Back to the Pinery!

Tuesday was calm with mild temperatures, making it a great day for a walk at Pinery Provincial Park. A mirror image of the land was reflected in the Old Ausable River Channel.

Red-eyed Vireo before it grabbed a berry and flew off.

Another Red-eyed vireo kept an eye on us as we walked along a boardwalk.

A White-throated Sparrow hopping in the underbrush is an indicator that fall migration is underway!

An American Woodcock quietly sauntered under the boardwalk, probing in the dirt with its 3 inch long beak looking for worms and insects. It was well hidden on the forest floor. We could tell where it was by the movement of the plants it bumped into, but eventually it walked through a tiny opening between plants.

After our caterpillar success last week, we wanted to check again for other life forms. The "blob" in the above photos is actually a caterpillar!! The "Monkey Slug Moth caterpillar" is the larval stage of the Hag Moth. Although it looks a bit like a hairy tarantula, the hairy appendages are not legs. The legs are on the underside of the body. 

https://www.mothidentification.com/hag.htm

Purple-crested Slug Moth

Red-crossed Button Slug Moth: Moths often get their species names based upon their appearance at the adult stage. However, Slug Moths are named based upon the appearance at the larval stage. There are still several Slug Moths we have yet to find, but those discoveries will not likely be made until next summer.

Plant life along the river edge.

Lily pads at the canoe launch, but no dragonflies could be seen.

A Red Squirrel gathered food for it's winter shelter high in the branches of a White Cedar Tree.

It took a few moments of staring before I realized the legs surrounded by 3 leaves belonged to a Nursery Web spider.

Turtle nest protectors help to reduce predation on the eggs, giving the baby turtles a better chance at survival. Weasels, raccoons, foxes and many other critters think turtle eggs are a delicacy! The nests are monitored to remove the covers at the first signs of hatching.

 So Many Pinery Caterpillars!!!

We headed to Pinery Provincial Park on September 5th with the purpose of photographing caterpillars. Three hours of turning over leaves along one trail uncovered a multitude of caterpillar beauties! It was such a treat to slow down and find these remarkable creatures, including 2 io Moth caterpillars. The bristles on the io moth are stinging spines which release an irritating venom if touched.

We spent almost an hour on a 50 metre stretch of trail because of the abundance of caterpillars. We could still see our car at this point! Many caterpillar species grow throughout the summer and by fall, the caterpillars are mature, larger, and therefore easier to see. The Blinded Sphinx Moth is perfectly camouflaged with the leaves! 

Our target caterpillars were members of the Slug Moth genus, which are some of the most interesting caterpillars shown in the field guides. Although we never found the most bedazzled species, we managed to find 3 other Slug Moth Species! They are less than 1 cm in length and were always found on the under side of leaves. The individuals in the above photos are Crowned Slug Moths. We nicknamed them "Spike 1 and Spike 2"!

 Elegant-tailed Slug Moth

According to iNaturalist, this beauty is a Spotted Apatelodes Moth. It is a member of the Silkworm Moths. Young caterpillars are white, but as they mature, the hairs turn yellow. It will overwinter as a pupa.

https://www.mothidentification.com/spotted-apatelodes.htm

The larva of the Drexel's Datana Moth is often seen in a backwards-bending pose. It is believed this pose looks threatening to potential predators, thus helping to protect it.

https://newsblog.drexel.edu/2013/07/22/drexels-moth-goes-full-circle/

When Orange-tipped Oakworm caterpillars are ready to pupate in late summer/early fall, they crawl to the ground and dig a tunnel a few inches deep. Pupae remain in the ground until the following summer when the emerging adults burrow back to the surface and begin to fly!

https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/files/e2654.pdf

When disturbed, Yellow Necked Caterpillar Moth larvae raise up both ends of their body, holding onto the plant with only their abdominal prolegs...another example of trying to make themselves look big and scary!

https://www.whatsthatbug.com/yellow-necked-caterpillar-all-you-need-to-know/

Isabella Tiger Moth, often known as the Wooly Bear!

Definite Tussock Moth

Fall Webworm Moth

Milkweed Tussock Moth

The American Dagger caterpillar is dark yellow when it hatches from the egg. As it grows, it turns pale green, then eventually white in the last stage before pupating.

https://butterflyhobbyist.com/dagger-moth-caterpillar/

We found 35 Eastern Giant Swallowtail caterpillars, mostly feeding on Prickly Ash! They were at varying stages of growth and will overwinter as a pupa.

4 Giant Swallowtail Caterpillars are in the photo!

Angus' Datana Moth 

Red-lined Panopoda Moth - It was crawling up the wall of a building!

 A Bat in the Water!

From a distance, I thought the Ring-billed Gull was picking up and dropping a catfish into the water. I later realized the gull had found a Bat! The bat was likely migrating across Lake Huron and didn’t have the strength to make it to Canatara Beach. In the photo, it appears to be reaching out to the Gull for help. (Which it did not receive.)

After catching a meal of several tiny fish, this Great Egret found a spot to do some feather maintenance. The Egret's legs blend in well with the dead branches giving the illusion that it has more than 2 legs!

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at rest between short flights to catch flying food.

A pocket of Warblers flitted along the Canatara Trails recently. This Black-throated Green warbler was still sporting mostly spring colours.

Several Magnolia Warblers were also very brightly coloured.

A Red-eyed Vireo ate lots of bugs that were hiding in the trees.

A House Wren was hanging around with the warblers.

The larva of either a Viceroy or Red-spotted Purple Butterfly was busily chewing on a Poplar leaf. The larvae and chrysalis' of the 2 species are so similar that experts won't identify to species from just a photo. I will keep an eye on the chrysalis which I found 2 days later in hopes of discovering which butterfly species will emerge.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird resting on Phragmites, while defending his territory!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird nectaring on Evening Primrose.

Black Swallowtail on Cylindrical Blazing Star.

Great Blue Heron and Great Egret - Keeping an eye on each other.

Great Blue Heron strolling along the water's edge.

Migrating Monarchs have been found in small groups. I have only seen a few Monarchs at a time, but they are definitely roosting in larger numbers if you're in the right spot at the right time!!