Autumn in Central Lambton County!

Beautiful Fall colours at Henderson Conservation Area!

I was staring at the large number of pine cones on this White Pine Tree when a Red-breasted Nuthatch made an appearance. Nuthatches can use their strong beaks to break open the cone scales and remove the seeds from within.

Bald-faced Hornet nest: Each year a new nest is created. The insects scrape pieces of wood from trees and mulch it into a type of paper with their own saliva. They build several layers of brood chambers surrounded by a protective outer layer. The entrance/exit hole is in the bottom right corner.

https://peskylittlecritters.com/how-bald-faced-hornets-build-nests-explained/

A late flying Spicebush Swallowtail.

Black-tipped Darners are large, strong flying dragonflies found throughout southern Canada. They are late season flyers and the preferred habitats are lakes and ponds in forested areas.

https://wiatri.net/inventory/odonata/SpeciesAccounts/SpeciesDetail.cfm?TaxaID=7

Yellow-rumped Warbler taking a break during migration.

Belted Kingfishers feed almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with their long, heavy bill. 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/overview

Greater Yellowlegs are sometimes called Telltale, Tattler, and Yelper, all of which refer to their harsh sounding alarm calls. They can be found in mudflats and shallow marshes during spring and fall migration.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Yellowlegs/overview

Our second stop was at the Marthaville Habitat Management Area where we found several Autumn Meadowhawks in mating wheels.

Great Plains Ladies' Tresses

 Northern Leopard Frogs

Work began in 2024 at the Marthaville Habitat Management Area to remove  Phragmites australis. It is an aggressive plant (originating from Eurasia) that spreads quickly and outcompetes most native species, resulting in a complete takeover of the habitat. This photo was taken on September 26, 2025. The removal project is continuing in 2025.

https://www.scrca.on.ca/property-closure-at-marthaville-habitat-management-area/#:~:text=The%20Marthaville%20Habitat%20Management%20Area%20will%20continue%20to,on%20a%20water%20control%20structure%20at%20that%20time.

Insects are incredibly talented when it comes to making their own shelters! The two leaves in the picture appear to have been stitched together with white thread to form a type of "tent" for the occupant.

 A Few Feathered Friends!

Pockets of migrating warblers can be found if you're in the right place at the right time! A Black-throated Green Warbler was eyeing up his next snack as it walked along the twig.

Gray Catbirds live in dense shrubs, vine tangles and thickets of young trees both in the summer and on their wintering grounds. One of their calls is a mewing sound, similar to a house cat.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Catbird/lifehistory#behavior

Common Yellowthroat female

White-throated Sparrow

A White-throated Sparrow concentrated on grabbing seeds from a flower. He had to pluck the seed off of each fluffy parachute before consuming it.

Video: White-throated Sparrow grabbing seeds.

Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that fly through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. When this individual made an appearance, all other bird activity ceased.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/overview

A Great Blue Heron and Great Egret "marched" past each other as they exchanged fishing locations.  Egrets are members of the Heron family and the two species compete for the same types of food. Fish are the mainstay of their diets followed by crayfish and other freshwater crustaceans but they will also eat small mammals, frogs and other amphibians.

https://birdfact.com/articles/what-do-egrets-ea

Great Blue Heron with landing gear deployed.

The Great Blue Heron appears to be conducting an orchestra as it recovers from the watery landing. 

Canada Goose Beach Patrol!

Downy Woodpecker looking for insects!

The Downy Woodpecker was able to fit half its body into the tree cavity!

I unknowingly disturbed a hunt while walking down a trail. The Cooper's Hawk was close to zeroing in on some prey, possibly a chipmunk, when it popped up from the understory and stood on the side of the tree trunk. It continued to look towards the forest floor but the prey managed to escape. The Cooper's Hawk nest in Canatara Park this summer successfully reared 4 youngsters, so there are a few hawks using the park as their "grocery store."

And sometimes, something is just "out of place." Someone with good climbing skills placed this wooden bird high in a tree above a lookout tower at Henderson Conservation Area.