July 19th
On Saturday afternoon Norm and Mary Pomfret led a hike to investigate the butterflies found at Ruthven Park. Unfortunately the weather was both uncooperative and unsettled – with thunder, rain, clear skies, and staggering humidity encountered – usually all within a few minutes of each other.
Dodging the rain, 13 species were observed.
Monarch
Clouded Sulphur
Cabbage White
Black Swallowtail
Pearl Crescent
Northern Crescent
Banded Hairstreak
Common Wood Nymph
Summer Azure
Great Spangled Fritillary
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
Crossline Skipper
Delaware Skipper
B
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July 18th – Bird Banding Report
While for some it is the height of summer, for others July marks the beginning of fall migration and the laborious journey southwards. Yellow Warblers and Baltimore Orioles, amongst others, are beginning to leave the area and be replaced by others from populations from further north. Soon they will be joined by other species and the desolation of winter will return….at least, I console myself with that when I consider whether to put the A/C on or not.
(35C without taking humidex into account by closing time)
Banded: 53
Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher 2
House Wren 2
Yellow Warbler 9
Black-Capped Chickadee 6
Song Sparrow 15
Scarlet Tanager 2
Eastern Bluebird 1
Orchard Oriole 3
Baltimore Oriole 5
Grey Catbird 4
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak 2 ( one of which coughed up a huge semi-digested caterpillar)
Red-Winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 1
Retrapped: 16
House Wren 4
Black-Capped Chickadee 2
Yellow Warbler 2
Song Sparrow 3
Eastern Bluebird 1
Grey Catbird 3
Red-Winged Blackbird 1
B
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It seems I have still not posted some pictures from the summer. I really will try to post those soon. Maybe I’ll post a bit of a pictorial recap of the spring, as well.
I’ll have to come pester you soon then.
I saw (and photographed) a Compton’s Tortoiseshell in Gravenhurst recently. Took me forever to ID it, since it had a suspicious white comma like mark on the underside of its wings. I also got a bunch of Dragonfly pics and a really good shot of a Blue heron in flight. I also had a deer come out of the edge of the woods to have a gander at me.