Home, Home on the Range!

(in Southern Saskatchewan)

My cousin's neighbour raises bison/buffalo. We were able to get close to the ones in the paddock. (That farmer uses the words "bison and buffalo" interchangeably.)

Many buffalo were further out in the grasslands. A few hours after we had left the area, the farmer came looking for us because one of the bison was about to calve and he wanted to show us. That would have been quite the experience to witness!

We thoroughly enjoyed seeing fields of Prairie Grassland that have never been plowed! A few plants were blooming including Common Gaillardia.

Prairie Smoke

Silvery Scurfpea

 Wild Rose (species)

Prairie for as far as the eye could see!

Prairie Wetlands

Many thanks to Bev and Lance for their hospitality!!

 Birds of Southern Saskatchewan:

On the morning of June 13th, we saw 48 species in and around this Prairie Lake!

Yellow-headed Blackbirds were abundant throughout the prairies! When they call, their "squawk" sounds like they are being stepped on.

Franklin's Gull

Green-winged Teal

Marbled Godwit! I have never been so close to this species!

White-faced Ibis - a life bird for me!

As we walked down the road a Willet circled overhead.

Another first was watching Wilson's Phalaropes walk down the road! I usually see them spinning in circles in the water as they hunt for insects.16 were active in the area!

 Butterflies of Southern Saskatchewan!

We are home from a driving tour that started on Vancouver Island with many birding and wildlife stops along the way. Some of my favourite stops were in southern Saskatchewan when I was able to reconnect with cousins I hadn't seen in 30+ years. The weather was warm and sunny and we found several butterflies, including a few "lifers" at one cousin's farm! They have many fields that have never been plowed, showing natural Prairie Grassland!

Melissa Blue, underwing.

Melissa Blue, upper wing

Checkered White

Greenish Blue

Purplish Copper

Milbert's Tortoiseshell: Deryl managed to capture the upper wing while I only managed to get the closed wing version.(below)

 

Milbert's Tortoiseshells can be difficult to find in southern Ontario but there is a healthy population in southern Saskatchewan!

 Peers Wetlands!

I always enjoy walking at Peers Wetland near Wallaceburg. A well-monitored Martin House has attracted several pairs of Purple Martins.

Purple Martins are our largest Swallow. Males are a glossy-blue colour.

The brown-coloured female is holding a piece of nesting material as her mate approaches.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Martin/overview#

Mute Swans have been nesting regularly at Peers Wetland for a few years.

We found 2 families, one with 4 cygnets and the other with only one.

We saw a total of 6 Great Blue Herons, well hidden in the trees.

 Canatara

We are very fortunate to have such a gem of a park within the city of Sarnia. A variety of habitats provide an interesting selection of life to discover on every visit through the trails!

The female Eastern Carpenter Bee bores holes into wood homes, fences and patios to place her eggs while her mate plays the part of bodyguard! They move quickly from flower to flower, pollinating and harvesting from a large area in a short time. They don't seem to mind sharing feeding grounds with other varieties of bees.

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Eastern-Carpenter-Bee

Green Herons hunt at all times of the day and night. They eat mainly small fish and supplement their diet with insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles and even rodents!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/lifehistory

Nessus Sphinx Moth - has 2 thin yellow bands that aids in identification

A young Killdeer ventured away from Mom and Dad, allowing Deryl to snap a photo! They are able to run 24 hours after hatching from their ground nest!

A female Snapping Turtle temporarily chose a pile of Wood Chips in which to dig a nest. We kept an eye on her from a distance. She luckily decided it wasn't a good location and moved elsewhere. It takes 15-20 years for a Snapping Turtle to reach maturity. One female can lay 20-40 eggs per year and can live up to 100 years if she avoids predators and human interference. Unfortunately only 1 or 2 of those eggs will reach maturity.

https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-we-do/resource-centre/featured-species/reptiles-and-amphibians/snapping-turtle.html

 Some Fun Pics!

The extremely rare, Stilt-legged Prairie Warbler!

Northern Azure in the SNOW? "Cotton" snow from the Eastern Cottonwoods was heavy on the trail.

Face Plant in the nectar! Most butterflies stand back a bit and use the long proboscis to slurp up sweet liquid, but this Hobomok Skipper seems to have dove right in!.

A young raccoon clinging to some tree bark.

An even younger raccoon was carried up a tree by Mom. The hind legs and short striped tail are visible as Mom carries the baby in her mouth.

After cooling off in the water, a Blue Jay fluffed his feathers on top of our feeder.

 Blackwell Trail Butterflies + 1 Bird:

A few years ago a friend found some Silvery Blue butterflies flying at Blackwell Trails Park. To the best of my knowledge, this was a first for the area. They are common throughout most of Canada and are starting to expand into SW Ontario. It is a species of glossy blue butterflies that are exclusively found in North America.

https://www.butterflyidentification.com/silvery-blue.htm

At first glance, this butterfly appears to be similar to the above Silvery Blue. However, it has a tiny hair-like tail and a couple of orange spots on each hind wing. I don't often get to see the blue upper wing of the Eastern-tailed Blue. 

Sulphur butterflies are also flying including this Orange Sulphur.

Another treat was finding a Red-headed Woodpecker which appears to be nesting! The endangered Red-headed Woodpecker has been named the official Bird of the City of Sarnia! Bird Friendly Sarnia conducted a poll in which members of the community voted for their favourite bird.