Backyard Nature Observations

I'm having a blast observing nature in my back yard! Just today I was working on my deck in my back yard an low and behold... a male Ruby throated Hummingbird was hovering in the air just 10 feet away from me. It was looking at wasps which seem to have found a home in the sophet above my back porch. A Dove alighted gracefully on my rear fence and quickly shot off... Coopers Hawk blasting by. At dusk, a peenting sound from above ... two common nighthawks. Incessant Catbird, Indigo Bunting and Song Sparrows calling. Screeching Red tailed Hawks... I could go on!

I've noted two rare plants recently just near my house... Prairie Dock (SRank: S1) and Sullivant's Milkweed. Both Prairie Dock patches have been recently mown (...moan). That is the conundrum though with prairie plants... They need fire, or lawn-mowers to buzz by every now and then because succession will eventually create a forest. I've created a small native wildflower garden in my backyard with some of the following plants: Dark-eyed susans, Coneflowers of various colours, butterfly bush, Oregeno and Rosemary, heal all, Catnip plant?, and my latest addition: Gayfeather (aka blazingstar)... Which I bought from Lowes just yesterday. Yes, I have Blazingstar in my backyard!

Prairie Dock. Botanist might also note the presence of Wild Carrots

A little black butterfly caught my eye the other day, and sure enough, Common Sootywing in my back yard! I had to take a photo with my cell phone (I had lent my camera out), which was nearly impossible because Sootywings do not let you approach too closely. Common Checkered Skippers are resident in my back yard and any quick stroll will surely stir one up. I've had some great good butterfly walks at Ojibway recently and there does not seem to be a butterfly scarcity issue here in Windsor, although there are a few species I have not seen that I have seen consistently over the last few years ex: broad winged skipper. On the other hand, Common Ringlets seemed to have invaded Essex this year... perhaps from the north?

Common Sootywings are not very common. A SW Ontario rarity if I'm not mistaken!

Three last notes:

1 of 3 -  I found that my grade entrance might "trap" a toad every now and then ... usually after a good rain, so on occasion, I will "rescue" toads with a little plastic container, and recently,,, I thought it would be a great learning opportunity for my son to rescue the toad and release it back to the environment. It was a teachable moment for two boys to help them appreciate and have compassion for nature.

2 of 3 - My son pointed out a caterpillar on our front porch and ... not knowing what species it was, I quickly found the species (Black Swallowtail) and asked my son to compare the caterpillar from two catterpillars in my ROM Butterflies of Ontario field guide. After noting the various colours and patterns, my son made the right identification and was proud to do so. I helped my son see the joy of identifying things by making observations... another great teachable moment. The crystalis never emerged, it may have been 'pecked' by a bird or maybe parisitized by a wasp?

3 of 3 - I noted that the house next to me had nesting rough-winged swallows in an exhaust vent as the house was being constructed. One day, I noted that the Mechanical Company had installed the vent covers, "trapping" the nestlings inside and locking the parents out. I had a heavy heart, as I noted that the parent birds would perch on a nearby window sill, as if to say "where did our vent / home go"? Then, a day or two later I noted the Mechanical Company back, fishing out the baby birds and leaving them on the ground. I suggested that we create a temporary nest cavity (as opposed to just leaving them on the ground), right next to their old vent opening, and maybe, the fledglings could be fed, and resuscitated by their parents. I'm glad to say that we saved the birds ... the parents found their fledglings and fed them and they fledged (3/4) just a few days after this took place.

 Note the newly covered vent, the makeshift nest cavity, and the thankful bird in the foreground!

Good birding!
Dwayne

PS: Below is a list of some birds, plants and butteflies I've seen from simply sitting in my backyard and looking around.


Summer 2015 Nature observations at South Cameron Woodlot....

Indigo Bunting
Ruby throated Hummingbird
Song Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
House Sparrow
Common Nighthawk (the last few days, dusk only)
Red tailed Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Grey Catbird
American Goldfinch
Robin
Wood Thrush (occasionally)
House Wren
Northern Flicker
Northern Rough winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Chimney Swift
Ring billed gulls
Bald Eagle (once)
Killdeer
Downy Woodpecker
Killdeer
Cardinal
Black capped Chickadee
Turkey Vulture
Mourning Dove

Common Checkered Skipper
Common Sootywing
Least Skipper
Pecks Skipper
Black Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Viceroy
Cabbage White
Orange Sulphur
Clouded Sulphur
Comma
Question Mark

American Toad

Prairie Dock
Sullivants Milkweed

Deer
Coyotes

Hooded Warbler at Ojibway Park

Northern Rough winged Swallows sitting on a ventilation pipe of a new home near South Cameron Woodlot in Windsor. 

I've spent the last two months (April 24-June 24) in transition as I had sold my first house earlier this year, and I've been living at my mother in laws for the last two months --- waiting for my new house to finish being built.  I moved into my new house this week. My new house is nice, it backs up onto a provincially significant forest and wetland in Windsor and the birding from my back yard has been great.  I get to hear Song Sparrows and Indigo Buntings sing all day. I have nesting Rough winged Swallows constantly flying though my back yard. I see Red tailed hawks daily and Coppers Hawk occasionally. Even Chimney Swifts fly overhead with some consistency.

I did the electrical for my new house, so I've been incredibly busy doing that over the last few months but I still make time for birding. Lately, I've made point of butterfly watching around Ojibway Park and today, I took my wife and two boys for a walk at Spring Garden area of Ojibway Park. I quickly noted lots of Little Glassywing butterflies, as well as Banded and Edwards Hairstreaks.

Edward's Hairstreak on Yarrow

Common Ringlet at Lasalle's Radio Tower Fields - Rare for Essex. 

During our walk today though - I noted a warbler singing along the path I was on - It was singing its heart out. I did not even have my binoculars, so I tried to photograph it with my camera and --- was blown away to realize that I was looking at a Hooded Warbler! A Scarlet Tanager was in the same tree - its actually a first for 2015 for me. I managed to even capture video of the Hooded Singing.

Ojibway Park lists the Hooded Warbler as a non breeding bird that migrates through (see http://www.ojibway.ca/birds.htm) but the time of year - late June - hints that it could be nesting here in Windsor at Ojibway Park. A fantastic bird for Windsor Essex in my opinion.





Good birding!

 Dwayne

Sorting Through Swallows & Some Butterfly Lifers

Tawny Emperor... A Point Pelee Specialty

Over the last week or so, I've been able to get out a few times and rack up a few more butterfly lifers. The best butterfly of the four was found serendipitously. While bringing my son to the tip of Point Pelee, I couldn't help but notice a worn but still beautiful Tawny Emperor (dark phase) on the tram as we were driving! It was on the tram on the way to the tip, and was still on the tram when I went back later on! Tawny Emperors are very rare in Canada. They are best found at Point Pelee or Pelee Island. The southern latitude and generous abundance of Hackberry trees make this a 'common' butterfly at Point Pelee.

Dainty Sulphur. Little, Yellow, Different.

 A recent walk at Hillman Marsh gave nice views of what I think are Dainty Sulphurs. I had read about them on a Ohio-based blog that I follow, and even in Ohio, they are very rare. They are very tiny! I also photographed a nice Fiery Skipper which was exciting. Peck's Skipper was another Butterfly Lifer that I picked up a week or so ago as well. Hillman Marsh was quiet bird wise, with the exception of a generous showing of swallows. 

Another blog that I read from Michigan had some Bank Swallows photographed recently and it dawned on me that I lazily haven't added this bird to my life list. So, its a lazy hindsight lifer that I just never bothered to pick up until now. Cliff Swallows are not really on my 2nd year life list either, so I might be upping my list by two here. Road 19 between Concession C&D has swallows perched on the telephone wires. Bank Swallows, Barn Swallows, Cliff Swallows, Rough Winged, Purple Martins and Tree Swallows are pretty easily seen for anyone willing to sort through them. All-about-birds has a nice write-up on all the swallows at this link: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse_tax/31/.

 

Its pretty cool to think that of the 8 North American swallow species, 6/8 can be pretty easily seen at Point Pelee right now. The other two absent species are Cave Swallows (Texas Resident) and Violet Green Swallows (Western Resident). I lucked out and saw Violet-Green Swallows last year in BC.

Good Birding,
Dwaynejava

Lifer Summary:
Bank Swallow #303
Cliff Swallow #304