Olympia Marble Butterfly, and two Elfin Species @ The Pinery

This morning - I figured I would try to find the elusive Olympia Marble at the Pinery (and the Ipperwash Beach area). I had went to the Pinery a few times over the years during May only to dip on finding this fantastic species. I had also wanted to get the three Elfin Species that occur at the Pinery at this time of year as well (Hoary Elfin, Brown Elfin, and Pine Elfin).

The Olympia Marble at a distance just looks like another common Cabbage White, but if you wait for it to land and nectar on a flower, you are treated to a beautiful marbling of metalic gold colour on its lower hind-wing. It also had a pinkish tinge on its forewing.

The Elfins are basically small brown hairstreak-like butterflies. If you can find a fresh one, and good lighting, they have some wonderful iridescent blue scales in their wings. Pine Elphins use Pine Trees as their foodplant. The two other Elfins use Bearberry plants - which are quite common around Ipperwash, Port Franks and the Pinery.

I also went to the Port Franks Conservation area for a walk around that trail. One highlight from that walk was to recognize and hear Hooded Warblers and Black billed Cuckoos.

I was hoping to see or hear Prairie Warblers at the Pinery but that was not the case this time around. I got to see some nice Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Phoebes, Pine Warblers among others.

Good birding and butterfly watching!

May 10th Birding at Point Pelee + Bonus Rondeau Birding May 9th

Wow - Point Pelee was pretty amazing today. I had about 90 species not counting the few shorebirds I was able to see at Hillman.

Some of the highlight birds for me today were:

• Swallowtailed Kite that flew over my head about about 8:10am this morning near the Point Pelee Cemetery. 
• East Beach gave stunning looks at Bay breasted, Cape May, Hooded, Blackburnian, Magnolia , Blackpoll and Yellow bellied Flycatcher. I had 4 Tanagers in the same tree at one point.
• Kentucky Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Prairie , Canada, along with Phily Vireos dazzled. 
• I walked 25,000 steps today at Pelee - over 18km's.
• https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56095726

I was at Rondeau yesterday because I had a meeting to attend in Chatham. I went for an hour before my meeting and then a few hours in the afternoon after my meeting. It seemed a little slow at the park - and the weather was quite aweful but still - a few nice birds were seen. In particular - my FOS Lincoln's Sparrow, a Pileated Woodpecker and an Eastern Screech Owl. 

Rondeau List

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56060129

Good Birding!
Dwayne

May 7th - Birding Malden Park and Ojibway Forest

I'm unable to take time off at this most beautiful time of year. I'm drooling with jealousy of my friends and birding brethren who are just out birding their hearts out for the week.

Stiff from a 50 hour work week - I go birding at 4pm after work here in Windsor - because a trip to point pelee from Windsor requires a 5 hour time envelope (one hour each way to drive).

Thus --- I have to settle for the Ojibway Complex in West Windsor. It can be surprisingly good at times. It never has the mega-rarities that Pelee typically delivers - but some of the seasonal expected birds can be quite easily seen.

Some highlights from today were:

Scarlet Tanager (Malden Park)
Yellow throated Vireo (Malden Park)

and at Ojibway - a few more warbler species plus a flock of PURPLE FINCHES eating Birch Catkins.

Believe it or not - I rarely see Purple Finches - and when I do its typically females. Today I had a flock of about 15 Finches with 1-2 Males mixed in.

Lets cut it short here. I have to conserve energy for work and... birding.

Good birding,
'Murf