A Walk Through Canard Valley Conservation Area

I stopped by Canard Valley (CA) Conservation Area today on the way to going to Colasantis with my son. It is not a well known area and it not well marked. You have to really want to go there to find the place! Anyway, I only walked along the Canard Valley (Creek) for about 100 or so meters but it was very nice! It just felt special to walk down to the water level of this waterway and to stand on its floodplain and realize that this is a tiny remnant of our region's natural history. This conservation area is known for one of Canada's best population of Kentucky Coffee Trees, a rare hybrid of Trout Lily among other things. This site is even mentioned in a fantastic publication by the EPA about the Lake St Clair/Huron/Erie Ecosystem [link].

Upon getting out of my car I noted a Banded and Striped Hairstreak as well as some unidentified skippers. Lots of Summer Azures were present as well.

I noticed many Dun Skippers nectaring on a perennial that I've been seeing a lot lately - Heal-all. Heal all is an edible plant! It also has beautiful petals. 

My best observation though was a nice Dukes Skipper! The first one I had seen was very obliging and I captured both dorsal and ventral views of the fluttery beast. I noted a second Dukes a moment later but I only had a chance to photograph the dorsal markings that distinguish it from a female. The male has the black line (stigma) though the orange patch on its upper forewing. Below, I've featured a Dukes Skipper image that features dorsal and ventral composite views, showing both the male and female sexual dimorphism of this species. 

Dukes Skipper - Dorsal and Ventral Composite

Other pics from this week:

This female Black Dash looks very similar to a Mulberry Winged Skipper that I have been looking for.

Good Birding!
Dwayne

Further Reading:


Brilliant Atlas of the Lake Huron/St Clair /Erie Ecosystem
http://www.epa.gov/ecopage/stclairbiodiv/stclairbiodiv.pdf

Map of Natural Areas in Essex County
http://wecec.org/pdf/publications/Natural_Areas_Map.pdf

Canard Valley Land Donation in the News
http://rivertowntimes.com/canard-valley-conservation-area-grows-thanks-to-public-private-partnership/

Kentucky Coffee Tree in Canada
http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs_kentucky_coffee_tree_e_final.pdf

Dukes Skipper
http://www.cbif.gc.ca/eng/species-bank/butterflies-of-canada/dukes-skipper/?id=1370403265601

Heal All Plant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunella_vulgaris

Where are the Monarchs? Summer 2015
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Windsor/ID/2672318991/

Eastern Fringed Prairie Orchid & Sullivant's Milkweed ... Botanizing in West Windsor

Eastern Fringed Prairie Orchid

Wow, today I had two botanical discoveries! I finally found the ultra rare Eastern Fringed Prairie Orchid at Ojibway Park which is a plant that I've been wanting to see for years. It's an endangered plant [link] and I was able to see it at the very end of its flowering stage.

Sullivant's Milkweed

Another fantastic discovery that I made today was this Sullivant's Milkweed - another rare plant found in prairie habitat. This plant is similar to common milkweed, but has pink central vein in the plant's leaves and two-tone colours for its flowers.


I have found several other interesting flowers while looking for the orchid above. I've done alot of reading and researching online as well as referencing a botany guide I was recently given.  A cool bug that I found recently is the Candy-striped Leafhopper.   I will let the photos below tell the story of some of my other recent nature highlights.

Wood Lily or Prairie Lily

Michigan Lily 

Butterfly Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed

Purple Milkweed

Northern Broken Dash?

Black Dash Skipper

Good Birding, Leping, Herping and Botanizing!
Dwayne