Waterloo Region Nature Outing to West Perth Wetlands, Mitchell, ON, 17 August, 2024

     As far as I know, this was the first ever WRN outing to this location and there was great enthusiasm for it.

 

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Jim Bowman, Alice Buehrle, David Collins, Mary Collins, Pauline Copleston, Lisa Den Besten, Helen Fowler, Bob Fraser,  Steve Gyorffy, Victoria Ho, Curtiss MacDonald, Kuldip Malhotra, Geoff Moore, Ruthann Moore, Audrey Nicols, Shannon Pennington, Tracey Rainer, Anita Smith, Selwyn Tomkun

Guests: Katie Fowler, Brenda Gyorffy

     The weather forecast had varied from a threat of substantial rain to potential dangerous thunderstorms and five people cancelled, two had health issues, and there were two no-shows.

     As best we could tell, bad weather was predicted for later in the morning/early afternoon so we headed off to Mitchell like the intrepid birders we are.

     We did have one monumental deluge, but we were mostly under shelter. It lasted for about twenty minutes, and after that it was bright and sunny, as pleasant as Miriam's morning smile, for the rest of our stay.

     A few people had elected to drive directly there, some having other business in the vicinity, and they were waiting for us upon arrival - the rest of us carpooled from St. Agatha.

     The little shelter you see was where we all took cover when a celestial can opener unzippered the clouds, and mostly we stayed dry.

     Bob Fraser, that model of civility and old world graciousness, went to his car to retrieve Audrey's raingear. 

     Who knew the old curmudgeon had such couth?

     The birding was actually pretty good and we saw several interesting species, but mostly they were a little ways off, and frequently hidden or partly hidden by reeds and other vegetation. The quality of the photographs reflects this.

     This was a typical view.

     Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) breed at West Perth Wetlands and in mid to late August are recovering their brilliant plumage, having survived the dangers of remigial moult; soon they will resemble the "Beau Brummel among birds," to borrow from Arthur Cleveland Bent's colourful description.

     

     In the picture above are also seen Greater (Tringa melanoleuca) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes).

     Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) was common too.

     Several Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) probing in the mud with their long bills, searched for worms.

     Lesser Yellowlegs and Killdeer associated together.

     There was food for everyone, and Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer and Wilson's Snipe all secured prey, feeding with different techniques thereby all getting their share of the resources of the rich wetland ecosystem.

     A raft of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos), oblivious to the downpour, kept each other company.

     In no time at all the weather began to improve and our spirits were buoyed.

     Anita's sunny yellow jacket reflected our mood, and we set off to walk around the ponds.

     The weather seemed to improve by the minute.

     West Perth Wetland was originally part of a sewage lagoon complex and one pond is still fenced off; perhaps it is still active in some way, or the sediment is toxic. I am not sure.

     We lined up along the fence to peer through at the birds present there.

     Those of us with telescopes were happy to share with others to make sure everyone got a good look at the birds.

     An American Coot (Fulica americana) delighted us all, but it was difficult to get a good picture when focussing through the mesh.

     The Knapweeds (genus Centaurea) were nothing short of spectacular.

     A pair of House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) played hide-and-seek with us, and never did give us a clear shot. The male was coyer than the female.

     Goldenrod (genus Solidago) bloomed prolifically, providing copious volumes of nectar and pollen for pollinators of every ilk.

     Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) struggled to establish a presence amid the tangle of Knapweed and Goldenrod, but succeeded here and there.

     Small Whites (Pieris rapae) flitted gaily from one bloom to the next.

     And Mallards continued to do not much of anything!

     Droneflies are sometimes deceptive and challenge the identification skills of budding entomologists. Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) proves the point.

     How about this Long-nosed Swamp Fly (Eurimyia stipata)?

     Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) is a familiar damselfly, well-known to many.

     We were very happy to see a couple of Least Skippers (Ancyloxypha humitor).

     Two species of land snail in the genus Cepaea abound in Ontario, Brown-lipped (C. nemoralis) and White-lipped (C. hortensis) and I am singularly incapable of differentiating one from the other.

     Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is a true magnet for pollinators, dispensing copious quantities of nectar.

     Here it is being patronized by an Orange-tipped Wood-Digger (Anthophora terminalis), a species that visits a wide variety of plants, but appears to have a preference for those with long corolla tubes.

     As you can see it collects pollen in exchange for the sweet liquid it takes from the flower, often disappearing right into the corolla.

     The wetland was serene and beautiful for insect and human visitor alike.

Photo credit - Brenda Gyorffy

     As is usually the case, Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) was the most common bee, vigorously collecting nectar and dispersing pollen.

Photo credit - Brenda Gyorffy

     This non-native bee was introduced several hundred years ago, with populations originating in many areas throughout the Eastern Hemisphere.

Photo credit - Brenda Gyorffy

     It is now widespread through eastern North America, especially in rural areas.

     A scintillating male Bluet (genus Enallagma) obligingly came to rest directly in front of us.

     A couple of Common Carpet Moths (Epirrhoe alternata) flitted from flower to flower, perhaps only as a reaction to being disturbed by us.

     An Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), upon realizing that it had been spotted, slithered off quickly into the grasses and wildflowers.

     It was the keen eyes of Pauline Copleston that noticed a Green Heron (Butorides virescens) fly onto a perch on the far side of the lagoon.

     A female Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) sailed in to entrance us all.

     There are those naturalists who favour camouflage clothing and it always strikes me they could do no better than bedeck themselves in the garb of a Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens).

     A turtle of unknown identity popped up its head as we were nearing the end of our trek, as though to bid us farewell and commend us for not permitting a less than favorable weather forecast to deter us.

      It had indeed been a fine day.

Photo - Brenda Gyorffy

      Thanks to everyone for coming out to share in the fellowship of like-minded naturalists. We'll do it again soon!