Columbia Lake and Mike Schout Wetlands Preserve

 01 October, 2023

Columbia Lake, Waterloo, ON

     

     My daughter, Caroline, and son-in-law, Andrew, were visiting from Ottawa and we decided to make Columbia Lake our morning destination. 

     A wonderful stand of Pannicled Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum) was there to welcome us.

     A Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens), as all frogs are wont to do, did its best to conceal itself so as not attract attention from would-be predators, unable to know that this group of human admirers simply rejoiced in its company.

     The vegetation is very dense at this time of the year, but we bushwhacked on through, stalwart adventurers that we are!

     This snag was the favourite perch of Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) and American Robins (Turdus migratorius).

     The flickers are certainly preparing to move south, but so many robins spend the winter with us in recent years, who knows whether these birds will leave or choose to stay?

     Northern Flicker in our part of the world is the yellow-shafted variant, clearly visible in the picture below.

     Nothing causes the maple leaf imprinted on my Canadian heart to flutter so resolutely as a flock of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), and to watch them come in to land is a spectacle as fine as any you ever saw, and there is never a charge for admission.

     Edna Vincent Millay said, "I looked in my heart while the wild swans went over." I will take the liberty of changing swans to geese, (although the Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus), spring and fall, initiate the same reaction), and she has captured my contentment perfectly.

     Asian Lady Beetles (Harmonia axyridis) seem to have become ever more abundant.

     Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) is always a delightful discovery.

     This nest of Aerial Yellowjackets (genus Dolichovespula), a eusocial species, would have been aggressively defended when the combs were full of helpless eggs, larvae and pupae. Now it stands empty, a silent reminder of what has been and what will be again.

     What would a family get-together be without a picture or two?

     Several Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) were seen, always exhibiting the patience required to secure a meal.

     On this occasion they were joined by their close relative, the Great Egret (Ardea alba).

     I am still taken aback when I reflect on the past, when all too familiar human profligacy and detestable greed, drove this species to the brink of extinction to satisfy the demands of the millinery trade for egret feathers.

     I swear I felt my heart flutter as another flock of Canada Geese joined us.

     Diminutive Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) perhaps appeared in honour of my daughter!

     I have little knowledge of grasshoppers, but that does nothing to dilute my enthusiasm for them, and I relish the challenge in trying to identify them. I am pretty sure that the following individual is a species of Short-horned Grasshopper (family Acrididae).

     A Red-legged Grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) is a little more familiar.

     The colours of fall are really starting to dominate the landscape.

    Having favourite flowers is a bit of a mug's game, since it is bound to constantly change, and often the most cherished is the one I am admiring at the moment. New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) would be high on my list, however.

     Canada Geese and a Great Egret make a handsome pairing when seen together.

     Mallards (Anas platyrynchos), no matter how familiar, never lose their charm.

     Here they are with their smaller cousins, Green-winged Teal.

     It seems that we weren't the only ones enjoying a family get-together this weekend.

Mike Schout Wetlands Preserve, New Hamburg, ON

     After lunch we decided out to head to the Mike Schout Wetland, a location new to Andrew and Caroline.

     You may not wish to develop an intimate association with a Dark Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus), but it's hard to deny that it's a very handsome insect.

     For your viewing pleasure, I present a Common Flesh Fly (genus Sarcophaga).

     This is a widespread genus where adults are homogeneous in their morphology and often not recognizable at the species level by visual inspection alone. 

     A Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) was quite predictable.

     Perennial Sow Thistle (Sonchus arvensis) is right at the end of its season, but will continue to provide rich seeds for granivorous birds.

     The day was unseasonably hot, but the approach of fall inexorably advances along the Nith River.

     A couple of captivating and highly energized young children were anxious to tell us what they had seen, and couldn't resist a glimpse through Caroline's binoculars.

     I wonder if they saw this Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum) looking very splendid in the bright sunlight?

     Hairy White Oldfield Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum) was dotted here and there.

     There were many Western Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) still industriously gathering nectar and the last of of the pollen still being produced.

     A Common Cluster Fly (Pollenia rudis) rounded out our sightings for the day.

     It was great to share it all with Caroline and Andrew.