Roaming around two of the best natural areas of C-K!

 In addition to several evenings of black lighting, I've been out to two of the most interesting (to me) natural areas, as there are always things to enjoy and photograph.

Closest to home is St. Clair NWA. I usually go in the early evenings, when some birds are on the move, or feeding towards the end of the day. This Great Blue Heron was busily feeding....

...and this one was perched, probably for over night.

There are usually 4-5 Great Egrets somewhere scattered across the NWA....

..and the occasional Green Heron.

A highlight is to see and photograph Northern Harriers. On some occasions I have seen three or four, and with most of them being young-of-the-year, indicate a fairly successful breeding period.

Sandhill Cranes are sometimes quite close to the trail, at least until they detect me getting too close....

...so generally they are more often seen in flight.

On one occasion during the smoky weather conditions, I photographed the sun about an hour before sundown, where it was just glowing through the smoky haze.

White-tailed Deer are regularly seen either in the NWA or in the fields immediately adjacent.

On the plant side, the Swamp Rose Mallow is quite widespread, but not often close to the trail. This first photo shows a dense stand of it but well away from the trail.

On occasion one may find a few close by.

And Buttonbush is evident in a few spots.

At Rondeau, I have been more focused on plants, both the rare and not so rare. Here are just a few examples, but more on plants in a future post.

One of the rarest I keep an eye on, is American Ginseng. This first photo shows it just past flowering, with this one featuring a single fruit.... 

...while this next one shows some buds finished flowering, and three fruits developing. As they mature, the fruits will turn red.

Certainly not a rare species is next: Nightshade.

Back to a rarity is this Broad Beech Fern, which I only know from one location, that being along Spicebush Trail where it grows in several quite dense clusters.

Not far from the Broad Beech Fern is this Richweed, not really rare, but not all that common either. It is indicative of a rich hardwood forest of southern Ontario.

And again not far way is this fruit showing up on Goldenseal, a provincial rarity.

This next one is Cylindrical Blazing-star, growing in the open grassy dunes of the southeast. It is just starting to flower and in a few days there will be a light purplish glow across these grassy areas.

There is a single location for this next species: Oswego Tea. I missed the peak flowering by a few days, but caught at least one or two in relatively good condition.

Just something else in the general vicinity are the following: while doing my area of the annual butterfly count, I didn't see many butterflies, but I noted the Osprey nest atop the tower just outside of Erieau.

And shorebirds are increasing in diversity and numbers as they have completed their breeding cycle and are returning southwards. One of the highlights of recent days has been a Stilt Sandpiper. The shorebirds at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons are always popular for shorebirds, but it seems this year not so much in the sprinkler cells. In one of the largest lagoons they are quite abundant, but more distant and therefore more challenging to photograph. This one was taken a couple of years ago, showing it still in the remains of its breeding plumage, and at the sprinkler cells.

 Lots more to feature in a future post!

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Plants and bugs of Rondeau, and another threat to some shrubs

 I've been giving my camera equipment, as well as myself, a good workout lately, but being careful not to get too caught up in the heat and humidity. Rondeau gets a lot of my attention, as most readers will know. And this is a wonderful time to find late summer flowering plants, as well as a multitude of different insects that come to visit. Here are some of the highlights, starting with plants. American Ginseng is an endangered plant, and I have been keeping an eye on a few individuals as they progress through the season. This first photo shows a plant with developing seeds. A short time after they turn red, they will fall off.

One that is coming into peak form right now is American Hog-peanut, next, a member of the legume family.

A Carolinian species that likes rich woods is next. It is known by several common names, the main one with which I always thought was appropriate is Richweed (Collinsonia canadensis).

There are quite a few along the Rondeau Road area, in various stages of development.

A colourful, but not native plant is Creeping Bellflower. It is not widespread.

One that I thought was quite late to be in flower, but was in fine condition, is Flowering Spurge. It often is found in open areas, such as prairie or savanna, but this one was along a heavily shaded road edge.

Great Blue Lobelia, next, is fairly widespread and distinctive.

Indian Tobacco

Lopseed

A plant that I am always on the hunt for, although knowing its unpredictability in flowering makes it a challenge even at the best of times, is this little orchid, the Nodding Pogonia. It is an endangered species, with the only known location in Canada being at Rondeau. It is often very difficult to see, as this next photo shows. I photographed this with a 100 mm macro lens at a distance of about 6 inches! It can easily be missed, or worse, stepped on, so its location is not advertised, and even I seldom go out unless I think the weather has triggered its flowering, when it is more noticeable.

It looks a little bit showier when it finally opens, for a day.

Pale-leaved Woodland Sunflower

Another endangered species is next. It is Rough Blazing-star, and generally considered to be a prairie or savanna species. It occurs in a couple of savanna type habitats at the park.

Related to the Creeping Bellflower, shown earlier, is this native one, known as Tall Bellflower.

And a tall flowering plant but with tiny flowers is next: White Vervain.

Wood Nettle

And finally, Woodland Sunflower. It differs from the Pale-leaved Woodland Sunflower, shown previously, in that the base of the leaves are tightly clasping the stem.

And there are various insects to see in a variety of places.

Ailanthus Webworm Moth (not native)

Fall Webworm Moth caterpillar

Next is a member of the Leafcutter Bee group. Specific species is yet to be determined.

Lemon Cuckoo Bumble Bee

Northern Paper Wasp

Next is a Perennial Mason Wasp, an endangered species.

Pitted Mason Wasp

Pure Green Sweat Bee

Spurred Ceratina

On one occasion when I was out exploring I came across this chunky looking caterpillar. It is a Tulip-tree Silk Moth, the first time I had ever seen this caterpillar.

It was partially wrapped up in this dead American Beech leaf when I first discovered it.

 For anyone who has been out roaming the park in recent weeks, you might have noticed a lot of Spicebush shrubs looking very unhealthy. Some just show signs of a problem with a few of the outer leaves....

...while others are completely dead, or at least appearing so.

 The cause is somewhat inconclusive at this point, but there are several things that may be happening. The most likely one is something called Laurel Wilt. Regardless, it is quite widespread at Rondeau, especially towards the north end. Hopefully the cause can be determined, but it is unknown what a solution might be, if any exists. I plan to discuss some of the major forest changes at Rondeau in more detail in a future post.

 Also a reminder is that both my books, Life On A Sandspit, and Natural Treasures of Chatham-Kent, are available at the following locations:

-Friends of Rondeau Bookstore (inside the Rondeau Visitor Centre) 

-Bayview Market, just outside the Rondeau gates

-Mindful Market and Eco Hub, main street, Blenheim

-Mitton's Jewelers, main street, Ridgetown 

-Book Brothers, King St E, Chatham 

 

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