Waterbirds and other winged things

I haven't wandered too far lately, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a lot to see nearby. I had to check out something near Mitchell's Bay not that long ago, and while on my travels, I swung by St. Clair NWA. It was a great day for seeing Eastern Phoebes, along the wires and the trees lining the NWA. They were busily soaring out and catching some flying insects on this sunny day,

 A flock of about 14 Sandhill Cranes were in a field across from the NWA, but seemed nervous when I stopped the vehicle and stuck my camera out the window.

Most of my outdoor wanderings were spent at the southern extreme of Chatham-Kent, however. The Keith McLean Conservation Lands is often an inviting place, especially with the continued wetlands My hope was to get photos of the recently arrived Nelson's Sparrows, but although I saw at least a couple from time to time, they were very furtive and did not linger in the open for more than half a second, it seemed, so no photos.

As usual, there was a good variety of other birds to see, both the shorebird type and others. At the larger end of the size scale were these first three species.

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Mute Swan, an invasive species

 Shorebirds are declining, but a half dozen species or so are still lingering. The current cool down of weather may change that.

Dunlin

Long-billed Dowitcher

Solitary Sandpiper

Wilson's Snipe

 Although the Nelson's Sparrows were not cooperative for my camera on this day, I did manage to get these next two.

Swamp Sparrow

Marsh Wren

Marsh Wrens are often more likely to hide back in amongst the cattails, making photographs difficult. This one flushed up and sat relatively out in the open for a few seconds, and enabled me to get one photo in the classic pose shown at the top.

Other things with wings varied a bit, and included:

Corn Earworm, a moth

European Yellowjacket

Painted Lady

Large Milkweed Beetles, with developing wings

 If this next critter successfully develops it, too, will have wings. It is the caterpillar of a Hickory Tussock Moth.

 And a few things that didn't have wings, but were worthy of note and a photograph. This first one shows the berries of Winterberry, and things with wings (i.e. migrating birds) will feast on them.

 Most goldenrods are about finished flowering. There are a few of these Zig-zag Goldenrod plants still in flower, but won't last much longer.

 A bit of a surprise was this nice flower head of Red-osier Dogwood. It normally flowers in June, but on occasion, if they go into a senescent period later in the season, a subsequent cooler and wet period can cause a very late flush of fresh flowers. And if you look closely, there are some winged things, syrphid flies I think, on the flowers

 This next item attracts winged things. It is a Dog Stinkhorn, a type of fungus. It doesn't create light-weight spores to be dispersed by wind, as most fungi do. Instead it has a very smelly tip, which attracts flies, and as the flies walk around the sticky surface, the spores get stuck to the flies' feet, and are transferred to another location where the flies go later.