Sarnia Bay & Point Lands!

A grey-coloured Crow had been reported at Centennial Park so we headed to the area in hopes of finding it. There are no crow species of that colour in our area. We assume it is an American Crow with a genetic colour morph. We didn't find the crow, but we didn't find ANY crows, which made us laugh. When we aren't looking for crows, they are usually very abundant!

Although we didn't have luck with the grey crow, we took the opportunity to explore the area. From the top of a manmade hill, we could look south down the St. Clair River. It's possible that I haven't stood on top of this hill since the kids were young and we took them tobogganing. 

It was quite windy in the morning with the approach of afternoon thunderstorms, but we found a few butterflies clinging to plants at the top of the toboggan hill! Common Checkered Skippers were one of the species.

A Clouded Sulphur also clung to a dandelion.

In our quest for the grey crow, we wanted to cover as much ground as possible so toured the perimeter, passing the grain elevators where we found several Swallows. Some Barn Swallows landed within photographic range, but the Cliff Swallows were a little too far away.

A Ring-billed Gull surveyed the surroundings from high on the roof of a nearby building.

Canada Geese were watching sail boats head up river into lower Lake Huron for the start of the annual Bayview Mackinaw Boat Race. It is the world's longest, continuously run, Freshwater Yacht Race. Skippers may choose to race north on Lake Huron from Port Huron along the 235 mile Michigan shore line OR travel the 290-mile Southampton Course before finishing at Mackinac Island.

https://mackinawcity.com/event/port-huron-to-mackinac-boat-race/

Looking north, up the St. Clair River as sail boats head towards the Bluewater Bridges and into Lake Huron for the start of the race. Approximately 200 boats enter the race each year.

As we continued our perimeter tour, we spied a flying Black-crowned Night Heron! It seemed to be searching for a place to rest. It was my first siting of the species in 2026, and was not expected at this location!

A small pond provides the necessities of life for a number of wetland species including these Halloween Pennants in a mating wheel!

Nesting boxes provide nesting spots for Tree Swallows. I only managed to photograph the tip of its tail as it dove head first into the box with food for the babies.

Question Mark butterfly

Finding a Common Sootywing was an unexpected surprise in a gravelly area near one of the parking lots.

A Spotted Sandpiper steadily walked along the sand looking for food. It is checking out a fly on the sand in the above photo.

The fly was caught by the Spotted Sandpiper making a nice snack! This bird marked the end of our walking tour but we will continue to be on the lookout for the grey Crow! 

 Charismatic Tree Frogs!

We found 4 Gray Tree Frogs, which we jokingly referred to as 'Sedge Frogs' as all of them were sitting on sedges and not trees! They were approximately 12 mm in length. These frogs are usually gray, brown or green, and change colours much more slowly than a chameleon does. The ability to blend in and hide is their number one defense against predators!

https://wildlifeinformer.com/facts-about-gray-tree-frogs/

Just wanted to say, "Hi"!

Mouth wide open!

Hmmm. Let me think about that!

Having a little chuckle!

Hang on tight!

One more belly laugh!

The movements the tree frogs were making in the above photos are likely because the frogs were shedding their skin! As frogs grow, their old skin becomes too tight and must be replaced. Shedding removes parasites, bacteria, and damaged cells. Frog skin is permeable and plays a role in breathing. Fresh skin ensures efficient oxygen absorption. Many frogs eat their shed skin, recycling proteins and nutrients. 

https://www.amphibianlife.com/do-frogs-shed-their-skin/

I didn't realize the Broad-winged Skipper was staring at a Tree Frog until I saw the photo on the computer! I’m sure the skipper was surprised to see the little frog! Many other critters were found at the 170 acre Reid Conservation Area during a Lambton Wildlife outing including the following:... 

 Carolina Grasshopper.

Chokecherry Leafroller Moth

Broad-winged Skipper

Broad-winged Skipper

Dion Skipper 

Emerald Spreadwing

Short-lined Chocolate Moth - a new species for me. Looks like chocolate!

 A Luna Moth and Other Cool Critters!

My most exciting find on a recent Butterfly Count was a Luna Moth! - The first one I have found on my own! It was resting in long grasses at the edge of a forested area, waiting to dry off it's wings from the morning dew. Luna Moths are one of the largest moth species in North America, with a wing spread measuring 8-10 cm!

A tiny Least Skipper hovers near a Wild Bergamot flower. It seems to be waiting for the Orange Mint Moth to leave so it can have his turn at drinking nectar!

Hugs anyone?? I'm sure this Orange-collared Scape Moth wasn't happy about "getting a hug" from the well-camouflaged spider who was hiding on the flower head, just waiting for his next meal to show up.

This "Blue Dasher" seems to be standing at attention. It is a typical resting pose for the species! Like all dragonflies, Blue Dashers have large compound eyes with nearly 360 degree vision, allowing them to detect movement and locate prey efficiently. Their two pairs of independently moving wings provide exceptional maneuverability, enabling quick turns, hovering and even backward flight!

https://peskylittlecritters.com/quick-facts-about-blue-dasher-dragonflies-you-should-know/#google_vignette

Dragonfly Totem Pole! 7 Common Whitetails soaking up the last of the evening sun.

Colourful Red-banded Leafhoppers are hanging out in our backyard again this year!

Gray Treefrogs depend on forests. Therefore, habitat loss and degradation are the main threats to these frogs. Their tendency to remain in trees, coupled with excellent camouflage help to keep them "safe" from predators. Females lay 1,000 to 2,600 eggs in small clusters of 10-40 which are attached to vegetation. The eggs hatch within one to three weeks and the tadpoles metamorphose one to two months after hatching.

https://ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/gray-treefrog/

Black-and-gold Bumble bee! Although many bumblebees are black and gold, this species was able to lay claim to the colours in it's name! It is only the second record on iNaturalist of this species in Lambton County.

I watched a Paper Wasp drag a caterpillar (member of the cutworm moths) from leaf to leaf. I even saw the wasp carry the caterpillar in flight which was amazing as they were similar in size!

Another species of wasp dragging a caterpillar up a tree trunk.

Fork-tailed Bush Katydid, nymph stage: It is one of about 250 species of katydids, also called Long-horned meadow grasshoppers in North America, north of Mexico. They all have very long antennae and often resemble green leaves.

https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/fork-tailed-bush-katydid

Monarch egg laid on the underside of Swamp Milkweed in my backyard.

After about 5 days as an egg, this freshly hatched Monarch caterpillar will eat the egg casing as a food boost to start his growth.

 Night Life!

Bright Lights and white sheets can be used to attract moths at night. In the right conditions, hundreds of moths can be viewed....if you're willing to stay up late! The following is a selection of some of these late night critters.

Small-eyed Sphinx

Tulip Tree Beauty

Maple Callus Borer

Banded Tussock Moth

Common Lytrosis Moth

A UV Flashlight is handy to scan plants in the area. You never know what you may find including this well camouflaged Goldenrod Crab Spider. Over the course of a few days, they can change colour to match their environment or the flower they are sitting upon. They enjoy warm sunny days because the food they like to eat (insects) come to the flowers on which they patiently wait.

https://spideridentifications.com/goldenrod-crab-spider.html

Goldenrod Crab Spider, heavily cropped photo

Unidentified Moth Caterpillar

Common Eastern Firefly

Giant Leopard Moth

Walnut Sphinx

White-dotted Prominent

Waved Sphinx

Dark Fishing Spider

Walnut Caterpillar Moth

Io Moths, wings closed

Io Moth

At the end of a moth night at a friend's house in Middlesex County, a few moths needed to be carefully lifted from the white sheet. (They didn't fly away when the lights were turned off.) The top 2 are Io moths (pronounced eye-oh). The lower one is a Small-eyed Sphinx. The large eye spots help to protect the moths as predators may view it as a large creature, much too large to attempt to eat.