Praying Mantises!

I found 3 different Praying Mantises this week. They go through incomplete metamorphosis. (egg, nymph, adult. There is no pupa stage.) When they hatch from the egg, they are miniature replicas of the parents. As they grow, they shed their exoskeleton 7 to 9 times before becoming an adult. They are easier to find in the fall because of their larger size.

Camouflage assists them in avoiding predators but also allows them to sneak up on prey. A well hidden praying mantis is in the centre of the photo.

Sometimes they are situated where they aren't as well hidden.

The orange and black colours of these Large Milkweed Bugs caught my eye. As I was photographing them, I noticed some slight movement. It was the hind leg of a Praying Mantis, as it ate one of their kin. Praying Mantises can rotate their heads 180 degrees. If you look closely, he is keeping a close watch on me!

Sharp spines on the forelegs allow it to hold on tightly to prey. I'm surprised the remaining Milkweed Bugs didn't try to hide. Perhaps the mantis would be temporarily satisfied after eating this snack. Keep your eyes open  for praying mantises as these insects will continue to be active on the milder days.

Update:

I published the above post first thing this morning then headed out for a walk. I wasn’t expecting to capture the following pictures with my camera! 2 male Praying Mantises vying to mate with the larger female! No, I didn’t wait to see if she would eat their heads. That behaviour tends to happen when they are under stress, such as when captive.  I walked away and returned over an hour later to see the competition was still underway. 6 Praying Mantises in one week!

 

Recent Canatara Finds!

Great Egrets having been gathering and roosting in Canatara in recent weeks. I finally found some sitting in the sunshine! 2 more Egrets were also resting in this tree.

This Egret landed with a stick in its beak. Several times it dropped the stick in the water and then retrieved it. The action can attract curious fish who may be hoping to find a juicy insect to eat. If they aren't careful, the Egret will make a meal of the fish. As the saying goes, "Eat or be eaten"!

The Lake Huron shoreline was a good spot for a family of American Crows to search for food. They spent time digging between the stones for invertebrates.

Chicken of the Woods is considered to be an edible mushroom. (I will not be tasting it.) It is growing on a dead tree that several years ago was used by a grey Eastern Screech Owl. When allowed to grow, the mushroom will continue to break down the wood fibre, eventually turning the tree into soil. The nutrients in the tree provide excellent growing conditions for more plants to grow...all a part of the circle of life!

The "famous" Owl tree in Canatara (source of many photos) came down in last week's storm. The yellow circle shows where the owl would sit. I found it interesting to look at the space below the hole where the owls would shelter from the weather and predators. Luckily there are a few other cavities in nearby trees for the Owls to use providing they get to them before the squirrels.

In the warmer months, Eastern Screech Owls often roost on branches and can still be well hidden!

Virginia Creeper is one of the first plants to show signs of fall colour. The plant provides shelter for many songbirds and warblers. Insects hiding on the stems provide food for the birds and other animals.

 

 A Very Windy Wednesday!

Birds were difficult to photograph during the storm, but a pair of Sanderlings stood still as the waves receded back into Lake Huron.

Waves crashing onto Canatara Beach.

Wave action on the St. Clair River.

This Common Tern was flying so erratically in the wind, that I missed capturing his whole body.

Strong north winds brought all 3 Jaeger species to Lambton County. These fast flying relatives of gulls breed in the Tundra but can be found on the Great Lakes during migration. Wednesday was my first ever opportunity to see these "Kleptoparasites" who steal food from other birds. Normally they are flying too far out over the lake to see with binoculars. Although still distant, I was surprised to watch them occasionally float down the St. Clair River!

In addition to watching the birds, I was fascinated by the manhole cover on the path between us and the river. Water was pushed up the pipe by wave action causing the cover to "burp". It was rather startling to hear when we first got there. 

We also had some inland damage when a neighbour's tree crashed down onto the back fence. Luckily there was no other damage! Still lots of clean up to do!

Almost Autumn!

I headed over early to Canatara Park yesterday morning, anticipating a nice sunrise and wasn't disappointed! 

During Migration in September, Great Egrets are known to gather in Canatara over night. Since I was in the park before 7:00 a.m., I found a roost before they departed. There are 6 in the picture but you'll have to look carefully to find them all. They are in the open and aren't hiding behind branches.

I returned later in the morning and found pockets of migrating warblers in different areas of the park. Some of the birds even agreed to have their pictures taken! 

Bay-breasted Warber

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

 Hummingbirds, Jewelweed and a Tiny Tree Frog!

Hummingbirds have been enjoying the Cana lilies as they pass through our yard

However, they have had to defend their territory from the bees and hornets.

One of my favourite fall plants is Jewelweed. If you touch a ripe seed pod, the seeds burst from within. It is another form of seed dispersal (like burrs and fluffy parachutes on other plants).

A very ripe seed pod.

Curly cues and 2 of 4 seeds that burst from within the seed pod are sitting on a leaf.

While walking at Perch Creek Habitat Management Area on Saturday, someone noticed a beautiful Grey Tree Frog (green form) on a branch beside the path. They can change colours, somewhat like a chameleon from grey to green to brown depending on their surroundings. It looks like this one was starting to turn grey. I guess we found him before he had a chance to camouflage!

 Some Recent Likes!

Shadow Darner resting beside a Perch Creek trail. Shadow Darners have been an inspiration in Chinese and Japanese Folklore. Dragonflies in general are considered symbols of grace, courage, luck or happiness. 

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aeshna_umbrosa/

Cicada (species) and nearby exoskeleton.

Grasshopper (species) claiming the grape bunch for his very own!

Metallic Bluish-green Cuckoo Wasp. Cuckoo wasps lay their eggs in the nests of other bees. When a Cuckoo Wasp larva hatches, it eats the other bee larvae. It is a parasite to a variety of bee and wasp species. They were introduced to North America. Their main predators are dragonflies and praying mantis'.

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Cuckoo-Wasp

Mute Swan Family at Peers Wetlands.

I adore this cheerful juvenile male Common Yellowthroat who greeted us with a burst of sunshine on a cloudy morning in Canatara Park!

As a species of dragonfly, shadow darners are often connected with their relatives in China and Japan as inspiration in folklore or haiku. Dragonflies, in general, are often considered symbols of grace, courage, luck or happiness, and associated with spirits or gods.

s a species of dragonfly, shadow darners are often connected with their relatives in China and Japan as inspiration in folklore or haiku. Dragonflies, in general, are often considered symbols of grace, courage, luck or happiness, and associated with spirits or gods.

As a species of dragonfly, shadow darners are often connected with their relatives in China and Japan as inspiration in folklore or haiku. Dragonflies, in general, are often considered symbols of grace, courage, luck or happiness, and associated with spirits or gods. In Asia, it is thought that they also carry medical properties
As a species of dragonfly, shadow darners are often connected with their relatives in China and Japan as inspiration in folklore or haiku. Dragonflies, in general, are often considered symbols of grace, courage, luck or happiness, and associated with spirits or gods. In Asia, it is thought that they also carry medical properties

As a species of dragonfly, shadow darners are often connected with their relatives in China and Japan as inspiration in folklore or haiku. Dragonflies, in general, are often considered symbols of grace, courage, luck or happiness, and associated with spirits or gods. In Asia, it is thought that they also carry medical properties

 Yellowlegs at Perch Creek:

Shorebird migration is well underway. 8 Lesser Yellowlegs and 2 Greater Yellowlegs (above) put on quite a show for us at Perch Creek Habitat Management area on Saturday morning.

The Greater Yellowlegs spent time preening....

....while some of the Lesser Yellowlegs weren't getting along at all. The same pair of Lesser Yellowlegs is in each of the above 3 photos.

Fall colours are reflected in the water behind this Greater Yellowlegs.

 Warblers Are on the Move:

Small pockets of warblers are being found locally as they migrate south for the winter. This Yellow-rumped Warbler was feeding on insects at the Point lands beside the St. Clair River. Many of the warblers have been difficult to photograph as they are staying at the tree tops.

A female Northern Cardinal flew out of a bush with a large, juicy caterpillar. She landed beside me on a branch, realized I was there and quickly departed with her prize.

A Carolina Wren family was raised nearby as we regularly hear them from our yard. This one even took a moment to pose for me!

I continue to see butterflies, although their numbers are down. Above is a Clouded Sulphur. I don't usually capture them with their wings open!

Great Spangled Fritillary resting on some New England Aster flowers.

While watching for birds flying overhead in our backyard, we have also been witness to some beautiful cloud formations!