Insects in our Warm November:

The warm November temperatures extended the growing period of some flowering plants. Insects such as this Ailanthus Webworm Moth were able to find nectar on Thistle.

One of the most abundant "bee mimics" to be found recently is the Common Drone Fly. A dozen could be found in some Canatara Park gardens.

Notice the green tube in the middle of the photo: The larvae of Pine Tube Moths feed on White Pine needles. Young larvae spin silk and tie 5-20 needles together to form a tube. The larvae live within this tube. When the tube walls have been mostly eaten, the larvae will abandon their tubes and begin constructing new ones. The species overwinters in the pupal stage within the tube.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/214161-Argyrotaenia-pinatubana

A tiny insect that I have not been able to identify has made a cozy cocoon on a Grey Dogwood twig. It was 1.5 cm in length.

The recent warm weather has not been kind to trees. A Flowering Dogwood thought spring had arrived and I found buds opening on November 15th. Next year's leaves started to grow last summer and require protection inside the buds during the winter. The emerging leaves are no longer safe from the elements and will not survive the winter. 

 A Grand Day at the Bend!

The winds were forecast to be from the North-west, making it a good day to check for Jaegers off the Grand Bend Beach. The Jaegers didn't agree with our thinking and we didn't find any. Jaegers are fast flying relatives of gulls. Outside of the breeding season, they spend their time on open water harassing other birds for food. 

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

Ring-billed Gulls enjoyed playing in the waves. 

Many Bonaparte's Gulls show casing their winter plumage, were in the area. We also were fortunate to find a Little Gull which was a little too distant for my camera. The Little Gull is a coastal bird that can sometimes be found on the Great Lakes during migration.

Despite being lulled by the rocking of the waves, this female Harlequin Duck kept one eye open as she watched us on shore.

Wind art on the sandy beach.

 Eagles Among Us:

Bald Eagles are currently active around three Lambton County nests! I've not typically paid attention to eagle nests in the fall so was surprised by this observation. I wonder if the increase in population has caused Eagles to defend their territory for longer periods? Northern adults begin fall migration when lakes and rivers freeze, usually migrating coastward or to open water. They return to breeding grounds when weather and food permit, usually in January-March.

https://journeynorth.org/tm/eagle/annual/facts_fall.html

Last week, I watched a Bald Eagle snap a stick off the top of a tree and fly with it back to the nest. Perhaps the warm November weather is encouraging them to do repairs on the nests! 

We earned a new "yard bird" when Deryl spotted a Golden Eagle flying high overhead! Golden Eagles are uncommon in our area. Adult Golden Eagles are dark brown with a golden sheen on the back of the head and neck. For their first several years of life, young birds have neatly defined white patches at the base of the tail and in the wings.

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

"Yes, I know. I'm adorable!"

Pearl the Squirrel had better beware, so she doesn't become a meal for a hungry eagle. In the winter when it's harder for Eagles to find fish, she will be able to camouflage with the snow for protection!

 Canatara, Early November:

Despite the warm temperatures this year, a sure sign of autumn is seeing Tundra Swans flying south from their remote Arctic breeding areas. I watched 9 birds fly over Canatara this morning. During migration and in the winter, look for them on large bodies of water and protected coastal waters. You may also see flocks in agricultural fields where they feed on spilled or unharvested grains.

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

The brightly coloured eyespots on this Common Buckeye are an adaptation to scare away predators. https://www.butterflyidentification.com/common-buckeye.htm

The second picture shows the underwing which helps the butterfly to camouflage on the leaf litter. Common Buckeye is not a common species in Ontario, but I found one in Canatara Park on November 8th! They are permanent residents from southern Mexico to the southern United States, migrating northward and sometimes reaching south-western Ontario. There were no records in Ontario of this species in 2021! 

Another late flying butterfly which is also uncommon is the Common Checkered Skipper. Their wingspan when stretched is only a little over one inch. I found 2 in the park on November 6th! 

Praying Mantis egg cases can be found on deciduous plants that have lost their leaves. After spending the winter on the plant stem, approximately 100 miniature praying mantis' will hatch, usually in the first week of June.

Red Oak leaves showing off their fall colours!

 Lots of Things With Wings!

Just like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock's, "The Birds", Deryl found an estimated 20,000 Blackbirds south of Wallaceburg. The majority of the birds were Common Grackles. In winter, Common Grackles forage and roost in large communal flocks with several different species of blackbirds. Sometimes these flocks can number in the millions!

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

As Deryl continues his "Big Green Birding Year", he cycled approximately 120km one day and photographed a Sandhill Crane hunting for food at Kettle Point.

As many as 30 Horned Grebes have been fishing off Canatara Beach in Lake Huron. Sometimes they come surprisingly close to shore where Deryl was able to photograph this one.

A Merlin landed in the tree above me while I was standing on the west end of Canatara Beach. Merlins are falcons and are slightly larger than American Kestrels. Merlins are fierce, energetic predators that patrol shorelines and open areas looking for small birds and sometimes dragonflies.  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/merlin/id

Based upon the amount of whitewash we found on the edge of our backyard waterfall, we think we may have had a Great Horned Owl as an overnight visitor!

Butterflies on a Warm November Day!

A fresh-looking Monarch butterfly stopped for some food in Germain Park today where a few flowering plants and shrubs are still in bloom. This individual is making a late departure for Mexico. It can take up to 2 months for one butterfly to travel 4,000 km from Ontario to the Mexican roosting grounds.

https://www.forestwildlife.org/how-far-can-a-monarch-butterfly-fly-in-a-day/

The two black scent patches visible on the hind wing veins identify this individual as a Male Monarch. 

This may be the first Painted Lady I have seen all year. Painted Ladies inhabit every continent except Australia and Antarctica. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-painted-lady-butterflies-1968172

Fiery Skipper, underwing.

Fiery Skipper upperwing
 

Ailanthus Webworm Moth

In addition to butterflies, I found a couple of moth species in City Gardens this week. 

A Yellow-collared Scape Moth was well hidden in the Butterfly Bush!

 A Walk at A.W. Campbell C.A.

Calm water allowed for some reflection photos!

The distant "croaking" call of a Common Raven averted our eyes to the sky where we watched a pair fly overhead. Ravens have successfully nested in Lambton County for at least the past 2 years!

We toured around the lake reservoir and through the Sugar Bush. I was happy to see a dock at the small pond near the Campbell House. Access to the water had always been difficult because of the drop at the edge of the shoreline.

Camouflaged bark of a Sycamore tree: Many Chickadees and Nuthatches were flying within the branches of this tree.

A "scary" Shagbark Hickory tree watched over us on the trail!

On the day before Hallowe'en, this sign greeted us after entering the C.A.