Solitary Sandpiper (Chevalier solitaire) and Killdeer (Pluvier kildir)

     A sure sign that the year is rapidly moving ahead is the return of shorebirds from their northern breeding grounds. Although Waterloo Region is not a major stopping off point for these southbound migrants there are many places where small numbers can be observed.
    We have recently been spending an hour or so each afternoon checking out a small area in the village of Erbsville right at the edge of the City of Waterloo which is soon to be enveloped by a major new subdivision which has been approved. Without a doubt some of the natural areas will be imperiled and we are not sure whether this small area will be drained or otherwise destroyed.
     It was very pleasant to find a Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria feeding in the mud which is rich in invertebrate prey.

     This species breeds right across the Nearctic region of North America and adults are already winging their way to their winter quarters in South America.

     The feeding seemed to be particularly rich with many fat worms being captured.
     The Kildeer Chardrius vociferus breeds locally and it was quite numerous, also taking advantage of the nutritious and easily captured food in the mud.

     In my last post I included a picture of a male Ebony Jewelwing Calopteryx maculata and I now include a female.

     The white wingtips which identify the female are actually pseudostigma, or false (ptero) stigma. Unlike a true stigma a pseudostigma is made up of multiple cells. In our area only female jewelwings display this character.
     Northern Leopard Frogs Lithobates pipiens seem to have had a productive breeding season and as we walked along young frogs were constantly hopping out of our way, seeking refuge in the water. 

     Blue Vervain Verbena hastata was in bloom everywhere; it is a very characteristic plant of damp thickets and roadsides and was abundant where we walked along a dirt road adjacent to wet areas.

     This area is not large but is home to a variety of organisms and we can only hope that the urban planners have recognized its value and will protect it.     

American Crow (Corneille d'Amérique) and other delights

24 July 2016

     I have always found it difficult to get good pictures of black birds and yesterday was no exception. American Crows Corvus brachyrynchos were not hard to find and some even reasonably cooperative in terms of picture taking!

     We have been having a prolonged dry spell and the ground is baked. I suspect that it is difficult for many species to find food and these opportunistic corvids were gleaning whatever morsels they could locate.

     I always find it very appealing to see all the various colours, tinges and hues when the plumage of a bird which appears to be totally black is examined closely. Crows are handsome birds indeed and possessed of a high degree of intelligence. Wonderful birds to study!

     Neither Miriam nor I could initially identify this stunning plant we came across.

     It took quite a bit of research to pin it down but it is a Trumpet Vine Campsis radicans, native to the eastern United States and naturalized in Ontario.

     It was impressively beautiful and we were happy to have found it. It has distinctive fruit as may be seen in the picture below.

     The ubiquitous Soldier Beetles seem to be quite willing to accept this plant as a host for their reproductive period.

     A pair of Western Ospreys Pandion haliaetus has raised young on a communications tower in Erbsville this year. One cannot get close enough at the right angle for a good picture but the following image at least records the presence of two birds there on this date. Whether they are adults or hatch year birds it was impossible to tell given that we didn't have a telescope with us.

     We were delighted to find this Clover Looper Caenurgina crassiuscula, a moth which exhibits both diurnal and nocturnal behaviour. There was always vegetation between us and it but I managed this picture anyway.

     An Ebony Jewelwing Calopteryx maculata was perched nicely to bid us goodbye at the end of what had been a very pleasant stroll.