Tuesday, 21 October 2025

More on a couple of endangered species, plus a new species for Rondeau, etc.

 Earlier this month, I went to Rondeau to try and get some impressive shots of the super moon. I spent a bit of time ahead of the moon rise, exploring other areas, including the Marsh Trail. One of the first things I was able to get photos of was this Merlin keeping an eye on me.

On the trail itself, I encountered a Short-tailed Shrew. It was dead, and that is the most likely way to encounter one. 


A few more living things were noted, and photographed, including Blue Jays, which are migrating through in large numbers....


Eastern Phoebe

Northern Flicker
A flock of ducks flew high, overhead. Most of these are scaup, but hard to tell whether Greater or Lesser from this photo.

White-crowned Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

As the evening progressed, I went out to the east side of the park in anticipation of a large, orange super moon at the horizon. There was a bit of haze at the horizon, so I waited and got this one as it rose a bit.

I went back a couple of days later, with a different camera\lens combination, as the horizon appeared to be clearer. Unfortunately it was quite windy, and I couldn't hold the camera still enough in such dark conditions especially with such a slow shutter speed, and when there is often more atmospheric interference right at the horizon. So the quality of photo I was hoping for wasn't what I got. 
 
Later in the evening, I got this:

It is sharper, of course, but it doesn't look a lot different than a normal full moon. Oh well, I guess I will have to work on my moon rise photography technique and keep trying!

In other park explorations, I managed to see these things:

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are more plentiful, as they are in migration mode. The occasional one may stay the winter at Rondeau.

As the human crowds thin out a bit, deer are more likely to be out and about.

Wild Turkey
Next is a fruiting capsule of the endangered Nodding Pogonia. It wasn't a great year for this species, as the dryness at a critical time of the summer likely had an impact, as did other factors. For those that did flower and produce a seed capsule, this is what one will find. It is a very small plant to begin with, as one can tell in comparing it to the fallen leaves beside it, and so even extra care had to be made as I searched for evidence of seed production. As the capsule develops, it sits upright, and starts to split along some of the lines, enabling the tiny seeds to disperse with a bit of breeze.

Something I was surprised to encounter was this next little critter. It doesn't have a common name, but is a member of the Tree Hopper family, and its scientific name is Stictocephala basalis. According to iNaturalist, it is the first record for Rondeau and although generally widespread across southern Ontario, is not common at all. When I came across this little rascal, I only had my 100-500mm lens, so had to be creative in getting even a few record shots. Fortunately the lens will focus down to 1 metre at 500mm, so that helped.
Next is a member of the Trametes fungal group, commonly known as the Turkey-tail group.
In spite of the fairly sunny and warm temperatures, butterflies have really dropped off, most likely to that stretch of cold overnight temperatures not long ago.

Fruiting bodies of Fringed Brome grass

Eastern Garter Snake

Downy Woodpecker
Next is a photo of a fungus called Destructive Pholiota. The first photo shows it a week later than the following photo, indicating that these fruiting bodies don't last very long.


Dekay's Snake
Lots of Common Grackles are migrating these days!

Seed pods of Bristly Sedge
Salamanders are fairly common across the damper areas of the park, but are seldom seen, especially considering how dry the sloughs are now. This one is likely a Blue-spotted Salamander, but with the genetic research taking place by researchers amongst the salamander group, it might be a hybrid.

Mid to late October is one of my favourite times to search for another endangered species, Red Mulberry. This species occurs in very few places in extreme southern Ontario, being limited primarily to Pelee Island, Point Pelee and in the extreme eastern Niagara Peninsula. Rondeau has a fairly good population, but that may be changing as the forest conditions have changed a little more dramatically in the last few years. I intend to discuss that topic in more detail in a future post. In the meantime, in the last week or so, I have been looking for this species to determine its continued presence at known locations, as well as keeping an eye open for new locations. As a result, I believe I have found at least two, possibly three, new locations. The leaves are much fresher looking this late in the season compared to most other trees. The leaves are quite large, round and have obvious 'drip tips'. These drip tips are helpful in that due to the slight hairiness of the leaves, which can hold moisture, the drip tips allow for a greater falling off of the moisture droplets. The leaves have a fairly symmetrical base, unlike those leaves of somewhat similar looking Basswood leaves.

As mentioned, they retain the green colour later in the season than most other species. All of these Red Mulberry photos were taken in the last week. There are numerous non-biting midges present lately throughout the park, and they often take refuge on the underside of the leaf which this next photo shows.
This species never grows as tall as most of the other species it associates with, so if you see a relatively short tree with a trunk only a few centimetres in diameter, and with lots of large green leaves as described above, it may be a Red Mulberry. A species it can be confused with includes Basswood, a native species, and Northern Catalpa which is often planted in built up areas but can be distributed into forests, so be aware!


 

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Tuesday, 7 October 2025

Such a variety of things to enjoy even fairly late in the season

 The last couple of posts have featured some of my regular 'go to' places along Lake St. Clair. But, not surprisingly, I have spent quite a bit of time at Rondeau making use of the sunny, summer-like weather, although I try to choose times when the heat and humidity aren't too mid-summer like. And there are always things to see and photograph, so here we go!

Plants are declining in diversity of flowering, but there are some highlights that I look forward to. Winterberry is scattered throughout some of the damper, shrubby habitats, and their bright red berries are nice to see.


 Other colourful ones quite visible and in good flower include:

Broad-leaved Goldenrod

Closed Bottle Gentian, next, is always a highlight, although the abundance this season has been quite poor.


Cylindrical Blazing-star
If you look closely at the Broad-leaved Goldenrod, above, you should see this Pale Green Assasin Bug, presumably waiting for something to assassinate.


Hairy Goldenrod
The leaves of Hairy Goldenrod are not nearly as broad as the Broad-leaved species

Spotted Jewelweed

White Heath Aster

White Rattlesnake Root
  There were still some of this hardwood forest species lingering:
Richweed

As shown above, plants can have various insects making use of them. 

Four-toothed Mason Wasp

Green Stink Bug

Dimorphic Snout

Ambush Bug

I haven't been out with the black light, but I still keep an eye out for moths, as in the Dimorphic Snout shown above. Some, along with other insects, may be spending the daylight hours on the side of a building.

Bent-lined Dart

Common Tan Wave

Maple Spanworm

Northern Walkingstick
At other times, while walking along a trail, there are insects conveniently found on the railings.

Yellow-necked Caterpillar Moth

White-eyed Borer

Spurred Darkling Beetle

Spined Soldier Bug

Maple Zale Moth caterpillar

Caterpillars even of the same species can show quite a bit of variation in their appearance. These next two are both Banded Tussock Moth larvae.


This next one, showing two angles, does not have a common name. It's scientific name is Acanthocephala terminalis.

Other creatures I've encountered include an Arrowhead Orbweaver nicely suspended in its web, with a uncluttered background.....

...a Chinese Mantis. It is interesting that amongst most insects, this species can turn its head and keep an eye on you.


Cross Orbweaver
Unfortunately sometimes with all the traffic of vehicles and bicycles, small snakes such as this Northern Brown Snake can be a victim

Hump-backed Beewolf

Mourning Cloak

Red Admiral

Rubbed Dart
I've spent a bit of time roaming the sandy beach areas, thinking of Marie as it was her favourite part of the park. I came across a few Seaside Grasshoppers, which when they aren't in flight can blend in very well...
 ...and I came across this White-footed Mouse hiding under a piece of wood.

Not in the park, but hanging out for a few days at the Keith McLean Conservation Lands nearby, was this Hudsonian Godwit.



 Whew! That's it for this post! If you have managed to get to the end, good for you!

 

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