Laurel Creek Conservation Area, Waterloo, ON

14 July, 2024 

     We still had our pass from the library and Laurel Creek is mere minutes from our house, so we took good advantage of it.

     A Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) had perhaps been designated the official greeter of the day.

     This bird is an accomplished mimic and can fool you in the manner of a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos).

     It is a firm favourite with us.

     Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) is at peak abundance in July, and we saw many of them.

     A Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) is about as delightful a flower as you might imagine.

     A Common Longhorn Bee (Melissodes communis) appeared to be in complete agreement.

     It is a safe bet that no butterfly in the world has been written about as often and in such detail (I have a book devoted it to it alone) as the Monarch (Danaus plexippus). It has come to represent beauty, endurance and perseverance, and acts as a stark reminder that human greed and environmental irresponsibility still has the capacity to eliminate species.

     A Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) is a captivating little creature, and exhibits colour variation in shades of brown and green. 

     This White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum) posed wonderfully for us.

     The Hedgehog Gall Wasp (Acrapsis erinacei) is a very interesting organism.

      Hedgehog gall wasps are dependent upon their host tree for survival so cause, at most, minor damage. The hedgehog gall wasp has two different types of life cycles. One is the sexual generation, that will form galls on the leaf buds after mating, and the other is the asexual generation that includes only female wasps. These wasps form the “hedgehog” galls on the tree leaves.

     This Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) seemed a little stressed.

     Bluets (genus Enallagma) are abundant, but are exceptionally difficult to identify as to species without close examination in the hand and sometimes under a microscope.

     This striking male is probably Familiar Bluet (E. civile), but I can't be sure.

      Common Red Soldier Beetles (Rhagonycha fulva) were doing what Red Soldier Beetles do best - over and over!

     The following organism is exceptionally interesting, or at least I find it so.

     It is found in the family Mordellidae, sometimes known as Tumbling Flower Beetles for the typical irregular movements they make when escaping predators. They are also referred to as Pintail Beetles due to their abdominal tip which aids them in performing their tumbling movements.

     Timothy Grass (Phleum pratense) is probably hardly noticed by most people but it is a real beauty.

     It would not be out of place as an accent piece in a vase of cut flowers adorning a dining room table.

     We were very lucky to happen upon a Marsh Meadow Grasshopper (Pseudochorthippus curtipennis), a species I seldom see.

     Northern Leopard Frog provided ample evidence of a successful breeding season - perhaps predator avoidance too.

     And vivid evidence of the colour variation present in this species, even in the very young.

17 July, 2024

     We decided to go over for an hour or so after dinner and what a productive visit it turned out to be.

     One tree seemed to be the centre of avian activity for the evening and a family of Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) seemed to be vying with an Eastern Bluebird (Sialis sialia) for perching rights.

     As best we could recall we have not previously seen Eastern Bluebird at Laurel Creek, and since it is a great favourite of ours, it was really delightful.

     Once the bluebird vacated his spot a Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) came in to join the party.

     Margined Calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus) is getting to be as common as a robin!

     Scirtes is a genus of tiny Marsh Beetles - and I don't know much more about them than that!

     A Two-spotted Bumblebee (Bombus maculatus) is dipping deeply into the flower from which it is seeking nectar.

     A Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver (Tetragnatha laboriosa) is an impressive spider.

     I don't know whether anyone watches Antiques Road Show, but there is a fellow who appraises the posters who dresses in the most outlandish way possible, and I think a suit in the colours of False Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus turcicus) would do him proud.

     Blue-winged Olives (genus Baetis) are a group of mayflies highly regarded by fishermen - and doubtless fisherwomen too - and they create artificial lures to mimic them, with great competition for the finest replication of the living species.

     A couple of Marsh Snipe Flies (Rhagio tringarius) were so consumed with mating they hardly paid us any heed. Conscientious voyeurs that we are we showed no hesitation to take a picture.

     A Spring Dead-leaf Roller Moth (Cenopis diluticostana) was a little more circumspect.

     False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) was blooming throughout the park and was very pleasing to the eye.

     In the following picture you will see a Lobed Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus cupra) at the top and a White-spotted Sable (Anania funebris) at the bottom.

     An Arion Slug is not favourably viewed by many  - nor is any slug for that matter!

     A Pale Phalaenostola Moth (Phalaenostola metonalis) is quite charming to my eye.

     The larvae of Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) were both ubiquitous and ravenous.

     A Common Carpet Moth (Epirrhoe alternata) is indeed quite common.

     In the eternal and unrelenting struggle for survival this vine is taking a firm hold.

     Just as we were leaving a Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) put in an appearance.

     It had been a very enjoyable evening and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

     We'll be back, coffee in hand, to do it all again.