More Insects, Things and Even A Mocha

 Tuesday was another humid day as I visited Reid and McKeough.  Highlight at Reid CA was another sedge skipper for the list there.......a Mulberry Wing!  I spent quite a bit of time in the "low spot" along the laneway.  That spot never disappoints.

I was fairly certain that I saw a Mulberry Wing here last year, but never could prove it with a photo.  

Other sedge skippers also observed were Dukes' and Broad-winged here on this visit.  But they are getting so regular, I did not bother to take photos of them!  Needless to say, it has been a good year for the sedge-type skippers.

While walking back, I caught sight of a Striped Hairstreak.  Any hairstreak this year is good!

Hairstreaks took a beating last year, and I think it will be a few years before they recover to decent numbers around here.

I was at McKeough previously, and did not find much at all.  Here are a few things.

Eastern Forktail duo

American Lady

Wednesday was a rain day as the remnants of hurricane Beryl passed through.  And yes, it was excessive....again!  We were just getting dried out around here, but once again everything is flooded even more than before.  Certainly a lot of crop losses with the flooded fields.

I did head down Rondeau way and the rain stopped for a while to get some walks in at Erieau and the lagoons.  Nothing of note.

Thursday, I headed down to Clear Creek to check out the old quarry.  Things were slow at first, but eventually picked up with lots of odonates.

There was at least one Comet Darner flying the pond.  It was very active, so I did not get decent photos this time.

Lots of bluets were around, but most were not close.  Highlight was Westfall's Slender Bluet, which I saw here last year.

There were skimming bluets and azure bluets as well.  But a new one for me here was Double-striped Bluet.  There were quite a few actually.

 Lots of Calico Pennants were flying, as were Black Saddlebags.  Even Slaty Skimmer.

I then headed up to Wardsville Woods which was rather disappointing for odes.  It is always hit and miss.  However, some Double-striped Bluets were here as well.

Violet Dancer appears here in small numbers.

At one point I caught sight of a Fawn Darner, but it bolted before I could get a photo.  I seem to see at least one here every summer.

Very few butterflies.

Northern Pearly-Eye

Today, I had the notion to head up to Strathroy.  I wanted to walk the conservation area in town, but not surprisingly it was closed due the high water from the excessive rain recently.  There is always lots to see there, so that was a disappointment.

So, I spent quite a bit of time at the lagoons.  There is a bit of mud for shorebirds, but no much due to the high water.  This place is always good for shorebirds this time of year.  However, there are lots of flooded fields around for shorebirds to choose from.

This place is certainly a duck factory with many broods of Wood Ducks and others.  Even Common Gallinules and American Coots breed here.

There were hundreds of Familiar Bluets, but I could not pick out any others.  A few years ago, Northern Bluet was seen here though.

Eastern Forktails were numerous as well.  I found this one which was having breakfast.  Looks like it was eating another!

A few butterflies were around, including this Wild Indigo Duskywing.

I noticed this spider at one point.

Phylloneta pictipes

Highlight was a singing Swainson's Thrush that remained unseen in the woods.  Not sure what to make of it, but I guess an early fall migrant.

I headed back west and ended up at Skunk's Misery.  I took a look for the Dukes' Skipper again.  It took a while, but I found one!

This garter snake was curled up nearby.  I hope they do not eat Dukes's Skippers!

With my keen eye, I noticed a Great Blue Skimmer flying around.  However, it bolted deep into the woods!  Obviously a few must be around right now.

I then walked my regular trail off Sassafras Road.  Highlight here was a Mocha Emerald!

I saw one here a few years ago, but never got a photo to confirm. So, yet another spot for the Mocha.

Here are a couple more garden insects from today.  I think these two are new for the yard list.

Argus Tortoise Beetle

Skimming Bluet

Seen before in the past, is the Transverse-banded Flower Fly.

 

Insects Here And There

 Every day I have to go somewhere!  Life is passing by very quickly, so one needs to get out as much as possible.  Some days I have no idea where to go, but I just get in the car and see where it leads me.  Lately, it has been all about insects.

Tuesday, I ended up down at Rondeau.  I went for a walk at McLean's first thing to kill some time, before heading into the park to walk out marsh trail.

I had the idea to look for sedge skippers, especially Mulberry Wing.  Just like every place else anymore, things have really grown in and not much marsh type vegetation is visible close to the trail.  However, I lucked out with one of my targets.

Early on, I photographed this skipper.  Turns out it was a Mulberry Wing!

There were quite a few Appalachian Browns along the way.

Usually one will see its cousin the Eyed Brown here as well.  These like wetter areas compared to the Appalachian.  However, I could not detect one.

Later on, I encountered a few Mulberry Wings but they were difficult to keep track of, not to mention photograph..

There was not much in the way of odes, but some Tule Bluets were along the way.

As well, a White-faced Meadowhawk made an appearance.

Before getting home, I had the notion to check for Dukes' Skippers at Reid CA.  It was no problem finding a couple, but I never obtained a good photo.

Wednesday, I wanted to check Shetland CA for Blue-ringed Dancers and whatever else was around.  I killed some time first thing at Wilkesport.  A couple of Banded Hairstreaks were out and about.

Note the photo above a bit of the upperwing side is showing.  The upperside is very plain and nothing to look at!  You will always see hairstreaks with wings closed.  I once saw a hairstreak that kept its wings open, and it was non-descript.

At Shetland, the water level had receded to a reasonable level after the excessive rains.  It was not problem finding some Blue-ringed Dancers.  They had likely just come out.

This species is critically imperiled in Ontario and is only found in certain spots along the east branch of the Sydenham River (like Florence, Shetland and at the Mosside boat launch), and along the Ausable near Rock Glen.

I found the other dancers and bluets except Blue-tipped.  It was a bit early in the season for Dusky Dancer though I think.

Powdered Dancer

Blue-fronted Dancers

Rainbow Bluet

Violet Dancer

There were many Stream Bluets as always, but I did not try to photograph any.

After finishing here, I made another visit to Reid CA since it was not too much out of the way.  I found Dukes' again, but could never get a photo.

Another target was to get a photo of a Royal River Cruiser.  I caught sight of one, and it disappeared to the side where I knew it had gone to perch.  However, something else caught my eye at that very spot.  A Flag-tailed Spinyleg!

This is the first one I have seen at Reid CA.  Being another critically imperiled species, it is found at a couple of spots on the north Sydenham, a few spots on the east branch.  There is even a record at Komoka near London and one on the Thames near Chatham.  I am only going by iNaturalist records though for these.

I then looked for the cruiser with my trained eye and found it perched!

Thursday, I headed to the Lake St. Clair area and walked the south shore nature trail at Mitchell's Bay.  Lots of Tule Bluets are here.

I then went over to St. Clair NWA.  I never see much here anymore, but checked it out anyway.  Marsh Wrens are doing well here.

Later in the morning, I went up to McKeough CA and found some Flag-tailed Spinylegs.  Not much else though.

Today, I ended up at Hillman Marsh and Point Pelee.  Seems I have no luck at Pelee anymore and is usually a waste of time.

Snowberry Clearwing

At Hillman, I looked for sedge skippers at the boardwalk area.  Several Broad-winged were flying.

I have seen Dukes' here as well, but not today.  However, seems I photographed a possible Dion Skipper.  I never saw the underwing, so that made things difficult.

The upper side is remarkably similar to Black Dash, which I thought at first.  However, this one seemed large, which Dion is compared to Black Dash.  Oh well, it made things interesting!

There was also a multitude of Eyed Browns here.  As mentioned above, they like wetter areas compared to Appalachian, but I did see both.