Bridgeport Community Trail/Schaeffer Park, Kitchener, ON

 30 July, 2025

     A Summer Azure (Celestrina neglecta) came to meet us, and we appreciated the gesture very much.

     Not to be outdone a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) posed very nicely.

     He then burst into song to make his welcome even more special.

     Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is undeniably attractive, yet causes great problems for our native species.

     Once established, it spreads rapidly, and is very difficult (and expensive) to eradicate.

     Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a widespread resident, very wary and with good reason.

     It is preyed upon by foxes, coyotes, humans, hawks, owls, weasels, mink - by predators both day and night - and is lucky to make it to six months of age. Fortunately is is very fecund so high numbers are maintained. They can drive a gardener to distraction, but they remain a firm favourite of mine. 

     A Common Angle (Macaria aemulataria) rested quietly in the grass.

     Powdered Dancers (Argia moesta) zipped around at high speed as only odenates can, occasionally landing briefly.

     We were very fortunate to observe the goings-on of a female Ammophila pictipennis as she prepared her burrow.

     As best we could tell she was excavating soil and carrying it quite far from the hole.

      The vertical burrow barely exceeds the length of the wasp, but at the bottom a nearly perpendicular cell is spacious enough to accommodate the wasp and a caterpillar. 

     The preferred host for the egg of the wasp is a cutworm which the wasp paralyzes. Actually cutworm is a bit of a misnomer; they are more correctly described as caterpillars. They are the larvae of night-flying moths.

     Perhaps the burrow is now completed to the satisfaction of the wasp and she is searching for a cutworm to provision the larva of her yet-to-be laid egg.

     It was a remarkable sequence to observe and Miriam deserves much credit for this photographic record, taken from a respectful distance to minimize the possibility of being stung.

     Grape Colaspis (Colaspis brunnea) is a tiny little beetle (around 5mm). 

     Despite its name it is primarily a pest of corn and soybeans, but is not known to cause serious economic damage.

     Here is an Alder Spittlebug (Clastoptera obtusa).

     These slime trails indicate that a slug or snail has been wandering over these leaves.

     We have not seen large numbers of Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) this year, but a few were present close to the river where Milkweed (genus Asclepias) was a suitable host for their eggs.

     A Narrow-waited Wasp (suborder Apocrita) in flight always seems especially threatening.

     A Brown-legged Grass-carrying Wasp (Isodontia auripes) seems benign by comparison.

     It's the time of peak abundance for grasshoppers and Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) was constantly leaping up from beneath our feet.

     A member of Cuckoo Wasps (genus Hedychrum) is a true vision of beauty.

     It's little wonder that jewelry has been fashioned after insects throughout the ages. 

     We didn't see many Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa) in the spring so we were exceptionally pleased to see a couple going about their business.

     How different they look with wings folded.

     This stroll lasted no more than two hours and look at what we saw. There was more too. Sometimes our pictures were inadequate and many times we found it impossible to photograph fast moving or cryptically hidden insects.

     You too can do this. Eyes and ears wide open. A whole world of wonder awaits.