Canatara’s “Resident” Red-tailed Hawk

The juvenile Red-tailed Hawk that has been living in Canatara Park for the past year or so is quite accustomed to being around people. It recently flew past me and landed in a tree, facing into the sun. I watched as it stayed on the knobby end of the branch and rotated its body 180 degrees, teetering on its feet until its back was to the sun!

It remained with wings outstretched for 2 full minutes. Birds can benefit from "sun bathing' as it helps with feather maintenance and parasite control. Sunlight can kill harmful bacteria and parasites that may be hiding in feathers. The warmth also makes it easier for birds to remove dirt and parasites when preening.

https://www.earthofbirds.com/why-do-birds-spread-their-wings-in-the-sun/

Before leaving the perch, the Red-tailed Hawk preened its warmed feathers as it continued to soak up the sun! The adult red tail feathers are starting to grow in. Juveniles don't get red feathers until the start of the second year.

The very next day, I saw the same Red-tailed Hawk. It hunted unsuccessfully for a squirrel and then took a rest, once again with wings outspread and back facing the sun! The squirrel on the tree trunk that it tried to catch is looking down at the hawk in the upper photo. 

Red-tailed Hawk populations have increased since the 1960's. This species can often be found sitting on fence posts watching and listening for nearby prey. Across North America and Europe, many hawk populations are rebounding after decades of decline due to pesticide use and habitat loss. The banning of DDT in the 1970's in many countries marked a turning point. Conservation efforts, habitat restoration, and regulated hunting also contributed to recovery. Protecting and restoring natural habitats such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands, provide essential resources for hawks. Healthy prey populations including rodents, birds and reptiles, provide a stable food source. The adaptable Red-tailed Hawk is thriving in both rural and urban environments. Long-term monitoring programs such as e-bird, track population changes over time. Raptor Rehabilitation Centers collect valuable data on injuries, illnesses, and mortality rates. Citizen Science initiatives help to engage the public in valuable data collection.

https://iere.org/are-hawk-populations-increasing/

Red-tailed Hawk, light morph - looking down at me!

 Night Life!

A friend invited us to the bush at the back of her farm to watch for moths. Two sheets were suspended in the trees with the appropriate lights shining on each sheet to attract the night life. 

Clymene Moth, at one with the leaves on the forest floor!

Clymene Moth on a nearby tree.

Deceptive Snout Moth

Fragile White Carpet Moth

Glossy Black Idia Moth

Green Leuconycta Moth

Macrame Moth, dining on bird guano

Basswood Leafroller Moth. (Leaf rolling happens at the larval stage.)

Skiff Moth

Moths weren't the only things we saw!

Northern Dog-day Cicada 

Punctured Tiger Beetle - we usually find these insects in sandy locations.

Spotted Orb Weaver - hoping to catch a moth!

Herrald Moth - attracted to fermented moth bait "painted" on a piece of wood.

One example of a moth night set up. Moths are attracted to both sides of the sheet.

When we don't want to stay up late, we can plug in our moth trap and check the moths in the morning. One night the trap was checked at 2:00 a.m. and we discovered an American Robin feasting on his private smorgasbord of moths that were flying to the light! 

 Canatara Critters!

Everyday is a new adventure when walking through the different habitats in Canatara Park!!

Monarch drinking nectar from Swamp Milkweed Flowers.

A Humpback Beewolf is patiently waiting for a thirsty Tiger Swallowtail to finish drinking at the "nectar fountain" so he can have a turn! 

A Great Blue Heron appears to be admiring his reflection but is likely just trying to catch some lunch!

Meadowhawk (sp) in a field of daisies.

Snowberry Clearwing moths fly and feed during the daytime. Adults feed from flower nectar by hovering in front of the flower the way a hummingbird does, rather than like a bee which lands directly on the flower. They drink nectar from blooms with open or deep flowers and pollinate many of them from the pollen that gets caught on their upper body.

https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/resources/encyclopedias/fauna/insects/hummingbird-clearwing-moth-sp.html

Mourning Cloak. This individual looks fresh, as if it recently exited its chrysalis. It will likely survive through next winter sheltered in a rotten log, emerging in early spring. They can live for 10 months in southern Ontario!

Primrose Moth, on Evening Primrose

Red-eared Slider laying eggs on a path. She will cover up the hole with mud and hope that predators don't find the eggs. Red-eared Sliders are an introduced species. They are sold in pet stores and when people don't want them any more, the turtles are often released in local waterways causing competition for food, shelter and space with our native turtle species.

Viceroy, backlit in the afternoon sun.

5 Cabbage White butterflies getting minerals from a muddy puddle.

Video: Cabbage Whites mudpuddling for nutrients!

American Mink hunt a variety of prey in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Since they are good swimmers, they dive and catch fish, and feed on muskrats, rabbits, frogs, chipmunks and snakes! I saw this mink exit the water. Because it stood still and stared at me, I assume I was likely standing where it had hoped to travel.

https://www.animalspot.net/american-mink.html

American Snout: The long "nose" isn't actually for smelling. The long protrusion is a heavily scaled mouth part that protects the butterfly's delicate proboscis. In addition, when hanging on a branch with wings closed, the "snout" mimics a leaf stalk, creating even better camouflage and protection!

https://animalia.bio/american-snout

 Cool Pinery Critters!

We started the day at the moth shack which had attracted a few species including this Showy Emerald!

Small-eyed Sphinx

Lots of critters are attracted to UV light, including this Brown Prionid. They are members of the Longhorn beetle family, native to eastern and central North America. They are identified by the elongated, mahogany-coloured body and impressive size (up to 5 cm). They are an important decomposer. By breaking down decaying trees and logs, larvae accelerate nutrient cycling and help return carbon and organic matter back to the soil. Unlike invasive wood borers, the Brown Prionid rarely attacks healthy living trees, preferring wood that is already compromised, dying or decaying.

https://davethebugguy.org/2026/07/31/orthosoma-brunneum-the-brown-prionid-beetle/

We discovered Slug Moths at the end of the summer last year and wanted to start looking for them earlier in 2026. A lot of time was spent carefully turning over leaves to find these creatures. We found one species this week, a Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth, (6-7 mm in length) and look forward to searching for more! Many species of caterpillars tend to be easier to find later in the season as they grow larger. 

Tent Caterpillars are known to build silk trails while travelling between their nest and feeding sites on the tree. The silken strands are sometimes visible in sunlight. Since Tent Caterpillars are native to North America, insect parasites and natural predators like birds and rodents control a certain amount of the population.

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/pest-control-tips/tent-caterpillars.html

Two Io (pronounced eye-oh) Moths have been eating their way up opposite sides of a stem. Once the terminal leaf has been devoured, they will need to branch out on their own to find food.

5 Io moth caterpillars!

Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar.- a recently described species!

Ochre Dagger caterpillar: The silk bed can help the caterpillar cling to the leaf on windy days.

A moving piece of "fluff" caught my eye when I was looking at a caterpillar on a nearby leaf. I needed help identifying it, but now believe it is the larva of a Lacewing. These larva are voracious predators and will cover themselves with leftover debris from the food they eat. Based upon the colour and shape of the covering, this individual likely ate wooly aphids at its last meal!

https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1828

Video of a speedy little Lacewing Larva covered in wooly aphid bits.

4 Canada Geese preening on a log.

After lunch we walked a newly made trail. The trail was created by digging up an old road that was in disrepair. The land change helps to improve habitat needs and safety for turtles, snakes, butterflies, and countless other species!

 Compton’s Tortoiseshell! The first one I've seen in a few years! 

Slaty Skimmer

Tawny Emperor

A former parking area near the Burley Bridge has been turned into a "safer" habitat for turtle nesting. The fence helps to reduce the number of predators accessing turtle nests, if the nests are laid within the enclosure. Vehicular traffic is no longer permitted in this area.

New dock at Burley Bridge providing a wetland view.