Friday, September 13, 2019

Tuesday Rambles with David - West Perth Wetlands, Mitchell, ON

12 September 2019

     Miriam came back early from her stay at a friend's cottage on Lake Huron, so she joined Judy, Mary and me on a visit to West Perth Wetlands at Mitchell, in Perth County.


     It was a little cool, and frequently overcast, but we had a decent morning of birding, although the conditions for photographs were not great, and the birds in general were not close.
     Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) is usually the most common species at this time of the year, and today was no exception. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) was also present, albeit in much reduced numbers, but Miriam managed to get a couple of shots of the two species side-by-side giving an excellent comparison.



     Furthermore, Greater Yellowlegs was far more cooperative than usual and here are a couple of excellent shots of a single bird.



     The yellowlegs have arrived from their breeding territories in the Arctic, but Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) breeds locally, and there were many of them in the wetland, no doubt now preparing for migration.


     We saw also a couple of diminutive Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus), close enough for great views through the telescope but too distant for decent photographs.


     One of the highlights was a group of four Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) all feeding vigorously.




     There were several flocks of both Least (Calidris minutilla) and Semipalmated Sandpipers (C. pusilla), again frustratingly far from the camera, but here is a shot for the record. Least Sandpiper is the world's smallest sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper is only marginally bigger. You can see how large the Kildeer looks by comparison.


     Butterflies were out in force with Monarchs (Danaus plexxipus) being especially noticeable. 



     Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) was hardly less abundant.



     The photographic record of this outing does not do justice to the fine range of species we saw, and it was a very pleasant morning spent with good friends. It has often been said that the best picture is the one in your mind, and we certainly have many of those to savour for as long as we wish to recall them.
David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

53 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    ..." the best picture is the one in your mind"... perhaps; but I for one am glad Miriam managed to translate a few for us to share!!! YAM xx

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  2. The beautiful world of birds.
    PS The sheep on the mountain are and will remain alive, if not eaten by the bear.

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  3. Amazing captures, I especially love those with the butterfly☺

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  4. Hello, looks like a great outing to me. I am always happy to see a Snipe, not sure why. I just love them. The Plovers are adorable. Great birds and photos. Have a happy day and a great weekend!

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  5. Beautiful...so glad to hear you had a lot of Monarchs.

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  6. Hi David.

    Beautiful the birds and the butterflies.
    Beautiful pictures.

    Greeting from Patricia.

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  7. Ja, det är mycket som skall stämma när man vill fotografera det som rör sig i naturen. Inte alltid får man sina förhoppningar infriade men ibland...så händer det. Superbilder på de vackra fjärilarna!!
    Visst är det trevligt när man lyckas men det är inte allt, en härlig dag i naturen, lite motion, kanske en trevlig paus med lite gott att äta och dricka, omgiven av en vacker natur. Ja, då sover man gott!

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  8. That was one great trip, David! We also the birds you saw at West Perth Wetlands. I was pleased to see them on your photographs. And I was surprised to see butterflies at this time of year, they are so beautiful!

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  9. Una buena salida amigo David. Muchas veces no se consiguen los objetivos previstos pero una agradable mañana acompañado de gente agradable, también merece la pena.
    La imagen de Patas amarillas me encanta, a pesar de ser dos especies distintas parece una sola con su cría. Las fotos de las mariposas son preciosas.
    Un fuerte abrazo querido compadre y amigo David. Os deseo un buen fin de semana.

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  10. Hello David, some loveley birds you did see on this trip and some are so familiar! The butterflies are most wonderful and good to read there were so manny Monarchs around. Are these the butterflies that migrate to South America?
    All the best,
    Roos

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  11. Beautiful birds and butterflies! Enjoyed your photos immensely David, thank you!

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  12. your last statement...i could not agree more!! it is so difficult to have perfect conditions and subjects that cooperate. the photographs of the monarchs are exceptionally beautiful. i have not been seeing them here much but as you know i have seen plenty of others. next year i am going to plant some milkweed and try to encourage their visits!!

    very nice captures of the birds, with such pretty reflections!!

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  13. The solitary 'yellowleg' is a natural "model".
    Nothing really can compare to the beauty of butterflies.
    I like to see birds side by side or in a group. The sight is more interesting to me than that of a single bird, and somehow reminds us of the 'human herd'.

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  14. Your memory banks must be full to overflowing with wonderful, wonderful things. Thank you for sharing some of the wonder. And the joy.

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  15. Always fun to see shorebirds! Really love seeing the butterflies too.

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  16. Hello David,

    The Monarch are so pretty, and I'm very happy to see your photos of them. They are not her in Norway.

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  17. Me alegra que fuese un día feliz. Un abrazo.

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  18. Another lovely and peaceful post, David, thank you.
    Let Miriam know I got a thrill out of the butterfly pics.

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  19. Enjoy following your adventures David, certainly is a nice time of year to be out and about. I like the comparison photos of the yellowlegs. They're always a lot easier for me to figure out when both species are together like that.

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  20. Beautiful photos of birds unknown to us down here. Our Monarchs have been around all winter this year.

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  21. Love the butterflies, I don't see many here. We also have a West Perth (suburb) but no wetlands there, just a residential suburb.

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  22. Hi David - it sounds like a wonderful day ... gorgeous photos from Miriam and thanks for the notes from you. Wonderful butterflies - they're saying this year is going to be good for them here ... Sounds like an excellent day ... with lots more pictures in your minds - cheers Hilary

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  23. Hello David
    Great beautiful birds here! Fortunately, you could see everything through the telescope! The pictures give an impression of the beautiful species! The yellowlegs is beautiful but also the Wilson's Snipe. The butterflies are beautifully photographed by Miriam. Those Monarch Butterfly. Awesome!
    Regards Maria

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  24. It is always a joy to visit your blog David and learn so much.

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  25. How great it the blogging world! While sitting at home, I can tke a fantastic nature trip via your photos! So lovely views from the welnds.

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  26. Hello David, beautiful post and photos. I love the birds and butterflies. It was great capturing both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs together. You certainly know your birds, I always need help. Thank you for sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  27. Nice series of lovely critters! My favourite is the Snipe... so funny aspect!

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  28. Some new varieties of birds here for me. Miriam has done well to capture them and their reflections. I rarely see butterflies in such numbers.

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  29. A lot of beautiful birds there. I am sad because today, during my running workout, I have met many hunters: why do they kill such wonderful creatures?

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  30. "The photographic record of this outing does not do justice to the fine range of species we saw" - are you still in the land of the living, David, or has Miriam dealt you your just deserts? Those photos are, in the main, excellent, and I'm sure that if the birds had been a little more obliging they'd all have been to that excellent standard!

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    Replies
    1. What I meant by that, Richard, is that we were unable to obtain pictures of the almost forty species that we saw that day.

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  31. What a wonderful variety of birds! Those sandpipers must be very small indeed - it was good to see them in comparison to the Killdeer (where did the bird get this name from?). I'm often frustrated, too, when the birds (or any animal for that matter) are frustratingly far away for the camera, but as you said the best pictures are those we keep in our mind.

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  32. It really is hard to get photos of everything we see on an adventure like this. I love your butterflies. I saw a lot this week but still no Monarchs! Happy weekend!

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  33. Beautiful photos of the birds and butterflies. We didn't see many butterflies here this year so it's always a pleasure to see photos of them.

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  34. Hallo David
    sehr schöne Aufnahmen, die Schmetterlinge sind Top
    Gtrüsse Frank

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  35. You know I always love the birds but these butterflies are especially exquisite. What a fabulous day!

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  36. Beautiful nature, the wetlands are unique, love them.

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  37. Upeita kuvia upeassa blogissa - terveisiä Suomesta ! - Ronja -

    https://valokuvausretkeilya.blogspot.com

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  38. Beautiful weather and nature, David. So many birds you have met that morning. I love the photo of Greater Yellowlegs, it is very elegant bird.
    Happy Sunday!

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  39. Wonderful set of excellent photos. Hope all is well Diane

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  40. The sandpipers and yellowlegs are interesting looking!!

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  41. Beautiful wetland, with several waders, which coincidentally I saw two of those species the day before yesterday, the two yellowlegs and also phalaropes, it is seen that some already arrived at their wintering area.

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  42. Que espectaculares fotos David, las aves y mariposas son preciosas, un fuerte abrazo.

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  43. I especially enjoyed seeing the greater and lesser yellow legs together. The killdeer is one of my favorites. The first time I saw some chicks, I exclaimed, "The look like golf balls on legs!" My, they are fast. We have them year round, and they're quite a pleasure.

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  44. I don't know birds. I really enjoy watching them because they are unusual and very beautiful.
    You also took great photos of butterflies.
    Regards:)

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  45. Hello friend David :-)
    Very nice this yellow leg rider. I didn't know this one yet. In the Netherlands you see the green-legged rider and the black rider, but no yellow-legged rider
    Many beautiful butterflies, snipe and the little plover. Wonderful to be able to see all of this and enjoy it.
    Greetings from your early wife from the Netherlands xo

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  46. Wonderful to see the birds and butterflies.

    All the best Jan

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