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.