Straight out of Compton ???

 

I had some time this morning - after running a few errands --- to stop by Coventry Gardens in Windsor.

This park is along the Detroit river (just south of Lake St Clair) and is loaded with lots and lors of flower beds. 

Occasionally, I make an effort to visit with the intention of seeing any butterflies that stop at this flowery habitat.

A woman on social media posted a photo of a Varigated Fritillary recently (I ID'ed it for her) and that really gave me the motivation to go for a walk.

Sure enough - the park seemed to have low butterfly diversity. Mainly cabbage whites and a few monachs. But to my amazement I noticed a Comptons Tortoiseshell! Many flowers are also starting to look 'tired' and summer marches into August.

I only had my cell phone but managed to get a few diagnostic photos.

This is my first time seeing this species in Windsor Essex... and my second tume ever seeing one (my first was a few years ago at skunks misery)

So, its neat seeing this butterfly si close to home. 

Good Butterfly watching!

Dwayne

Sweet Underwing : A New Underwing Species in Canada?

On Monday July 6th, 2026 - Moe B and I setup a light sheet at Cedar Creek. Moe is greatly interested in all insects but has a particular love of the Underwing Moths. 

Moe discovered the first Sad Underwing in Canada a few years ago (windsor star link: https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/something-spectacular-canadas-first-sad-underwing-moth-discovered-in-windsor ) and they have become a little more present over the years as their range may be moving northward. 

So last night at around 11:30  Moe noted his first underwing moth of the summer. He wasnt sure if it was conubial underwing but asked me to photograph it and upload to inat for an AI ID. To my shock - Inat suggested Praeclara underwing - and I went with the first suggestion. It was a lifer for me but still very rare for Moe.

Then this morning, a fellow inat moth expert suggested my initial ID was wrong - it was a Sweet Underwing (Catocala dulciola)! This is a rare moth (not even in the david beetle moth field guide)... and the first sighting of this species in Canada!!!

Here is a link to the first sighting:

https://www.inaturalist.ca/observations/378975615

So in conclusion...  This Sweet Underwing is a first record in Canada... and I think it was a Sweet find!!!

Good Mothing!

This is a list of the underwing motha I have observed over hundreds of moth outings over the last 5-10 years.

Underwing (Catocala) Moths

Ilia Underwing - Catocala ilia

Oldwife Underwing - Catocala palaeogama

Sweetheart Underwing - Catocala amatrix

Yellow-Gray Underwing - Catocala retecta

Little Lined Underwing -  Catocala lineella

Serene Underwing - Catocala serena

Ultronia Underwing -Catocala ultronia

Girlfriend Underwing - Catocala amica

Habilis Underwing - Catocala habilis

Penitent Underwing - Catocala piatrix

Sad Underwing- Catocala maestosa

Once-married Underwing - Catocala unijuga

Bride Underwing - Catocala neogama

Darling Underwing - Catocala cara

Inconsolable Underwing - Catocala insolabilis

Judith's Underwing- Catocala judith

Little Underwing- Catocala minuta

Clouded Underwing - Catocala nebulosa

Residua Underwing -  Catocala residua

Yellow-banded Underwing - Catocala cerogama

Hawthorn Underwing Moth - Catocala crataegi

Charming Underwing- Catocala blandula

Scarlet Underwing-  Catocala coccinata

Obscure Underwing -Catocala obscura

Mother Underwing Moth - Catocala parta

Widow Underwing - Catocala vidua

Wonderful Underwing - Catocala mira

Connubial Underwing-  Catocala connubialis

Joined Underwing Moth - Catocala junctura

Mourning Underwing -  Catocala flebilis

White Underwing- Catocala relicta

Woody Underwing -Catocala grynea

Betrothed Underwing - Catocala innubens

Meske's Underwing Moth- Catocala meskei

Little Nymph Underwing - Catocala micronympha

Robinson's Underwing - Catocala robinsonii

Youthful Underwing - Catocala subnata

Locust Underwing  ** (not really a catocala genus moth)

Sweet Underwing (Catocala dulciola)* july 2026 First sighting in Canada!!!

Hudsonian Whimbrel ... at Black Oak Heritage Park?

 

One less butterfly... can anyone id the caterpillar?

I birded Black Oak Herritage park with 2-3 target species today:

Yellow Bellied Flycatcher

Olive sided Flycatcher

Whimbrel

I had been speaking to another birder (black oak) recently saying that hudsonian godwits are common at Pointe Mouillee in late may - which is in Michigan about 20km south of detroit. So ... if whimbrell are 20 km due south of Black oak (which borders the detroit river corridor) could some whimbrel go through the detroit river - up towards lake st clair then up towards lake huron? My birding friend suggested no - they go towards point pelee to lake erie and lake ontario.

 So I was birding at black oak today and it was pretty birdy. Lots of bird song... and lots of leaves! I had a generous look at a mourning warbler, as well as a mid forest butteo hawk which was a broad winged hawk!

Willow Flycatcher

Well - I stood along the detroit river and attempted to do a 10 minute shorebird sit. Nothing of much interest. Then a Willow Flycatcher caught my ear. I was photographing it when I noticed a flock of migrants streaming overhead. After waiting what felt like an eternity, my focus kicked in and I snapped as many photos of this flock of birds as I could. Photograph first - id later!

Well low and behold... your blogger's whimbrel wishes came true. His hypothesis was correct. Whimbrel at pointe mouillee can go towards point pelee as well as use the detroit river corridor to continue migrating north.

I was pretty amazed. Nobody in all the years of ebird had seen whimbrel here until my sighting today.  I feel like I made some onitholgical history. I guess every dog has his day. 

Good birding!

Dwayne

Connecticut warbler sings heart out at Black Oak

Connecticut warbler has eluded my camera for my 12 years of birding. I have some subtle recollections of getting a glimpse of this bird in the past at Pelee's post woods trail. I also feel that I heard its song a few years ago at black oak in west windsor. But today, this morning at about 9am - this bird was singing loudly perhaps 10-15 feet away from me. 

Having just heard Morning (Mourning?) Warblers yesterday and not getting a visual... I knew I had to give my full attention to this bird... and after a few moments, I was able to see it in the vine tangles of a nearby tree. 

I have had some good birding efforts at black oak herritage park. I bird here alot because its quite close to my house.  I have not found the level 5 rarities here  (think Kentucky, scissor tailed flycatcher)... but for the mainstream warblers and migrants, I have had better luck here than at pelee!

I also feel that Ive found so many Harvester butterflies here that there must be a colony! Today I saw three more!

Male Zaboulon Skippers seemed to have emerged today as well as many were seen.

I had a modest 50 species at black oak this morning. My next best bird (*imho*) was a few Canada Warblers.

Summer Tanager was seen early in the morning, and I had "heard it" through merlin but was not able to find it. 

We are entering the later phase of migration. Leaves are out. But we still go out to find these avian migrants because nature is the greatest show on earth. 

Good birding!

Dwayne