A collection of miscellaneous encounters from spring and early summer, in chronological order ...
May 08, Douglas Road, west of Tweed – False Morel or Turban Fungus (Gyromitra esculenta). This mushroom is poison, here's how to distinguish the False Morel from the edible morel.
May 08, Menzel Centennial Provincial Nature Reserve – Goldthread (Coptis trifolia). Well worth the trip to see this flower and the Miterwort, as they don't seem to grow within walking distance.
Miterwort (Mitella diphylla)
June 08, Drag Lake, about 7.25 km west of Tweed – Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok), not the usual color form that's pretty much identical to the male, nor the dark "Pocahontas" morph, but something in between.
June 14, Moira River, near the dam and footbridge – this fearless beaver has probably left its mother recently and hasn't learned to tell friend from foe.
Aurora Damsel (Chromagrion conditum) – seldom encountered in the past, it seems to be everywhere this season. A couple of males at the Vanderwater Conservation Area on June 15 ...
... and a female at a stream on French Settlement Road on June 21; Aurora Damsels were quite abundant at this site.
June 27, a cool Robber Fly – but which one? Laphria index or Laphria ithypyga cannot be separated on the basis of a photograph.
June 29, spider vs spider – this robust female Bold Jumper (Phidippus audax) got the jump on a male Gray Cross Spider a.k.a. Bridge Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius).
June 30, misadventures with Arrrowhead Spiketails – this is all there is to show for an hour of patiently watching this male make ten trips up and down the stream. A female was also present, and she, too, was camera shy.
July 03 – a Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris) ...
... and a Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna)
July 04, two great finds in one day – an Acadian Hairstreak (Satyrium acadica) ...
... and a beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus); an impressive butterfly, this male was a large as some Giant Swallowtails.
July 05 – some species seem to wax and wane, they are plentiful one year and scarce the next, this is the first sighting of the Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius), Canada's only carnivorous butterfly since 2012.
Also not seen since 2012 ... the Amber-winged Spreadwing (Lestes eurinus).
The best find of the day was a Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) growing in a local field, the closest know site to date has been the Tyendinaga Cavern and Caves. Hopefully it will get a chance to become established locally, and no one will come along and think it might look nice in their flower bed. Butterfly Weed has very deep roots and does not transplant well.
July 06 – White-striped Black (Trichodezia albovittata), a small day flying moth very easily mistaken for a butterfly.
A mating, or about to mate, pair of Filmy Dome Spiders (Neriene radiata).
Angry birds ... never, ever get between adult geese accompanied by their young, and their perceived safety of the water ...
