End of August Things With Wings!

I walk by this location in Canatara Park almost every day, but one day last week I noticed a Monarch Chrysalis that was almost ready to eclose (emerge from the chrysalis). Since the black and orange wings were visible, I knew it wouldn't take too long so I sat down on a nearby rock and waited.

It took about 90 minutes before the butterfly emerged. Since it was a windy day, the Monarch was blown to the ground. I convinced it to climb onto my finger so I could place it on a slightly more sheltered leaf. It needed space to spread its wings while pumping fluid into them. Monarchs have begun their migration to Mexico! Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners are putting tiny Bluetooth tags on >100 Monarchs in Ontario over the next few weeks to help understand migration routes and migration success. Smartphones can help track these butterflies with the Project Monarch App.

Monarchs are always associated with Milkweed at the larva stage. However as adults, Monarchs can find nectar in many flowering plant species including some zinnias.

At a quick glance, it appears that this Eastern Giant Swallowtail caterpillar is sticking its tongue out at us. The red bit is an Osmeterium which is a unique defensive organ found in swallowtail caterpillars. It's a forked, fleshy structure located just behind the head. When threatened, the caterpillar everts the osmeterium. The bright colour and sudden appearance of the osmeterium can startle predators. (It certainly startled me while using my macro lens!) The osmeterium can also emit a strong, unpleasant smell that can deter predators.

https://butterflyask.com/species-identification/swallowtail-butterfly/swallowtail-butterfly-defense-mechanisms/

Several Zabulon Skippers have been found in Lambton County this summer. It is a southern species that has been visiting Ontario in recent years.

This busy Bumble bee has large, yellow, pollen baskets on its legs.

Another Bumble bee was drenched in pollen, from head to toe!

In an attempt to determine the health of Lake Chipican, catch and release traps were placed a few weeks ago to learn the fish species that live in the lake.

Migrating Warblers: Nashville Warbler finding food in the meadow.

Migrating Warblers: Wilson's Warbler

Migrating Warblers: Chestnut-sided Warbler

Migrating Warblers: Blackburnian Warbler, still sporting his spring colours.

Food Chain on the Goldenrod plant! A type of Stink Bug has captured a Bumble Bee. Above them both is a Northern Crab Spider, waiting patiently for his turn at a snack!

 (Mostly) 6-Legged Critters!

 Clearwing Hummingbird Moth on Culver's Root

I have been watching for Common Buckeye over the past several weeks. I finally found one near the front door of our house as we were returning home!

Northern Golden Bumble Bees are specialist feeders because of their long tongues. They are the primary pollinators for deep flowers like Red Clover, Bee Balm and Vetch. Unlike many bumble bees that tunnel deep underground, these bees often build their nests on the soil surface or just beneath it, tucked away in thick clumps of grass or abandoned mouse nests.

https://plantiary.com/insect/bombus-fervidus_1972.html

Red-belted Bumble Bees are small insects with short tongues. They live around wooded areas and can be found in urban parks and gardens. Many thanks to my friend, Annie, for inviting us to her native garden to see this little cutie!

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/144011-Bombus-rufocinctus

Silver-spotted Skippers have been regularly found locally this summer. A pair on Common Teasel in the above photo are sizing each other up for mating potential.

Peck's Skipper resting on Wild Chicory.

Northern Dog-day Cicadas tend to be most vocal during the hot and muggy days of summer which are often called the "Dog days of summer." This is one explanation for the common name.

https://songsofinsects.com/cicadas/dog-day-cicada

It was interesting that an insect as large and heavy as a Cicada could become trapped in spider webbing. The combination of strength, stretch and lightness of spider silk, which is packed into a fibre thinner than a human hair makes spider silk exceptionally strong.

https://biologyinsights.com/how-strong-is-a-spider-web-stronger-than-steel/

The Orchard Orbweaver has long green legs, and an elongated silvery abdomen with dark stripes. If you spot a very colourful spider in the woods it could be this species. The underside, (not visible in the photo) can be shades of red, yellow or green and marked with bright red, orange, or yellow crescent-shaped markings.

https://spideridentifications.com/orchard-orbweaver.html

Pigeon Horntail is actually a gentle giant of the forest. Its presence is usually a sign that nature's recycling process is in full swing as it targets old or stressed hardwood trees.

https://plantiary.com/insect/tremex-columba_7395.html

Primrose Moth: I saw a few of these beautiful moths this season!

Chickweed Geometer Moth: Unlike the majority of moths that hide until dark, the Chickweed Geometer is frequently active during the day. They can often be found low to the ground, fluttering through tall grass between May and October.

https://plantiary.com/insect/haematopis-grataria_2211.html

Red Admiral on Button Bush

Northern Walkingstick

Water Striders on a lily pad.

 August Birds

August is a time when food is plentiful; birds are teaching their youngsters how to find food; and others are beginning their southern migration.

An adult male Red-bellied Woodpecker was showing one of his kids how to find insects tucked under pieces of tree bark. They practised searching on several trees. These birds will likely stay in the area all through the winter.

Eastern Bluebirds were also teaching their offspring how to find food. Thousands of small caddisflies were on the move, so hopefully they had lots of success! If you look carefully, a male Bluebird is close to the top of the photo, and a juvenile bluebird is closer to the bottom of the photo and slightly to the left. Since insects are their preferred food, Eastern Bluebirds generally head south for the winter.

The Bobolink (female in photo) is one of the world's most impressive songbird migrants, traveling some 20,000 km to and from southern South America every year. Throughout its lifetime, it may travel the equivalent of 4 or 5 times around the circumference of the earth!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bobolink/overview

Nashville Warbler - resting and refueling in Canatara Park to get energy for the next phase of migration. Many warbler species are currently heading south. In Canatara Park on Tuesday morning, a minimum of 15 species were spotted.

American Goldfinch eating thistle seeds.

A juvenile Green Heron watching for its next meal.

A stealthy Great Blue Heron is on the hunt in Canatara Park.

Herring Gull, 1st year: Deryl calls this the "Chocolate Moose" stage, because of the colour and their large size! Herring Gulls don't get their final adult colouring until 4 years of age.

Adult Ring-billed Gull with an unidentified "prize", perhaps part of a fish skeleton.

I saw my first migrating Sanderlings on Tuesday. They feed by running down the beach after a receding wave to pick up stranded invertebrates or probe for prey hidden in the wet sand. They eat crane flies, midges, mosquitoes, beetles, butterflies and moths.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sanderling/lifehistory

Video: Sanderlings running on Canatara Beach.

Some birds fly off course during migration. A couple of Red-necked Phalaropes visited south Lambton county recently. (They typically follow the east and west coasts of North America during migration.) Female Phalaropes are larger and more brightly coloured than males. They can get into fierce fights over the males they want to mate with. Then after they've laid their eggs, they take no part in raising the young, often seeking out another male to lay another clutch. The males do all of the incubation. They breed in the Arctic tundra and winter in tropical oceans.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-necked_Phalarope/overview

A Snowy Egret also visited Lambton County; the first time since 1995!  During breeding season, they have bright white feathers, yellow facial skin, black legs, and bright yellow feet. Adult Snowy Egrets also develop long, wispy feathers on their backs, necks and heads. In 1886, these plumes were valued at $32 per ounce, which was twice the price of gold at the time. Plume-hunting for the fashion industry killed many Snowy Egrets and other birds until reforms were passed in the early twentieth century. The recovery of shorebird populations through the work of concerned citizens was an early triumph and helped to create the conservation movement.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/overview

1st year Wood Duck, resting on a piece of driftwood.

 Scout Camp!

Camp Attawandaron is located in North Lambton County within an Oak Savanna forest. At one time, all of Southern Ontario was covered in Oak Savanna but today only .02% of this forest is left in Canada. It is said to be one of Ontario's most endangered ecosystems. We were told that a  Flying Squirrel is actively using the nesting box, although we didn't get to see the rodent. (Camp Attawandaron interpretive sign.)

In an oak savanna ecosystem, there is 25-30% canopy cover, meaning there is more light in an Oak Savanna ecosystem than would be found in a true forest. This extra light allows for understory plants to grow that would otherwise be unable to survive in the thick cover of a dense forest. One of the unique plants is Rough Blazing Star.

https://oldausablechannel.ca/nature/oak-savanna/

I have seen more American Tree Frogs this year, than in all previous years combined! These 2 little cuties were approximately 1.5 cm in length. As their name suggests, they spend much of their time in trees, but during the breeding season, they are found near ponds, lakes, streams, marshes and other wetlands. They seem to prefer habitats with lots of floating plants. They are insectivores so their survival depends on finding flies, mosquitoes and other small insects to eat.

https://www.treehugger.com/american-green-tree-frog-facts-5076955

Common Five-lined Skink, Ontario's only lizard! They can sometimes be found sunning on rocks and logs to maintain a preferred body temperature between 28 and 36 degrees Celsius. During the winter, they hibernate in crevices among rocks or buried in the soil. In Canada, the species is limited to two distinct areas: one is along the southern margin of the Canadian Shield, and the other is in the Carolinian Zone in southwestern Ontario.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/common-five-lined-skink

I only noticed this this well camouflaged insect because it happened to land on a twig beside me.(Notice the black eyes and antennae.) Identification has not yet been confirmed, but it is possibly an Immaculate Antlion which has been found in the area.

I don't recall ever seeing a creature that matched this one. It is a member of the Common Sawflies. 

This Medium Oak Dagger Moth caterpillar was being attacked from behind by a tiny ant which eventually left the scene.

We saw a couple of Punctured Tiger Beetles scurrying across the hot sand.

Orange Sulphur, striking contrast against the wet sand.

Leonard's Skipper, only the second time that I have ever seen this species! Blazing Star is one of its favourite nectar plants.

Spicebush Swallowtail

When we noticed an active Bald Faced Hornet's nest on a boardwalk, we made the decision to turn around. It wasn't worth getting stung as we definitely would have been "in their space"! They are not really a hornet, but rather are a black and white Yellowjacket, known for their aggressive behaviour.

American Pelecinid Wasp: In the northern parts of North America, male Pelecinid Wasps are incredibly rare, so rare that scientists hardly ever find them. Females are 'parthenogenetic', meaning they can reproduce and create female clones of themselves without ever needing to mate. Despite their scary appearance, these wasps are completely harmless to humans. The long 'tail' is not a stinger. It is an ovipositor used exclusively for laying eggs. 

https://plantiary.com/insect/pelecinus-polyturator_611.html

We found several holes in the sand with 1 inch wide tracks leading to and from the cavities. Although we watched different "bee-like" insects enter the holes, I am guessing that the insects were just checking out the space. Perhaps the holes were made by a vole or other ground dwelling rodent? An unsolved mystery!!

Many thanks to our friend Dave, who happens to be a Scout Leader, and invited us to explore Camp Attawandaron last week when there were no campers on site. (https://papastravelsblog.blogspot.com/2026/07/nutria-or-not.html,)