Historic Petrolia!

Sept. 21st - A day well spent in Petrolia! Guided walking tours at Petrolia Hillsdale Cemetery featured members of the town's theatre group performing heritage scenes in period costume. Re-enactments of colourful historic citizens taught about the rich Oil heritage, Oil Barons, Beekeepers, as well as the owners of a Nitroglycerine business that blew up, all of whom are buried at Hillsdale.

Henderson Conservation C.A. is adjacent to, and visible from the cemetery. This is a view I don't often see. I spent a couple of hours at the C.A. before heading to the afternoon tour.

One of the first butterflies I encountered was a Common Buckeye, hiding amongst the fallen leaves. It was difficult to locate the butterfly when the wings were closed.

I was pleased to find 4 Common Buckeye, a species that sometimes eludes me. A friend in the Brigden area said that she saw 30 individuals on Thursday!

It is hard to identify white-form Sulphurs to species. It could be either a female Clouded Sulphur or female Orange Sulphur. The legs and wing edges are bright pink.

New England Aster - popular with pollinators, but apparently not at the time I took the photo!

A Cabbage White butterfly later nectared on New England Aster. The beautiful purple, white and blue asters are an important source of food for pollinators in the fall!

Seven-spotted Lady Beetle

Margined Calligrapher

Tufted Globetail - (according to iNaturalist)

Swamp Milkweed Seeds - preparing for next spring.