A Visit To Reid C.A.

I felt like the "butterfly whisperer" when a Banded Hairstreak landed on my finger. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the humid temperatures and the fact that my hand was a bit sweaty!

We specifically visited this site for a target species, but found other insects as we wandered down the trail. I enjoy watching dragonflies stare at me while hovering at head height. They seem to be checking us out, but eventually land for a rest like this Common Whitetail did.

The prey isn't very large, but if you look closely at her mouth, this female Blue Dasher has captured a snack.

Thanks to some assistance from a friend, we found 3 Oak Hairstreaks, a very rare species for Ontario. Notice the 'M' shape at the back of the hind wing where the 'tails' are located. This was a 'butterfly lifer' for me!

Many hairstreaks were visible including this cluster on some Indian Hemp. Most of the butterflies were the common Banded Hairstreak.