Four-Winged Beauties

As promised in my last post, I'm sharing some of the pictures I've taken this summer of the four-winged type.  My interest definitely increases as I move from insects, etc, on to birds, and then too wildlife, but there sure is a lot of diversity and beauty in the butterflies around us.  Before I started this hobby a little more seriously, I had never really noticed more than the typical butterfly or the odd other variety, but now that I'm out more, I see there is a greater variety around.

We went as a family to Pinehurst Conservation Area on the July Long Weekend, and they have a walk which passes through the Carlolinian Forests and then opens into a meadow walk which was full of butterflies.  It was at the end of the walk and with the whole family along, chasing them around was not to be.  I did get one decent shot before I had to run and catch up with the gang.

Painted Lady Butterfly

The boys had cared for a couple Monarch butterfly caterpillars this summer, but only one spun a chrysalis and that one had actually fallen down from the lid.  We didn't figure it would end up emerging, but thankfully we found it before it died in the garage by the garbage.  Their colours are stunningly brilliant when they just new like that.

Newly emerged Monarch Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly

When I followed the Monarch to the church gardens behind our house to get the picture above, I noticed one bunch of flowers covered in Aphids.  A few Ladybugs were there feasting away.

Aphids and Ladybug

Aphids and Ladybugs

There is a relatively new (about 2 years I think) nature which we pass on the way to church every Sunday. The place has been named Amaolo Nature Sanctuary after the donour of the lands. I think I headed out there a little late in the season for butterflies as many of the flowers were already finishing, though I'm no butterfly expert by any stretch of the imagination.  I've added it to my location list and you can see the spot here.

The sign by the road.  Look carefully or you'll miss the spot.

The  Amaolo Nature Sanctuary

Justin - my butterfly hunting buddy.

Here are some of the butterflies I saw.  I could figure out the names of most, but I haven't found a very good website to identify them for here in Ontario. If you know what any of the ones I've missed naming (or incorrectly named), feel free to let me know.

Cabbage White Buttefly

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Clouded Sulpher Butterfly

Common Buckeye Butterfly

Common Buckeye Butterfly

Black Spicebush Swallowtail Buttefly

Tawny-edged Skipper

Common Ringlet (thanks Dwayne)

Peck's Skipper (again, thanks Dwayne)

And another unknown -
A tiny white butterfly or moth, hardly a cm across.

Viceroy Buttefly

Here is a sampling of the wildflowers which were planted in the abandoned field to attract butterflies.  I don't know most of their names.  My mom might be able to inform me.

Sun glistening through the soft grasses.

On the way home, Justin and I stopped by the Fox den but didn't see anything more than the ground covered in fresh tracks.  We did see this very cool, big grasshopper though.  Although it doesn't have four wings, it is winged and so I thought I could legitimately insert it into this post.

unknown Grasshopper.

Well, the typical "summer" portion of summer is officially over, Labour Day (in Canada here) marking that point.  The kids schooling here at home is already begun, and even mentally, I think at work people buckle down a little more.  But there's still lots of God's good creation to enjoy, and I have some good shots of things to share which are still in the queue. Till then...

Shots from the Lodge Part 3

This is my last post of three (part 1, part 2) from our family vacation up north at the cottage.  This time I am going to keep my commentary short and just let you enjoy more pictures than my ramblings.  I have a few other posts in the queue from a couple other picture taking opportunities... and I don't have a lot of time to type up something long here.

American Bullfrog

Ant carrying grasshopper leg.

I wonder what the weight ratio is of cargo to carrier?

Eastern Chipmunk

The next two pictures aren't the clearest, but I managed to capture this Chickadee hanging on a leaf which had been modified into a home by some insect.  It got the bug (larvae?) out and you can just see it in the second picture.  (click on the picture to see it larger)

Black-capped Chickadee -
foraging in rolled up leaf 

Black-capped Chickadee with bug

Life bird # 96 was found in the same Birch tree as the chickadees, busy searching not the leaves, but the crevices and crannies of the rough bark.  I've seen many White-breasted Nuthatches since starting this hobby, and it was nice to finally see its cousin.

Red-breasted Nuthatch 

Here's life bird #97, last of the cottage birds... a Hermit Thrush.  I'm quite sure that is what it is anyway.  The side shots weren't clear enough for posting, but from them I believe I have the right ID.

Hermit Thrush

This Red Squirrel wasn't shy - once it noticed me, it set up a ruckus and came directly for me through the trees, and stopped about 4m away and scolded me soundly!

Red Squirrel

Right around the lodge, the grounds are very sandy and there were many, many little excavated holes from these little Sand Wasps.  They dig their holes in the sand like a dog, flinging the sand quite a distance between their legs.  They are digging burrows where they will bring prey (other bugs) which will be come the food for the larvae from eggs they lay underground.

Sand Wasp digging a burrow - you can just see the sand flying.

Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly

The next picture represents some fun, but also the loss of some Uncle points with some of my nieces.  My nephew John-Michael and I were wandering around the edge of the land and noticed a large Smallmouth Bass protecting a whole school of its young.  We caught a Leopard frog and I tried to take some pictures of it.  Unfortunately, that's easier said than done, and more than few frogs gave their lives for the cause.  My conscience was appeased by the small dent in the frog population this would make, but my nieces did not agree with this.

Smallmouth Bass catching Leopard Frog

Just an interesting shot showing how waves (the physics ones too!)
actually bend around an obstruction.

Fuzzy juvenile Loons with parent in the background.

Tawny Crescent Butterfly

Eyed  Brown Butterfly

One thing I added to my wildlife list was a beaver.  There have been beavers on the lake in the past, but this time we were able to follow one in the canoe.  I was out with the boys sans camera, so never got any pictures.  He seemed to almost be enjoying the game and popped up either side of the canoe numerous times.

That ends the summer version of the Lodge shots.  We hope to go back there in the fall with some friends and family and we'll see what we see then.

Drive-by Birding

On Tuesday I enjoyed seeing more birds than I had every expected, and it all turned out to be within a few paces from the same road - Hwy 5 between work and home. I had my camera along and ended up making lots of stops all with birds making an appearance.

Spotted Sandpiper reclaiming a caterpillar.

In the morning, I had to stop at a client's development site to check out where existing drainage ultimately is collected to.  I popped up an embankment to review the topography of the neighbouring Lafarge Gravel Pit which is being reclaimed with fill slowly being brought in.  A Spotted Sandpiper noisily protested my appearance and flitted away from a marshy area with its stuttering wingbeats.  When standing still, which is not often, their tail bobs down and up.  I had my camera with me that day and the bird dropped to the stony ground to reclaim a caterpillar I must have startled it into dropping.  Shortly later, it let me approach while pacing back and forth along a dead tree branch.  These Sandpipers don't follow the traditional roles in the animal kingdom with the female being the leader and the male assuming the responsibility of raising the young.

Spotted Sandpiper

I know I just shared a post about these beautiful butterflies, but I liked them enough to include here anyways.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

A song sparrow was cheerfully singing a tall Ash tree overhead.

Song Sparrow

Our office was part of a Habitat for Humanity house project and sodded the yard and cleaned the house for an afternoon.  Only thing - the afternoon only took about an hour once we got going with the gang we brought.  The boss was generous and said he certainly didn't expect all us dirty sweaty folk to return to the office after working in the hot sun.  So I headed home, but decided to take the opportunity to stop at a few locations along the way home that I'd been eyeing.  Time for that hadn't been available when trying to get to work on time or home to a wife eager for relief from the crazy kids.

My first location was unplanned as I saw a Turkey Vulture in a field just west of Rock Chapel Road.  

Turkey Vulture

It was drinking at a shrinking puddle and warily let me approach somewhat closer than my road's edge vantage point.  It nicely stretched its wings which typically range five to six feet across.  When I tried to approach closer, it took off and headed for the hills.

Turkey Vulture wing stretch.

Interesting fact: If they think they are danger, Turkey Vultures will throw up, leaving an incredibly foul smelling deterrent (not surprising considering they eat rotting animal flesh) which makes the predator hesitate long enough for the vulture to make its get away.

Turkey Vulture

My next stopped was a planned location - a bird box on a hydro pole just west of Peter's Corners (intersection of Hwys 8, 52 and 5).  Early one morning I spotted a bird atop a nesting box and actually had wondered if it was a small owl.  It was quite "plump" and larger than I expected for a Kestrel.  However, watching the location on the drive to and from work, I confirmed it was in fact a rather large American Kestrel and I would see it almost once a day at this location.  (Peter Scholtens - you were right.)

This was the sight that I was might by as I stopped the car a fair distance away, planning to quietly walk closer.

American Kestrel peaking from its next box.

Not surprisingly, as I approached the bird retreated inside for protection.  I spent the next 20 minutes or so patiently using the passing cars to cover my advance in the roadside grass, and then waiting patiently with camera cocked for what I anticipated would be a brief appearance and disappearance when it sighted me closer by.  But nothing happened and my arms wearied.  Once I decided to head out, and with nothing to lose, I squeaked a few "kissing" sounds expecting nothing of a reaction.  However, I was pleasantly surprised and rewarded with an immediate appearance of the little falcon on its doorstep.  And it didn't disappear either.  It bobbed and weaved its head, seemingly trying to figure out the strange guest clicking away in its front yard.

female (I think) American Kestrel

American Kestrel

My last planned stop was to visit a Bluebird box where I had seen Eastern Bluebirds resting on the fence wire nearby.  When I arrived, a pair was nicely perched in a nearby tree, watching for bugs on the ground to fly down and catch.  Generally, this is their hunting style, dropping down from a perch to capture unsuspecting insects on the ground, though I did see them snatch the odd one out of the air as well.

male Eastern Bluebird

I'm not sure if this box is put up by them, but I met one of the organizers of the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society at Ruthven and the have a number of boxes up in the area around St. George.  I hope to make it out to one of their events in the future to see their work with this beautiful little bird more closely.

female Eastern Bluebird

At one point while I was sitting on the roadside in the grass with my back against a road sign post, out of the corner of my eye I caught movement and saw the unmistakable, brilliantly crimson red head of the aptly named Red-headed Woodpecker.  My twisting attempt to quickly capture a picture resulted with the picture below as the best I could get.  Shutter speed being too slow and my less than optimal position didn't help with a clear shot, but I was excited to see this bird for the second time in my life, and so close to home at that.  It was certainly the highlight of my afternoon and a nice way to end my unanticipated birding afternoon.

Red-headed Woodpecker