More Travels, Garden Sightings and Canada Day Finds

 With the weather not too desirable the last few days (until today), I have not found much.  The excessive rain continued until Saturday.  I think farmers should consider growing rice around here with all the flooded fields!

The garden is about at its peak now, and lots of insects have been visiting the yard.  

A couple of new ones have showed up as well.  Some just have scientific names and are difficult to pin down since there are many look-alikes.

Lasioglossum pilosum

Odontomyia

Ligated Furrow Bee

Two-spotted Longhorn Bee

Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee

Bellflower Resin Bee

And, those very tiny and difficult to photograph insects..

Oblique Streaktail

Globetails and calligraphers are in this category too.

I found a katydid in the garden today.  May be Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

Lots of Red Admirals in the yard today, but this Orange Sulphur was an uncommon visitor here.

Sunday a cold stiff north wind was blowing most of the day.  Some sun was forecast, but that never happened (at least until late afternoon)!  I did quite a bit of running around being quite disappointed with how things went since the sun never came out.

After going for a walk on the CASO trail near Ridgetown, I stopped by the lagoons.  A couple of fall migrants in the form of Least Sandpipers were working the mud.

It was then off to Clearville.  I could hear a Dickcissel singing somewhere west of Clearville Road, so another new location this year.

I walked the cemetery trail nearby.  It is good for butterflies when the weather co-operates.  A couple of Northern Pearly-Eye were out under cloudy skies.

Even though the sun was not out, I visited the old quarry.  Naturally, not much was flying due to lack of sun.  More of those bluets that nobody seems to be able to identify were flying.  May be Azure Bluets.

I found this unidentified dragonfly at one point.

(Sorry, that is some type of fishing lure!)

I have been finding quite a few of those sedgesitters lately.  Here is one at Clear Creek.

After that disappointment, I worked my way up to Wardsville Woods for more disappointment!  (I need to stop looking at weather forecasts!).

I did not expect much and certainly did not see much, but I had to look anyway.

Heading home, I made one more detour before cutting my losses for the day.  At Reid CA, this Smeared Dagger caterpillar stood out on the sedges.

Nearby, this Bunchberry Leaffolder Moth was perched.

Here is another fly, possibly Melanostoma.

Not sure what this grasshopper species is.

Early for Halloween, this pennant briefly posed.

Although today started out quite cool, it was finally a perfect weather day.  Long time coming!

I went for a walk at McKeough, doing some bird atlassing.  I finally heard a couple of Black-billed Cuckoos.  They have been notably scarce or absent everywhere this spring.

Early on, this Coyote took a brief look at me, then scooted off.

I saw a couple of Spot-winged Gliders at one point.  It was too early for much to be flying yet.

I then went over to Reid for a long walk around the back field.  There were a couple more Spot-winged Gliders.

Royal River Cruisers are now out, and I saw at least three.  However, they did not co-operate for photos!

And, I heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo for the first time there this year.  Did the cuckoos just come in, or what?

I caught sight of a hairstreak, which looked like Hickory.  It was in a horrible position for a photo.

I checked for Dukes' Skippers, but none showed.  Maybe some came out this afternoon, but I was not going back again today.  They should be appearing now.  

Boots are required though with all the rain lately.  It is the wettest I have ever seen it there!

I lingered around the parking lot area for a while.  A couple of Banded Hairstreaks were in the vicinity.

So, not a total loss for hairstreaks.  Does not look good for them this year.....again.

I one point near the parking lot I caught sight of something interesting, and it turned out to be a Mocha Emerald!  It was my second for the location, and it was many years ago I saw one here last.  They are a large distinctive emerald.

As alluded to in a previous post, Mochas have been expanded their range and breeding areas.  Lots have been seen in various spots this year already.

The Mocha sighting certainly made for a good ending to the visit at Reid!

Large Lace-border Moth at Reid

Finds Of This Week and Disappointments

 This past week I did quite a bit of running around.  Somewhat disappointing at times, as things did not meet my expectations.  We are still getting way too much rain around here! Some places are just too swampy for enjoyable walks.

Monday, it was down to the Hillman and Pelee direction.  On the way, I viewed the Dickcissels at Vanedie Road.  They seem to be here every year, but will not likely be successful in nesting as these fields will be cut, as usual.

The long walk at Hillman did not meet my expectations.  The deer flies were horrendous!  I spent most of the time swatting and killing the buggers!

Early on, I came across this Orange Bluet.  Looks more yellow to me!

One of the dragonflies encountered was Eastern Amberwing.

Here is a very common moth called Bi-lobed Looper.

Not many butterflies, but this Northern Broken-Dash posed briefly.

I went to Point Pelee and walked a couple of places.  One was the marsh boardwalk.  I had hoped to find Lilypad Forktail, but I do not think I saw one!  I kept finding Skimming Bluets.

I have seen the rare Lilypad Forktail there many years ago though.

Next day there were heavy dark clouds over Wallaceburg, so I eventually headed south where it looked clearer.  Mainly, I wanted to walk the beach at Rondeau off south point trail.  I got the walk in at Rondeau, but the rain followed me and cut my stay short.  We were hammered with rain again, most of the way home!

Eastern Pondmussel

Wednesday I found a couple of interesting things locally.  I went for a long walk at Reid CA, but it was terribly humid and wet to the foot.  (Too many puddles and mud from all the rain!).

I found this insect called a sedgesitter.  Apparently there are similar species that can be difficult to ID correctly.  They often perch with head downward.

One of the moths encountered included a Small Bird-dropping moth.

At one point, I managed to spot a Broad-winged Skipper!  I usually do not see them until July.

Looks like another bad year for hairstreaks, as I did not find any in three visits this past week.

I had been anxious to get back to Port Franks and visit the Sandrin Woods tract.  Today looked like a decent day, but I made the mistake in believing the forecast.  It was cloudy the whole morning at Port Franks and Ipperwash!  Not to mention the cool and stiff north wind.  So, yet another disappointment.  But I made the best of it.  Of course, there was not much flying.

Here are some finds at Sandrin:

We can find a number of robber flies in our area, but this one is a little different and not as common.

Three-banded Robber Fly

A fat female Eastern Pondhawk!

teneral female Calico Pennant

There were several of these damselflies.  I am not really sure what species at this point, since nobody on iNaturalist is brave enough to make a suggestion.  I have never seen this form before if it is an Azure Bluet.  Note the eggs underneath!

Butterflies included this Great-spangled Fritillary.

A nice find, but in an awkward position, was this Coral Hairstreak.

I also checked out some spots at Ipperwash to no avail.  It was a lost cause without any sun!

Naturally, once I was out of the north Lambton area, the sun was shining!  I stopped by Marthaville Habitat Area, where there was no shortage of odes.  

Slaty Skimmer is common here.

I wondered if Lilypad Forktail might be here, but after some intense looking, I could not come up with any.  I kept seeing Skimming Bluets, not to mention Eastern Forktails and Fragile Forktails.

Eastern Forktail

At one point I am certain I saw a Mocha Emerald.  A couple of brief looks were only obtained before it disappeared.  This species is expanding its range, and there seems to be sighting in multiple locations already this year.

I came across another oddball fly.  Apparently called a Gray Goggle Eye!

With fields still flooded around here, hopefully the rains will ease up and let things dry up this coming week.

Great-crested Flycatcher at Sandrin