Dragonflies Save The Day
July 11th, 2017
At Roger's Pond on June 12th, a sweltering hot day was drawing out the deer
flies. They swarmed me, buzzing annoyingly (mostly not biting, but the ones
that did left bites that still itched two weeks later.) But then the most
marvelous thing happened...the cavalry arrived.
My hero
I walked into a wide-open sunlit spot that teemed with Chalk-Fronted Corporals
(above), American Emeralds and other dragonflies, and in an instant they were
all around me, picking off flies. I can think of few sounds more welcome and
satisfying than that *whizz* of a dragonfly zipping past your head as it
snatches its prey...a very loud noise followed by blessed silence.
One less deer fly!
It ended up being largely a dragonflies kind of day, as all the birds seemed
to be sheltering from the heat.
American Emerald
This one caught my attention when it whizzed by and snatched a tiny insect
that I was trying to photograph. Annoyance gave way to interest when I noticed
how petite it was. I was hoping for an Elfin Skimmer, a dragonfly so small
that it is sometimes mistaken for a bee. But it wasn't quite
that
petite. With the help of the
Ottawa Odes
group, I learned that it was my first Frosted Whiteface.
dragonfly habitat
Garter Snake
1 comment | Comments are closed
Birds and Orchids (part 2)
July 6th, 2017
(
Part 1)
After our stop to see the Ram's Head Ladyslippers, we went to Murphy's Point
Provincial Park in Perth. This is a beautiful park on the shore of Big Rideau
Lake with a rather
Carolinian feel to
it (including, sad to say, a rather Carolinian population of ticks, I pulled
one off me during our walk.) It produced our big surprise of the day. We were
birding the Silver Queen Mine Trail when Jon shouted that there was a White
Pelican in flight and to get our binoculars and cameras ready. I couldn't
believe my ears--I thought he must be mistaken--but then I got a clear view of
it. A White. Pelican. Little over an hour away from where I live.
My photos came out overexposed (the exposure having been set for a cute moth I
was photographing close to ground, more on him later!) and I was bummed. But
then, as if our jaws hadn't dropped enough, the pelican flew back into view
and
right over our heads. This time I was ready.
When we first arrived, the park staff asked us to let them know if we found
any rarities for the park. We found not merely a rarity, but a bird that is a
second-ever for all Lanark County, in recorded history. White Pelicans are a
western species whose breeding range touches only the extreme western tip of
Ontario. This would have been a very lost, late spring migrant! It is an
Ontario-first and a second-ever bird for me.
Other than that, my photo set from this trip might better be termed "insects
and orchids." I saw plenty of good birds, but most of them too far away for my
lens to capture at all well. (I envy those with steady-enough hands to shoot
500mm handheld!)
A kind of adorable furry-headed moth I found on some low vegetation. I think
it's an
Agreeable
Tiger Moth. (That being, of course, a close relative of the Disagreeable
Tiger Moth and the Cantankerous Tiger Moth. Okay, maybe not.) A lifer insect
for me, to go with my lifer wildflower (Ram's Head Ladyslipper), lifer reptile
(Rat Snake), and pretty-darn-close-to-lifer bird!
A daddy longlegs, more properly called harvestman. Harvestmen are not spiders
and are harmless to humans. I've loved them since I was a child.
Our final stop of the day was Purdon Conservation Area, famous for its
thriving colony of a large, beautiful wild orchid, the Showy Ladyslipper. But
we arrived to find the orchids not yet in bloom. The many tall shoots promised
an incredible show once they are. I plan to go back on my own (and/or with
Michael) in late June, when they should be at peak. The carnivorous Pitcher
Plants were also not much to look at yet. But there were a few wildflowers
worth photographing.
Swamp Cinquefoil
Starflower
I've noticed quite a few tent caterpillars in Ottawa this spring, but that's
nothing compared to Lanark County. Sites we visited had an infestation of epic
proportions, with tents and caterpillars everywhere you looked. In the trees,
in the bushes, on the ground, on your backpack, on your head. The deposit box
for park fees at Murphy's Point had a mass of a few dozen crawling atop it. At
one spot on the trail, we heard a sound like gentle, pattering rain coming
from the woods. I learned what it was the next day on Wikipedia. It was the
sound of umpteen caterpillar fecal pellets falling from the treetops.
Tent caterpillars are shunned by most birds, spiny as they are, but the North
American cuckoos (Black-Billed Cuckoo and Yellow-Billed Cuckoo) eat them with
relish. Quoting from
Life Histories of North American Birds by Arthur
Cleveland Bent:
No caterpillars are safe from the Cuckoo. It does not matter how hairy or
spiny they are, or how well they may be protected by webs. Often the stomach
of the Cuckoo will be found lined with a felted mass of caterpillar hairs, and
sometimes its intestines are pierced by the spines of the noxious caterpillars
that it has swallowed. Wherever caterpillar outbreaks occur we hear the calls
of the Cuckoos. There they stay; there they bring their newly fledged young;
and the number of caterpillars they eat is incredible. [...] When, in time,
the inside of the bird's stomach becomes so felted with a mass of hairs and
spines that it obstructs digestion, the bird can shed the entire
stomach-lining, meanwhile growing a new one.
Yes, really. Cuckoos are so specialized to a diet of spiny caterpillars that
they have evolved the ability to shed and regrow their entire stomach lining.
So it was a surprise to not see a single one amidst this massive infestation!
Not even in what looked like ideal habitat. I'd certainly seen more cuckoos
this spring in Ottawa than ever before. Before I'd even noticed the
caterpillars, the tents, before it was on the public's radar that we were
having an infestation, the cuckoos had noticed. I saw a pair of them together
at Nortel wetland in May, a third at Shirley's Bay the day after that. These
are elusive birds; it is abnormal (wonderfully abnormal) to see so much of
them! But our Lanark outing came up empty, the only two of our target species
that we missed entirely. They were undoubtedly there, but remained unseen and
unheard.
So I had to content myself with photographing the prey, not the predator.
(
More (Tent Caterpillars, Northern Mockingbird, Upland Sandpiper) )
3 comments | Comments are closed
Birds and Orchids (part 1)
July 1st, 2017
On the 8th of June I joined
Jon Ruddy and a
small group of nature enthusiasts for his "Birds and Orchids" tour in Lanark
County. One of the highlights was a trip to see a small Ram's Head Ladyslipper
colony. You may recall mention of these rare orchids in
one of my recent posts. "Small" is
normally the only kind of Ram's Head colony you find, as they are rare
wherever they occur. (A freak exception is
a
quarry in Arnprior boasting a colony of at least 150,000 of them. No one,
including professional naturalists, understand why they are there.)
I had searched the Burnt Lands alvar (a known spot) for them on several
occasions, but they eluded me. Now I learned why, or part of why, they are so
elusive: Ram's Head Ladyslippers are tiny hidden beauties. Their "slippers"
are about a centimeter and a half wide. At a glance they look like withered,
past-their-prime flowers. Like nothing-much flowers. You can't even see their
colors from a high angle. You have to get down low and close, and that's when
the secret unfolds.
Jon photographing one of the tiny beauties
Yellow Ladyslippers grew in abundance, in clusters on the roadside. Fringed
Polygala was likewise abundant, growing in the shadow of the cedars right
beside the Ram's Heads. (This suggests to me that I should take a closer look
at that spot in the Burnt Lands where I found Polygala. Hope I can re-find
it!) This is a low-growing plant, but the polygala blossoms around the orchids
almost seemed trampled, which suggested to me that this "secret" spot might
not be so tightly guarded of a secret.
That's what my left brain thought, anyway. To my more romantic side, the
carpet of delicate, deep pink blossoms completed the image of a fairy glade
decked out for a party.
Postscript: Hiking in a different area the very next day, what should I find
but two perfect Ram's Head Ladyslippers! The setting, based on what I'd
learned the day before, was perfect--sunlight dappled by overhanging cedars, a
floor of grass and conifer needles, Fringed Polygala and Yellow Ladyslippers
growing nearby--but I'd never heard to look for them there. It was a stunning
surprise.
1 comment | Comments are closed
Eastern Towhees and the Killdeer show
June 27th, 2017
In the early morning of the 7th the Burnt Lands were alive with the sound of
towhees. From one spot I could hear three males singing! I'm accustomed to
seeing these handsome, red-eyed sparrows only at Carp Ridge. It seems Burnt
Lands may be an even better place to find them.
The nearest male tolerated me close enough for some pictures.
In previous recent outings to this park, I searched in vain for adorable
Killdeer chicks. It was obvious Killdeer bred in the park--they were all over
the open alvar and got agitated when I approached, scolding and doing
broken-wing and fake-nest displays. But I couldn't find any chicks. This time
I found out why: the Killdeer chicks were already Killdeer teenagers! At a
glance they looked just like their parents. It took a closer view to reveal
the subtle marks of immaturity: scruffy plumage, eyes a little paler and less
colorful. This one didn't seem able to fly just yet.
Mom or dad trying to draw me off:
"This is totally my nest."
"Did I say that was my nest? No, this is my nest. Yep, tasty killdeer eggs
right this way."
"Is she still there?"
(
More (crane fly, columbine) )
4 comments | Comments are closed
Orchid-hunting in the Burnt Lands
June 23rd, 2017
"The Three Sisters", yellow ladyslippers in bloom on the Burnt Lands alvar
In early June I made several trips out to the Burnt Lands near Almonte,
hunting for orchids. For being a provincial park, this area is surprisingly
unknown and unmarked, but it is an ecological gem. Last August I found it
teeming with Aphrodite Fritillaries and other interesting insects (
1,
2). I promised
myself that for 2017, I'd go earlier in the year and seek out the elusive
Ram's Head Ladyslipper, one of the rarest orchids in North America.
Last summer my usual access to the park was via Ramsey Concession 12. The
maintained road ends and turns into a dirt road through the park. I found it
quite hikable with only the occasional shallow puddle. However, last summer
conditions were droughtlike, and conditions this year have been anything but,
not to mention it's June, not August. The dirt road was so flooded (by the
adjacent wetland) that even my tall rubber boots were not enough to get
through it. Fortunately, there's another access at March Road and Golden Line
that requires only a good set of water-resistant hiking boots.
The sign reads, "this roadway is not up to municipal standards." You don't
say.
Unsurprisingly, the elusive Ram's Head Ladyslippers eluded me. But Yellow
Ladyslippers certainly didn't! I found whole colonies of this beauty, most
growing in the shadow of cedars and spruces, a few out in the open.
Sharing habitat with some of the Yellow Ladyslippers were patches of the most
intensely blue violets I had ever seen. I wasn't sure if they were just
unusually vivid common violets or something more exotic, but the fact that
they hung close with the ladyslippers seemed significant. On a trip with my
husband, he looked them up in our Peterson's and determined that they were
indeed something a little more exotic: Northern Bog Violet. Unfortunately, my
photos failed to do justice to that otherworldly blue, so I deleted them.
Fringed Polygala
These little beauties brightened the forest floor beneath a stand of pine
trees. When I saw them I was sure I had found my second orchid of the day.
They were even there in one of the orchid color plates in Peterson's, but the
label said "not an orchid." D'oh! They're also known as Gaywings. The habitat
I found them in (coniferous, moist) was very classic.
Blue-Eyed Grass
A characteristic wildflower of prairie-like habitats, this grows in the more
open parts of the alvar. Though it looks like grass topped with tiny blue
blossoms, it's actually part of the iris family.
(
More (Wild Columbine, Blue Flag, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Seneca Snakeroot) )
5 comments | Comments are closed
Wildflowers and booming nighthawks at South March
June 18th, 2017
On May 27th I hiked the west loop of South March Conservation Forest. With the
filling out of the trees, the spring ephemerals had faded--just a few
lingering and wilting White Trilliums. But a fresh crop of beauty had sprung
up to replace it.
1680x1050 wallpaper
Pale Corydalis grows in rocky clearings in places like South March (especially
the rugged west side of it) and the Carp Ridge barrens. It is one of my
favorite wildflowers. The blossoms are very small and delicate, though--you
have to really get down close to appreciate their beauty.
Wild Columbine, wallpaper available
Wild Columbine
Canada Mayflower, wallpaper available
A male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak surveys his territory. South March is one of the
best places in Ottawa to see these beautiful birds in their nesting habitat.
(
More (Common Nighthawks, birding the tracks) )
2 comments | Comments are closed
Spring On The Rideau
June 13th, 2017
On the 19th of May I hiked the Rideau from Billings Bridge to the Hogs Back
falls, photographing as I went. At Mud Lake a few days prior, I had noticed
Canada Geese acting nervous and expectant around their nests. So I wasn't
surprised on Friday to see this!
1680x1050 wallpaper
The surprise of the day was a different kind of goose, a Brant. It is normal
to find this small, coastal/tundra goose in Ottawa in migration, but I'd never
seen one on the Rideau before. It was near Carleton university.
A drake Wood Duck--although you all probably know this one by now :-)
Northern Cardinal,
wallpaper available
1680x1050 wallpaper
I love tulips. Who needs a composition when you have colors like that?
(
More (Ring-Billed Gull, Red-Eyed Vireo) )
4 comments | Comments are closed
Living Color on the Eardley Escarpment (part 2)
June 4th, 2017
(
Part 1)
As I was hiking back I heard the distinctive "chick-burr" of a
Scarlet
Tanager. Scarlet Tanager is an amazingly red little bird (the males are
red, that is, females are yellow) that, frustratingly, spends almost all its
time at the tops of tall, leafy deciduous trees. I enjoy them through
binoculars every year, in places where they breed (South March Highlands,
Gatineau Park, and even parts of Stony Swamp), but never once have I gotten a
photo worth showing. But as I reached the spot where the "chick-burr" was
coming from, I was delighted to see a male tanager swooping down low...and
then amazed when he came lower, and lower, until he was actually on the
ground! I think that he was likely guarding his mate as she gathered nest
material. I can think of no other reason for a Scarlet Tanager to go to
ground.
Of course I took pictures. He was distant and tricky to get in focus--and
photos never entirely do justice to this bird (ideally you need to be there,
with a good set of binoculars, looking up at the reddest thing you ever saw, a
bird that honestly seems to
glow red, thinking "my god, am I in
tropical South America or am I still in Canada?") But these are certainly the
best adult male photos that I've ever obtained.
Surprise number two happened further back down the trail, when I came to a
spot where the underbrush was just positively alive with very tiny, very
fast-moving creatures. There were many small openings in the brush, at the
base of a tree trunk, under logs, etc., and they darted in and out of those
openings at the speed of light, never in view for more than a fraction of a
second. I struggled to even see them clearly, much less photograph them.
Finally, I pointed my camera at one of the tree holes that they were scurrying
in and out of, and rapid-fired my shutter, producing about twenty pictures of
an empty hole and one picture of this! (To give an idea of scale, the hole was
maybe an inch and a half wide.)
That's a shrew--one of the tiniest mammals in the world, even smaller than a
mouse. Shrews aren't rodents, but miniature carnivores, most closely related
to moles, who eat insects, spiders, amphibians, small rodents, and even other
shrews. Their frenetic activity and voracious appetites are supported by a
super-charged metabolism which rivals that of a hummingbird: a shrew can
starve to death within a few hours without food.
Sadly, there are a number of lookalike shrews in Ontario so there is no way to
determine the exact species of this one. The likely candidates, I'm told, are
Smoky Shrew, Common Shrew, and Short-Tailed Shrew.
2 comments | Comments are closed
Living Color on the Eardley Escarpment (part 1)
May 29th, 2017
On May 17th I went hiking in the Gatineau, taking the old McCloskey Road trail
to McDonald trail and up to the Western Lodge. The display of spring
ephemerals was even more outrageous than it was at nearby Wolf Trail last
spring! The woods were like a garden. An endless profusion of Red Trillium,
White Trillium, Trout Lily and Bellwort, with a little Bloodroot here and
there, swampy spots overflowing with Marsh Marigold, and more besides. I came
mainly to photograph the flowers--the birds of Eardley Escarpment are
multifarious and good, but usually too far up in the trees for my lens to
capture. But, as it turns out, there were a few surprises.
Red Trillium, wallpaper available
Red Trillium, wallpaper available
Trout Lilies
Bellwort
Bloodroot
These Marsh Marigolds formed thick golden carpets in swampy spots. I can't
remember seeing them in such profusion before. I guess our very wet spring
created good habitat for them!
Next up, the day's two surprises.
4 comments | Comments are closed
Upstaging The Warblers
May 23rd, 2017
I continue to be cursed for warbler photography at Point Pelee.
On the first day of our outing, there were lots of warblers, but almost none
of them were out on the tip (where you can sometimes get extreme close-ups as
these exhausted birds, having just flown across Lake Erie, drop into the low
vegetation and, well, veg.) They were in places like Tilden Woods, flitting
around high up in the trees. It's great for them that conditions were so good
they could just breeze right past the tip and into the woods, but not so great
for photography, especially not with my modest 300mm lens. I had a much better
time (and saw more birds) once I finally stowed my camera away and went back
to just binoculars. I saw seventeen types of warblers all in all, of which the
highlights were a nice view of a
Blackburnian,
and an excellent view of a
Northern Waterthrush.
The second day was much better, or so I'm told. Unfortunately I wasn't there,
for reasons I won't go into.
But the trip wasn't a complete loss for photos. When we arrived at the tip of
the tip, I was thrilled to see a number of Red-Breasted Mergansers, males and
females, swimming close to shore. My group was eager to move on and find a
rumored Tufted Titmouse, but I see all the titmice I need when I visit my
folks in Virginia, and I don't see nearly enough of this unusual, charismatic
duck--especially the drake in his full nuptial plumage. So I lingered behind,
missed the titmouse, and got some photos of the nearest drake as he showed off
for the ladies.
I also think this early-morning Barn Swallow came out rather well. A whole
colony of these swallows breed in an open shelter near the tram stop, building
their mud nests on ledges beneath the ceiling. They are completely habituated
to humans, whizzing back and forth to and from their nests right over our
heads.
Gathering nest-building material.
2 comments | Comments are closed
Previous 10 |
Next 10