Recent Sightings in Benjamin Park, Waterloo, ON

 

     This park is a mere five minutes away from our house, so we go there often. 

     What follows is a random selection of a few highlights of the past couple of weeks, not ranked in order of importance.

     Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is probably the bird we see more than any other at this location.

     Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) has also been extremely common this year. There seems to be a cohort of unattached males, a dozen or so birds, and they are heard constantly.

     They take advantage of the fully leafed-out trees for concealment and are difficult to photograph.

     An Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) is capable of driving a gardener off the deep end, but on the trail, harming no one and trying to stay one step ahead of the numerous predators who would make a meal of it, it is charming.

     American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), a late breeder, takes full advantage of the bounty of seeds in late summer.

     A Red-banded Leafhopper (Graphocephela coccinea) is a very attractive little insect.

     Locust Borer (Megacyilene robiniae) is a significant pest of Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacia) trees.

     Ironically, I know of no Black Locusts in the area, but this species is known to favour the pollen of goldenrods (genus Solidago) as a food source, which is where I located it.

          Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is very common and finds protein to feed its growing young.

     Soon, as the weather becomes cooler, they will revert to their habit of soliciting food from their human friends.

     An Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) is a charming little bird, subdued in colour, but no less beautiful.

     This bird, one of three I saw, is undertaking southbound migration to its winter quarters in northwestern South America.

     Surely, one of the delights of late summer/early fall in southern Ontario, is New England Aster (Symphytrichum novae-angliae).

     Asters and goldenrods are often found together.

     Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) is an impressive insect.

     It is sometimes referred to as Imposter Wasp because it mimics many other species.

     Mexican Grass-carrying Wasp (Isodontia mexicana) is a large wasp with a menacing appearance.

     It derives its name from its practice of carrying long pieces of grass to partition and close its nests.

     I know that you are all in love with wasps so here is one more to make your day complete!

     Common Aerial Yellowjacket (Dolichovespula arenaria) has outnumbered all other wasp species by a good margin over the last little while.

     It is an important pollinator species.

     I hasten to point out that I have never been stung while photographing bees or wasps. They seem to be totally indifferent to my presence.

     As best as I recall, I have only been stung twice by a wasp, both times while eating outside where sugars in food or drink may have lured them in. I bore them no ill will!

     Let me finish with a couple of much-loved birds for those of you who are getting over the wasp heebie-jeebies!

     Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is much loved by everyone. I doubt whether I could get a single word of demurral on that score.

     If a poll were taken to identify the most recognized bird in North America, American Robin Turdus migratorius) would be a serious contender!

     I am very lucky to have this park so close to home. I might go for a stroll there this afternoon!

Book Review - Common Lichens of the Upland Southeast: Appalachia and the Piedmont - Princeton Field Guides

 

     It is probably a broadly accurate statement that lichens are familiar to everyone, but understood by few, and identified by almost no one! This is the book to rectify this serious shortcoming in your life as a naturalist.

     Armed with a device as simple as a hand lens, the text will enable you to identify virtually any lichen you are likely to encounter. The book is devoted to the lichen-rich area of the southeastern regions of the United States, but the principles enunciated in it are broadly applicable to lichens anywhere. 

     Lichens are a symbiosis of two organisms in one. Already this should pique your interest! Lichens are fungi, but uniquely have photosynthesizing cells of algae or cyanobacteria embedded within them. They thrive on almost any surface, even under extreme conditions, from scorching desert to polar barrens, on rocks, trees, soil, the discarded junk of humankind - virtually everywhere. They are the principal source of food for the great herds of caribou eking out an existence in an arctic winter.

     The book has an extensive introductory section, mostly devoid of technical language, enabling a total novice to gain a complete understanding of lichens. The structure of the organism is fully explained and the key ways to clinch identification laid out for you. A few practice sessions with a lichen familiar to your area would boost your confidence in very short order.

     The incredible range of coloured photographs reveals the lichens of the Upland Southeast in all their glorious diversity. For people who reside in these areas, or spend vacation time there, a whole new realm of nature awaits your investigation, and the mysteries of that red growth on a glacial erratic will be revealed. Lichens abound in cities, too, so exciting discoveries and expanded knowledge are available to everyone.

     Like all other life forms on Planet Earth lichens are facing threats to their continued existence, some hitherto unknown. The Anthropocene is ushering in perils not seen before, not the least of which is rising temperatures. We need to allocate the same dedication and resources to preserving lichens as we do to other organisms. 

     In 2024, Princeton University Press published The Lives of Lichens: A Natural History, a constant source of reference for me. With the addition of this present work you will be well equipped to become the lichenologist in your group!

     And you'll have fun doing it!

Common Lichens of the Upland Southeast: Appalachia and the Piedmont - Princeton Field Guides

James Lendemer and Jason P. Hollinger

Paperback - US$35.00 - ISBN 9780691230733

496 pages - 5.875 x 8.25 inches (14.69 x 20.625 cm)

1,000 + colour photographs - 350 maps

Publication date: 29 September, 2026

Victoria, BC - Part 11 (Final)

 29 June, 2026

Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park

     We had not visited this park on any of our previous journeys to Vancouver Island. A new place is always exciting!

     A Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) probed around the parking area.

     I doubt whether any of the trees are old growth specimens, but they appear to be mature second growth. We were left wondering whether the hole at the base of  this giant was home to an animal.

     We meandered down various paths and roads, at times alongside water. This female Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) had found a perch it liked and returned to it often.

     A Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritus) preferred a buoy out in the water.

     American Robin (Turdus migratorius) was very common.

     It seemed equally at home probing for morsels along the shore or delving into the mossy substrate of the forest. 

     Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) were seen and heard frequently, but proved to be difficult to photograph.

     Buttercups (genus Ranunculus) always add good cheer to the day.

     It's probably not everyone's favourite creature, but we very much enjoyed this large Black Slug (Arion ater).

     There is always something magical about waterlilies and we found it delightful to see extensive growths of Western Yellow Pond-Lilies (Nuphar polysepala).

     A family of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) cruised by, like a human family at the Easter Parade!

     The youngsters are growing up fast.

     A local delicatessen named Tonolli's seems to be quite renowned in the area, and we stopped for a coffee and scone.

     It was a busy spot and we parked down the road a ways, but the walk back was well worth it!

     On the way home we stopped at Michell's Farm Market on the Saanich Peninsula to pick up fresh strawberries. 

     This emporium has a long history on Vancouver Island and is renowned for its high quality produce.

     We didn't do much of anything else for the rest of the day other than starting to get ready for our journey home the following morning.

     You met George and Jan in the last post. George is a prolific author and brought over a couple of his books for me, and they shared dessert with us. It was a lovely end to the day.

30 June, 2026

Victoria - Waterloo

     We went for a walk around Oak Bay with Jan until it was time to leave for the airport. Jan drove us there and we bade her farewell, filled with gratitude for a wonderful vacation.

     Our journey home was smooth from start to finish and, as always, it was good to sleep in our own bed!

   

Book Review - Marine Life of the Caribbean Sea - Princeton University Press

      Whether you are a diver, scuba diver, snorkeller, or simply a beachcomber probing tide pools and rocky shores, this is the book for you.

      The marine life of the Caribbean Sea is revealed in all its glorious, colourful diversity. Our guide is the renowned Scottish author and underwater photographer, Lawson Wood.

      All of the riches you will locate in this subtropical,  watery realm are covered in this field guide - fish, coral, marine reptiles and mammals, crustaceans, tubeworms, nudibranchs, and everything else! 

     Even those tourists who stay at an all inclusive resort, where nature study is not uppermost on their minds, will benefit from this book. A brief stroll along the beach, or wading out into shallow waters reveals hitherto unknown wonders. Scuba diving packages often form part of a preplanned winter getaway to the warmth of Caribbean sun and sand.

     Each organism is represented by superb photographs taken by Wood, accompanied by a brief description, quite terse but adequate to facilitate identification, which is, after all the purpose of this guide.

     Going back to the storied days of Jacques Cousteau, and in more recent years the documentaries of Sir David Attenborough, a fascination with life beneath the waves has developed and expanded. Its beauty is appreciated like never before, yet the fragile nature of marine ecosystems is now known to be at serious peril from humankind's flagrant disregard for the health of the oceans.

      This book will alert you to what we stand to lose unless we change our ways - and soon. 

Marine Life of the Caribbean Sea - Princeton University Press

Lawson Wood

Paperback - US$29.99 - ISBN 9780691292458

224 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25 cm)

700+ colour photographs and illustrations - one map

Publishing date: 08 September, 2026

Book Review - Costa Rica's Rainforests: The Natural History of the Plants and Animals of La Selva - Princeton University Press

      On this Earth there are mere mortals, and those exalted beings who have spent time at La Selva! I count myself among the latter. There is magic in the air in Costa Rica - always, everywhere - but the magic is elevated to its pinnacle at La Selva.

     Scott Wesley Shumway has done a terrific job in writing a complete account of La Selva's biodiversity and its place in contemporary tropical studies. In addition to being a world-renowned, distinguished research facility, La Selva welcomes ecotourists and spares no effort in disseminating information to all who visit. If you are present when it pours rain they will explain hydrology and transpiration to you!

     Many casual visitors are birders and the birding genie is let out of the bottle immediately upon arrival!

     Species that are elusive elsewhere seem to be especially cooperative at La Selva; no doubt the fact that the guides know exactly where to look plays a major role in this. I remember as though it were yesterday having prolonged views of Great Tinamou and my first ever Great Curassows perched in a tree above my head. Shumway reports, "As of 2021,480 species of birds have been identified by researchers and resident naturalists at La Selva." These same resident naturalists always seem to have the time to provide information and answer questions.

     There is more than birds, of course, and Shumway has done a magnificent job in pulling together all the component parts of an integrated neotropical ecosystem.

     This book is a field guide, a first class field guide in fact, but it is much more than that. From page to page, cover to cover, it is filled with information. Want to know about hummingbirds? Then obviously you'll need to understand the flowers they feed on. Did you know that mites travel from flower to flower on hummingbird bills? How about the mechanism by which they collect nectar? All of this kind of information is provided for every taxa covered in the book. The superb photographs do aid in identification but it is the cornucopia of information that sets this book apart.

     Shumway writes with a fluid, easy style, combining his years as a teacher with an intimate knowledge of the biology of this region, and, perhaps most importantly a deep love for it. All its creatures are special, all have their role to play, all are acknowledged in all their glorious diversity and individuality.

     I have visited Costa Rica four times and it is unlikely that I will do so again, but rest assured that should it happen, this book will be my constant companion. It is a resource par excellence. A complete guide, not only to La Selva, but the entire ecosystem of this region of Costa Rica.

     I have been an admirer of Alexander Skutch, that scion of Costa Rican ornithology for as long as I can remember, and have paid homage twice at his home in Los Cusingos. He would have applauded this work and championed it - and there could be no better endorsement than that.

Costa Rica's Rainforests: The Natural History of the Plants and Animals of La Selva - Princeton University Press

Scott Wesley Shumway

Paperback - US$45.00 - ISBN 9780691251998

480 pages - 7.5 x 9.5 inches (18.75 x 23.75 cm)

812 colour photographs - 7 tables - 6 maps

Publishing date: 11 August, 2026