More Tourin' and a Special Visitor

 I have been taking advantage of the wonderful weather lately.  This past Sunday, I did a big tour, heading to Strathroy first thing.

The lagoons at Strathroy provide a good birding spot.  Black-necked Stilts have returned to nest there once again.  In fact, there are two pairs!  I only saw three birds, assuming one was tending to a nest hidden in the weeds.

They were not close, but I attempted a photo anyway.

It was then back west to check some pastures (what few remain).  More and more disappear each year, which is devastating to grassland birds.  I was really hoping to find Grasshopper Sparrow on this outing, but that did not happen.  One field I always get them is now a wheat field!

Some pastures remain, and attract Upland Sandpipers.

Another location near Glencoe had a couple as well.  This one was a bit agitated right beside the road.  No doubt young were nearby.

Used to be more pastures here even a couple of years ago, but only a couple remain.

It was then on to Skunk's Misery where I stopped by a popular birding spot.  Here we get various warblers and even Acadian Flyatcher.

I heard Prothonotary Warbler singing around a woodland pond, but it never showed.  I think it was my first for Middlesex.

A Cerulean Warbler was singing constantly along the road, in typical fashion high in a tree.

Since I was in the neighbourhood, a stop at Wardsville Woods was mandatory.  As readers of this blog know, it is a hotspot for insects, especially dragonflies.

Common Whitetail

Just before leaving, a dragonfly flew past me that I instantly recognized as a spiketail.  Which one?  Turned out to be a Twin-spotted.

Arrowhead Spiketail also resides here, so maybe next trip I will find one.  I discovered these two species here a number of years ago.

Lots of Midland Clutails were flying.  I had hoped to see the rare Cobra Clubtail, but it was a tad early in the season yet.

Along the trail, I caught sight of a fast-flying skipper.  I knew it had to be a Zabulon, and sure enough it was!

This is the third year in a row I have seen one here.  I discovered it here and am probably the only to have seen them here, as a first for Middlesex.

Monday I did not do too much, but came across my first Common Ringlets of the season.

Tuesday I headed down to Rondeau.  I did not come across anything of note, but you never know until trying.  While there, a friend sent me a note and recording that a Kirtland's Warbler was in their yard.  I had a difficult time believing it!  This was near Brigden.

There was no mention of having visitors, so I took my time, then went home.  I received another note that the warbler was still present and asked if I could see it.  Off I went!

As soon as I got out of the car, I could hear its loud song.

I stayed about an hour taking in this marvel.  As they often are, Kirtland's Warblers are very co-operative once they find a spot.

There are only a handful of records for Lambton, and this was my first for the county, needless to say.  One I have always wanted for Lambton!

I wish more people could have seen it, but it was on private property and was not my call to invite people.

Today, a few of us did a breeding bird survey at a new conservation lands.  Called Bradshaw Conservation Lands, it is a unique piece of property between McCallum and Burman Lines west of Brigden Road.

It was obtained in a partnership between Thames Talbot Land Trust and St. Clair Conservation, but it is a "closed" property meaing no general public access.

There is one exposed area that contains numerous fossils and rocks.  Pretty unique!

June is probably my favourite time of year, so more things to come!

More Spiketails and a Bonus Heron

 Today was fairly cool and clear compared to the previous days.  Smoke from the wildfires in the north and elsewhere was quite evident late Tuesday here.

A few butterflies and skippers are out in the dry weather.

Tawny-edged Skipper

The last couple of days I have nothing of note to report.  Yesterday (Thursday) I decided to go into Essex County.  Firstly, I walked around Hillman Marsh.  No Limpkin or any heron of note!  It was an enjoyable walk none-the-less.

Cedar Waxwing

Looks like the local Trumpeter Swans spend too much time with their heads in the water.  They are getting quite rusty!

Afterwards, I went into Point Pelee for a walk.  Once again, nothing of note showed while I was there.  I give up!

Today was a different day.  I was going to stay close to home after going for a walk at Reid CA early this morning.  I was done before 9 a.m., so I thought I might as well check out Wardsville Woods.

Scene along the shaded stream

The dry weather is certainly having an effect on leps and odes this year.  Not too many seen in my travels.  

Upon arrival at Wardsville, there was not much flying.  I did come across an Arrowhead Spiketail early on.  Same area I had one the other day.

After much walking around, I was not even seeing Midland Clubtails, unlike the previous day where I saw many.  Eventually, I did see two, and only two.

I walked to the back at one point and came across another Arrowhead Spiketail!

I spent quite a bit of time around the pond, but did not see much.

Eastern Forktail

Eastern Pondhawk

I decided to head out.  Along the same trail, I saw the same or another Arrowhead Spiketail.

Near the end of the trail, I spotted another spiketail, but this one seemed different.  It took at while before it settled, and sure enough it was a Twin-spotted!  It made my day, at least at this point.

It was just last year I found both species of spiketails at Wardsville Woods, which constituted a new record for Middlesex.

Hopefully, Cobra Clubtail and Riverine Clubtail will soon show up!

Down the road, I stopped by the Tecumseh Monument park and went down to the riverbank.  It was a last minute decision to see if any mussels were exposed.  There were lots!

Of note, I found a Three-horn Wartyback, a new one for me.  Another threatened species, and critically-imperiled depending on where it is listed.

Others:

Pimpleback

Several Mapleleaf were there.  This one was very fresh, as it still had some "meat" in it.

I started heading home after this since I was hungry and the car was almost out of gas.  At the top end of Kent Bridge Road, I got a call from Rick Mayos that a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was at Keith McLean C. L. Well, I had to go for it and go hungry since I did not expect to be away from home this long!

Upon arrival, a number of local birders were already present along with the heron.

Although we have had a few of them in the Rondeau area in the past, it has been 24 years since the last one was seen by many in the park.  (Although I had one on my own in the year 2000).

It was certainly an overdue bird!

Edit:  This heron was photographed on June 8 here per a Facebook post.

There may be something with these southern herons since some Tricolored Herons have already been seen in the province.  Maybe more to come?

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......