More Life.....and Death....in the Backyard

Backyards can be great places to observe wildlife, especially if one has a garden or natural area. Yards that look more or less like a golf green will not be so productive.

This morning, I had several species of warblers in the yard. For anyone who knows where we live, warblers of any kind are a novelty! On migration I might see the occasional one, and only because I planted so many trees when we moved here more than 27 years ago. Today I had a Black-and-white,  at least two Bay-breasted, two Wilson's and a Yellow Warbler, all in just a few minutes. I also had a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, the first one for my yard list.

Black-and-white Warbler

But the veggie and flower garden is what draws most of the action, and the wildlife is fairly small. We've had several Black Swallowtail butterflies visit our yard, and soon after the caterpillars show up on the dill.

 One of them has now formed a pupa.......hopefully in less than a couple of weeks, it will emerge successfully.

Black Swallowtail pupa

 Monarchs are present regularly, sometimes to feed and sometimes to lay eggs. The eggs are incredibly small, only 2-3 millimetres in diameter.

Monarch egg

 And some have hatched. We haven't noted any chrysalis yet, but with over 30 Common Milkweed plants, they have lots to choose from.

One time when I was searching for monarch eggs, I came across this tiny Long-legged Fly. And when I looked closer, I saw an even smaller fly being munched on by the Long-legged one! You have to look closely....I didn't realize there were flies that small!

It has been a bad year for Japanese Beetles. Our raspberries and many other plants have been enjoyed by them, it seems. They also like Wild Grape leaves, as evidenced by the 33 or so that were resting, feeding, mating, etc on this grape leaf all at the same time.

 According to the experts, the Japanese Beetle traps don't work well. At least not in ridding the beetles from your yard, as the scent actually draws the beetles from throughout the neighbourhood. If you have a trap, it is best to place it away from your yard (like maybe in your neighbour's.......just kidding!). The most effective way of getting rid of the beetles is to collect them in a bucket of soapy water. Unless it is a windy day and they are hanging on tightly, they usually drop down if disturbed. Therefore placing the collecting jar immediately underneath before you jostle them, will usually catch them. We sometimes collected over 100 a day during the peak.

Bucket of beetles

In trimming a tree not that long ago, I came across this recently vacated nest in the crotch of a maple tree.

It is a nest of an American Goldfinch. The shallow cup of fine hairs is a clue, but the clincher is the ring of baby bird poop ringing the outside of the nest. The adults of many bird species will remove the fecal sac from the nest almost immediately. Not the goldfinch.....they are messy in that regard. I knew they were around, but never knew they were using our yard to nest in.

I found this very small fly visiting our dill. It isn't much bigger than the tiny flower. Thank goodness for a good macro lens!

Toxomerus marginatus

Another time I noticed this large dragonfly zipping through, but it landed near the top of the Austrian Pine. I couldn't get a close look, but managed this photo using the equivalent of a 640mm lens, and cropped it further. I think it may be one of the mosaic darner types, but I am open to suggestions.

A Large Milkweed Bug (not a beetle, which has a different wing type) was on some of the various Echinacea plants.

Large Milkweed Bug

If you have tomatoes, or as my very English grandmother would have said, tomahrtoes, you probably have big juicy hornworm type caterpillars of the sphinx moth family from time to time, such as this Carolina Sphinx. They can do quite a bit of damage to the tomato plants.

Carolina Sphinx caterpillar

But if you keep an eye on it, you may see it ending up like the one in this next image.

This one has been parasitized by a Braconid wasp. The adult wasp has laid its eggs inside the caterpillar, and when the larvae hatch, they feed on the insides of the caterpillar. After a few days, they emerge and form their pupae, looking like small eggs, on the outside of the caterpillar. By this time the caterpillar has had much of its insides sucked out but may live a bit longer, at least until the pupae emerge. A tough life for a hornworm caterpillar, but the gardener can appreciate this natural control.

August Tallgrass Prairie really is august

Tallgrass prairie is one of my favourite habitats to explore and photograph. A great prairie often looks like this in the late winter or early spring, depending on the overall condition of it in the first place.

 In just a few weeks after a spring burn, it will look lush and green, with splotches of colour here and there such as what the Butterfly Milkweed contributes in the next image.

But by August, tallgrass prairie really is 'august', as in majestic. Very quickly a kaleidoscope of colours appear: purple, pink, white, yellow and blue, in no particular order.

There are a few august prairies in southwestern Ontario to enjoy. The two I know best are Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve in south Windsor, and even larger and more extensive prairies at Walpole Island First Nation (WIFN). The prairies around Ojibway are open to all for exploration and the city-owned nature centre across the road is definitely a must to visit. The prairies at Walpole are not open, however. Most occur on private property, are well away from the road, and permission must be obtained. I always go with someone from WIFN and even then, only when permission has been granted.

This next image was taken on a recent visit, and looking in the same direction as the previous image, albeit a little closer to the lone tree on the right. The purples of Dense Blazing-star stand out tall amidst the gradually increasing yellow of various species of goldenrods.

 Where you find Dense Blazing-star (Liatris spicata), you often also find Rough Blazing-star (Liatris aspera), a little smaller and with its flower head not as densely packed with flowers. Dense Blazing-star is listed as Threatened on the respective provincial and federal legislation dealing with Species At Risk (SAR).

Dense Blazing-star

Dense Blazing-star

Rough Blazing-star is not legally listed, but at S2 in Ontario, is Imperilled with between 6-20 locations known.

Rough Blazing-star

Sometimes you come across a blazing-star that is white. It doesn't show up really well in the next image, as it is in the centre background under multiple stems of Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), but a close-up of a white Dense-Blazing-star follows.

Prairie Dock is not listed on any SAR legislation, but is S2 (Imperilled). Its large very rough sandpapery leaves which look like a shovel, and tall single flowering stem are characteristic. Note: if you are out on a prairie and need toilet paper, do not be tempted to use the leaves of Prairie Dock!

Another showy purple plant is Missouri Ironweed (Vernonia missurica). It is very similar to Tall Ironweed (V. altissima) with the main differences being the number of florets in each flower head.

Missouri Ironweed

Sticking with the purple theme, but much, much smaller, is Pink Milkwort (Polygala incarnata). It is legally Endangered in both federal and provincial legislation. In Canada, this annual plant occurs only at Walpole and Ojibway Prairie.

While you are down on your hands and knees examining Pink Milkwort, you just might stumble across a very rare orchid: Southern Slender Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis). It isn't restricted to tallgrass prairie. It is only known from a handful of locations in Ontario, and while it isn't yet on a legislated list of SAR, it is S1, meaning Critically Imperilled since there are no more than 5 locations known for the province. I came across three individuals recently at Walpole Island.

It is small....the third image is several times life size. If you find it, the dark green centres of the individual flowers will separate it from other members of the Spiranthes genus.

Another prairie plant with a dense cluster of white flowers is more common, and more visible since it is much taller: Culver's-root (Veronicastrum virginicum). A fully mature plant will have multiple flowering spikes, somewhat resembling a candelabra, while a younger plant will only have a single flowering spike.

Another plant with white flowers at this time of year is Grass-of-parnassus (Parnassia glauca). The fine green lines on each petal are noteworthy.

There are numerous species of aster and goldenrod just beginning to display themselves on a good quality prairie. Canada Goldenrod is often the most obvious of the goldenrods, but several rarer species are beginning to appear, including Riddell's Goldenrod (Solidago riddellii). It is easily identified by its long, linear downward-curving leaves which in cross-section are V-shaped. Its flower head is slightly rounded. This next photo is of a plant that is almost, but not quite, out in flower.

Riddell's Goldenrod

I plan to show other goldenrods, asters and rare later season tallgrass prairie specialties in a future post.

Floodplain Favourites

Some parts of the local southern Ontario landscape don't look all that impressive at first glance.......a slow, placid meandering stream through a largely agricultural landscape, maybe with some trees and shrubs lining one or both sides. Ho hum. Yet some of them have a surprising array of interesting species of flora and fauna, including some that are quite rare.

Take this first image, photographed from the bridge just east of C-K Road 15 along Kent Line.

It is of a little known place called Long Creek and is largely on private property, so it doesn't get all that much attention as it passes from southern Lambton County into adjacent Chatham-Kent. But at this time of year, there is a surprising abundance of a fairly rare plant called Lizard's-tail (Saururus cernuus), which in places, lines both sides of this waterway.

Eventually when all the flowers have been in flower, the 'tail' will be almost straight up, but at this stage, it is quite attractive with its drooping nature. Although it is widely scattered across southern Ontario and can be abundant in areas where it does occur, it is listed as S3, which means provincially it is Vulnerable with between 21-80 known occurrences.

A bonus of stopping at this location is that just a few hundred metres away, along the road and a smaller branch of this waterway is another rarity and a member of the Legume family also in flower: Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa).  It is sometimes known as Cassia hebecarpa.

Wild Senna is Critically Imperilled in Ontario, being officially ranked as S1, meaning 5 or fewer occurrences in the province. It is found on both sides of the road at this location, and therefore is in both Lambton and Chatham-Kent, although the majority of it here is in C-K. It also occurs in Essex. In spite of Wild Senna's extreme rarity, it has not yet been officially evaluated and placed on either federal or provincial legislated lists of Species At Risk.


Another rarity quite noticeable at this time of year is a member of the Composite Family: Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia). It was formerly known as Actinomeris alternifolia.

Its Ontario range is limited to Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton and Elgin, and is officially S3 (Vulnerable). Although technically Vulnerable, it has not yet been evaluated and added to either federal or provincial legislated lists. The 'wings' along the main stem and rounded central disk, are notable identifying characteristics. It grows along various floodplain woodland settings and sometimes at the damp edges of woodlands. This small stand of a dozen or so plants is one I came across while checking out another Lizard's-tail population along the Sydenham River.

Yet another rarity that grows along floodplain woods, as well as damp rich forests, is Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). It isn't in flower now, as it only flowers for a very brief period typically in very late April or early May. The flowers are in their best condition just as the leaves are unfolding, as noted in the middle photo. The bottom photo shows the small red fruits that are present in mid-summer.

Goldenseal is considered S2 (Imperilled), meaning there are between 6-20 populations known in Ontario. It is legally listed as Threatened under the federal Species At Risk Act and the provincial Endangered Species Act.

Its rarity is due to declining habitat as well as its popularity for medicinal purposes. Due to its legislated status both federally and provincially, I will not be divulging any locations for it.

When exploring these meandering waterways, one can always be on the lookout for other rarities. Here is a Blanding's Turtle, enjoying some mid-August sun. Blanding's Turtles are also Threatened under both federal and provincial legislation.

Hot, humid and sultry, but there are still lots of reasons to get out!

During these hot, humid, dog days of summer, I have been picky about the times I am out in the field. Apparently the term 'dog days of summer' refers to the hot sultry period from early July to about August 11, and includes the period when the dog star is in conjunction with the sun (I'm Sirius :-).  I've never really enjoyed the hot humid weather, and ever since I've had to contend with Lyme Disease, it has been more of a challenge. But with so many things to see, I definitely get out when I can!

Not that long ago, I ventured out for some pre-sunrise photography, at one of my regular locations: the main harbour of Erieau, looking across Rondeau Bay to the provincial park. As I got out, I realized how sultry the weather was.....it was actually foggy on my way to Erieau, and with 100% humidity and no breeze it was not comfortable at all, even at about 5:15 a.m. I had forgotten to bring my knife to cut the humidity and haze. And the mosquitoes were already up and at it.

 I usually find the 30 or so minutes before the sun rises to have the best colours, and by using a tripod, a neutral density filter, cable release, mirror-lock-up and a low ISO rating, I can get some appealing slow shutter speed shots where the colours blend in nicely. This first one was an 8 second exposure.

Just as the sun was breaking the horizon and I was packing up, I noticed a canoe heading out, so I nabbed a photo of that as well. Obviously it took a much faster shutter speed to capture them. This next one was at 1/125 second.

I headed over to Rondeau Provincial Park shortly afterwards. The woodland atmosphere was dark and foreboding, as the sky was mostly overcast, and the fog had remained in the still air to give an ethereal look and feel. Even the birds were quiet, but couple of months ago it would have been alive with song at that hour.

Spider webs were everywhere, and obvious by the way the drops of moisture clung to the silken threads, appearing as a string of pearls.

I headed out the South Point Trail, hoping for a little breeze and some kind of action as the sun broke through the haze, the wind shook the spider webs free of dew drops and the wildlife came alive.

Some of the mid-summer wildflowers were in fine shape.

Tall Bellflower

Purple Flowering Raspberry

 When I got to the 'point', it was clear that erosion was ongoing. There used to be a bench a short distance beyond and to the right of this Danger sign. This is the third bench in as many years, in three different locations, that has had to be rescued by park staff, which demonstrates the extent of the erosion. It isn't just occurring at one place. The erosion is partly due to the higher water levels this year, but also due to the presence of the large pier at Erieau which interrupts the normal water currents carrying sand.

The trail and road used to be here not that long ago!

There were a few butterflies.....I didn't see anything really unexpected, but the next two were nice and at least briefly cooperative for the camera.

Appalachian Brown

One of 5 Giant Swallowtails sipping nectar from Wild Bergamot

I explored other sections of the park, and got some photos of this Small Green Wood Orchid. It grows in wet areas on rotting logs, especially in some of the sloughs.

On another trail, I came across lots of White Vervain (Verbena urticifolia). Most people wouldn't give it a second glance let alone a first one, yet the tiny flowers, only a few millimetres across and appearing on long slender branches are simple but attractive.

I came across this tiny Orchard Spider feasting on its most recent meal.

And this is the time of year for one of Canada's rarest orchids to appear...the Nodding Pogonia (Triphora trianthophora), which as far as anyone knows, only occurs at Rondeau. I wrote a fairly extensive post about it previously, entitled: A highly endangered native orchid.

During one of my planned visits, I took park staff out to see it (it is so small and occurs in an out of the way place; none of the current park staff had ever seen it in real life before this day).

It is a bit of a hike to get to the location, crossing some of the deepest, darkest and swampiest woodland such as is shown in the image below, all the while fending off hordes of bloodthirsty mosquitoes. Other than the occasional park staff who I take to this favoured spot, I have never seen anyone else even close to it, and I love it!

And we saw plants with single flowers, doubles and the even rarer triple (from which it gets the 'Tri' part of its Latin name). I always hope to find ones that are strongly magenta in colour, but it seems that this year, for some reason, they are mostly white with just a slight tinge of magenta at best.