An Assortment of Recent Sightings

Large Milkweed Bug 

     Every year our prolific Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) serves as host for a robust population of Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus), and this year was no exception.

Adults

        Healthy, developing young

     As you may see the seeds are favoured as a principal dietary choice, and the young progress from one instar to the next

     Aposematic colouration warns predators that these bugs are toxic and should be left alone. The same strategy, indeed the same colours, are employed by the Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

Painted Lady

     We were very happy to welcome a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) to the front of the house. It was gracious enough to hang around for a few pictures.

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

     Northern Cardinal is a species that has adapted well to urbanization and is a regular visitor to our yard.

Northern Cardinal ♂

Northern Cardinal ♀

            

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

     A year-round resident, this always endearing little rodent is busy preparing for winter, and may be seen carrying food to its underground den.

     It fills its cheek pouches and scurries off, returning mere minutes later to gather up another load of nutritious seeds.

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

    This beautiful little sparrow has been an infrequent visitor this year, unlike in years past when it was a regular.

     Parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) favour Chipping Sparrows as hosts, and it used to be a regular occurrence that tiny Chipping Sparrows were seen feeding gargantuan cowbird offspring in our yard.

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

     Bright, cheerful, bold, sassy and argumentative, American Goldfinch is a frequent and much appreciated visitor.

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

     On 12 October, the first Dark-eyed Junco of the fall made an appearance in the backyard.

     The weather is still unseasonably mild, but the appearance of juncos is confirmation that fall has arrived.

     A backyard can be a wonderful thing!

Book Review - The Little Book of Fungi - Princeton University Press

 

     I was considerably impressed with the first four books in the "Little Book" series, so I was delighted to receive the latest offering. My pleasure was enhanced when noting Britt Bunyard as the author, having benefitted greatly from his brilliant earlier work, The Lives of Fungi.

     Fungi seem to have been receiving their fair share of attention over the last few years, with continued exploration of their functions, consequences and prescriptive values in human health, as well as a close scrutiny of their role in healthy, functioning ecosystems. Wild mushrooms, of course, have always been cherished for their culinary value.

     Furthermore, the opportunity for citizen science has been expanded greatly, a fact to which Bunyard alludes. In fact, given the dire shortage of trained mycologists and taxonomists, citizen science is destined to fill an ever more comprehensive and important role in mycological research. Nothing fires up a team of volunteer naturalists, impassioned and committed, as the knowledge that they can make a valuable contribution to science, and receive recognition for their efforts.

     Tugce Okay has been retained as illustrator for all eight volumes in this suite of books, and her artwork is a thing of beauty. It is always a joy to turn a page and be overtaken with pleasure at her delicate renderings.

     The book opens by providing a clear understanding of what fungi are, and how they differ from other eukaryotes, and continues on to explore the science of these organisms, their role, function, strategies for survival, symbiosis, and threats in the future. Potential impacts to humans, especially to domestic crops, could be catastrophic. The more we understand fungi the better equipped we will be to channel their unique properties to ensure that they - and we - both survive. 

     The science is presented clearly and succinctly, and even someone with little or no knowledge of fungi  can very quickly become informed. As is always the case, knowledge is everything, and at the end of every page your knowledge will have expanded a little.

      The final third of the book is a little lighter in content, exploring gastronomic options (including how to avoid unintentional suicide), the history of mushrooms in mythology, the psychedelic varieties to ensure vivid dreams, and many other fun facts.

     The book is portable, slipping easily into a purse or pocket, and nestles conveniently into the glove compartment of your car. It is an invaluable resource to have with you when you are out exploring nature, and when your interest is fired up, (as it certainly will be), you are directed to other resources to expand your knowledge. A glossary will remind you of the meaning of the specialized terminology that has momentarily slipped your mind.

     Sadly, scientists today are unable to ignore the dangers of extinction in the Anthropocene. Bunyard states, "Our planet's ecosystems are becoming less diverse, less complex and are falling apart as, one by one, their constituent species are lost." When all is said and done maybe fungi will be the grand survivors of it all.
     I recommend the book highly. Enjoy it! Learn from it! I know you will

The Little Book of Fungi - Princeton University Press

Britt A. Bunyard

Hardback - $15.95 USD - ISBN: 9780691259888

160 pages - 3.75 x 6 inches (9.375 x 15 cm)

140 colour illustrations

Publication date: 22 October, 2024

    

Book Review - The Gull Guide: North America - Princeton University Press

      There are those who view studying gulls as a unique form of self-inflicted punishment, exceeding by a wide margin any torture devised by the Marquis de Sade! And there are those aficionados who embrace the challenge with glee and set about the task with gusto, bravado and enthusiasm.

     This book is intended for the latter group (of which I am a proud member) and the net is cast widely in the hopes of drawing in others. Princeton University Press has published several high quality treatises on gulls over the past few years, and this volume continues that proud tradition. 

     I confess that Amar Ayyash was new to me, but the scholarship in this major work serves as a more than adequate introduction.

     This is a photographic guide and benefits greatly from the ubiquity of digital cameras and the willingness of dedicated birders (and others) to share their images.

     From a wide network of contributors the author is able to obtain high quality photographs of gulls resting and in flight, on the nest, feeding young, in every plumage phase that marks the passage of a gull from the egg to breeding adult. Gulls are notorious hybridizers and pictures are provided of the various intergrades that may be present in a flock, with keys as to what to look for. How satisfying it is to be able to say with confidence, "That's a Glaucous x Great Black-backed hybrid." 

      You might be forgiven for thinking that larid taxonomy is in a state of constant flux, with different authorities arriving at different conclusions as to what constitutes a valid species. The Herring Gull complex is a case in point when, depending who you talk to, you may be dealing with up to three (or four!) species - or was that a nominate form and two or three subspecies? Ayyash attempts to cut through some of this esoteric business, and provides a rationale for what may at first glance seem like madness!

     I chuckled when I read about Thayer's Gull, 'The "winter handbook" on identifying Iceland Gulls is revised every decade or so." Only every decade?

     This is overall a fine book with incredible meticulous coverage. Every species found in North America is examined in great detail and accompanied by superb pictures. Nestled on your shelf it will be the ideal reference to consult when coming home from a day's gull watching, remembering the discussions and controversies, the friendships made, the differences of opinion, and even the field marks observed.

     You too can join the pantheon of the exalted!

Factual error: In the bibliography (impressive by the way) Ornithology in Canada is shown as being from Witherby, ON - a non-existent place as far as I know. It should be Whitby, ON.

The Gull Guide: North America - Princeton University Press

Amar Ayyash

Paperback - $39.95 USD - ISBN: 9780691195896

528 pages - 5.875 x 9.25 inches (14.69 x 12.125 cm)

1,800+ colour photographs, 7 tables

Publishing date: 29 October, 2024

A Day at The Pinery, Lambton Shores, ON

 26 September, 2024

     Having already visited locations on Lakes Ontario and Erie this year, we decided to spend the day at The Pinery, an ancient oak savannah on the shore of Lake Huron.

     We arrived around 10h:00 so the first order of business was to find a space to have a coffee and a muffin.

     This would do perfectly!

     The sheer number of oak trees makes this a very agreeable destination, but I am woefully inadequate at identifying the various species, so through this post they will all be in the genus Quercus, but no more specific than that.

     Having finished our snack we set off to find a trail.

Cedar Trail

     Despite being the Cedar Trail there was an abundance of oaks.

     White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginanus) are noted for their voracious, indiscriminate eating habits and these deer exclosures were interesting.

     In most areas deer are not subject to any form of natural predation and experience explosive growth, often quickly eliminating their food sources, and in the process damaging fragile ecosystems. The idea of a cull is anathema to most naturalists, but faced with winter starvation, it is sometimes a necessary solution to a vexing problem.

     This is a splendid example of lichen, probably a form of Typical Shield Lichen (subfamily Parmelioideae), but I am getting way beyond myself when I attempt identification of these fascinating organisms.

     Here is a beautiful example of a Sow Thistle (genus Sonchus), thrusting up from the forest floor.

     This fearsome insect is a type of Spider Wasp, family (Pompilidae).

     You probably don't want to get on its bad side!

     There must have been a recent emergence of the larvae of the Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae) for their caterpillars were "everywhere."

     Here is a species of Common Flower Fly (genus Syrphus).

     There were several groups of birds, some migratory, some resident, but pictures were not easy to come by. Here is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula).

     Strangely, a wetland hosted not a single duck, not a grebe, not a gull, not a goose.

     Asters (genus Symphyotrichum) are always lovely - a great mood enhancer in my world.

     Here is a fine example of the fungus known as Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus).

     Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were common and very vocal, both residents and migrants.

     Many White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) were moving through the area.

     And a few White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) too.

     And what would a woodland walk be without an Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) or two?

     It was time for lunch and it didn't take us long to find a suitable spot.

     In fact, we had the whole picnic shelter to ourselves.

     The exciting discovery at this location was a Metric Paper Wasp (Polistes metricus), a species that has only recently occurred in Southwestern Ontario.

     Initially, it landed inside Miriam's lunchbox, but she managed to coax it outside. Here you see it sitting atop a Babybel cheese.

     A trail led from the picnic area down to the lake, with a highly descriptive name as you see!

     

     There were many birds here, mainly Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) - 

     - and Myrtle Warbler (Setophaga coronata).

     A narrow trail was bounded by snow fencing on either side, a device to help hold the dunes in place and to deter people from climbing onto sensitive areas, I assume.

     The views of Lake Huron were impressive.

     As you might imagine, Miriam occupied herself by taking pictures.

     The stones formed a sort of natural mosaic and were extremely pleasing to the eye.

     Dune grass serves to anchor the sparse soil and prevent erosion.

     White Poplar (Populus alba) is able to eke out a living in this harsh environment.

     A Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) foraged successfully on goldenrod (genus Solidago).

     This Celery Leaftier Moth (Udea rubigalis) stubbornly refused to perch any way other than upside down!

Nipissing Trail

     Never having done this trail before we were keen to discover its treasures.

     So we set off.

     Here is an excellent example of the process of decay and renewal so vital to the health of a forest ecosystem.

     Another Celery Leaftier Moth proved that late September is the time to see them!

     The berries of a Greenbrier (genus Smilax) looked especially ripe and appealing.

     Once again we observed the regeneration of a forest taking place before our eyes.

     I don't think I have ever seen two tussock moth caterpillars so close together.

Riverside Trail

     Mushrooms are fascinating organisms, but an identification challenge for the non-expert. I am able to narrow this species down to the genus Stereum.

     Here I am a little more successful with a more colourful and distinctive species, Stereum lobatum.

     Running Strawberry Bush (Euonymus obovatus) will soon be withered and limp on the forest floor, gathering strength for spring.

     

     Another fungus in the genus Stereum.

     Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) was still blooming prolifically.

     The meandering trail ultimately brought us to the the Ausable River.

     It is always such a pleasure to see rivers in their natural state, unchanneled and meandering as they should. There is a rare beauty about them, and a sense of tranquility too.

     Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemis picta marginata) basked in the warm rays of late September sun.

     Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) were emblematic of the scene laid out before us.

     Several Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) were seen overhead, probably migrating.

      Recreational boaters and kayakers made their way along the river, quietly observing the wildlife no doubt.

     A Pure Green Sweat Bee (Augochlora pura) is always a delight to see.

     I think someone may have declared Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) Day for we saw many of them.

     Autumn Meadowhawks (Sympetrum vicinum) were abundant.

     Nodding Beggartick Bidens cernua) is a welcome addition to moist areas.

     It's getting late in the season for Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) to still be here, but this individual patrolled the river for a while and then perched on a branch overhanging the water.

     These Midland Painted Turtles lined up in formation.

     Pretty soon they will be entering brumation (sort of like hibernation) until next spring, so doubtless they are enjoying these last warm days.

     Brown Stink Bugs (Euschistus servus) will try to get into your house to overwinter - but it's better to keep them out!

     I believe these creatures are Oleander Aphids (Aphis nerii).

     They seem to be north of their normal range, but I can't figure out what else they might be.

Exeter, ON

     The claim to fame for this small Ontario town is a population of Eastern Grey Squirrels possessing an inherited condition that causes their fur to be white.

     We had never seen this rarity before and were very pleased when we found one almost right away. It was quite cooperative too, keeping its distance, but showing no sign of fleeing.

      It really seemed to us that we had hit the jackpot when it was joined by the "normal" black and grey morphs.

     It was a brilliant curtain-closer on a day with nature.