Olive Sided Flycatcher, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks and Stuff

Olive Sided Flycatcher @ South Cameron Woodlot in Windsor ON

I have been trying to "birdwatch" in my backyard for the last few days --- and its been really good! For late August and the whole month of September - I have come to find that there are usually a few warblers in my back hedgerow behind my house. My yard list is growing! This gorgeous Olive sided Flycatcher caught my interest, mid-afternoon, when it was flycatching off a dying White Oak behind my house. It was an unmistakable ID. It was neat to see it catch bugs and then eat them while I was sitting on my back porch. 

Edit: This bug might be the famous "Giant Ichneumon Wasp" (long ovipositor)

Some neat birds seen over the last 3 days:

Monday Aug 26th:   Bobolink (new bird to yard list), Olive Sided Flycather. Least Flycatcher

Sunday Aug 25th:  Tennessee & Nashville Warblers, Least Flycatcher, Ruby throated Hummingbird

Saturday Aug 24th: Cape May Warbler, Warbling Vireos, Least Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole

 

Female Bobolink - a new yard bird!

Nashville Warbler

Cape May Warbler 

A while back, I had made a few attempts to photograph Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. Using star-mapping software --- I was able to find it. You start by finding brighter nearby stars, then star-hop until you get an exposure of the comet. This photo has the comet in the center of the frame but only appears as a tiny fuzzy blur. 

Some Neat butterflies that I had seen this summer - Zabulon Skipper and Horrace's Duskywing were seen which was really nice.  These photos below are not about a month old. It was neat to see two broods for Zabulon Skippers. 

Zabulon Skipper

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Dense Blazingstar

Horraces' Duskywing - Seen at the Ojibway Tallgrass Prairie

Good Birding & Butterfly Watching!

Dwayne

European Common Blue - a chance sighting in Downtown Toronto

 

I was in New Brunswick for about a week at the end of July. While stopping in Toronto, I was at a library in downtown Toronto and a friend mentioned that I check for locations of European Common Blue butterflies. Using I-naturalist I realized there were sightings within a few kilometers from the location I was at.  I was willing to walk to other locations, but figured I would first try the field adjacent to the library (see map below) . Fort York Library is along the train tracks just a few blocks south of Union station (concrete jungle). Within a moment of inspecting the adjacent field, a bright flashy blue butterfly species was observed, and I was able to get some modest, diagnostic photos with just my cellphone. 

Much like an Azure butterfly in flight (or perhaps a blue morpho), there are blue-ish "flashes" as the male flies around. For this butterfly - its strikingly "brighter" flashes of blue than the typical Azure species. These butterflies were strongly associating with bird’s-foot trefoil.

Here is something neat about this butterfly: (It has a symbiotic relationship with ants! Note: The extirpated Karner Blue butterfly also has this trait!)

"Not always, but sometimes, something amazing happens: ants take the European Common Blue caterpillar into their nest. The ants will protect the caterpillar from predators and parasitoids and feed it ant eggs and larvae. In exchange, the caterpillars secrete (from specialized glands) a sweet liquid or honey - dew. This mutualistic relationship is called “myrmecophily,” and it occurs between specific species of ants and other organisms, especially other lycaenid butterflies. Luckily for the European Common Blue, there is a native species of ant, the Turfgrass or Labour Day Ant (Lasius neoniger), that has adapted to tend it. This ant species has also been seen to partake in myrmecophily with a native butterfly species, the Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)." (ROM)

New Blue on the Block | Royal Ontario Museum (rom.on.ca)
https://www.rom.on.ca/en/collections-research/magazine/new-blue-on-the-block 

Good butterfly watching!

Dwayne

Science Writer Becomes a Birdwatcher - CBC the Current Podcast

This is a 20 Minute interview with a Science Journalist who fell in love with birdwatching. I shared this here as I thought many readers might enjoy this 20-minute talk --- its always interesting to hear about birding from another perspective. 
 

Golden-Winged Warbler + Olive Sided Flycatcher - May 12th Ojibway Park

This morning, I was heading out toward Black Oak Herritage Park and I was driving along the northern boundary of the Ojibway Park Forest. I drove slowly, listening for anything interesting - and sure enough, a Golden Winged was singing his heart out!

Later at Black Oak Heritage Park , an adjacent park that I like to frequent - I had a decent morning --- one of my highlights was an Olive-sided Flycatcher!

Both of these birds are sadly becoming more and more endangered, at risk. 

On Saturday, I had attempted to bird at Point Pelee for a bit. Someone had reported a Cerulean Warbler in Cactus Field - and sure enough, it was being seen by many upon arrival. Another Highlight was seeing some Hummingbirds nectar from Eastern Redbud Tree Blooms. 

Its the most beautiful time of year. 

Good birding,

Dwayne

 

I took tonnes of photos of the Cerulean Warbler here - but sadly, my White balance was set to "indoor" so the colours are not the best.  Still - this is not bad for 25m away and 20 meters up.