year so far.

Friday I headed down to Keith McLean C. L. first thing to see what shorebirds were in the fall swing.

Some Least, a White-rumped, a couple of Lesser Yellowlegs and two Short-billed Dowitchers were in.

SBD's

I moved on east to Clear Creek where I checked out the old quarry.  The usual insects were found.

Calico Pennant

Variable Dancer

Hickory Hairstreak

Skimming Bluet

Delaware Skipper

Azure Bluet

Further east, I did go to John E. Pearce PP (Storey Wetland), but it was overcast at the time.  As well, the drought had things bone dry, which was not good for dragonflies.

I headed back west, and stopped in at Wardsville Woods.  I did a thorough search and found no clubtails!  The dry weather is not helping, but time is passing quickly and some insects are nearing the end of their life cycle.  Sometimes it is feast or famine, but earlier in the day seems better.

A Slaty Skimmer was nice to see at the pond.

I found a few Double-striped Bluets at the pond as well.

A couple were making more!

Today I went up to Joany's Woods in Middlesex.  I was going to go there yesterday, but it was cloudy to the north.  Turned out to be a nice day for my visit!

On my way up, I found a family of Common Ravens SW of Oil Springs.  This species is more regular in Lambton anymore, and not considered rare.  There were five birds altogether.

I walked the trail along the river, although you cannot get too close or see it well.  Several odes were found including a couple of Swift River Cruisers patrolling the Ausable, and a couple of Midland Clubtails.  Only saw one American Rubyspot.

I found this Black-shouldered Spinyleg along the trail.

Several species of bluets and dancers were along the trail.

Blue-fronted Dancer

Variable Dancer

Stream Bluet

Nothing special in birds at Joanys.

Not far south, I stopped by Fossil Road which is a good ode spot.  There were hundreds of dancers/bluets of various species, but I did find two rare species.  One was Dusky Dancer. A bit distant, so highly cropped.

There were several Blue-ringed Dancers here as well.

Very few big odes; just a couple of Midland Clubtails and Swift River Cruisers.

I stopped by Reid CA before getting home.  It was very quiet.  Dukes' Skippers are not showing yet, but should be any time.  I saw zero Oak Hairstreaks, and only four Banded.  The Oak hairstreaks are just about done for another year!

Tomorrow is the Skunk's Misery butterfly count, so we will see what transpires there.

Grey Comma