North Shore of Lake Ontario

 A definition of natural history - "A practice of attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy."

                                                                    Thomas Lowe Fleischner 

13 July, 2024

     It had been a while since we had birded with Lisa, and Selwyn and Victoria, and I had promised Shannon to let her know about some birding days, so we all got together and headed for various points along the north shore of Lake Ontario. We were joined there by Shannon's daughter, Abbey, and her boyfriend, Preston.

     It was a perfect day to be down near the water, although by mid afternoon it was getting decidedly hot.

Humber Bay Park East, Toronto, ON

     Many people were out enjoying the start of the weekend, and birding - as might be expected in mid July - was a little slow.

     It didn't take us long, however, to locate a Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius), quite oblivious to the throngs strolling along the waterfront, and even the close proximity of an outdoor yoga class.

     A Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) at times seemed to be masquerading as a Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis).

     We don't focus so much on insects when we have others with us, but we couldn't resist taking a picture of this Brown-belted Bumble Bee (Bombus grisecollis).

     For many years Red-necked Grebes (Podiceps grisegenga) have bred at this location, and 2024 was no exception.

     A male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) surveyed his domain.

Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto, ON

     Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagitttaria latifolia) is a characteristic and visually appealing plant of wetlands throughout much of Ontario.

     The leaf structure is attractive enough by itself, and the flowers of this plant only add to its appeal.

     An immature male Red-winged Blackbird has survived the first rigours of independence and is making his way in life.

     Nearctic Blue Mud-dauber Wasp (Chalybion californicum) is a handsome insect with an interesting life style.

     From Wasps, Eric R. Eaton (2021) - "Wasps in the genus Chalybion notice the webs of their spider host while flying. They then land on the web and deftly pluck the snare to mimic a struggling insect. This draws the spider to its doom."

     You will note from the following picture that Preston is head and shoulders taller than the rest of us, and that proved to be a very useful attribute.

     Red-winged Blackbirds are renowned for their aggression in defence of their nest, and they zoomed in on the highest point - Preston's head. We may have to insist that he accompany us on all our outings during breeding season! At present he is not a dedicated birding fanatic and we have to work on that. As Abbey succinctly phrased it, "He doesn't especially like birds, but he likes me so he comes along." Long may that continue!

     A good-natured person had liberally strewn birdseed on a rock and a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) wasted no time in lining up at the buffet.

     Quickly, it was joined by House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Red-winged Blackbirds.

     And a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) came to claim a share, without chivvying and bullying others, contrary to popular belief.

     Several turtles were hauled out on rocks and there was lively conjecture as to their species.

     The following picture shows Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans).

     And here are Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemis picta marginata).

     There was some discussion as to whether Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) had also joined the basking beauties, and I was leaning towards that conclusion at the time, yet none of Miriam's pictures show this species.

     A family of American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva) provided great entertainment for us; it was of course heartwarming to see such success.

     It was Claude Monet who elevated water lilies to mythical status, but he is certainly not alone in appreciating their enduring beauty. They are an avatar of calm in troubling times.

     A Spotted Sandpiper pleased us greatly with a sprightly promenade along the mud.

     Who can fail to be uplifted by a Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)?

     Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) is always beautiful, but exceptionally so on a hot summer's day.

     This oak (genus Quercus) was exceptionally pale and it was Lisa who identified it as suffering from a condition known as chlorosis.

     This was new information for me and I appreciated Lisa highlighting it for us.

      "A common cause of chlorosis is a deficiency of iron or manganese, both of which are present but unavailable in high pH soils (pH>7.2). Iron and manganese are needed by plants to form chlorophyll and to complete photosynthesis.  Stressors, such as temperature extremes, drought, poor drainage (which limits soil aeration) or restricted root growth, further limit nutrient uptake in plants sensitive to chlorosis." (The Morton Arboretum).

     One has to wonder whether the temperature extremes to which trees are now subjected will increase the incidence of this condition.

     A female Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) is the very model of stability.

     Margined Calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus) has been frequently featured on my blog giving you an idea of just how common it is, but I would wager that few see it.

     Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritus) seemed to favour the small harbour where many man-made perches were available.

     If one bird dominated our day it was Red-necked Grebe.

     Once again we encountered several breeding pairs.

     Cormorants and Mallards shared the water together in harmony.

     Maybe it was just too hot to squabble!

Douglas Kennedy Headland, Mississauga, ON

     The first order of business was to have lunch and we found a sapling providing enough shade for us all to sit on the grass and enjoy our picnic. 

     The playground was full of joyful children, the splashpads resounded with squeals of delight, and Greenbottle Flies (genus Lucilia) glistened in the sun.

     Guelder-Rose (Viburnum opulus) displayed the results of a fruitful season.

     Dogbanes (genus Apocynum) were prolific.....

     ..... and Alders (genus Alnus) looked terrific.

A. E. Crookes Park, Mississauga, ON

     Mere minutes from Douglas Kennedy Headland, the park was a hive of activity, with people enjoying the beach and the water, with hardly a parking space available. With all the hubbub it was hardly surprising that birds were few, other than for a few aerial gulls.

     A friendly White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) did, however, come to see us.

Bronte Harbour, Oakville, ON

     By the time we reached Bronte Harbour the mid afternoon heat was becoming quite oppressive, and the terns we had hoped to see lined up along the breakwater had been displaced by strolling humans and their dogs.

     It was fitting that we did see several Red-necked Grebes, the bird of the day without a doubt, and this time we had clear evidence of breeding success.

     It had been a great day with wonderful friends and a slow drive home did nothing to diminish the pleasure.

     We'll do it again soon.

Book Review - The Heart of the Wild: Essays on Nature, Conservation and the Human Future - Princeton University Press

 

     The allied themes of wildness and wilderness have long been debated, analyzed and discussed, but they take on new meaning in the Anthropocene where nature is often no longer "natural."  This book brings together a distinguished group of scientists, philosophers and writers to examine the status of wildness today and its path forward in a world where human expansion threatens ever more of it; where unrestricted nature is diminished and anthropogenic modification becomes daily more pervasive. Nature now exists on our terms. How we treat it, how we conserve it, how we maintain "the heart of the wild" will depend on our evolving attitudes and values.

     We cannot count on the vicissitudes of politics where one ideology overturns another in a regular game of musical chairs. To establish universally cherished, respected and upheld standards, however, is a daunting task.

     E. O. Wilson's advocacy for half the Earth allocated  to wilderness represents the ultimate solution for many, yet it is an ephemeral dream for most. Our political "leaders" belie the very term and visionaries are in short supply. Human population continues to expand on a trajectory to plateau at somewhere around eleven billion by mid century.

     Faced with this calamitous prospect and the demands upon remaining resources that it will engender, it is hard to be optimistic about our future. Yet optimism is the only acceptable option according to some of our authors.

     It may be that the bar will have to be set lower than we might like, perhaps even a moving bar that descends lower with each passing year. Small packages of modified wilderness may be all that most people will experience, but maybe that is better than nothing, and that will have to do.

     Surely, however, we cannot permit ourselves the luxury of surrender, succumbing to an attitude of defeatism that admits that the die has been cast and cemented in place. We have the right (and the responsibility) to envisage a reconciliation with nature, a return to what we had and what might be again - not absolutely let it be said, but close to it. I cannot bring myself to accept that the status quo - poisoned air, water and soil, and mass extinction of species - represents inevitability.

     The varying opinions, acceptances, justifications and prescriptions of the thinkers who have contributed to this book provide a stimulus for all of us to do what we can in our own short lives. We owe to the future and to those who will come after us, human and otherwise, no less.

Factual error: In Peter Raven's essay, it states on page 60, "Neanderthals and Denisovians, exclusively North American in distribution......" Clearly this is editorial ineptitude. One cannot image Dr. Raven making this statement.

The Heart of the Wild: Essays on Nature, Conservation, and the Human Future

Princeton University Press

Edited by Ben A. Minteer and Jonathan B. Losos

Hardcover - US$26.95 

ISBN: 9780691228624

280 pages - 6.125 x 9.25 inches (15.31 x 23.125 cm)

26 black-and-white illustrations

Publishing date: 12 August, 2024

Contributions by 
• Bill Adams, 
• Joel Berger, 
• Susan Clayton, 
• Eileen Crist, 
• Martha L. Crump, 
• Thomas Lowe Fleischner, 
• Harry W. Greene, 
• Hal Herzog, 
• Emma Marris, 
• Kathleen Dean Moore, 
• Gary Paul Nabhan, 
• Peter H. Raven, 
• Christopher J. Schell, 
• Richard Shine and
 
• Kyle Whyte

Laurel Creek Conservation Area, Waterloo, ON

12 July, 2024 

     It had been a while since we had visited Laurel Creek C.A. so when the local library made passes available for a five-day loan, we took advantage of the offer to make a return visit.

     The area has campsites, picnic areas and a beach, so it is often quite crowded, but it's possible to find quiet spots too.

     

     A species of Metallic Sweat Bee (genus  Lasioglossum) was among the first insects we saw.

     It seemed willing to share the richness of Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) with ubiquitous Common Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva).

     How ubiquitous you might ask? Judge for yourself.

     Those of you with sharp eyes will note that a Swift Feather-legged Fly (Trichopoda pennipes) has also joined the picnic. This is an extraordinary species.

     A huge range of insects is present; one only has to look. How lovely is this Obscure Plant Bug (Plagiognathus obscurus)?

     It looks like it could be used as the basis of a heraldic shield or coat of arms.

     A Slender Lizard Beetle (Acropteroxys gracilis) is impressive.

     Many insects have not been assigned common names. Such is the case with Condostylus palibulatus.

     There was a time when beetle brooches were very popular - it would have been a skilled craftsman to reproduce this beauty.

     Modellistena is a unique genus of Coleoptera displaying "odd" characteristics.

     I could mention that the larvae have characteristic tergal processes and paired urogomphi - but you don't want to know that, so we'll skip it!

     I think this is a Speckled Renia Moth (Renia adspergillus) but if someone would like to confirm that would be great.

     Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a rich source of nectar, and a native plant well known to a range of pollinators.

     Here is a Brown-belted Bumblebee (Bombus griseocollis) proving my point.

     A Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris) is a delight.

     Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is both familiar and beautiful, and dots the landscape with pleasing regularity.

     This tiny Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemis picta marginata) was probably not more than a few days old (five of them could have fit on my hand) and was basking in the sun.

     There were scores of baby Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) too, hopping everywhere, entering the water and returning to land just as quickly.

     Some even sought the company of the turtle.

     If we were quiet and refrained from sudden movement they were all around us.

     A Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) sailed in on the breeze and perched conveniently.

     A Common Green Darner (Ajax junius) had somehow become trapped in the water and was struggling to escape, but appeared to be weakening and unable to extricate itself.

     A Double-banded Grass-Veneer (Crambus agitatellus) can be hard to spot, even when you have seen it fly in.

    It is only about 14mm long and is as skinny as an anorexic fashion model.

    Bluets (genus Enallagma) are easy to identify as to family, even to genus, but knowing the species is a whole other story.

    They are very delicate and beautiful.

     Miriam Darlington describes them evocatively as "fire-blue tubes on glassy wings."

     Willow Pinecone Gall Midge (Rabdophaga strobiloides) can be seen all around and it is quite beautiful.

     A Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is aptly named; it is indeed regal.

     A family of Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) with newly independent juveniles was occupied catching juicy, nutritious insects.

     Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicarial) is striking, and few would deny its appeal, but it is no friend to native ecosystems.

     We left to return home for lunch, vowing to return soon.

     It had been a very pleasant visit.