Hot, muggy and buggy!
It’s still looking shiny from all that polishing, but it does need bailing out sometime today! More rain is on the way. It’s hot and muggy and buggy, ah, summer in Ontario:) The bugs I don’t want to see are numerous, deer flies and mosquitos, the butterflies and dragonflies are letting me down! Guys! Let’s get feasting here! After photographing the loon baby I paddled back along the southwest corner of the lake, looking at the water lilies and their inhabitants. I was happy to see some Blue Dashers and a Frosted Whiteface ( I want a chance at naming dragonflies, PLEASE! Ha!) among the variegated yellow pond lilies and swamp roses growing at the edge of the water.
The Blue Dasher was on a leaf, with a snack, or maybe it’s the snack of the guy in the lower right-hand corner! Someone pointed out it may be a molted damsel or dragonfly, this is the entire carcass. Maybe the guy at the bottom going “Please don’t eat me!” Ha! I have a new dock buddy, a new guy for me, Striped Fishing Spider, there are usually just the Dark Fishing Spiders down at the canoe. This guy was over 3″ across! Nice size and beautiful markings! Maybe I should have put an arachnid warning up! Ha!
I sat quietly later on the lawn and watched the comings and goings of the other dragonflies sharing our space with us. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird gets irritated when they sit on the top of his one dead branch, he chases them off like he would another male hummingbird, actually, he chases everything away, from goldfinches to red-winged blackbirds, the guy is serious about that branch!
Catmint…not just for cats I have discovered;) I sat waiting for him to check out the hosta blooms, the few left that the young buck didn’t feast on, he thinks it is his yard apparently, both buck and hummingbird. I’m a bit alarmed by the fact I have really only seen this one male this week, no ladies, no babies, it has me wondering what is going on. I should have a batch of youngsters vying for the feeder right now judging by the last three years’ photos and dates but all I have is this one guy….He did finally come and hang around the hostas checking them out! I need to work on his cooperation skills it seems! Ha!
The Orioles have also dropped off the map, last one I saw was July 5th! I hope they are nesting again and have not become tasty Barred owl snacks! They have been heard out hunting in the daylight, usually in the late afternoon, their hoots, grrr’s, and grunts are quite loud! The Grosbeak youngsters have decided the marmalade and strawberry jam are quite tasty in the meantime!
The woodpeckers, both Downy and Hairy have also dropped off the map but I have noticed the Chickadees and white Breasted Nuthatches are starting to come back around, with the kids;) and the Northern Flickers are starting to drop in from time to time. No sign of the Bald Eagle recently but I should paddle down the lake as someone mentioned seeing baby Ospreys:) awwww…..:) They had been promising a cold front, cooler weather…liars, liars, pants on fire! Them there weather folks, we need to chat!
I’ll keep you posted and will see if I can see any baby Ospreys next time I go for a paddle! Saludos amigos!
