End of May Report: Some Long Walks and Tours

 This past Monday I took a long walk at Rondeau, going out the south beach.  It was not overly productive, but at least it was a calm day for a change.  I went out via the south point trail (west).

It was cloudy for the first part of the morning, but visibility was good.

Shorebirds are the main target this time of year.  There was not a huge number, but I did see a couple of Red Knots.  Dunlin were plentiful.

I was hoping to see Hudsonian Whimbrel, but for some reason they never show up on the days I am at Rondeau!

A lone Long-tailed Duck was sitting on the beach.  Looked the one I saw the previous week near dog beach!

There were not many ducks, but an odd duo included a Blue-winged Teal a nd a Redhead.

Along the trail, I noticed this Yellow Warbler nest.

During my travels in the park, I noted a multitude of Red-eyed Vireos. I counted a record-breaking 139, so just imagine how many were actually in the park.

Here are some scenes along Bennett Road. It is quite scenic this time of year, especially now the the birding rush has passed.

I also walked from maintenance to pony barn.  Along the way, a singing Connecticut Warbler was heard.  Seems we have done well with them this spring.  Some years we do not encounter any!

After leaving the park, I scooted over to Erieau to walk the trails there.  McGeachy Pond was good for birds, but I only did the west end.  My target was Olive-sided Flycatcher.

This Scarlet Tanager was showing nicely.  Not very scarlet-looking!

Next day I checked out the Lake St. Clair area, but it was not too productive.  But in the afternoon I decided to go for a walk at Reid C. L. I had not been there in some time, so wanted to see how things were doing. There was certainly a lack of insect life.  I think these cold weather days this month killed off a lot of things.

There were only about three species of butterflies.

Silver-spotted Skipper

Giant Swallowtail

I did see a dragonfly.

Springtime Darner

Wednesday I made a big tour.  I started at Skunk's Misery.  Sitler Woods and Dogwood Road is one of the best spots to start your day.

There was a multitude of singing birds, including a Cerulean Warbler.  I did a video recording, as well as a recording of the Cerulean Warbler..

Acadian Flycatchers and Hooded Warblers among others are here.

After finishing up in the Mosa Forest, I headed up to Pinery Provincial Park.  I do not get there much anymore, but this seemed to be a good opportunity.

I started on Riverside Trail, my favourite for birds, in the park.

Eastern Bluebird

Along the trail, I noticed this moth, which is a new one for me.

Cherry Scallop Shell Moth

A number of birds were here including a pair of Yellow-billed cuckoos putting on a show across the channel.

Olive-sided Flycatcher was here, which seems to be  ausual spot to find them.

An American Redstart was singing, but it was more like a Prothonotary Warbler.  Not quite identical to Prothonatary, but it was fooling some people.  Especially those relying on the Merlin app.

I also checked on the resident Prairie Warbler while there.

After having a nice morning in the park, I headed over to Ipperwash Beach. I found some Dusted Skippers, but not as many as one might usually find this time of year.  It was a rather cold day, so the cold no doubt had some bearing.

Very few dragonflies, but some included Lance-tipped Darner.

And, Common Baskettail.

On friday, I went back to Rondeau and walked out the marsh trail.  I had originally intended to go only to Long Pond, but once I got out there, I kept going.  It was too nice of a day.

Along the way, I kept flushing up a woodcock.

Marsh Wrens were quite numerous at Rondeau.  In fact the number trips the eBird filter by a longshot!

I walked all the way to the end.  By coincidence, I met Steve Charbonneau out there, who was on the south beach.  This was not the first time we have done this!  At least three times this has happened.

Another Scene farther out looking towards Erieau

There was not anything unusual encountered on this walk.

Later in the day at home, I was out tending to the garden, and noticed a small dragonfly.  I ran for my camera, and managed to get a photo of a Racket-tailed Emerald.  Although quite common, I missed them last year.  A nice one for the yard.

At dusk, I heard the buzzy call of a Common Nighthawk.  Not often I get them here in the spring, but they are showing up in good numbers everywhere this spring on their journey north.

At the same time, the local Merlin was on its "sunset perch", while an Eastern Screech-owl was calling nearby.

Things have certainly calmed down now, and only a few migrants are trickling through.  It was a quiet day so I just took it easy now that May is coming to an end.

Time to look sor insects!

Blues, Valves, Odes, Moccasins, Birds

 Now that the month of May is almost at an end....already (!) I have been looking more at insects.  Some days have not been all that good as we have had excessive amounts of rain.

This past Sunday, I went for a long walk at Hillman Marsh after looking at the shorebird cell.  Nothing of note in the shorebird department, but it was worth a look.

Sandhill Crane

Lots of Least Skippers were along the dyke.

Among the thousands of Eastern Forktails, some Skimming Bluets were seen.

Monday was a rainy day to start.  I wanted to head up Sarnia way to look at some things, but I had to take my time waiting out the rain.  After it stopped, and was still cloudy, I walked Dow Wetlands.  A decent bird in the form of a Sedge Wren was singing in the grasses.  It was a first-of-year bird for me, not all that common around here.  But, we do get the odd ones sticking around to nest.  Too distant for a photo though.

Nearby I found this rather large leech enjoying a puddle.

I then took a chance to go for a walk at Blackwell Trails park, an old dump site within Sarnia.  Luckily, the sun had come out by then so that I could look for the rare Silvery Blue.  All I was seeing were duskywings, likely Wild Indigo.  Perhaps Columbine as well, but they were too fresh to know.

After considerable time, I caught site of one Silvery Blue, but it kept going out of sight.  I persevered, then, right on the trail I found one nectaring on White Clover!

At least I did not have to go off trail and collect some ticks like in past years!

This is the only known site in Lambton for this species.  They are more common farther north.  The  only other Lambton record is of a couple along McCallum Line back in 2014.

With so much rain, Red Cedars are rusting!

Juniper Rust (fungus)

Tuesday was another rainy day, so I did not do much, but got some things done at home.

Wednesday I decided to give Rondeau one more go before May ended.  It was actually a calm and pleasant day as I checked out various places.

I walked along the beach off south point trail hoping for some decent gull.  It is a good time of year for Laughing or Franklin's or even a Black-headed, but no luck there.  However, there were up to seven Little Gulls.  All were first cycles except for one adult.  For some reason I never attempted to get photos!

Various mussel shells (mussels are sometimes called valves), were along the beach.  Just some plain old mussels.

Plain-pocket

Ducks included a single Bufflehead and a single Long-tailed, both of which are lingering later there.  I only got on the Long-tailed too late....

Some late warblers, but not unusual, were a singles of Tennessee, Canada, and Wilson's.  I found up to seven Blackpolls as well.

One has to ask where are the cuckoos?  Not a single one.  Also, Red Knots seemed to have fallen off the map anymore.  Another one I remotely hoped for.

After Rondeau, I decided to head over to Wardsville Woods to look for odes.  Unfortunately, clouds rolled in as I approached, and then the rain started.  I waited it out for a while, then went for a walk.  The sun never came, but I did see a few odes.

Pretty sure one was a Cobra Clubtail, then a couple of Midland Clubtails, a couple of Twelve-spotted Skimmers, Widow Skimmer, Common Whitetail, and Eastern Pondhawk.

The female  Twelve-spotted was missing part of one wing, so it was really a Ten-spotted Skimmer!

I did find one Double-striped Bluet.

A spreadwing caught my eye, which may be an Amber-winged.  It is somewhat uncommon and I have never seen one.  I did not know it at the time, so did not get all the photos needed.  Nobody on iNaturalist is brave enough to even comment on it, so that has not been helpful.

It was disappointing due to the crazy weather, but of course the sun came out as I drove home!

Today I headed to north Lambton.  I had the urge to walk the L-Lake trail and adjacent NCC trail.  There were not as many birds as I had thought there would be, but it was a decent walk.  

Up to five Acadian Flycatchers (not unusual there) and a Cerulean were singing among others.  Highlight was a singing Connecticut Warbler, remaining unseen.

It was too early in the cool day for odes, but I did see a couple Aurora Damsels.

A Chalk-fronted Corporal was at the start of the trail.

I decided to go farther north and check out the Klondyke Sports Park. Recently a Northern Mockingbird was found here, so I wanted to see it!  I could not get one anywhere else yet this year, so this one had to do. Not the prettiest one though.

They are certainly not as regular as they used to be.  Been a long time since I have seen one in Lambton.

Also here, a Grasshopper Sparrow seemed to favour the tennis court fence area.  They likely nest across the road (Clay-colored Sparrow has been here in the past as well).  Seemed odd it was hanging out in a groomed multi-use park.  Perhaps it was desperate for a mate.

Not finished for the day, I next went to Ipperwash Forested Dunes and Swales for  a walk.  With all the excessive rain this spring, I knew to wear boots!  The Cedar Trail was flooded in about seven spots, some areas quite deep.

A few Racket-tailed Emeralds were flying.  I never realized how common these are everywhere until recently.  I find them in most suitable places.  Even saw one at Peers Wetland earlier in the week!

A basking Blanding's Turtle caught my eye at one point.

Pink Moccasins (Pink Ladies Slipper) are quite common here.  I did not realize how common, but then I am not usually here at this time of year.  I saw dozens of plants.

It was a cool, but pleasant day on a light north wind.  The mosquitoes were not bothersome at all!

Speaking of north winds, they often push such things as kites to the Lake Erie shoreline.  Go figure, a Mississippi Kite was photographed at McGeachy Pond this morning!

Things With Wings and Ode to Joy

We have had some good weather recently, despite some heavy rains.  I thought it was finally going to be a drier year, but NOT!  Boots have been a necessity for walks in the woods this week.

It has been an intersting spring.  I have found that there are fewer birds in most locations than in the past.  Butterflies have been scarce as well, perhaps due to the cold spring.  Odonates have done well though!

Late Thursday, I went for a walk at Reid CA.  Still lots of dragonflies, and as I mentioned before, Racket-tailed Emeralds and Four-spotted Skimmers are in big numbers this year.

Friday, I decided to do some bird records for the atlas.  I did not find anything spectacular, but a Mourning Warbler at Port Lambton was a decent find for the area.

Late morning I got the urge to go to Mitchell's Bay south shore nature trail. Surprises can be had there on occasion!  Nothing unusual, but some turtles were putting themselves on the map.  

Map Turtles

There were oodles of them!

A nice Black-crowned Night-Heron was in the same ditch.

Halloween Pennant

The afternoon was so nice, I could not pass up a long walk at Reid CA.  The woods were rather quiet (again!).  

Still lots of Racket-tailed Emeralds and Four-spotted Skimmers.  I have never seen so many as in this year.  

A couple of Juvenal's Duskywings were still hanging around.

A Grey Comma was nearby.

On the road I found a Fox Snake. Not often I seen them anymore.  This is one I remember when I was kid, where we found lots of them.  Unfortunately, many of them were roadkill.

Today, I thought it was a nice time to go to Skunk's Misery.  I first walked Sitler Woods, a Thames Talbot Land Trust property recently acquired. 

Acadian Flycatchers have alway been at this location, and today was no exception.  They remained unseen though!

I toured the rest of the Misery for the next two hours.  Hooded Warblers do not seem to be as numerous as in the past.  I did find two or three Cerulean Warblers singing away.

An American Woodcock got in my way at one point.

Some odes along the way:

female Twelve-spotted Skimmer

male

Leps were few and far between.

Eight-spotted Forester moth

Not far away, Wardsville Woods was my next stop.  I have always liked this place.  It can be good for leps and odes.  Again, not many butterfllies, but some odes were flying.

A year ago, I had a large dragonfly go past me that I was certain a Twin-spotted Spiketail.  It got away and I never saw it again.  Today, I went to the spot, and immediately saw a suspicious ode perched.  I knew it had to be what I was looking for, and as I got closer, there was my target!  Just like it was waiting for me!

Twin-spotted Spiketails are certainly rare in the area, but I do not know the status of them in Middlesex.  It was a first for me!

During my stay, I saw a couple others flying around.  One for sure was a Twin-spotted, but the last one I took a photo. It was a side view, and not thinking, I assumed it was a Twin-spotted.

I got home and brought it up on the computer screen, and duh!, it looked like an Arrowhead Spiketail.  This is even rarer!

This species is uncommon to rare in Ontario, and to see one this far south in Ontario is unique.  I have seen the Arrowhead at Sydenham River Nature Reserve the last couple of years where they are known.

It was not even on my radar today, but certainly an excellent find for Middlesex.

Perhaps next weekend I will seen some Arrowhead Spiketails at SRNR when we do an ode survey......