Moth Man

Windswept Alvars...

2009-05-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

A recent trip to Carden Alvar produced some nice birds and photo opportunities. It was cold though, and horribly windy so the birding was indeed a challenge. We found most of what was there though, eventually. We missed the Loggerhead Shrikes, but most folks have been struggling of late.

The highlight of the day was finding some cooperative wetland species at Prospect Marsh. Above is a lovely Sora, one of many that were calling in the vicinity. We had some great looks but this bird was a little tricky to photograph in the open, always dashing between areas of cover. Still, it matters not. I actually like bird photos where the subject is partially hidden within its habitat. Now there a great excuse if ever I saw one!

We also had good luck seeing a nice Virginia Rail...

And, en route we stopped off at Nonquon Sewage Lagoon, where there were many Black Terns sweeping across the cells. Always a crowd pleaser...

Recent photo adventures...

2009-05-20T06:30:00.001-07:00

I've been quite active of late, though only on the photobirding front. The moths in my back yard are all but non-existent so I've had to concentrate on other things... oh yes, on work too.

A few days ago I was on Toronto Island on a particularly gloomy and windswept day. There were a few grounded migrants but it was not the fallout I had hoped for and was generally disappointing. However, at about midday the sun peeked through creating perfect light for something or other. And as luck would have it there was a small gang of American Herring Gulls feeding very close in the surf. I'd wanted to capture some Herring Gull images so I was well pleased with this turn of events, as you might imagine.

I rattled off hundreds of images in a few minutes while the birds crashed around in the surf and wheeled overhead. I was pleased with many of the photos. The above bird is a typical first-summer individual, though some were decidedly scrappy-looking and in various stages of moult.

A rather fetching adult American Herring Gull...

And an equally nice-looking adult Ring-billed Gull. I've always been amazed that many birders don't really like gulls that much. "Too difficult" they say. Well, take a closer look and you'll be amazed by these superb creatures. Many species may be ubiquitous but that doesn't stop them from being both interesting and attractive.

Struggling in High Park...

2009-05-13T17:35:00.001-07:00

James and I visited High Park again this afternoon after school in the hope there might be a few grounded migrants to photograph. Wrong! It was soooo quiet, quite unbelievable for mid May. A few Yellow-rumped warblers, the odd Yellow and Black-throated Green Warbler and that was about it. So instead I took a few photos of common birds that I wouldn't normally spend much time with.

The brilliant male Northern Cardinal above is a good example of a fine bird that is often taken for granted because it's a pretty common garden species. But look at it - it's not bad, really. I might even be tempted to paint this one day...

There were a few Double-crested Cormorants swimming around and this one came close enough for my lens to capture. Another attractive bird when in breeding finery.

I like female Red-winged Blackbirds better than the males. You've gotta love the streakiness and that pale cinnamon throat. Common as anything in High Park but who cares...

BTW, you will have to forgive the lack of anything mothy right now - I'm just not catching anything! Some Moth Man...

Emirates Birds - Dry Ones...

2009-05-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

A few more common birds to be found in the Emirates. The lovely Indian Roller above is pretty common, almost a garden bird. Usually found on fences and overhead wires they are conspicuous and easy to approach.

The stylish Little Green Bee-eater is another dazzling species (well, all Bee-eaters are nice are they not) that is commonly found along roadsides and in gardens and the like.

The rather drab Desert Lark is mostly found in barren, rocky areas in the mountains. I found them to be rather skittish and hard to approach closely so could only get a few record shots.

The Crested Lark is seemingly ubiquitous throughout the whole region, they can be just about anywhere.

The Emirates is a good place to brush up on your wheatear identification. This is an Isabelline Wheatear. We didn't see too many here and this one was actually photographed in Ethiopia, where it is a very common wintering bird. Rather drab as far as wheatears go but with a subtle beauty nonetheless.

Desert Wheatears were quite common in low-lying stoney desert, particularly where there were a few shrubs. Hard to get close to I never did manage to get any decent photos. This one is a lovely male.

This male Hooded Wheatear, on the other hand, was a real exhibitionist! He lived in a car park and was well used to people...

This male Hume's Wheatear was a bit of a target species for us what with its restricted range. We ended up seeing quite a few in the mountains near Al Ain.

Finally, the rather dull Red-tailed Wheatear in atypical tennis court habitat!

Emirates Birds - Wet Ones...

2009-05-11T13:44:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd show you a few avian highlights from our few days in the Emirates. Coastal birding was quite productive, especially on the east side of the peninsula. Gulls were a bit of a focus, but maybe I'll do a separate post for them since the situation is a little complex in this region. The magnificent gull above is the unforgettable Pallas's Gull, this one an adult in almost full alternate plumage. It was the only one we saw here, though we did find a distant flock in the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. The species is perhaps better known by its old (and better name?) Great Black-headed Gull. There are no identification problems with this species, in any plumage - the shape alone is totally distinctive...

To see Sooty Gulls at long last was a real highlight for me - this one being a first-winter individual. This is another very distinctive species that would be hard to confuse with any other - maybe White-eyed Gull could be a potential pitfall?

More Sooty Gulls. They are rather thickset, stocky gulls with longish thick bills. Pretty common on the coast, but especially so in the east.

A small flock of the elegant Slender-billed Gull. We found good numbers of this distinctive gull within the large loafing flocks of Common Black-headed Gulls on the east coast beaches. They are easy to tell apart with Slender-bills being slightly larger, longer-necked with a gently sloping forehead that merges into that slender, long and pointy bill.

By far the commonest tern was this guy, the Lesser Crested Tern. Big flocks were to be see roosting with the gulls on the eastern beaches. The hoped-for White-cheeked Terns didn't materialize (in spite of some wishful thinking whilst scanning heat-hazed flocks of CommonTerns), though we did find one feeding flock of the equally desirable Saunder's Terns on the west side.

These amazing-looking creatures are Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, the only Sandgrouse one is likely to encounter easily here. The male is in the foreground. We saw some fly-bys over the Pivot Fields near Dubai. This photo was taken in Ethiopia where the species is much more common.

An obliging Common Sandpiper in Safa Park in the middle of Dubai. The sister-species to our Spotted Sandpiper here.

A lone Red-wattled Lapwing, a pretty common species throughout the Emirates and beyond.

And the much nicer, more elegant and decidedly more local White-tailed Plover. This is easy to see on the Pivot Fields in the winter, we saw 30 plus during a brief visit. This one-legged stance is characteristic of the species.

More to follow...

The Largest Unfinished Construction Site...

2009-05-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Since its been cool and blustery of late, and since I have nothing to tell at the moment I thought I'd go back to my recent trip to UAE and Ethiopia. We stopped in Dubai at both ends of the trip and spent four days at the end birding in and around Dubai. It has to said that it really is a strange place. There is some wonderful desert scenery in the interior but this is marred by the fact that much of the coastline has been ruined by what appears to be senseless construction projects, many of which, it would appear, will not be completed any time soon. Here are a few images from the region...

Above is the famous Burj Al Arab. It is actually quite impressive when up close to it. Is immaculate and looks like it is fashioned out of smooth white icing! One has to pay big bucks to get in for a look, so we stayed outside...

Fantastic orange sand dunes in the interior. No birds here, though if one finds a shrub or two there might be a Desert Warbler lurking.

Much of the interior looks like this though, paler, more rocky desert with scattered shrubbery. Great habitat for Desert Wheatears and, if you are lucky Greater Hoopoe Larks.

Some scruffy Brit birding dude we passed along the way...

The famous hotel at Ghantoot, sometimes the winter home for Grey Hypocolius - though for us there were none. Quite atmospheric at sunset.

Just a small part of the Dubai skyline. Many of these skyscrapers are unfinished and are most probably destined to remain so until the economy cheers up. Could be a long wait...

Sewage is a bit of a problem in Dubai and most of it is shipped out to the famous "Pivot Fields" on the outskirts of the city. Basically a huge sewage treatment plant the "fields" are always green and well watered and thus the whole area is a fantastic birding hotspot. Many of Dubai's vagrant birds are found here.

I'll post a few bird pix next time...

When Gems are not enough...

2009-05-08T06:24:00.001-07:00

My back yard moth trap has been pathetic thus far this spring. Last year I had recorded about 28 species by this time, including a nice string of new moths for the garden. This year it's been utter rubbish. Why? Hmmm. good question, and one I don't immediately have an answer for...

Anyway, scraping the very bottom of the bottom of the barrel I present The Gem. This one is a male. At least it's not Proteoteras moffatiana, the only other moth I seem to be capable of catching right now. If I get really stuck I'll post a photo of that beauty next!

A few birds in the garden this morning, including singing Swainson's Thrush, Veery, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Nashville, Yellow-rumped and Yellow Warblers...

The Dorset Connection...

2009-05-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

A long long time ago I used to work at Portland Bird Observatory in Dorset, UK. I was the assistant warden and I lived in the lighthouse. I loved it there and got to know quite a few amazing people, some of which I'm still in contact with today. I recently received an e-mail from a guy I remembered from this bygone time saying he and his wife were to visit and would I find some time to go birding with them. Well, of course! So I met them on Toronto Island this morning. Unfortunately it really was almost birdless and we have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with anything! Still, we had a good time chatting about old times whilst I caught up with some interesting Portland gossip - always lots of that to be had...

Above is a Least Flycatcher. This is generally the first empidonax flycatcher to arrive in this area and is by far the most common. Pretty easy to identify, even if not calling or singing.

There were quite a few handsome White-crowned Sparrows out and about, but still not as many as there should be at this time. This is one of my favorite sparrows - very snazzy in their pied golf caps!

We stumbled across this nice breeding-plumaged Greater Yellowlegs on the beach. Not a common bird on the Islands by any means...

This crispy fresh male Bobolink was a pleasant distraction, but wouldn't allow close approach, unfortunately. It still had lots of buffy edges to the mantle and wing feathers, all of which will soon be lost through abrasion.

Offshore there were several Caspian Terns patrolling the beach. Noisy but nice, if you see what I mean.

Park Life...

2009-05-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

I had a hot tip that there were some "easy" Wood Ducks to be had in High Park, so, after school I took James there for a combined photo session and dinner in the park sorta thing. We had a great time - and even found the said easy ducks.

I've seen many Wood Ducks in my time but rarely have I looked at them in such detail, and so close, as we did yesterday. They are gorgeous! The drake above could have been photographed with a point-and-shoot! In fact the boy did reel off a few with his little coolpix...

Being the strange kinda person that likes sparrows and tyrant flycatchers I have to say that I prefer the female Wood Duck over the male. The subtle colors, antbird-like white eye-ring, marbled flanks and striking blue wing markings create an arresting vision...

James spotted this lovely adult Black-crowned Night-Heron on the edge of the duck pond in the SE corner of the park. We watched it for some time as it preened in front of us. Trouble was there was a fence between us and it, so obtaining nice photos was a bit of a challenge. Got there in the end, sort of...

The cherry blossom was in full swing and there were large numbers of Japanese admirers all taking photos of the scene. Above one such tree was this singing male Orchard Oriole. Was always high up and all I could get were a few record shots. I'll go back and try again for this dark beauty.

Lastly a male Common Grackle. Great looking birds even if they are as common as muck!

Know your Stigmas...

2009-05-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

At last - something, anything, new in the garden moth trap! Even though it is just a Common Looper Moth. This is a very common species throughout Ontario, appearing about now and continuing right through to late fall in three or so overlapping generations. The larva is a generalist on many plants.

This looper is quite variable in its appearance. The overall color varies from shades of brown to purple with differing intensities of metallic sheen. The silvery stigma on the forewing also varies quite wildly from one individual to the next. The above individual is the less common variety that has the stigma in two parts.

And this individual shows the more regular pattern of having the stigma fused into one sweeping spot. Either way the angled, upside down "V" shape of the fore part of the stigma is pretty distinctive. There are some look-alike species but they all have different stigma shapes and subtly different forewing marking.

Spit Birds...

2009-05-05T05:55:00.001-07:00

We were out and about on the Leslie Spit on Sunday afternoon. A glorious day to be out, even in the middle of the big city with other people all around. There wasn't too much around but I did manage to photograph a few common birds.

Above is a nice drake Bufflehead. Still quite a few around, usually in small mobile flocks.

A female Bufflehead...

Whilst we were walking between the cells a fine drake Northern Pintail flew over. I managed to reel off a few record shots before it disappeared to the south. A nice bird to see out here since they are not exactly numerous in the core of the GTA.

Canvasbacks are now breeding out on the Spit. This female was sitting around on a log waiting for something to happen. It did, a drake appeared and they then flew off!

Still loads of Long-tailed Ducks bobbing around. At this time they are often in noisy flocks loitering just about anywhere offshore.

It was nice to see the first Spotted Sandpipers of the year. They look a bit comical as they bob their way along the shoreline, resplendent in their spottiness.

There is a nice raft with breeding Common Terns allowing great looks for anyone who cares to show an interest.

And most of the nest boxes were well populated with Tree Swallows, always nice to see.

The Spit is a great place to visit. When you consider it is totally man-made it really does provide a great haven for all kinds of wildlife, especially birds. Take a look for yourself sometime...

Island Birds...

2009-05-03T07:19:00.001-07:00

After visiting St. Lawrence Market for a few provisions I decided to spend a few hours on Toronto Island photographing some birds. I didn't arrive at Centre Island until well after 10, so bird activity was a bit slow. However, it was immediately obvious that there were a few migrants around. Mostly common species like Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows, but also a nice selection of other early spring migrants.

I had variable luck with the camera. There were quite a few people out and about and it was a bit sunny for some of the time with rather harsh light. I did get to photograph a few birds though, with much patience and a little luck. Again, there is nothing special here just a few nice-looking birds that anyone can see at this time of year should they choose to do so...

The bird above is a female Downy Woodpecker. I watched her for some time as she inspected the craggy bark of a large Cottonwood, quite successfully I might add.

A stunning male Yellow-rumped Warbler - a sure sign that spring has arrived! I much prefer the name Myrtle Warbler for this handsome bird. I well remember looking at photos of the first ever "Myrtle" Warbler to show up in UK many years ago and wishing that one day I might see this species myself. Well, these days that particular wish isn't too difficult to grant...

A nice male Pine Warbler. At this time there are always a few Pine Warblers mixed in with the Yellow-rumps. They often give away their presence with their silvery trill of a song. A subtle beauty, the male is easy to recognize. The females on the other hand can be extremely dull and boring!

Another warbler that is common early on is this one, the chestnut-capped Palm Warbler. These tail-wagging warblers are as likely to be found lurking amongst the leaf litter on the ground as they are high in the canopy.

The gentle-looking Field Sparrow has always been a personal favorite. But it's difficult for such a "sparrow man" to have a favorite when the whole family is such a big draw. However, I do like this one. The bouncing ball song is characteristic when one encounters them in habitat, though they are mostly silent on migration.

The long dry trill of the dapper Chipping Sparrow is a characteristic sound in southern Ontario. A small, slim sparrow, the Chipper is common in gardens, fields and woodland edge.

Lastly a lovely male American Goldfinch that is almost in full breeding, or alternate, plumage. A common bird, we even have them nesting just outside our garden here in the middle of Toronto.

Right, if only I could catch some moths to show you! Has been pitifully poor around here thus far this spring... at least it can only go uphill from here!

Garden Birds...

2009-05-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post a few recent bird photos, mostly from my tiny city back yard. It's fun to try and get nice images of common birds. My lens is only small at 250mm but with some creative cropping some workable images can be achieved.

There is nothing special here - just thought I'd share them with you before putting some more moth photos on board. The above bird is, of course, the lovely Black-capped Chickadee.

And this is a very smart-looking White-throated Sparrow that spent the day feeding in the yard. If one sat very still it would come quite close...

The unobtrusive male Brown-headed Cowbird above is actually rather attractive if seen well. Gotta love that nice sheen. I photographed this one on Toronto Islands.

The cryptically nice-looking female Brown-headed Cowbird was in the same gang as the male above. I got really close to them as the males strutted their stuff to the females inside a large bush. The light was poor and they were quite active but with patience I got some nice photos.

A female Common Grackle...

A nice Hermit Thrush - too bad about the branch cutting out its head!

And of course a lovely plump male American Robin. Always a treat when these fellows first arrive in the early spring.

Warm Air = Moths...

2009-04-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it was nice to get amongst some moths at long last! Sorry not have posted anything for a while but, as usual at this time, I've had other things to deal with - not least a heavy workload. The work remains but I cannot resist a trip to the south once the weather warms up and the promise of a glut of moths is in the air.

I was keen to try out my new camera and macro lens on a few willing subjects. It's hard work with the new set-up, but the results are worth it. The chunky moth above is a Dogwood Thyatirid of the form "pennsylvanica" - something I'd not seen before, and quite different from the usual, though much more attractive, form.

This is a Three-spotted Sallow. This is one of many moths that emerge as adults late in the fall and hibernate for the winter. Spring warmth encourages them to fly once more in late April and early May. Most of these moths are pretty low density so all are nice to see.

There were a handful of new moths for me (unlike my friend MK, who was a real pig on this occasion) and the above Lithophane amanda was one of them. I was very pleased with it since it another of those overwintering thingies.

And the star of the show was yet another hibernator that was inspired enough by the warm weather to put in a timely appearance. It is the striking Dot-and-dash Swordgrass Moth - a moth I'd long wanted to see and photograph. There are four species in the genus Xylena that live in the province, this is probably the most widespread and common, though none can be described as really being common. All of the Xylena have the distinctive resting pose with the wings rolled tightly at the apex, creating a very distinctive top-heavy appearance.

Will post some more highlights from this session soon...

Ahh, those Thick-knees...

2009-03-08T12:57:00.001-07:00

Ever since I saw my first Stone Curlew way back who knows when I've had a thing about thick-knees, the birds that is. They are such prehistoric-looking and cryptic shorebirds - how could you not be moved by such creatures? There are only nine species scattered across the globe, two in the Americas, two in Australia, and the rest in Eurasia and Africa. They are often to be found in hot dry regions, though some are habitually tied to water, either on intertidal mud flats (Beach Thick-knee) or rivers and streams (Water and Great Thick-knees). For the arid-loving species the best way to find them is to drive around in the heat of the day and look for resting birds hiding from the sun under a flat-topped acacia.

The two birds above are Water Thick-knees. They are quite widespread throughout Africa south of the Sahara, though they only just creep into the very southern edge of Ethiopia, where this pair were photographed. Superficially similar to Senegal Thick-knee and Stone Curlew, it does have a distinctive white bar across the upper part of the grey wing panel that is bordered with black only on the upper edge.

The most distinctive species is the Spotted Thick-knee above. It differs from the rest by exhibiting a beautiful effect of barring and spotting on the mantle and wings and lacks the grey wing panel found on the other species. We were getting worried about this one but luckily found some roosting birds as we drove south towards Awash National Park.

The Senegal Thick-knee is perhaps the most widespread thick-knee in Ethiopia, though we didn't see too many. Not dissimilar to both Water Thick-knee and Stone Curlew, note that the grey wing panel shows just a single blackish bar across the upper edge with no white. This one was photographed near Lake Langano in the Rift Valley.

Finally the Stone Curlew or, as it is called these days, the Eurasian Thick-knee. This species is a winter migrant to Ethiopia and we found one roosting flock of about 15 birds passing the heat of the day under some acacias near the shore of Lake Abijatta in the Rift Valley. Again, rather similar to Senegal Thick-knee but the wing panel is less grey and more washed-out looking and has an obvious white bar across the top edge that is bordered with black on both sides. Also, thay are a bit shorter-legged and more chunky than the other species shown here.

Well, I hope you now have a vast appreciation of thick-knees and agree with me that they are indeed fascinating birds. Hmmm, what shall I tackle next...

Par for the Course...

2009-03-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

In the old world there is a small tribe of shorebirds called Coursers. Many live in Africa, but some also in the Middle East and south-central Asia. On our trip we saw three species in Ethiopia and another (Cream-coloured) whilst in UAE. Mostly they live in deserts or savannah and many are crepuscular or noctunal in their habits, passing the heat of the day under the shade of an acacia tree or something similar.

The species above is the Three-banded or Heuglin's Courser. It is a beautifully plumaged bird, very cryptic when at rest in the daytime. We got lucky when Darrell flushed a pair by accident in the acacia woodland north of Yabello whilst looking for other birds. They were very wary and I was fortunate to get these photos.

Another view of the Three-banded Courser showing the remarkably bulbous head shape that is typical of these birds. Note also the complex scaly plumage that helps to break down the outline of the bird thus affording even greater camouflage - well, okay, admittedly not so great when the bird is in a ditch!

This is a Somali Courser. A plain customer that lives in more open desert-like savannah. This bird was part of a flock of nine that we found on the outskirts of a town called Bogol Manyo in the extreme south of the country - not too far from the home of the Somali Wheatear. Indeed we went on to see many of these delightful birds in the surrounding area - 40 plus one day I think?

This species is a recent split from the more northerly Cream-coloured Courser, though not all authorities agree on this point. It is mostly slight plumage differences that set them apart, notably the amount of black on the underwing - more extensive in Cream-coloured.

Lastly a rather distant Temminck's Courser. We found a pair on the Liben Plains near Negelle where we were looking for larks. Good job because they were the only ones we clapped eyes on throughout the whole trip. Too bad I could get closer for a better series of photos because it's a beauty to be sure. Generally similar to both Cream-coloured and Somali but is a little darker on the upperparts and has that lovely rust-and-black combination on the belly.

For our next workshop we'll tackle the Thick-knees!

More from the Northeast...

2009-03-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

I have a few minutes to spare so thought I'd post a few more bird photos from Ethiopia. BTW - sorry about the lack of moth pix but it just isn't the season right now. Give me a month and...

The handsome creature above is that vision of loveliness, the Marabou Stork. It is common wherever there is water and as such is particularly numerous in the Rift Valley. I rather like 'em, so what does that say about me?

Another oddly attractive Rift valley bird is the Hammerkop above. The sole member of its own family this strange waterside bird can be quite common in appropriate habitat. Is like a cross between a stork and a heron...

My favorite pigeon of the trip was this one - the lovely Lemon Dove. It took a while to find the first one, but then there was a small avalanche of sightings. I crept up on this one and took a nice series of photos, like this one. Is a beautiful woodland dove that is rather cryptic and shy. The colors just glow when the dappled light catches it right. It is fairly common in well-wooded valleys.

One of the most unusual of finches is this one, the Cut-throat Finch. It is pretty widespread and is easy to see in acacia woodland and scrub. The male has the most unusual plumage feature of the blood-red chin strap, obvious in this photo. Sweeney Todd couldn't have done a better job!

Another striking bird that recently paid a visit to the barber is this amazing male Rosy-patched Bush-Shrike! Is not a difficult bird to find due its very loud vocalizations and its habit of sitting up whilst doing so. At other times though they can be rather skulking and cryptic. The female lacks the extensive rosy patch and has a white throat bordered with black and just a smudge of rose on the breast. It is endemic to NE Africa.

One of the most enigmatic birds of the whole trip, and indeed in the whole of Africa, is the Stresemann's Bush Crow. It is a small, largely terrestrial crow that is closely related to the Ground Jays of central Asia. Unique plumage and habits makes one wonder why it is not in its own monotypic family? It is endemic to a very small part of southern Ethiopia but is, thankfully, common in savannah around the town of Yabello. Often found in gangs, they are confiding and amusing to watch. They often probe into holes in the ground or in tree roots with their slightly decurved bills. The bare blue skin around the eye is a curious feature. There has been some concern that overall numbers have been declining of late. As far as I could see none of its habitat was being formally protected...

I loved these sprite-like birds! Batises are small shrike-like flycatchers that are common in a variety of dry woodlands. There are three species in Ethiopia, this is a female Grey-headed Batis, the male sporting a black breast band. They remind me of tiny versions of the new world Shrike-Vireos, though they tend to sit more upright.

An ancient tree somewhere in the savannah near Bogol Manyo...

Birds from the Horn of Africa...

2009-03-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

A few more bird pix from Ethiopia. I loved the kingfishers, but there again kingfishers are brilliant everywhere one goes. This little sprite is the African Pygmy Kingfisher. It is pretty widespread but very nice nonetheless. I had to stalk this one a bit in order to obtain some photos, but the time invested was well worth it - foil-wrapped eye candy!

There are few woodpeckers in Ethiopia - less than ten I think - and this is certainly the nicest and most range restricted. It is a male Abyssinian Woodpecker. We did well for this small 'pecker and recorded it at a few highland sites. This one was photographed in the Jemma Valley north of Addis.

There can be few families that sum up the uniqueness of avifauna of the African continent better than the turacos. It was a treat for me to see five members of this endemic family on this trip. This gem is a White-cheeked Turaco. They are medium-large birds that live in a variety of savannah and forest habitats, often in groups.

Rollers are amazing birds. This is an Abyssinian Roller, easily told by its long tail streamers. Many other rollers exhibit the wonderful sky blue and chestnut colors worn by this species, but none have such long streamers. This wonderful bird was pretty common in acacia woodland in the Rift Valley.

The ubiquitous Hoopoe! A fantastic-looking creature what with its banded plumage and expanding head. I well remember my very first Hoopoe flying along the cliffs at Foreness in Kent, UK way back in 1977. I was totally flabbergasted! But one gets over such things...

We did well for pigeons and doves in Ethiopia. One of the more colorful members of this tribe was the lovely Bruce's Green Pigeon. Not particularly common so I was lucky to get close enough to this obliging individual. Beautiful plumage innit...

Cuckoos were a real bust though and when I get around to writing the trip report there will be a glaring gap where the cuckoos should have been. I think it was a bad time for them since they were obviously not singing whilst we were there. In the last week or so I had a bit of a push with trying to lure a few in with playback. We had one response - from this lovely Klaas's Cuckoo - and that was about it! Next time maybe? Luckily most are pretty widespread.

The Somali Golden-breasted Bunting is really quite common in the southern half of Ethiopia where it likes to live in acacia savannah and scrub. It is easily pished in and is often one of the most conspicuous birds due to its confiding nature and flashy plumage.

And lastly a really flashy Northern Carmine Bee-eater! A large and dashing species it can be pretty common on occasion. I was happy to see this one because if you ever see a TV show about Africa this species is ALWAYS present!! More to follow...

The Mothman goes to Abyssinia...

2009-03-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from a great trip to Ethiopia. I was there with some friends from Sarnia, Ontario and UK. This was my first trip to Africa and I was totally awestruck with just about everything I heard and saw. Indeed, I'm already planning my return! Anyway, one of my objectives for this trip was to photograph as much as possible with my recently acquired Canon 40D camera. I was pleased with some of the results and thought I'd share a few images with you lot out there - I hope you like them...

BTW, the striking bird above is d'Arnaud's Barbet - quite fantastic isn't it? We saw several in the acacia dominated savannah near the town of Yabelo in the south of the country. It is quite a large barbet, about the size of a starling, and is rather crinkly and spotty in appearance.

The beautiful Beisa Oryx, quite common in Awash national Park which is south-east of Addis Ababa.

Much of the south looks a bit like this, rather arid with sparse scrubby vegetation. Is a bit hot too!

The highlands are quite different, being somewhat cool and often shrouded in mist...

This was my personal favorite bird of the trip, and the one I was most anticipating - the lovely, and quite rare, Somali Wheatear. Trust a transplanted Brit to choose a wheatear as his best bird! Is very nice though isn't it...

The large and showy Arabian Bustard is another "top ten" bird. Generally scarce over its global range, Ethiopia seems to be the best country in with to see this terrestrial giant. We saw several north of Awash National Park.

A displaying African Black-headed Oriole. Quite nice, if you like yellow birds...

A nice view of the subtle Somali Bee-eater. Most members of this family are overly colorful, but I liked this one best.

A confiding Malachite Kingfisher - generally the commonest kingfisher in the wetlands of the Rift Valley. Stunning bird!

Another barbet, this time the endemic Banded Barbet. Rather scarce throughout the highlands.

Finally, yer typical African sunset.

I'll post more photos, hopefully with better descriptions next time, in the near future...

The Ghostly Finch...

2009-01-11T15:05:00.001-08:00

Hi there! Yes, has been quite a while - but hey, all good things are worth waiting far are they not? I departed for a two month trip to Peru shortly after the last post, and then I was super busy upon returning, and then it was Christmas, and then New Years... Well, you get the idea. I'd love to show you some high-octane photos from Peru, but my camera broke whilst I was there, so...

All is not lost though and I now have a super new camera, a Canon 40D that I am very pleased with. So it was nice to find this lovely Hoary Redpoll just a few houses from our own here in Toronto. I rushed back for the camera and temporarily abandoned the intended shopping trip to Loblaws - well, any excuse will do! I took a series of pix with my tiny 18-90mm lens and then got back to the task at hand. Considering the small lens I was quite happy with my photos of this ghostly-looking finch.

Hoary Redpolls are scarce winter visitors to southern Ontario. Often in with flocks of the more regular and numerous Common Redpoll they are usually easy to spot. This one was pretty straightforward being large and very pale overall. There are many features that separate the two species but caution is always advised due to some muddy gray areas within a narrow zone of overlap of plumage features, especially with immatures and females. This individual displayed very little streaking on the mostly white underparts and, more importantly, lacked any streaking on the under tail coverts. The rump (hard to see in the photos) was mostly unstreaked white, contrasting with the streaked upper tail coverts.

The ground color of the upperparts was very pale gray, streaked darker. The head was likewise pale with a restricted amount of red on the crown and black on the chin. There was a nice pale buffy wash on the cheeks.

Another view as the bird fed in a small white birch, totally unconcerned of its admirers! A great winter treat...

I should add that I do actually keep a yard list, and this would have been a new one for this vastly important list. I have to admit that I did rush back to my yard in a desperate bid to add it to my rather stagnant list - but it was just too far away, and too hidden by other trees so I failed miserably. Answer, get a niger-seed feeder...
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The Borers of Wilson...

2008-09-07T19:13:00.001-07:00

Whilst down at Wilson Tract on Thursday we had the great pleasure of catching a nice selection of borer moths in the genus Papaipema. These fantastic moths mostly fly from late August to mid October, with early September being the peak for many species. The larvae bore into the stems, roots and rhizomes of a variety of herbaceous plants. Some are restricted to just one plant whereas other species are generalists.

They really are prized moths and are a treat to catch and look at. However, some species can be frustratingly difficult to identify. I'm pretty sure most of these are correct but...

Having said that, the above species is pretty easy, is Papaipema baptisiae. It is quite large and smooth-looking and has a nice string of large silvery orbicular spots and wide, broken mosaic edge to the reniform. I've just lent out some of my books so cannot give you the host plants for some of these moths!

This one is Papaipema birdi. It is smaller and paler than baptisiae and shows paler, cream-colored scales at the base of the forewing. Also, the reniform spot is distinctly larger - usually just touching the pm line.

This one is Papaipema leucostigma, the Columbine Borer Moth. It is pale orange and usually has reduced orbicular spots and just a trace of white fringing the reniform spot.

Next we have Papaipema pterisii, the Bracken Borer Moth. Similar to lecostigma but note the orbicular spots are fused, or almost so. The larvae are heavily into munching on bracken...

This one was from a previous visit and was remarkably early - had never seen a borer in July before! It is Papaipena nebris, the Stalk Borer Moth. This is one of the darker species and usually, well, the ones I've seen anyway, has dark and inconspicuous orbicular and reniform spots. The white antenna and white speckling along the costa near the forewing apex are apparently distinctive. The larvae are generalists on many plants.

We caught three of these and are having trouble identifying them. Rather small and distinctively marked we figured they would be easy - ha! It is possibly Papaipema rutila - but will have to do a bit of research...

Another dark species, we think this is Papaipema nelita. The warm brown saddle and reasonably large spots seem to indicate this species. Could be that the jagged-edged pm line is distinctive?

And finally an easy one - about time! This is Papaipema inquaesita, the Sensitive Fern Borer Moth. Is pretty common and widespread, I've even caught it once in my back yard! Sandpapery orange with darker veins and sharply angled lines and no obvious spots - easy. The larval foodplant is rather predictably sensitive fern.

I do have photos of a few other species, but I think eight is enough for one post... Nice though eh?

September Warmth...

2008-09-07T19:09:00.001-07:00

It was with some sense of anticipation and not a little excitement that MK and I motored down into the steamy depths of southern Ontario. Lured yet again by the promise of the unknown. The forecast proclaimed a low of 19 degrees, but it felt warmer - perfect! Maybe some immigrant moths were on the cards...

We walked the lines of flowers on our gracious hosts' property but came away empty handed. The flowers usually offer a few clues as to what may happen overnight - as far as immigrant species go anyhow, but there were none to be had. Oh well, it would have to be September residents then.

After setting up four traps, a couple of sheets and getting through a jar of goop on the local trees we headed towards the lakeshore along Hastings Drive, which is just the other side of the causeway before one gets to Long Point. Goop was plastered and a sheet was set up illuminated with the eerie glow of two blacklights. The locals had obviously not seen anything quite like it - but will again I can assure you!! With open water on one side and extensive marsh on the other it seemed like an interesting coastal location. It was slow at first but before long a few moths arrived, mostly on the goop. By far the nicest moth , and one I predicted I may add, was the lovely looper above. Is Plusia venusta, the White-streaked Looper Moth. I'd only seen it once before so was well chuffed! It's a subtle beauty that looks like it has been fashioned out of the sort of metallic foils one might wrap a birthday present in. Pretty much restricted to wetlands the larva feed on sedges and grasses whilst the adults fly from June to September. It appears to be somewhat local in Ontario.

A bigger surprise was the appearance of three Trachea delicata. Again, I'd seen this species just once, on Pelee Island some years ago. It was nice to have the opportunity to take a good series of photos. Is a terrific moth what with the mossy green highlights and all. I'd long thought this species should be here but thought the timing was too late - well, there's lots to learn I guess. All were fresh. We later found one in one of the traps at Mary's place. At the time of writing I'm not sure of the larval hosts, but will find out and update.

A snouty devil that should, and indeed was, around the marsh was the chunky Archanara oblonga, the Oblong Sedge Borer Moth. A bit of a September speciality (though sometimes earlier), this moth always seems a bit scarce, though I have recorded it at a few sites over the years. The larvae feed on cattails and bulrushes.

Another moth that was predicted to be on the lakeshore was Abagrotis orbis, above. There were a few of them, mostly on the goop. There are only a handful of sites in Ontario for this dune specialist so it was pleasing to add it to the Long Point list, not that there is an official list...

Portage Moths...

2008-09-03T09:19:00.001-07:00

I've been up at the family cottage for the past couple of weeks. Is at Portage lake which is about 20 Km south of Parry Sound. Is a lovely place with nice woodland and some interesting lake shore edge habitat. It is not marshy though and the lake bed is rather clean sand. I do occasionally catch some acid bog specialists from nearby fens but mostly I catch a nice selection of woodland species.

The last two weeks of August is kind of an odd time for moths here. Too late for many of the single brooded summer species and a little too early for most of the interesting fall species like pinions and sallows. However, there are some nice species that are characteristic of this period. The lovely moth above is very much an August speciality.It is Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides, more easily known as the Pink-patched Looper Moth. I caught two, doubling my life total! The first was total trash and horribly worn - a real disappointment. However, the second, above, was quite fresh and much more pleasing. It is a shiny, metallic fellow and was very difficult to photograph so the colors stood out. Deep shade was no good. Bright sunlight worse still. I had to position the moth so it was kinda half and half and use my shutter hand to reflect some of the light onto it. It sort of worked but I was left scratching my head and feeling that there must be a better way. Gorgeous moth though. Meadow Rue is the larval foodplant.

One of my few lifers was this nice looper moth called Syngrapha altera. I was well pleased since, as you all know by now, I rate the loopers highly. This one is a bit of an identification challenge since it is quite similar to S. octoscripta. It is a bit smaller and has a somewhat different silver stigma on the forewing. It fits all the photos of the S. altera I've looked at.

My other new noctuid was the moth above - Eremobina jocasta. I've caught its cousin E. claudens here on a couple of occasions, but earlier in the season. I can't tell you much about this moth except to say that it must be pretty local within the province.

This is a large species that I only seem to catch here. It is Eurois occulta, known in UK as the Great Brocade - a very appropriate name for this impressive noctuid. I caught a few this time, but most were a bit worn and tatty. I did catch a really fresh one on the last night but I'd had enough and didn't photograph it - shameful!!

I was most disappointed to catch just one borer moth in the genus Papaipema. These are prized creatures not to be taken lightly - all are beautifully patterned in their own ways, though many are similar to one-another and pose certain identification problems. This one is Papaipema leucostigma, the Columbine Borer Moth. This is generally the commonest borer here, and the earliest one on the wing.

A great prize is this moth - Oligia bridghami, Bridgham's Brocade. I rarely catch it, and when I do they are invariably worn and grim-looking like the one above. Too bad because when fresh it is a sight to behold. I haven't caught a fresh one for over ten years now! I conclude that this is a local and scarce species in Ontario.

The darts in the genus Euxoa are very much a feature of fall moth catching. There are many of them. Some are dull and boring yet others are striking and very attractive. Very much in the latter category is the moth above Euxoa declarata. I've only caught it here and always in late August. Can't tell ya much about it right now though...

I though this was quite late. Obviously a second brood individual, I had not caught one in late August before. It is Charadra deridens, or The Laugher. An odd name for a beautiful chunky moth. It is quite common in well developed woodlands. The larvae feed on a variety of trees including beech, birches, elms, maples and oaks.

Finally, another late individual, this time the flashy prominent Nadata gibbosa, the White-dotted Prominent. A lovely moth that is common in late spring through the summer. Surely this is a second brood individual? It is common in woodlands of southern Ontario and the larvae feed on a wide variety of trees.

Hope you enjoy this fine selection - wish I could find the time to post more. Guess you'll all have to wait for the book...

Little and large...

2008-09-03T09:17:00.001-07:00

Well, we're all well familiar with the evil Noctua pronuba - the Large Yellow Underwing. It's a Euro import that has spread widely and is now common throughout southern Ontario. In fact, if anyone has a question about a "mystery" moth it nearly always turns out to be this unwelcome character. This is partly because it does not feature in any of the popular guides. Also, they are prone to hide under bits of wood and suchlike in the garden during daylight hours and often erupt from their hiding place with a whirl of orange hindwings that attracts attention!

Anyway, this year I've started to catch its smaller cousin, namely Noctua comes, the Lesser Yellow Underwing. I've caught three thus far in my Toronto backyard trap. Another Euro import to add to all the others we get now! In the above photo you can clearly see the size difference between the two species. Lesser is usually more uniform looking generally but can be as variable as its larger cousin. Apart from size it is not as "snouty" as the big boy and looks more compact and square-ended. I dare say this devil will become as common as the the other one in the fullness of time...

A tale of two Habrosynes...

2008-08-15T12:34:00.001-07:00

Habrosyne gloriosa, the Glorious Habrosyne.

Habrosyne scripta, the Lettered Habrosyne.

Can you spot the five differences between the two photos above? Answers on a postcard please!

I'm afraid I don't have time to go through all this now but will do so upon my return from the northlands. Something for you all to ponder as you eat yer toast and marmite in the morning...

Southern Quickie...

2008-08-15T11:36:00.001-07:00

We are off up to the family cottage for a couple of weeks dodging the rain showers. So, I thought I'd better slip these images onto the old blog before I departed. Mike and I did another rapid moth clean-up session down at our favorite spot and, as usual, came home with some interesting records.

The weather was not the greatest. It was nice and muggy and cloudy as we were setting up the traps and lights but as dusk came around it cleared and cooled noticeably. However, we still recorded way over 200 species which seems to be the benchmark down here. Perhaps the coolest moth of the night was the one above Catocala judith, or Judith's Underwing. I've long wanted to see this one. I like the "black" underwings and since this one is quite small too it always had some appeal for me. And so there it was, in the "Britney"trap. The Britney trap is a very special trap. It is made from a salvaged overhead light fitting - the sort you might find at a railway station and has a special Britney tube acting as the main funnel - you have to see it to appreciate it. It weighs an absolute ton (bit like the real thing - sorry Britney) and is a real pig to lug around. But we like her and she tries real hard to pull out all the stops to get "the big one" on each outing. Last time it was Richia acclivis, this time judith. BTW Judith's Underwing is very local in extreme southern Ontario, flies in July and August and the larvae feed on hickories and walnuts.

Before setting up we scoured the lines of flowers hoping for a gripping butterfly. There were none, but we did see a nice selection of pyralid moths around the flowers. Intriguing was a very small Pyrausta that I saw and then couldn't find again. I was convinced it was something interesting and was certainly new for me. After some searching we found at least four of these little sprites. I jarred one and photographed it the next morning, by which time it was sadly looking worse for wear. However, good enough to identify as Pyrausta rubricalis. I don't know the status of this moth in the province as of yet.

Another interesting moth that appeared on one of the sheets was the tiny pyralid above. This one is Acentria ephemerella, the Water Veneer. I've seen this one in UK but had no idea it occurred here in Ontario. I can find no reference to it in the literature I have at hand. Is pretty distinctive in its drabness! It is very small, a pale dove gray colour with a tiny white discal spot on each wing. They rarely survive the night so I was surprised this one did!

Another nice catch was the dagger moth above - Acronicta oblinita, the Smeared Dagger Moth - but please don't be put off by the name! Is a nice-looking dagger that I don't catch very often and was a new species for the site. The adults are on the wing in spring and late summer in two broods whilst the larvae feed on a wide variety of trees, shrubs and plants.

Another moth that was new for us was this small noctuid called Meganola phylla. We caught a couple of them but I wasn't entirely sure of the identification so consulted some expert help. Luckily the call was good. We also caught the look-alike sister species M. minuscula, which is much more common and widespread, at least in Ontario.

Ear to the ground...

2008-08-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

Another night with not a lot going on. Still, a few year ticks for the garden trap. The above tortrix is Eucosma derelecta. It is quite common in late July and August and I think is pretty much an annual visitor to the garden

The genus Caloptilia is a very distinctive one. The moths are pencil-shaped and very small, some amazingly so! They have a very characteristic resting pose with the long front legs taking all the weight of these tiny sprites. They can be tough to identify but I'm pretty sure this one is Caloptilia blandella. The larvae are leaf miners, but I'm not sure at this time on what.

I like this moth. It is Amphipoea americana, the American Ear Moth. Another common species that is on the wing in late July and August. It comes to light and also to goop slathered on tree trunks. It is quite variable with some individuals sporting gleaming white reniform spots. All are this nice shade of orange overlaid with the darker "net rigging" effect - very tasteful I'd say, though this one is slightly worn. The larvae feed on grasses and sedges.

More moth gifts...

2008-08-11T19:20:00.001-07:00

It has been decided that Brampton is the center of the clearwing universe. Here are two examples why...

I was well gripped a few weeks ago when fellow mothman Mike found a Virginia Creeper Clearwing in his back yard. I have tons of virginia creeper in my own back yard so why can't I host this incredible moth? Anyhow, it seemed to be a one-off, but then he caught another one! Lucky for me it was the morning that we were to go mothing in the deep south (that I'll get to next post) so he brought it along so I could get some photos. I was well pleased, not only because it's a superb-looking creature but because many of these clearwings are so very hard to find without the aid of pheromone lures.

A couple of days later Mike phoned again to say he had captured yet another species of clearwing in his yard - I think that makes about five species now. This time it was this fantastic Peachtree Borer Moth. This time I travelled to the end of the subway line to collect the moth from him. Way to go Mike! What will be next.

Almost new...

2008-08-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last we were all over in the lakeside town of Southampton. It was very much a case of sun, sand, beer and one very good moth! It was mostly family time so I was more than content to indulge in rounds of mini golf, hanging out on the beach, swimming and going out watching run-of-the-mill local bands. But of course the moth trap travels with us wherever we go!

On this occasion I caught two examples of the moth above. The first was a bit worn, whilst the second one, depicted above, was quite fresh. I knew straight away it was a species I'd not seen before so it was with some anticipation that I leafed through what little reference material I had at hand. Not in there! Oh well, I would have to check the MPG website upon return home. It was easy to find and turned out to be the noctuid Striacosta albicosta, or the Western Bean Cutworm Moth. Great, I had some hope that it may be a new provincial record so I sent the photos off to the experts. Well, I was ever so close and would have had a new moth for Canada had someone else not beaten me to it last year on Manitoulin Island. Oh the ups and downs of the modern moth world - one minute yer up, the next yer down! Having said that I was still very pleased...

Dullsville, Toronto...

2008-08-11T18:58:00.001-07:00

Last night was incredibly dull for moths! It wasn't too cold but I find that moth activity is highly restricted after heavy late evening downpours. One moth that did show up for the party though was this nice Oligia modica, the Black-banded Brocade. Is not uncommon or anything but I don't think it has appeared on this blog before. I like this moth. It has some character to it that is hard to define. At rest the wings are held in a concave manner, a bit like a semi-collapsed tent! The thorax and head are all lumpy and the pattern on the forewing rather cryptic. All in all it's an OK moth. I don't catch many of them here in the garden, in fact they seem to be low density wherever I go. The adults fly mostly in late July through August whilst the larval host appears to be unknown.

Return to Dickey...

2008-08-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

Just back from visiting friends at Dickey Lake in Hastings county. Mixed weather meant mixed fortunes with the moths. First night being too cool and clear after heavy rain all day and the next night, though being much warmer was plagued with prolonged rain. Ya just can't win! However, my persistence paid off in the end. As I checked to trap on the second morning I noticed a smart-looking looper moth resting on the ground by the trap. Quickly jarred it turned out to be the lovely Syngrapha octoscripta shown above. A true beauty. I've always been of the opinion that a new looper is worth ten of any other types, though there are a few notable exceptions...

This species is not uncommon throughout southern and central Ontario but had always eluded me for some reason, was nice to catch up with it at long last so I could get a nice series of photos. The larvae feed on blueberry.

I did catch quite a few moths on the second night but the haul consisted mostly of micros with very few noctuids. It was nice to catch two other flashy loopers in the form of Diachrysia balluca and Syngrapha rectangula.

Otherwise we enjoyed the spectacular hospitality of our gracious hosts Cynthia and Alan, ate some great food, drank copious amounts of various liquids and generally had a great time watching the antics of the kids! Looking forward to returning next year...

The greenish one...

2008-08-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've had a good run of new moths for the back yard of late, mostly micros but this lovely looper was a most welcome addition. It is Syngrapha viridisigma and I've only caught one before, only one day apart from this one four years ago in Southampton. Obviously this is a very local and scarce species in Ontario. The larvae feed mostly on pines.

It is rather plain and ashy-gray in general but has delicate darker lines and a glowing metallic lime-green stigma on the forewing.

I have been quite active of late on the moth front, but also very busy - hence the lack of posts. Will try to show you some of the recent highlights over the next few days...

Moth-like Gifts...

2008-07-25T11:54:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I've been back from a great trip to UK for a couple of weeks now but have been a bit too bust to trifle with such things as blogs etc. I have some very nice photos of some UK moths and a few interesting recent moths from my very own back yard here in Toronto that I'd like to share with you all - at some stage. But first, this...

One of the joys of being a known "moth man" is that folks occasionally bring odd moths that they've found to you for inspection. And so it has been of late. Here are two examples:

Just as I was about to step past the front door late one night (after conducting the annual TEA High Park public moth night in fact) I noticed a margarine container in my mail box. A bit odd so I cautiously pried off the lid only to find a lovely Imperial Moth inside! Hadn't seen one for years, so I was well pleased, as you might imagine. Apparently a near-neighbor of mine (Jamie the flute) had found it by chance up near Parry Sound and brought it back for me. I will be releasing it in suitable habitat soon.

Eacles imperialis, or Imperial Moth is a large and impressive member of the Saturniidae, or giant silkworm moth family. The subspecies we see here is E. i. pini and is pretty local in wooded regions of Ontario where pines are prevalent.

The second gift was the fantastic-looking Sesia apiformis, or Hornet Moth above. It was found by my friends Carol and Hugh as they conducted a butterfly survey in one of the Toronto ravines. This moth is an introduced European species which is rather local in the northeastern sector of North America. In UK the moth is local and hard to detect, even though there is a pheromone lure available to pull them out of the woodwork. I'll write another post about the fascinating process of luring in clearwing moths with pheromones.

The Hornet Moth is large and impressive for a micro! It has one generation that flies mostly in June and July. The larva feed on the live wood of poplars. The adults are remarkably wasp-like in appearance and are thus likely to be overlooked unless one is actually looking for clearwing moths.

Three Good Moths...

2008-06-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

I've been lucky of late to visit some excellent sites for my mothing activities. Mostly I've been wanting to acquire some photos of common moths in order to "fill a few gaps". However, some rather lovely and unexpected gems have come my way - here are three of them.

Above is the superb little noctuid Cerma cora. It has to be said that I've been after this one for a long long time, so when I spotted it sitting on the sheet at Raven Lake last weekend it was a mad rush for a jar! Jarred it was, but it took an awful long time the next day before I could secure the photos I wanted. It was a restless little devil and I had to "fridge" it a few times before it got fed-up and humored me with a photo session!

This species seems to be little-known in Ontario. The larvae feed on pin cherry, which is common enough, but the moth itself appears inexplicably rare. It was indeed a rare prize, who knows when the next one will appear...

A couple of nights ago I was down at Wilson Tract again with my good friend Mike. It was another classic session with in excess of 260 species attracted to our battery of six lights. The highlight came pretty early when Mike pointed out an unfamiliar moth fluttering against one of the sheets. It didn't take too long to figure out what it was! Meet Eutilia pulcherrima, the aptly-named Beautiful Eutilia. We were both stunned, and then we saw five more! Just incredible. It reminds me of the Light Marathyssa in general aspect, but is chunky, more boldly patterned and has a large white patch on the hind wing. This lovely moth is on the wing mostly in June here in Ontario and the larval foodplant is poison sumac. Again, it appears extremely local within the province.

After all those Eutilias we figured it would have to take something very special to beat them. Well, there it was, in the bottom of one of the traps - Phosphila miselioides, the Spotted Phosphila. Indeed it was hard to miss what with those stunning snowy-white reniform spots. Sunglasses required! And yet another moth I've long wanted to see. Oh the joys of mothing. This super noctuid flies in mid summer and the larval foodplant is common greenbriar.

I'm off to UK tomorrow, so you may be seeing a few British moths over the next three weeks - stay tuned...

Shiny metallic...

2008-06-11T06:21:00.001-07:00

I'm a huge fan of the Loopers. These compact, often shiny devils are the ultimate prize on occasion. Here in Ontario we have a fine selection of Loopers. Most are resident species but quite a few others are uncommon or rare migrants from further south. There are several different genera but here we are concentrating on the genus Plusia.

The beautiful moth above is Plusia putnami, or Putnam's Looper Moth. I was very pleased to see this one on the sheet because it had been about 12 years since I saw my last and I only had some rather grim-looking slides in my photo file. It is fairly widespread in the province but must surely be very local, or I would have caught more over the years. The adult flies from June until October whilst the larvae feed on bur-reed, grasses and sedges. It is only really similar to the species below. So...

On to this one, Plusia contexta, the Connected Looper Moth. A bit more golden overall with the metallic stigma spots fused. Again, a very local species in Ontario. They fly from June until October and the larvae feed on various grasses.

Lastly, not a looper but a fern moth. Callopistria cordata, the Silver-spotted Fern Moth. Pretty common, but lovely nonetheless. This moth is on the wing in June and July, the larvae feed, rather predictably, on ferns...

Smooth as Silk...

2008-06-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Along with my good friends Carolyn and Steve I was helping out with another organized moth event this weekend on behalf of the Carden Nature Festival in the Kirkfield area, a couple of hours drive northeast of Toronto. The weather was near-perfect with a slither of a moon, no rain and wonderfully warm throughout. We arrived on the Friday, caught a pile of moths, kept a few of the nice ones and then held the main event on the Saturday night. It's always good to have a few moths in hand to show the folks before things start to happen.

One of the moths we were pleased to be able to show off was the apple-green beauty above - the incomparable Actias luna, the Luna Moth. Rather amazingly I'd only seen this superb moth once before, at the very bottom of a moth trap at the end of its flight period and looking decidedly shabby! Therefore it was with no small degree of glee that I finally got to see a couple in better condition.

A different individual. Note the large feathery (bipectinate) antennae on this male. These super sensitive organs are used to detect the pheromones exuded by the female Luna Moth. The mercury vapor and blacklight bulbs that we use to attract moths mimic to some extent these pheromones and thus the male moths find the light very attractive, only to be sorely disappointed in the end!

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend was the capture of a couple of this attractive Silky - Hyalophora columbia, the Columbia Silkmoth. I'd been wanting to see this one for many years but rarely had the opportunity to moth anywhere near tamarack trees, the larval foodplant of this lovely moth. It is similar to the much more widespread and familiar Cecropia Moth, but is significantly smaller, darker and lacks the reddish band on the wings beyond the white pm line that is prominent on the Cecropia - see below...

A dorsal view of this beautiful moth. In basic pattern it is very similar to a Cecropia Moth, but note the lack of the pinkish-red band near the trailing edge of the wings. The white wing spots also lack the reddish tinge present on the Cecropia. We were able to directly compare this moth with a Cecropia and found it to be about a third smaller.

This moth appears to be extremely local in Ontario, but it is perhaps overlooked due its short flight period, mostly in June. At this location I later learned that there was a nice swamp with many tamarack trees quite close to the house...

And here is a male Hyalophora cecropia, the Cecropia Moth. On this underside view you can clearly see the reddish band on the wings that separates this from the Columbia. Note also the bright red hair scales on the head and thorax and the pinkish-red shading within the whitish wing spots.

A dorsal view of the same Cecropia, again you can clearly see the pinkish-red band on the wings. Cecropia Moths are pretty common but it is the large green larvae that most folk find rather than the adult moth. The larvae feed on a wide variety of trees and shrubs and the adults fly mostly in June. Is a stunning moth.

The other big silky we saw over the weekend was this one, Antheraea polyphemus, the Polyphemus Moth. Compared to the two Hyalophora species above this large silky is rather drab-looking. In fact it looks a bit like a dead leaf and is remarkably well camouflaged when sitting on a tree. If you disturb one of the giants in the daytime they immediately drop to the ground like a dead leaf - a great mimic. If you do this though don't forget to pick it up and relocate in in a safe place...

Another view of the wonderful Polyphemus. I like this moth. It's not too flashy but it has those amazing eye-spots that are transparent in the middle. The larvae of this species feed on a wide variety of trees and shrubs and the cocoon can often be found in the depths of winter firmly attached to the food plant. The adults fly mostly in early summer. However, I've seen them as late as early August on Pelee Island suggesting a partial second brood.

Thought I'd finish up with a few sphinx moths. We recorded 11 species of sphinx over the course of the weekend, which is quite good. All were common species so there were no surprises. The moth above is the lovely Sphinx kalmiae, the Laurel Sphinx. Widespread within southern Ontario, I usually catch a few each year. Is a very sleek and elegant species with nice subtle colors. The larvae feed on a variety of trees, including ashes, fringe-tree, laurels and others whilst the adults are on the wing between late May and August.

Another sphingid in the genus Sphinx, this time Sphinx poecila, the Northern Apple Sphinx. Again, pretty sleek and tasteful. The moth is easily identified by the black top to the head and thorax. Also, note the relatively plain fore wing with the distinct white reniform spot. The hind wing shows that broad black subterminal band contrasting with the unmarked white fringe. The adults fly in the early summer whilst the larvae feed on a variety of trees and plants.

Always a favorite, the massive Pachysphinx modesta, or Big Poplar Sphinx is always a sight to behold. I've heard it described as a "large flying mouse", and this is indeed a pretty accurate description! the wings are nice shades of grayish-brown, paler basally and with a tasteful flash of crimson (not visible here) on the hind wing. Is common in Ontario, flying mostly in June and July. The larvae feed on poplars and willows.

Lastly, one of our smallest sphingids, Lapara bombycoides, the Northern Pine Sphinx. A trim, compact species with a subtle pattern of blackish lines on a slaty-gray background and no flashy colors. Another pretty common moth that flies in June and July in well-wooded regions. The larvae feed on pines and tamarack.

There were many other moth highlights this weekend and I'll post a few more photos later. Finally, I want to thank our wonderful hostess Dale though for fantastic support during this event. What a great place to live - I'll be back...

Garden Micros...

2008-06-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post a few moths from last night here in my back yard. There wasn't much considering the weather, perhaps tonight will be better?

Above is another Synanthedon acerrubri! A slightly different view to show the utter craziness of such moths. Gotta love those orange-and-black anal tufts...

Okay, this is not a micro, but since it's a lovely moth that I've never shown you before I thought I'd stick it in. It is Palthis angulalis, the Dark-spotted Palthis. Usually this species has rather long palps that reach out in front of the head, but they are sadly reduced on this individual. It is a common species in Ontario that is on the wing through much of the summer. The larvae feed on a variety of trees and shrubs.

This tortrix has just started to fly for the summer. It is Notocelia illotana. I can't tell you much about it except to say that I catch a lot of them here in Toronto but few elsewhere.

A better view of the lovely tortrix moth Cydia pomonella. All the moths in this genus display beautiful patterns of fine vermiculations often crossed by metallic gold and silver bands.

Finally, a true example of a leaf-mining bit of microdust - Bucculatrix electa. A tiny moth, only about 4mm long. I don't know much about it but will try to find out what its host plant is and let you all know...

Crystal Clear...

2008-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

I caught a very nice moth in my back yard trap last night. Was the moth above, a clear-winged moth called Synanthedon acerrubri. At first glance I thought it was going to be a closely related species called Synanthedon acerni, the Maple Callus Borer Moth, but I was mistaken, happily so I might add! It has been my experience that it is only S. acerni that actually comes to light on a regular basis - the rest you find by chance visiting flowers during the daytime, only one rarely does.

These clear-winged moths are micros in the family Sesiidae. There are quite a few species in Ontario but they are frustratingly elusive. Lights are ineffective for most species and searching them out in the daytime mostly proves fruitless. Because of their clear-winged appearance and day-flying habits many members of the Sesiidae are probably mistaken for various wasps. The larvae bore into the stems, roots and trunks of various woody and herbaceous plants.

By far the best way to actually see these magnificent creatures is to lure them with pheromones. Short of capturing a female and putting her into a little cage how can one go about this? Well, in UK one can actually buy pheromones. They come in little bags and the idea is to hang different combinations of pheromones in a low tree or shrub to lure different species. I tried it with a mothing friend a couple of years back when we were over there and it works like magic. No sooner had the bags been hung than the female-hungry males appear out of thin air - is quite something. They are then very easy to catch and photograph. I'm not sure if such packages of pheromones are available over here for our species...

Another view of Synanthedon acerrubri. Quite a fantastic-looking creature. I want more!

The Great Rondeau Moth Event...

2008-06-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

These images show a few of the nice moths that we saw at Rondeau Provincial Park over the weekend. The weather wasn't the greatest but at least it was quite warm in spite of the blustery and often rainy conditions. It looked great as we drove west out of Toronto, high overcast and warm. It still looked good as we rolled into Rondeau at about 11 at night. Then, just as soon as we stepped out of the car it started to rain! Just typical. Not only did I have to set up in the dark, but in the rain too. Total misery.

However, it was worth it. Moths do fly in the rain you know, and I did want to catch a selection to show the folks before the main event the following evening. So, what do we have. Well, above is Euparthenos nubilis, the Locust Underwing. Not one of the "true" underwings, they all fall into the genus Catocala, but is close enough. Sorry I couldn't tempt it into opening its wings to reveal the flashy pattern of orange and black wavy bands. It is quite variable on the fore wing, this one is pretty average. It is quite common in Ontario where the adults fly between May and September in two broods. The larvae feed on locusts.

This is Charadra deridens, or The Laugher. A chunky, highly patterned species with tons of character. It is reasonably common throughout southern Ontario but always in low numbers. Most individuals I catch are slightly paler than this one. The adults are on the wing between May and September in two or more broods. The larvae feed on a variety of trees.

Horribly gaudy I know but I thought I'd better put this one on at some stage - sorry. This is Dryocampa rubicunda, the Rosy Maple Moth. It is common in the southern part of Ontario, especially close to the shore of Lake Erie. The candy-colored adults fly between May and August whilst the larvae feed on maples and oaks. Even the head looks as though it is fashioned from candy-floss! Yes, it looks good enough to eat, though I cannot be held responsible for what may happen if you do...

Ahh, this is more like it! Subtle and tasteful, yes. The lovely Cycnia oregonensis, or Oregon Cycnia. I do like the understated appearance of this moth, those whitish veins on the pearly-gray background are just right. The adults fly from May through August in two broods. The larvae feed on indian hemp.

We caught five species of Sphinx Moth on this occasion, including this fresh Paonias excaecatus, or Blinded Sphinx. This handsome devil is one of our more common sphingids and is on the wing between May and August in two broods. The larvae feed on a variety of trees and Prunus species.

I was initially confused by this flashy creature before realizing it was an ultra-bright example of the strange Dasylophia thyatiroides, or Gray-patched Prominent. I had never seen one so bright. Indeed, the ones I catch further north are positively dull compared to this - maybe there are two morphs? Anyway, this attractive moth flies between May and August and the larvae feed on hickories and legumes.

Finally, another Zale. Well, we all love 'em do we not. This one is Zale helata, the Brown-spotted Zale. Not one I catch too often, this one was attracted to some goop I had painted on tree trunks near the lights. It is an early flier, like most zales, and is on the wing in May and June. The larvae feed on larch and pines.

Knives Out...

2008-06-03T06:45:00.001-07:00

I was helping out with a moth event at Rondeau Provincial Park this past weekend. It was jointly organized by the Toronto Entomologists Association and the Friends of Rondeau. We received fantastic support from the staff at the main park centre and all those who attended had, I think, a great time.

I'll present the main highlights in another post but though I'd show you a few Dagger Moths first. The daggers belong in the genus Acronicta which is within the huge complex of the Noctuidae - of which there are just under 3000 species within North America. There are quite a few species of Acronicta Daggers here in Ontario, maybe about 40 or more species. Many are superbly marked with fine dagger-like streaks on ash-gray wings, whereas others are boldly mottled gray and black.

The Dagger above is one of the more boldly-marked species. It is Acronicta noctivaga, the aptly-named Night-wandering Dagger Moth. A lovely species, it is on the wing from late May until August in wooded areas. The larvae feed on Poplars.

This is one of the "classic" Daggers. It is Acronicta spinigera, the Nondescript Dagger Moth. Beautifully-marked, though subtle - note the "dagger-like" streaks on the fore wing. There are some look-alike species but this one can be told apart by the incomplete thin black edge to the roundish orbicular spot. Like many daggers this one is on the wing from late May through August in two or more broods. The larvae feed on a variety of trees and Rubus species.

Some daggers lack the characteristic dagger-like markings on the fore wing, and this is one of them. It is Acronicta haesitata, the Hesitant Dagger Moth. The almost straight double am. line is a good clue to its identity. Again, the adults fly from May until August in two or more broods. The larvae feed on red and white oak.

This is one of the darker-looking daggers. It is Acronicta afflicta, the Afflicted Dagger Moth. The most obvious feature of this stygian beauty is that bold whitish, dark-centered, orbicular spot on the fore wing. The adults fly from late May until August and the larvae feed on oaks and walnuts.

Though not really a typical dagger moth Simyra henrici, or Henry's Marsh Moth is lumped with them. It more resembles some of the wainscots in the genus Leucania. It is a marsh dwelling species that is on the wing from May until August. The larvae feed on cattails, various grasses, sedges and willows. It is pretty distinctive with the most obvious feature being the three dusky streaks that run lengthwise across the fore wing.

All of these great moths were photographed at Rondeau this past weekend. Well, all that remains for me to say is that I hope you get the point of all this...

The very first moth...

2008-05-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

A speck of microdust can be quite special. Hard to believe I know but when one delves deep into the murky world of microlepidoptera small can be pleasing, and smallest can be best of all. What is he blabbering on about? Well, the moth above, which is tiny I can tell you - less than 4mm long - has the distinction of being number one on the Hodges Checklist of the Lepidoptera of North America. It also has the distinction of being the very last moth in the Covell Guide to Eastern Moths. Try to work that one out!

It is of course 00001 Epimartyria auricrinella, or the Goldcap Moss-eater Moth. It is very tiny, has pointy wings and gets its name from the buffy-orange hair-scales on the top of the head. The forewing is dusky-purplish and speckled with golden scales that glitter in the light.

Another view of this impressive sprite. I don't know too much about this moth. From Covell I gleaned that the larvae feed on liverworts. In fact he states that the adult moth is best sought by sweeping a net over beds of liverworts. The adults are on the wing in May - well, that figures.

This moth was a real devil to photograph so I apologize for the poor quality of these shots. It looks dead in the top photo, but it isn't. When tipped from the jar onto the leaf it would run around in tiny circles and it took great patience on my part to obtain even these mediocre photos. And, of course, it is very tiny - true microdust...

I also caught this nice tortrix - Cydia pomonella, the Codling Moth. I catch lots of these in my garden since there is an apple tree next door, one of the larval foodplants of this species. The adults are on the wing most of the summer in two broods. It is another of those Euro imports that has taken off over here. Is common in UK.

More chunky delights...

2008-05-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

A few more highlights, as promised. Had been a while since I'd seen this huge geometrid so it was with some relief that the single individual that graced one of the lights was in close to mint condition. This is the impressive Epimecis hortaria, or Tulip-Tree Beauty. The adults are on the wing mostly late May to July here in Ontario and the larvae feed on pawpaw, poplars, sassafras and, of course, tulip-tree. Is one of those moths that needs to be seen in life to appreciate.

Flashy tiger moths are always a crowd pleaser. This one is Apantesis nais, the Nais Tiger Moth. I'd only seen a couple before and the two we caught this night where new for the site species list. It is a medium-sized tiger that flies between late May and August. The larvae feed on a variety of grasses and low plants. As with all tigers particular attention needs to be directed to the exact pattern on the forewing - though some species are highly variable - and the color and pattern of the hindwing.

Chunky, even by prominent standards, the lovely Peridea basitriens, or Oval-based Prominent is quite a striking creature. Not colorful at all but uniquely marked. It is common in wooded areas. The adults fly mostly late May to late August in Ontario.

Speaking of uniqueness, Nerice bidentata, or Double-toothed Prominent certainly fits the bill nicely. It is always scarce for some reason and I commented to Mike that I've never seen more that one on any given night. Well, of course, we saw two this night! Anyway, is a beautiful creature that flies between May and August. The larvae feed on elms.

Finally, one of the more unusual moths of the night, the snouty Phyllodesma americana, or Lappet Moth. No description is required for this unique character though it should be said that they are somewhat variable in overall color - some being bright orange. They fly May to September in two broods and the larvae feed on a variety of trees and members of the rose family.

Just Desserts...

2008-05-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

You may be forgiven for thinking that South Walsingham is my second home! Well, it has certainly felt that way this spring with my forth visit of the moth season a couple of days ago. This time I travelled with my friend Mike, a veteran of many such rapid assessment moth trips! The weather looked promising so spirits were high as we motored south into the steamy depths of southern Ontario.

And so it turned out to be. It felt slightly chilly and the moths were slow to arrive at the lights at first. But as the night warmed up so did the moths and we ended up with 130-140 species, very respectable for late May. There were no fantastic highlights, and the hoped-for Luna Moth failed to put in an appearance, but the species list was varied and colorful.

One of the tastiest moths of the night was the above Argyrostrotis anilis, the Short-lined Chocolate. I'd only seen it a couple of times before and this one was crispy fresh for the camera. It's a lovely shade of medium dark chocolate with the finely applied white icing! Sometimes this species can be seen in the daytime, but I've never had any luck with it this way. It is obviously fairly local and thinly spread in the province. The larvae feed on Sabatia species.

A major highlight for me was the capture of the moth above, Zale unilineata, the One-lined Zale. It had been years since I'd seen one and I only had some rather poor slides of one perched atop a rather boring lump of wood! Nice to get another chance to obtain some decent photos. Considering how much mothing I do it seems clear to me that this Zale must be pretty local and uncommon. The larvae feed on black locust. I particularly like the way the yellowish pm line on the forewing clashes with the black st line on the hindwing...

A moth I always thought I must surely be overlooking is this one, Marathyssa basalis, the Light Marathyssa. It has a similar looking cousin called, yes, you've guessed it, the Dark Marathyssa! They are both the same crazy shape when at rest but when I saw this one I knew it was different. I catch lots of Dark Marathyssa and it is nowhere near as striking as this strange beauty. This species has lots of fine white lines on the forewing and abdomen that the other species lacks. Also, and you never read about this in the books, it has these distinct flanges on either side of the abdomen, was one of the first things I noticed. The larvae of this species feed on poison ivy - well, something has to! The other feeds on staghorn sumac. BTW - you would never be able to identify either Marathyssa by looking at photos of spread specimens in books because they bear absolutely no resemblance to the illustrations when at rest in life. They roll their wings up and curl their abdomens up to the sky you see. It almost makes one think that a photo guide is in order... And no, I hadn't overlooked this species at all, I just hadn't seen it, until now.

I've always loved this moth! I mean there is just so much going on it almost makes one dizzy. Well, okay, slightly OTT but you get the idea. The hindwing, which you cannot see when the moth is at rest, is just as startling in black-and-white. Is Synedoida grandirena, the Figure-seven Moth. I've only ever caught it here. The larvae feed on witch-hazel.

This is the rather flashy noctuid Lacanobia subjuncta, the Speckled Cutworm Moth. It is pretty common and widespread but since this individual was in superbly mint condition I thought it would look nice here. Is fantastically complex-looking. The larvae feed on a wide variety of plants and can be a pest.

Some moths just look classy. This smooth devil is Cucullia florea. In UK moths in the genus Cucullia are called Sharks, a great name for these horned, long-winged creatures. There are half a dozen or so members of this genus in Ontario, they are all rather similar to one-another. This species is pretty local and I've only seen it here.

This is a wainscot - and all wainscots look pretty much the same. Well, that's not strictly true, but to the untrained eye there is not much going on in order to differentiate between them. This one is called Leucania linita, and I'm not sure what the common name is, or if it even has one - some moths don't you see, especially micros. This one can be identified by the pattern of the dusky line through the middle of the forewing being interrupted by that little white spot. It also has rather squared-off wings, but that's hard to tell without experience of the genus. There are several members of this rather homogenous genus in the province but many are local and uncommon. The larvae mostly feed on various grasses.

I was well pleased with is small noctuid, mostly because it fell into that category of moths that I hadn't seen for years and didn't have decent photos of. This is mostly because I would normally be birding at this time and miss many species that are on the wing in late May and early June. It is Ulolonche modesta, a small quaker. It is unusual in that it is mostly ashy-gray with nice sharp blackish lines and shading and that nice broken-edged reniform spot. Pretty distinctive really. It is pretty local, but is probably overlooked due to the timing of its flight period. The larval food plants are unknown.

Finally, the very orange Pyrrhia umbra, the Bordered Sallow. I've seen this lovely moth many times but this was the best and freshest individual I'd ever seen - it just glowed in the manner of a spring male Blackburnian Warbler! It is pretty widespread but always in low density. The larvae feed on a wide variety of trees, shrubs and plants.

So, another successful venture. I'll post a few more highlights next time. In the meantime I have been catching a few moths in my backyard - but mostly microdust it has to be said...

Brass Monkeys...

2008-05-19T19:08:00.001-07:00

We were all back down to the deep south of Ontario this weekend, but boy was it frigid! Brass monkeys, as they'd say in the jolly old UK. Still, we had fun on the first afternoon hunting Morels, Morchella species. They seem to be rather common this spring and we had no trouble finding more than enough to go with dinner. Not the one above though. This is a Black Morel, though what exactly constitutes this species is taxonomically confused right now. We found just one small clump in the forest interior so we left them alone. Apparently they do taste quite good in spite of their rather distasteful appearance.

Ah, yes, this is more like it. There were two other edible types in the area, this was the more common of the two and easy to find since they were on the outside edge of the woods. Washed, sliced and fried up they are totally delicious.

A nice close-up of the "brain-like" structure of the morel.

It was a disaster for moths. I had four MV lights blazing away into the night but it was all to no avail - just too cold, with a full moon to boot. I ended up with five moths of just three species. Pitiful! However, all was saved when James found the micro moth above. We were looking at a centipede on a tree trunk when he spotted it - great eyes! I was most excited because I recognized it as being in the genus Bondia, a member of the Carposinidae. I figured it was most likely B. crescentella, but have to be cautious because there are other species for which I cannot find reference material for just now. A nice looking moth all the same.

This is the tortrix moth Phaneta radiatana. A striking and distinctive-looking moth. It is an early flying species that I have caught at a couple of other sites but not here, so I was quite pleased to add it to the ever growing site list. There are quite a few Phaneta species in Ontario but this is one of the most striking and easily identified.

This is Protorthodes oviduca, the Ruddy Quaker. Rather small and chunky this common and widespread species is best identified by the reddish-brown ground color with the contrasting pale-edged black reniform and orbicular spots. The adults are on the wing from May to September in two generations and the larvae feed on dandelion, grasses and other low plants.

Finally, the distinctive Agrotis volubilis, the Voluable Dart. Another common and widespread species that is on the wing in late spring.

I'm not going back until it warms up! However, it was well worth it for the fine company and lovely morels...

Bright and Shiny...

2008-05-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

The above Coleophora trifolii is quite a common little moth in these parts. It is a member of a group of micros that are generally hard to identify though, thankfully, there are not too many of them in Ontario. The species closest to this one, which I also catch in the yard trap, is C. mayrella - which has thickened bases to the antennae. Both are very small, pencil slim and glossy metallic green, bronze and purple in coloration.

The night before last I caught this geometer called Ectropis crepuscularia, The Small Engrailed. Although a common moth throughout our region I rarely catch it in the yard, in fact I think this is only my second. It is rather similar to several other medium-sized "gray" geometers but can usually be told apart by the two blackish outward-pointing wedges in the mid part of the forewing, though this can be hard to see on the occasional melanics that one encounters. The larvae feed on a wide variety of trees, whilst the adults are on the wing between April and September in two or more generations.

Dull, but new - I think...

2008-05-16T06:12:00.001-07:00

A bit chilly again last night and as a result very few moths were lured to the light. Nicest, as far as freshness goes, was the Norman's Quaker above. I've trapped lots of these this spring which is amazing because beforehand I think I'd only caught one in eight years of mothing here!

This is the dull and boring moth. Most folk would simply chuck such an uninspiring creature. However, I recognized it as something I'd not seen before and quickly jarred it. It is very small, only a few mm. long but the overall darkness seemed interesting to me. Anyway, photos revealed it to be a Gelechid called Aroga websteri. I have to be careful with the identification because not everything is illustrated on the Moth Photographers Group website that I frequently use for such identifications. But the match is good and there are very few all-dark critters like this. If I'm correct then this would be new for me and the all-important yard list...

Looperama...

2008-05-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

Again, few moths in the trap, in fact only five - though representing five species, including three new for the yard trap for the year. The above moth is Anagrapha falcifera, the Celery Looper Moth. This is a very common species in Ontario and is the looper most likely to be seen in the daytime. One often kicks them out of the grass whilst looking for other insects. Is pretty distinctive with nothing really similar in our region. My UK readers will notice a certain resemblance to Dewick's Plusia though.

Another looper, this time Autographa precationalis, the Common Looper Moth. Another very common looper in Ontario though this one is more strictly nocturnal. It is a highly variable moth. The background color of the forewing varies from bronzy-brown to violet-gray and the metallic silver stigma can be fused (as here) or in two parts. The larvae are generalists on a wide variety of plants.

Finally we have Achatia distincta, the Distinct Quaker. Nice-looking moth, pretty common but I don't catch it every spring in the back yard. The black bar in the inner median part of the forewing is a good clue to its identity. An early-flying species it is usually over and done with by late May. The larvae feed on flowering crabapple, maples and red oak.

Otherwise there was a Diamondback Moth and a rather tatty Norman's Quaker looking distinctly worse for wear...

Microdust Leafminer...

2008-05-14T11:59:00.001-07:00

Still quiet for moths and the only new addition to the year list was this tiny leaf miner Bucculatrix angustata.

Snouty Little Devils...

2008-05-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

It's been pretty dire for moths of late. Mostly this has been due to the chilly and clear nights. Is always like this in the spring when good nights are very much at a premium. Last night there were four moths in the trap, and this snouty micro was amongst them. It is Thyrelia nana - a member of the Cochylidae. There are quite a few moths in this family and one feature they share is the longish, down turned snout effect. Many also have nice flared tips to the fore wings. This species is pretty common in my back yard in the springtime and this one turned up bang on time. Oh how predictable some of these moths are. Honestly, it's amazing how faithful some of them are with their flight periods.

Lets hope for better things tomorrow. Though for now we can delight in the common...

A thick slice of icing...

2008-05-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was back in the steamy south of the Wilson Tract again early this week. My brother-in-law wanted to buy a few plants from my friends down there so it was a grand excuse for me to put down the paint brushes, shelve the Warbling-Finches I'm working on for the Bolivia guide and zone out a bit. The night wasn't perfect, was a bit clear and slightly chilly, but the moths were quite good. I ended up with 70-80 species, including a few I haven't sorted out yet.

I make no excuses for just showing the highlights but have tried really really hard to include a few common things, if for no other reason that they look nice! The moth above is Loxostege cereralis. It is in the Pyraustinae tribe of the Pyralidae. I kicked it out of the grass whilst chasing other day-flying moths. Just a small guy but beautifully marked with intricate black lines.I don't think I've seen this species so early in the season - usually I see them in late summer and fall. Nice, subtle pattern on this fairly common species.

Another Pyralid, and also kicked-up during the daytime along the edge of a woodland trail whilst, unsuccessfully, straining my ears listening for Cerulean Warblers. This is the attractive Diacme adipaloides, and again I usually see this one in the late summer and fall.

I attracted quite a number of geometrid moths during the hours of darkness. This is Anticlea vasiliata, the Variable Carpet. I had often wondered just why this species was called "variable" since all the ones I had seen looked pretty similar to one-another. Well, this flashy individual proved the point! I'd not seen one so ornately patterned before and was well pleased to obtain a nice series of photos.

I'm a huge fan of the prominents. But you all know this to be true from previous posts so I'll not go on about it! This crumpled-looking fellow is Clostera inclusa. All the Clostera species look similar to this. Wonderful lines and shading creating the crumpled leaf effect. Some are difficult to identify and you have to look closely at the shape of the bulge of the white pm line near the apex. This species is a little bit local and is replaced by the similar C. apicalis at some of my sites. In the UK this genus of moths are called "chocolate-tips", trust the Brits to bring chocolate into it! Good name though...

Another prominent, Gluphisia avimacula is fairly common in this early spring time slot. It usually flies just a little bit later the similar Gluphisia lintneri featured a couple of weeks ago. Likewise it is exceptionally hairy and has beautiful, though subtle, muted colors and markings. The sharply-defined buff spots on the fore wing are distinctive.

The wonderfully "bark-like" Morrisonia confusa, Confused Woodgrain. What a great moth! Just try finding one of these during the daytime - the complex pattern of fine lines and wood-like textures create great camouflage thus affording some protection from birds and the like. Whilst on one of my walks I sat and watched a Red-breasted Nuthatch go about its business for a few minutes. I observed it eek out five Gray Spring Moths from cavities in the bark of the trees it was inspecting. It was ruthless and very professional and I marveled at its ability to find the moths so easily. I played a little game with it and scanned slightly ahead of it hoping to spot a moth first - I failed!!

Some moths just don't care about camouflage - and this is one of them! The gaudy Psychomorpha epimenis or Grapevine Epimenis flies by day and can be quite common in places where grape vines - the larval host - are abundant. In Ontario it is restricted to the south but can be seen as far north as Toronto. They are easy to spot with their slow fluttery flight, visiting flowers or supping at puddles. It is, however, a tough critter to photograph. Anything that is black-and-white and so contrasting is difficult, but this one has metallic blue highlights just to compound matters. One has to bracket the exposures quite wildly. I failed to capture the essence of this one, unfortunately...

Another black-and-white day-flying beauty is Alypia octomaculata, the Eight-spotted Forester. I spotted this one sitting on the wall of one of the barns whilst we were picking out shrubs to buy. I rushed back for the net and luckily it was still there basking in the lovely sunlight. It's a beautiful and distinctive species, though it does have a few look-alike cousins. Gotta love those dayglow orange thighs - and it's not every day ones says that!

One moth that I never catch very often is this one, Crambodes talidiformis, the Verbina Moth. Is only small and has a distinctive resting posture with the wings tightly, almost rolled, closed. When fresh, like this one, the pattern of fine blackish lines is very eye-catching.

Another moth that appears thinly spread is this spotty devil, Platysenta vecors, or Dusky Groundling. I've caught it in a few places in southern Ontario but it seems nowhere common. The bold black claviform spot is a good feature but the whole mottled aspect is pretty unique. Nice moth this one.

So, I've saved the best two until last! I've long wanted to see this moth, Phoberia atomaris, the Common Oak Moth. As the name suggests the larval food plants are oaks but the moth seems very local and I had never encountered it before. It has a mostly southern distribution in Ontario and flies early in the season. I found it sitting on top of one of the traps, recognized what it was and quickly jarred it!

The best moth of the night was probably this rather modest micro, Acrolepipsis incertella. When blown-up on the computer screen it is actually rather attractive with the sharp white markings on the pleasant warm brown fore wing. It is very local in Ontario with only one other known site, on the Niagara peninsula. The larvae feed on catbrier.

So there you have it, another action-packed mothing adventure resulting in some interesting records and a few nice photos. maybe I'll find a use for some of them...

The thin edge of the Wedge...

2008-05-04T03:59:00.000-07:00

There really hasn't been much happening of late. Cool, blustery nights with rain has put an end to any meaningful mothing. So it is with some element of desperation that I present the above moth Galgula partita, The Wedgling. Is a common moth but since it is a year tick here it is! This is a sexually dimorphic species, this being the male. The females are dark maroon and are quite attractive, but one never catches many of those. The larvae feed on wood-sorrels.

Otherwise, the only other moth in the trap was an Ipsilon Dart, though there was an Armyworm Moth fluttering around the porch light last night. It can only get better folks!!

Immigrants or what...

2008-04-29T05:56:00.001-07:00

Whilst I was down at Wilson Tract last week I caught a number of moths that I thought unusual for so early in the season. I pondered whether at least some of them may have been immigrants from further south that had wafted north with the nice weather at the time. A prime example is the noctuid moth above - Agrotis ipsilon, the Ipsilon Dart. A common moth throughout southern Ontario, I don't normally catch them until late May or early June. Many of the moths that we consider to be immigrants up here are of course very common not too far to the south in the States. The flight periods of these moths vary but tend to be earlier further south due to the earlier spring and milder overnight temperatures. For my UK readers, and I know you're out there (!) this is the moth known as Dark Swordgrass, a regular and sometimes common immigrant species from the near continent.

Another moth that I don't normally catch until much later in the spring is this one - Plathypena scabra, the Green Cloverworm Moth. I thought this one looked quite striking and unusual for the species; they are normally darker and not so well marked. Indeed, I did catch one individual that was nearer the norm but was very heavily worn. This species is usually much more common in the fall, when they can sometimes be kicked out of the grass by the bucket-load...

This nice-looking geometer is Orthonama obstipata, The Gem. This species is sexually dimorphic, this one being a male. It is well-known as an immigrant and resident species, with the immigrants showing up early in the season. I took the capture of three of this species to be some indication that I may be correct about the other moths being immigrants too.

Last, but by no means least, the distinctive micro Plutella xylostella, the Diamondback Moth. I was even catching these in Toronto at around the same time.

All this because I didn't catch anything last night - way too cool. Unfortunately the next few nights will be rubbish too, so you may have to put up with more second-hand ramblings from the MM...

More from the Old Yard...

2008-04-28T07:10:00.001-07:00

A whopping six species in the trap last night! Nothing much of great note but there was a nice Crocigrapha normani Norman's Quaker (above) amongst the haul - species I don't catch here very often...

Otherwise, this Orthonama centrostrigaria Bent-line Carpet was the "star of the night" - and not a very bright one at that!

Uncooperative Moths...

2008-04-27T08:39:00.001-07:00

There are times when the moths simply don't want to have their photos taken. I don't know why because I try to make it a painless and enjoyable experience for them. This morning I had all kinds of problems and when they just won't settle down drastic measures must be taken. Usually this takes the form of putting the moth in the fridge for a while. However, of occasion, this still doesn't work! These days, fed-up with having the moth fly into hyperspace before the id clinching photo can be taken, I ensure that I take a few photos whilst the little devil is still in the jar. Doesn't look great but is better than nowt.

The above Pseudaletia unipuncta Armyworm Moth did cooperate though. This is an easy moth to identify, basically the forewing is tan-colored with that tiny white spot in the middle and a faint, slanting apical dash. Is quite common, abundant at times, but I rarely catch them this early in the season.

Uncooperative moth number one was this Palmerworm Moth Dichomeris liguella. I do actually catch this one with some regularity. Quite easy to identify once you realize it's in the Dichomeridinae. Those long, narrow and sharply pointed wings are fairly characteristic.

This uncooperative moth was actually a new species for me - if I've identified it correctly that is. Obviously a tortrix in the genus Acleris I narrowed it down to one species Acleris maccana due to its large size (relatively speaking) and the sharply pointed apex, which is rather unusual within this large and complex genus.

Hmm. They don't look too good in jars do they...

Back Yard Ticks...

2008-04-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

I love my back yard list - and I'm not ashamed to say so! We've been here, in the heart of Toronto, for nine years now and I've been running my trap for much of that time. Thus far I'm up to 530 species of moths - which I think is alright for a garden that is only 15 feet square!! There are a quite a variety of trees and shrubs in the gardens around us but there is nothing in the way of extensive natural vegetation. Therefore I am constantly surprised by what turns up in my trap. With the nice warm weather we've of late I've done quite well for new additions to the list - here are a few of them:

My very observant son James spotted this one sitting on the fence near the trap this morning - is a lovely Signate Melanolophia. Is not particularly uncommon but I don't catch them anywhere with any regularity - its sister species the Canadian Melanolophia is much more abundant in my mind.

This rather splendid geometer is a Tawny Pug. I've waited years to catch this one here, always knew I would, eventually! There are many moths that we call "Pugs" in the genus Eupithecia. Most of them are horrifically dull and hard to identify, but not this dazzler...

This rather fetching noctuid is a Reddish Speckled Dart. It has a short flight period in the springtime and is another moth that is easily missed if the weather is inclement, which it often is. I caught some more pristine examples at Wilson Tract a few days ago...but to put one of them up here would have been cheating!

Finally a micro - hooray! This is a totrix called Pseudexentera virginiana. It would have been completely new for me if only I hadn't caught one at Wilson Tract a few days ago! Damn that place...

Deep Wilson...

2008-04-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

There is a nice song that goes by this title on an album called "The Grotto" by the superbly talented Kristin Hersh - nobody seems to know exactly what this means, myself included! Whatever, I use it to describe the fact that the Wilson Tract is in the deep south of Ontario! A rather tenuous connection but there you go.

Anyway, as promised, more moths from the deep end. The hairy guy above is Lintner's Gluphisia. This is pretty much the first prominent to be on the wing and is easy to miss completely if one doesn't get any warm nights during its brief flight period. Great colors on this chunky fellow - subtle, but tasteful...

The Ruby Quaker. Rather similar to other Orthosia Quakers but this one is a little more variegated on the forewing and the males have distinctive bipectinate (feathery) antenna.

The Bicolored Woodgrain. A cryptic devil if ever there was one. Is pretty common in the springtime but is always a welcome addition to any night's moth list

If ever a moth lived up to its name it is this one - the Dowdy Pinion! Apart from the rather streamlined shape (typical of many Pinions) this species is dramatically underwhelming...

This Nameless Pinion is a good example of the "other" more chunky kind of pinion. Same genus as the above Lithophane, but with an obviously different wing shape and manner of resting - broad wings, knobbly shoulders and a bit flatter-looking.

The Way of the Wilson...

2008-04-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist the offer of a lift down to my favorite mothing location down in the deep south of South Walsingham. So Saturday afternoon saw me whizzing down with Peter for what I hoped would be a couple of nights of exciting early spring mothing. I had only designed to stay one night...but it didn't quite work out that way! Stay flexible, that's my motto. Was no great hardship and I was well looked after by my gracious hosts.

The moths were indeed very good. I ended up with about 55 species, which ain't too shabby for mid April. I was delighted to see many species I hadn't seen for many years so I could at last obtain some decent photos. This has become a priority of late...but I'll tell about that some other time.

The above moth was my favorite - is the lovely Dogwood Thyatirid. There is a very similar moth in UK with the delightful name Peach Blossom.

Below are few more highlights. I'm going to be brief because there will be more...

The rather drab Goat Sallow. They are quite variable though and I caught one that was quite chestnutty...

The beautifully complex Metalepsis salicarum. I like this one - the pattern appeals to my sense of chaos!

There is something about green noctuids that pleases me immensely, but please don't ask why! This is the lovely Major Sallow. There are others in the same genus, Feralia, that are also green and this is perhaps the least well marked of the bunch. Still nice though innit...

Another wonderfully complex-looking creature, the aptly-named Figure-eight Sallow. The moth is named after the fused orbicular and claviform spots that form an "eight" shape. Is very hairy, which is fairly typical of many early spring fliers.

Another green moth - well, in parts anyway. The rather swish Grote's Sallow. Is a dark beauty with those stylish white tints and highlights. Is very streamlined in the manner of some of the Pinions...

Finally, for now, the best moth of the session, the spectacular Psaphida thaxterianus. I'm pretty sure this species is rather uncommon to rare in the province. Will do some research and let you know. Is a beauty though...

Will post a few more moths from this session tomorrow.

Hibernating goodies...

2008-04-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

Hi again! I'm running about a week late so it's all going to be a bit confusing! I'll be posting the highlights from the last few nights of mothing - which have been very good due to the unusually warm weather we've been enjoying. Where I live all the maples are in flower already - is amazing.

Anyway, about a week ago Seabrooke Leckie and I ventured out the Leslie Spit for a couple of hours of gooping and light trapping. Was a bit chilly but we attracted a few moths including the above Lithophane antennata Ashen Pinion. This is a moth that has a brief flight period late in the fall, hibernates, and then flies again during the first warm nights of spring.

The moth above was something of a surprise. We jarred it thinking it was another Lithophane species in the darkness. However, upon looking at it in the light of day the following morning I was amazed to see that it was clearly a moth in the genus Ufeus. There are two members of this genus in Ontario, neither of which is particularly common. I catch the more regular of the two, Ufeus satyricus, up at the cottage - it has a more northerly distribution. This one though looked different so I sent out the photos for an expert opinion and was delighted to find out that my suspicions were correct and that this was the other, decidedly less common species, Ufeus plicatus. It is mostly a western species that has a few outposts in the east - add Leslie Spit to the list of eastern localities now! I guess it just goes to show. The Spit, with minimal coverage thus far, has turned up some interesting mothy surprises - what will be next?

The Season Begins...

2008-04-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today was quite a good day. For starters there were moths in the trap! Good heavens above, whatever next. I'd run the old trap a couple of times but came up blank due to the nights being just a little on the chilly side. So to find four moths in the trap was pretty good. So why the photo (admittedly poor) of the Bohemian Waxwing? Well I needed it for my Toronto Island list. I had heard that there had been a few around so after dragging my heels a bit I finally got around to going. Things didn't start well! It was raining heavily when I emerged from the subway and I had to run for the ferry, making the crew put the gate down especially for me cuz they were about to pull out. Not sure why they were slightly angry at me? And then the ferry was going to Hanlan's and not Ward's meaning a good hour long walk to get to the BOWA spot. Was OK though and I had a pleasant enough trudge in intermittent rain across the island. Lots of common migrants had been grounded, mostly Juncos, Robins and Sapsuckers. I eventually found some BOWA, so all was well.

Below are the moths - has been a while...

I was well pleased with this one - Morrison's Sallow. When I took it out of the trap I thought there was something a little odd about it but in the dull light of dawn thought it to be just a common old Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth - see previous April posts. Luckily, I jarred it for later inspection when its true identity was revealed. Was a new moth for me you see! This species hibernates as an adult and flies again on the first warm nights of spring, and sometimes mid-winter. It was relatively fresh-looking considering it had been holed-up for a few months. The larva of this sallow feed on a variety of trees and plants, including cherries, elms, maples and oaks.

This rather nice geometer is another early spring job - the Small Phigalia. I had only caught this once before in the back yard so was nice to get another. A lot of the early flying species are only on the wing for a short period of time. The larval foodplant is principally American elm.

Micros are always a bit scarce this early in the season. However, there is one genus of tortrix that is only on the wing early on - the members of the Pseudexentera clan. This rather dull moth is P. cressoniana. It seems to be fairly common but I don't know too much about it.

And finally another tortrix in the genus Acleris. I haven't had time to really sort this one out yet, but I will let you know when I have because I know you simply cannot wait!

Is good to be back in the light...

Milestones...

2008-02-13T18:53:00.001-08:00

Whilst in Argentina two important milestones were achieved. First to go was Steve's induction into manhood. Well, to be honest it's not as exciting as it sounds! At the beginning of the trip he needed a good few hundred species to make 2000 for his world list - lets face it anyone UNDER 2000 really IS a very small boy indeed! Anyhow he did it...and became a man, albeit a small one! And the rest, as they say, is history.

But he reached this great towering height with a very special bird. Indeed it was was one of MY very favorite birds of the whole trip - the incomparable Sandy Gallito featured above. The Gallito is a very unusual bird. It is a medium-sized, mostly terrestrial tapaculo that lives out it's life in a very distinctive habitat-type. The habitat is easy to spot. It is basically sand dunes interspersed with low shrubbery - here we go again, always the shrubbery I hear you say!! Now, the Gallito is easy to hear, and at times its distinctive series of "cho" notes seems to be all around, but can be devilishly hard to actually see. They run you see - and they can run very fast indeed! Also, the rather uniform plumage matches the sandy substrate incredibly well so often ones gets a glimpse of this sandy flash out of the corner of one's eye...and it's gone! We were lucky and, as a group, got some really nice looks at this super endemic.

Best of all though was that Steve found and photographed the very first one! Way to go "small man".

The other milestone notched-up was for "solid-as-a-rock" Darrell. He made it to the magical 4000 with the bird above - the lovely Rufous-chested Dotterel. I know for a fact that it was a bird he really really wanted to see - so three cheers for the Darrell Master General!! We only saw two, and they were foraging on the exposed mud around a small pool along the road to Cabo Virgenes, south of Rio Gallagos in Patagonia. The top bird is an adult and the lower a lovely crispy-fresh juvenile. This is a really lovely bird. The MM had only seen birds in non-breeding plumage before (in Chile) so it was a real treat to see a super bright adult AND a sharp-looking juvenile. This species breeds in southern Chile and Argentina and moves north as far as southern Peru and extreme SE Brazil in the austral winter.

As far as I know there were no other milestones reached on this trip. The rest of us just slogging away doing the best we could. I think for the MM though this trip took him pretty close to 2400 for South America, which is okay for now. Now I just have to get to Colombia, Bolivia, some key sites in central Amazonian Brazil and and and...

More Argentine Birds...

2008-02-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

This is the Nacunda Nighthawk I mentioned a couple of posts ago. This is the largest nighthawk and it is totally impressive in all respects. When at rest during daylight hours they are often to be found on the ground, where they blend into their surroundings remarkably well - cryptic would be the work I'm looking for. I have great memories of watching a lone Nacunda Nighthawk sailing purposefully across a stygian sky as we set out on a night drive across the Llanos of Venezuela - it was an arresting sight, not sure why...but it was! Well, they are quite big...for a nighthawk...oh, never mind.

One of the birds I was really looking forward to seeing in Argentina was this fellow - the aptly-named Scarlet-headed Blackbird. Argentina is fully-stocked when it comes to blackbirds, but this is certainly one of the nicest of the bunch with its unique appearance, and those lovely red thighs, which, rather sadly, cannot be seen on in this photo. Ermmm Steve - can you do better next time? Male Scarlet-headed Blackbirds are easy to see in their preferred marshy habitat since they sit right up on reed stems and emergent shrubberies as they sing and otherwise prance around - a lovely sight indeed!

Contrary to the name Steve has given this bird it is in fact the Red-crested Cardinal. Where did he get this name from? Now you know why he is the "small boy" of the birding world...but read on because his fortunes do improve...

This nice-looking species is very common in chaco woodland and marshes of the north where they are easy to observe due to their habit of sitting out in the open looking pretty. However, we looked high and low for its sister species the Yellow-billed Cardinal, driving through a vast part of it's range without success. We eventually did track down a couple back where we started in Buenos Aires - at Costanera Sur, where everyone seems to see them. Well, the birds there ain't got nowhere else to go have they???

I've never quite understood birders who say they don't like tyrant flycatchers very much. They are either too difficult or too drab, or there are too many of them - the tyrants, not the birders that is. But it could be the other way around I guess. Anyway, I am a devoted fan of the tyrant assembly and find them a fascinating, if challenging group. There are well over 400 species throughout the new world so it takes a lifetime to see 'em all - if indeed that is even possible. Throughout my travels I've see a big chunk so every new one is precious. I did well on this trip and got to grips with a whole bunch of unfamiliar tyrants. Some were "tart's ticks" like the whacky-looking Spectacled tyrant featured above, whereas others were a bit more obscure - like the very local Dinelli's Doradito. What a great name though! Not as good as the Chocolate-vented Tyrant...but more of that later...

The Spectacled Tyrant is a great bird. The male is jet black with those crazy yellow wattles around its mad staring yellow eyes. But when he flutters up in his display flight he has glaring white primary feathers, I mean they really stand out! The female is completely different and is streaky and brown and has flashy rufous - almost burnt sienna - primary feathers. A very good example of sexual dimorphism.

And this is one of those Burrowing Parrots I was telling you about. Fantastic-looking parrot, though I don't know why they are not lumped in with the Macaws because they look and behave like them. They are often to be found in large noisy flocks, sometimes over 100 birds, in open, often dry countryside. They nest in burrows in cliffs and as we drove south through the awe-inspiring sandstone badlands heading towards Cafayate we observed many cliff faces riddled with the nest holes of this strange parrot. I really do like those odd white eyes...

Thanks, as always, to the Pikemaster General for the stunning pix...

High and Dry...

2008-02-08T19:15:00.001-08:00

No, not the lovely Radiohead song from years gone by, though speaking of which, I encourage all my readers to listen to "In Rainbows" because it is quite simply the best. No, this is about the high and dry Andes of NW Argentina. North of Jujuy one travels through some dramatic rain-shadow scenery, certainly some of the best I've encountered on my travels. The colours in the rock formations are incredible in the clear early morning light - wonderful golds and reds, like nothing else. Vegetation is sparse but there are some nice birds to be had in the shrubbery - and lets face it everyone loves a bit of shrubbery early in the morning - don't they? Well, whatever, we found a number of Giant Hummers, Puna Yellow-Finches, Black-billed Shrike-Tyrants and an assortment of Sierra-Finches here. I was initially confused by the Shrike-Tyrants because this form has a very different tail pattern from those farther north. Hmmm, all very interesting for the tyrant freaks out there and the MM is certainly to found firmly within that pigeonhole...please don't ask why!

Cast yer eyes on the beautiful colours in this barren and inhospitable terrain. All rufescent and ochraceous! Sorry, but for someone who makes a megre living out of painting the likes of furnariids these are key words! This photo was taken along the track that heads west from La Quiaca towards Laguna de Porzuelos. Not many birds can live here, though we did see the occasional Rufous-banded Miner, Golden-spotted Ground-Dove and, further along the road where there were some suitable rocky outcrops, the local Rock Earthcreeper. It was a memorable drive through some stark and surreal landscapes.

A couple of days later we travelled the road that heads west out of Salta and cuts though Parque Nacional Los Cordones. Our main birding stop was a (yes, you guessed it) shrubbery-choked quebrada just as one enters the reserve. Lovely scenery enlivened by circling Andean Condors and Puna Hawks. We saw some nice birds here including the highly local Maquis Canastero and Zimmer's Tapaculo. We had fun with the tapaculo as it played hide-and-seek amongst the huge boulders higher up on the slopes. We also had nice looks at Brown-capped Tit-Spinetails and some lovely Black Siskins. No luck with Rufous-bellied Saltator though. Is okay, I'll save that one for the grand Bolivia bash.

As one travels through the park you enter a veritable forest of large cacti - after which the park is named. It is quite impressive. Again, a bit sparse on bird life, but there is one very local endemic here - the attractive Steinbach's Canastero. As luck would have it one flew across the road in front of the van and we were able to leap out, after we had untangled ourselves that is - the van was quite small, and grab some epic views of this much-wanted furnariid.

A closer view of some prime canastero habitat. Any bird that lives here would have to be rather specialized in my mind. A good way to find canasteros, and many other members of the furnariidae, or ovenbirds, is to look for their nests. Many ovenbirds build large stick nests in the middle of bare shrubs and trees or attached to large cacti. They are easy to spot. A few days after this we were looking the the endemic White-throated Cachalote and were getting more and more frustrated because we couldn't actually find one! We found several nests but they all appeared to be inactive. We heard a couple but could never see the bird in the dense thorny brush. Anyway, after several hours of this persistence eventually paid off when "The Brewer" flushed one out of a head-high nest - what a wave of relief that was! It was interesting because the bird very cleverly lead us away from its nest before flying way away across the road. We pursued it quite a way but couldn't find it again. However, when, some minutes later we approached the nest again, there was the bird! It had looped around us - a fairly common diversion tactic. We departed to leave the bird to go about its business. A somewhat drably attired bird but, as always with endemics, very highly-prized.

As we travelled south along a torturously slow and winding track heading for the very pleasant town of Cafayate we passed through some truly beautiful weathered sandstone scenery. There were Burrowing Parrots all over the place, often in large noisy flocks, sometimes feeding right outside the van windows on roadside fruits - amazing! We spent some time looking in vain for Subtropical Doraditos wherever we felt they should be but that one will just have to wait. We passed some sand dune habitat where we felt the endemic Sandy Gallito should live but we were pushed for time and had other sites for this highly sought-after tapaculo. Is a terrible thing to have to drive past nice habitat without stopping! As we neared Cafayate we noticed that the road was badly washed-out in many places and were thankful to actually get there at all! And yes, the wine tasted good. And yes again - the flan was terrific...

Ever wondered what high Andean cemeteries look like? Well wonder no more.

Argentine Birds - Part One...

2008-02-07T05:49:00.000-08:00

We were lucky indeed to the "the boy" Pikey along on this trip. He selflessly lugged huge and heavy cameras and lenses through marsh, waterfall, thorny brush and mountain trail, never asking for assistance - well, only sometimes...actually quite a lot really, but never mind that now. Indeed he almost got SWALLOWED up in marshes, ending up IN the waterfall, being impaled ON the thorny brush and ending up at the BOTTOM of the mountain trail faster than expected! Did he ever complain? You bet he did! However, he is sharing these amazing images with you all so don't be too hard on the lad...

The wonderful bird above is a male Strange-tailed Tyrant. It was in just about everyone's top five of most-wanted birds for the trip. We were lucky to see a bunch of them very well. The boy Steve got some stunning shots using the van as a hide, like the photo above. This species used to be more widespread throughout its small range. However, in recent years the trend of converting grasslands to ranch lands has had an adverse affect on this, and many other species dependent upon natural grasslands. The area around Ibera marsh in the province of Corrientes is a particularly good place to see this desirable tyrant. Check out the crazy modified tail feathers...

Everyone loves a Dipper in the rain - and we were no exception to that rule. This is especially true when the Dipper concerned is the scarce and highly range restricted Rufous-throated Dipper. The fast-flowing clear water stream that runs through Parque Nacional Yala just north of Jujuy in NW Argentina is a reliable stake-out for this lovely bird. We had to wait a few minutes for the first one to appear, but when one is watching a pair of equally lovely Torrent Ducks, time passes in a rather pleasant warm and fuzzy way. After careful observation, whilst MM was off looking for Spot-breasted Thornbirds (successfully I might add), a partially constructed nest was found on a rocky overhang by the water's edge. One feature of this species that is rarely evident in field guide illustrations is the white edging to the primaries - looking very striking in the low whizzing flight typical of the family.

When in Argentina large 'peckers are never far away...if you see what I mean! There are some dramatic looking woodpeckers in this huge country and we were hell bent on seeing as many as possible. We did well, though the rarely seen Helmeted Woodpecker eluded us at Iguazu, sadly. This one is a superb male Cream-backed Woodpecker which was photographed near the obscure town of Pampa de Infierno, which, basically, is in the middle of nowhere - though I do seem to recall there being a particularly good flan there! This species has quite a big range in Argentina and can be found in better developed Chaco woodland as well as montane forest.

In the grasslands of Entre Rios and Corrientes in NE Argentina this large bird, the Greater Rhea, is very common - and hard to miss! They were especially easy for us, even when asleep in the back of the van, because Steve would slam on the brakes and dash out with his big lens. "Oh no, must be another Rhea" would be the collective groan...

The rather odd-looking bird above is a White-tipped Plantcutter. There are three species, Rufous-tailed in southern Argentina and Chile, Peruvian in coastal central to north Peru and this one, the most widespread of the bunch. As a group they have flip-flopped between being part of the cotingidae or their own family. At the moment they are firmly in with the cotingas. Indeed, they do resemble the Ampelion cotingas, especially the streaky females. This one is a male, which bears some resemblance to a Pine Grosbeak from a distance, and a little imagination! White-tipped Plantcutters are found in Chaco woodland and montane scrub.

One of the birds I really really wanted to see in the high Andes of NW Argentina was this gorgeous hummingbird, the Red-tailed Comet. I think it just about lives up to its name! In some areas, especially around the town of Humahuaca, this beautiful hummer was quite common, usually around a certain yellow flower whose name escapes me right now. Often all you would see is a flash of vivid shining red as a male whizzed by. At other times they could be quite confiding and would sit atop a shrub in full view for some time - simply amazing...

It has taken me a while but these days I'm rather fond of parrots. This is certainly one of the nicest we saw on this trip, the lovely Turquoise-fronted Amazon. It is quite common in Chaco woodland, especially so near the town of JV Gonzales. One morning in particular, when this photo was taken, was particularly memorable. Apart from the Amazons, that were noisily flying over on a regular basis, we saw a number of great birds in beautifully clear sunny morning light. Black-legged Seriema, Crested Gallito and several White-fronted Woodpeckers stand out. However, the sight of Comb Ducks, Muscovy Ducks and, strangest of all, Coscoroba Swans flying over the dry Chaco really made the morning.

Pigeons and doves are less desirable in my mind but I was very pleased to see this little guy - the endemic Bare-eyed Ground-Dove. Lovely innit. We saw a few small of flocks of this diminutive sprite, usually in shrubby quebradas.

Finally, no account would be complete without a Puffbird! I love Puffbirds, and I make a point of trying to see one new puffer per trip. I can tell ya it's getting hard these days! I managed it in Peru with a fantastic Grey-cheeked Nunlet and we saw this Spot-backed Puffbird near Parque Nacional Copo in the Chaco. Some authorities split this southern form off as the "Chaco Puffbird" but I think it is in limbo right now. I'll count it as new anyway!

I will pry a few more images out of Steve and will post some more photos soon. Hope you like 'em...

Argentina - the land of the flan...

2008-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

One thing that is often associated with Argentina is beef! And, to be honest, it is everywhere to be found - and is amazingly good from what I've been told. You see the MM is a vegetarian. Well, is a term he uses rather loosely these days because he does consume rather large quantities of fish and (when possible) organic chicken and turkey...and the odd accidental shred of bacon thoughtlessly tossed into salads. But, as the photo above proves, there is life beyond the meat platter, and it IS possible to enjoy some first-rate pastas and salads at most restaurants. BTW - not sure who this scruffy dude is...he wasn't invited.

This great country is also famed for its excellent wine - and rightly so. We made a point of trying as many varieties as possible wherever we went at any time - in the name of science and cultural experimentation. We concluded that the critics were right and the wine is good! We tasted many a Malbec and failed to find a bad one anywhere. Now, just who are those two odd fellows lurking in the background? I wouldn't trust 'em...

Another example of a fine Argentine wine, and yet another depraved character trying to get a piece of the action in the background. I tell ya, you can't go anywhere, in any part of the world these days without being accosted by complete nutters. Hang on, is that a flan he's tucking into???

Which brings us nicely to...flans, and the whole point of this rather pointless blogging exercise. Something I didn't realize when I started out on this adventure is that Argentina is truly THE land of the flan. I kid you not. It is also true to say that whilst some are totally amazing many others are decidedly on the dodgy side. But, they are all over the place from top to bottom, lowland and highland. Each region appears to have its own special kinds, but that is hard to judge because we by no means sampled them all. If we had we would never have fitted, sardine-like, into our trusty van. Please note the bird notes on the dinner table thus illustrating that we were very serious birders indeed...

Everyone has their favorite flan...and this was mine. I love the flag, very patriotic. But what has all this got to do with moths I hear you say? Absolutely nothing - but who really cares when they taste this good...

I would like to thank my good friend and demon photographer Steve "still the small boy at the time" Pike for his glorious wine and flan images, generously shared with all of you in blogland. Three cheers for the boy...

Large in Arg...

2008-01-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

Once I'd finished my business in Peru I jetted off to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I was to meet five of my Ontario birding friends - namely Dave, Dave, Darrell, Rob and the "boy" Steve. The boy was soon to become a "man" - but more of that later!

We had rented a van and intended to drive a 5000 km loop in the north, taking in Ibera Marsh, Iguazu Falls, the Chaco, the Andes up to the Bolivian border and down to Cordoba...and finally back to BA. Of course, it was a longer route than expected and the eventual loop was nearer 9000 km! Just a slight underestimate - but an expensive one. No regrets though cuz it was amazing. We got to travel through many parts of the country that most birders fly over, stop wherever we wanted and generally have a good time. True, we spent an inordinate amount of time in the van but ultimately it was a great experience, especially finding our own birds in obscure locations.

Above we have a view of the Yatay Palm forests of Parque Nacional El Palmar. I'd never seen anything like it before. I mean I've seem loads of palm trees, but never in such quantity. Birdwise it was not great. We had hoped for some interesting seedeaters, and found none! However, we did score a much-wanted Glaucous-blue Grosbeak and had fantastic views of a hugely impressive Nacunda Nighthawk - not a bird one sees any old day I can tell ya...

After that we prayed for no rain so we could visit the bird-rich Ibera marshes. Wish granted we drove the potentially "lethal-when-slippery" dirt track to the town of Carlos Pellegrini. Sorry, but I have no photos of this place - I was too busy trying to find some birds. If "still-the-boy" Steve allows I may put some of his amazing photos on the blog later on. We flushed a Sickle-winged Nightjar on the way into town which boded well. We did well here and scooped most of the wanted birds. We had great views of the incredible, and highly localized, Strange-tailed Tyrant, as well as all the seedeaters we were after. Only the Saffron-cowled Blackbird eluded us - oh well, another trip.

After that it was all the way up to Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian border. A bit touristy here, and you do get ferried around on a train, which goes against the grain a bit, but the falls are indeed spectacular and well worth the effort of becoming an uncomfortable tourist for a few hours. We struggled a bit for the birds here. We saw tons of list padders but few of the real goodies that the area is famed for. Still, what can one expect in just a couple of days? We started our good run of 'peckers here and had great views of the lovely Robust, Blond-crested and Yellow-fronted. Rob and I glimpsed what could have been a Helmeted from the train, but we couldn't find it again once we jumped off - hmmmm, typical. Other niceties here included Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher, Blackish-blue Seedeater, Gray-bellied and Olive Spinetails and much more.

After this it was a long, long drive through the seemingly endless Chaco. After a couple of days one sees the distant foothills of the Andes on the far horizon. Again, I have no photos from the Chaco - what a shame, but at least I'll not bore you with the monotonous flatness of it all. I loved it though and the birds were great. Black-bodied and Cream-backed 'peckers, Black-legged Seriema and a nice selection of furnariids and tyrants featured in an action-packed couple of days. Who could forget the Olive-crowned Crescentchest or the magnificent Crested Gallito?

One of the very special birds in the Andes of north Argentina if the Rufous-throated Dipper. Very local and nowhere common, this bird is highly desirable. Thankfully there are a couple of sites where the bird is virtually guaranteed. One such place is just outside Parque Nacional Yala. A lovely place and the fast-flowing stream in the photo above is where we had gripping views of a pair building a nest on a rocky overhang beside the water.

Whilst driving north towards the Bolivian border one has to stop a few times and marvel at the incredible rock formations that line the highway. The colours are amazing early in the morning and it's one occasion where birding takes a back seat...well, for a few minutes at least! There are some great birds to be had on this stretch though, including Bare-eyed Ground-Dove, Brown-backed Mockingbird, Puna Yellow-Finch and Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch.

At La Quiaca, right on the border with Bolivia one can find some neat birds just outside of town. Best is the lovely Citron-headed Yellow-Finch, but also White-banded Mockingbird, the strange White-tipped Plantcutter and the lovely Red-tailed Comet.

The gang watching Chilean, Puna and Andean Flamingos on the edge of Laguna de Porzuelos. This large lake is hard to actually get close to but at the south end there is a track that takes you to within a couple of kilometers of the shoreline. We were lucky to see a single Horned Coot here and well as Puna Plovers and Andean Avocet amongst the more familiar wintering Baird's Sandpipers and Wilson's Phalaropes. A lovely, almost surreal place.

Another view of the lake and the dramatic skies above it - which were getting ominously blacker by the minute as we scuttled back to the van!

Blacker still as we hurried a bit faster across the closely chewed carpet...

We escaped the rain - and hail - and were treated to this awesome rainbow as we drove back to the main highway.

Part two will appear when I feel like it. Stay tuned...

Notes from Peru...

2008-01-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while, but hey, I've been away, and then it was Christmas and all that...what can one do? I'm back now though and will try to scrape a few things together before the next moth season begins in earnest...whoever he is.

I was traveling in Peru and Argentina for two months from mid October. It was amazing and wonderful to see so much dramatic scenery and wildlife - not to mention the comprehensive selection of flans on offer in Argentina! I'll have to get my friend Steve to send me some flan pix for the old blog!

Anyway, though primarily a birding trip (more than 1200 species in the two months) I did, in true moth man fashion, indulge in my passion for the moth types on occasion. The following photos were taken at a brand new lodge at Abra Patricia, in northern Peru. The forests at Abra Patricia are justifiably famous for being the home to a number of rare and little known birds, many of which are endemic to the area. Long-whiskered Owlet and Royal Sunangel and just a couple of the fantastic birds on offer.

I don't know what any of these moths are! Just look at 'em and enjoy them for what they are...

This is what the walls looked like at Abra Patricia lodge! They were literally covered with moths, beetles, stick insects and other creepy crawly delights - it was truly amazing. I took loads of photos and the small selection above is but a fraction. I'll save some for a time when I get really stuck! Thankfully for the moths the generator would be switched off at about ten so they could fly off into the night.

This amazing creature is Pterochroza ocellana, the Peacock Katydid. It was photographed at Explornapo Lodge in Amazonian NE Peru. What a fantastic creature. I don't know much about it but will do a bit of research and enlighten you at some stage.

So, I hope you like these photo. If any of you out there know what any of the moths are...well, leave a comment. Pleeease...

Southern Blast...

2007-10-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

There are times when the weather is just perfect for mothing, nothing unusual about this in the summer months, but in October it's a real rarity. Such was the case over the long weekend. It reached 32 during the daytime and hovered around 20 overnight - incredible. And with this weather came some rare and unexpected moths...

The moth above is, I think, a Dwarf Tawny Wave. The jury is still out on the identification but it looks pretty good to me. There are no previous records for Canada of this southern species and it was not really predicted to show up. I'll let you all know once the verdict is in.

There are less than a handful of Ontario records for the moth above, The Cobbler. It sat in a jar for a while because I wasn't sure just what it was having not seen this species before. Whilst I was busy photographing numerous other moths Mike suddenly said "why isn't it The Cobbler?" Hmmm, why not indeed!

Now this moth IS a first for Ontario. The long expected Green Cutworm Moth. This one almost got away from me. It was wedged into a deep recess in one of the egg cartons and, as I tried to dislodge it into a jar, it suddenly activated and flew off!! Damn! It didn't appear to go far but it disappeared behind me and I lost it from view. I thought it looked distinctive enough but I didn't know what it was at this stage having only had a brief half-hidden view. Anyway, a few minutes later, having cursed my bad luck, I looked down to see the offending creature vibrating madly right next to me! A mad rush for a jar and the moth was all mine! And the rest, as they say, is history...

Most years I don't see a new Looper Moth, this year I've had two quality ones! This lovely creature is a Gray Looper Moth, one of two for the night. Both were as fresh as could be. I've long thought that I'd been overlooking this species because I thought I should have seen it by now. However, it is totally distinctive and I could see that I hadn't! I'm not sure of the status of this moth in Ontario but it could be that the two we caught were migrants from the south given the weather conditions and the other species that we caught. Fantastic markings on this flashy Looper.

We caught two Smoky Tetanolita, the fresher of the two appears above. Again, there are very few Ontario records for this species. This deltoid noctuid looks superficially like some of the small dark Idia species but has subtly different wing shape and markings.

This neat little noctuid is Lemmeria digitalis. I had only seen this scarce late-flying resident once before, about 10 years ago up at Portage Lake. I had one very poor slide of that one so I was very pleased to obtaine a whole series of nice photos at long last. It is very distinctive what with those unique wing markings and all.

Having caught this lovely moth a few weeks earlier I though that was it for a few more years...but, just to prove me wrong, here's another one! Actually, this one was even brighter looking than the last. As far as I know there are only two previous Ontario records - so, I've done well with this lovely pyralid...

It was with great excitement that we found the first Melonworm Moth clinging to the sheet up in the radio field. A moth I never thought I'd see in Ontario and a very rare immigrant from further south. We ended up catching four in the end - amazing. It reminds me of a nice migrant moth in UK called Palpita vitrialis, has the same tinted, translucent wings. But, it doesn't have those frilly anal tufts that it waggles enticingly in front of one's admiring eyes!! What a crazy looking beast!!

When we first arrived at the site we decided to walk the lines of flowers with the slim hope of gripping Bob off with a rare butterfly or two. No chance in that department but we did find, almost straight away, a Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth!! "This is the moth of the night" I proudly announced. Ha, little did I know! We ended up seeing about 15 or more of this rare migrant, mostly flushed out of the grass and flowers. Interestingly hardly any came to the lights at night...

The flashy-looking pyralid Helula rogatalis. I'd not seen this species before and think it may be pretty uncommon in the province.

Many years ago I caught one of these in my garden trap here in Toronto. I had no idea what kind of crambid it was until very recently. It is the lovely Euchromius ocellea. I think I'm right in saying that there had only been a couple of Ontario records, including my Toronto sighting. However, on this night we caught four! I'm not sure if they are immigrants from further south (highly likely) or a late-flying scarce and overlooked resident. Time will, I guess, tell. Nice though innit...

So there you have it, undoubtedly the most exciting mothing I've ever had to pleasure to experience. Just goes to show what can show up if one puts the effort in...

Goop Galore...

2007-10-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

All this happened over a week ago - appologies for the lateness of the post! Mike King and I decided, mostly as an 11th hour last-ditch attempt to catch some migrants, to goop a few trees at the base of Leslie Street Spit this evening. We also set up a blacklight and a sheet. The weather was amazingly warm, like July or August, with a sultry southerly breeze wafting in from the lake. The stage was set for something to be sure...

It took a while and it was pretty slow at first, but the moths did start to appear. There were lots of Fall and Yellow-striped Armyworm Moths on the goop, as well as a few regular species. However, the sheet was pretty bare, apart from the 25 Yellow-collared Scape Moths crawling all over it. Anyway, we were thinking of packing it in when I jarred the moth above - the incredibly rare Yellow Scallop Moth! I'd only seen this once before - about 10 years ago in October down at Long Point - also on goop. To be precise, the moth cannot be 100% identified without a specimen because there is another possible species which is very similar. I didn't want to collect it so will wait until someone comes up with a field mark to separate the two!

Another great moth scooped from a gooped tree was this Orbed Narrow-wing. Another great rarity in Ontario we were well pleased with our second of the season. Is an unusual-looking creature, what with those long wings and big eyes. Very well adapted to flying long distances.

Perhaps the prettiest moth of the night was this immaculate Lost Sallow. I'd not seen this species before so was amazed by it's fantastic peppery appearance. Who says moths are dull?

Southern Strays on the Spit...

2007-10-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

I'd been out on Toronto Island the day I found out about the above moth. In fact, my main reason for trudging out there was to look, and hope, for such a rarity. You see, when the weather has been so good for southern immigrants it seems that anything might be possible. Anyway, I failed in my quest, though I did come up with two Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moths, which would have been amazing had I not seen a whole bunch down at Mary's place a few days earlier!!

Anyway, upon arriving home and checking my e-mails I noticed a message from Seabrooke Leckie of TTPBRS which a series of photos of moths she had jarred for me from the night before. I couldn't belive it! One was the stunning Small Mocis featured above! A much wanted lifer and incredible rarity up here in Ontario. I think there may only have been two records before this one. What a way to end this amazing warm spell purple patch...

Another nice migrant was this Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth. I'd been expecting this one because they can appear in numbers in such periods of migrant activity. However, I'd not seen or heard of any until this one. Actually, there were two but this was the freshest looking. Quite a nice-looking moth I'd say.

Whatever next...

The OFO Convention...

2007-10-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

I attended the Ontario Field Ornithologists 25th anniversary convention down at Point Pelee this weekend - a great time. One reason was to try and sell some artwork, with which I was moderately successful. However, mostly it was to see a whole bunch of old friends I don't get to see very often and to generally have a good time! Of course it didn't hurt to have a great bird thrown in too, so when, at the 11th hour, we found out about the Shrewsbury Northern Wheatear it resulted in a pleasantly mad rush to drive to the site and see it! An absolutely super bird and a long-awaited Ontario tick for the MM.

It was way too cool for moths but we did notch up a few butterflies. The amazingly fresh and rosy Buckeye above was undoubtedly the pick of the bunch though. There had been a Cloudless Sulphur about but it was not to be this time around.

I have been very busy of late but will add a couple more posts before I go away for a while. I've had a great couple of weeks with immigrant moths and will strive to add a few nice photos over the next couple of days. Stay tuned...

Boring Borers? I think not...

2007-09-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

One of the real treats in the mothing world, at this time of year anyway, is the chance to catch a few of the flashy borer moths in the genus Papaipema. There are quite a few to choose from and several are highly distinctive. However, many are confusingly similar and you find youself scratching yer head a bit whilst struggling with the odd tricky identifcation. You find yerself looking very closely at the size and amout of white on the reniform and orbicular spots, the exact shade of orange on the forewings and the extent of any darker shading between the spots. All very confusing. but well worth it because they really are fantastic-looking creatures.

The borer above is (I think!!) Papaipema baptisiae. The larvae bore into the stems of indigo, wild indigo, Indian-plantain and dogbane.

This one is (again slightly tentatively) Papaipema birdi. It shows a larger reniform spot with a slightly different arrangement of white spots around it compared with P. baptisiae. The larvae bore into a variety of umbellates.

Lastly, an easy one! This one is Papaipema inquaesita, nothing else is similar. Note the strongly angled lines. The larvae bore into the stems of sensitive fern.

Hopefully more of these brilliant moths to follow in the coming weeks...

All Quiet on the Southern Front...

2007-09-24T19:30:00.001-07:00

Another short session on the Leslie Street Spit proved rather fruitless yesterday evening. A bit too clear with a big moon and a little cooler than hoped for - is that enough excuses? Still, this nice Darling Underwing supped the golden goop for a while, and looked pretty good whilst doing so. I have to say that this is one of my very favourite of the genus - I like the dark slaty forewing with the delicate greenish overtones. And ya just can't enough of those flashy carmine hindwings...

Being a big fan of pyralids I'm always happy to catch the above species - Dicymolomia julianalis. Quite striking in it's own understated way.

The migrants keep coming...

2007-09-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to catch this Spotted Beet Webworm in my backyard trap last night. My trap here has been awful in spite of the warm nights and obvious migrant potential of late. This is a fairly regular migrant to southern Ontario - I'd already caught a couple this fall - but it was new for the garden. Quite a striking little critter is it not...

Walsingham blowout...

2007-09-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Rarely, if ever, have I caught so many neat moths in one blow-out session! So it was to be on Wednesday night around the home of Mary Gartshore and Peter Carson down in the steamy depths of South Walsingham. We had been keeping an eye on the weather and decided this would be the night - how right we were. We being Mike King, Bob Yukich and me.

We set up three bucket traps and a couple of MV bulbs in front of sheets, as well as gooping a few trees. The goop produced little other than a couple of White and Yellow-banded Underwings. The sheets also were a little disappointing and we called it a night earlier than I expected. All the goodies were in the traps the next morning...

The nicest-looking moth of the night appears above - a lovely Pink-washed Looper Moth. As I write I have no idea as to the status of this moth in Ontario. I can find no mention of it in the literature so it may be new - fingers crossed! We caught another noctuid that may be new but I'm awaiting an expert opinion on that one.

Less spectacular but very rare in the province was this Beet Armyworm Moth. I had caught several of this diminuative migrant Spodoptera in UK last autumn so I immediately recognised this one! I was quite excited by this stage to say the least. In Uk this moth is called the Small Mottled Willow.

Just after jarring the SMW above I noticed this moth hiding within one of the egg cartons, I jarred it quickly and came back to it later. It proved to be a rare migrant I'd wanted to see for many a long year - an Orbed Narrow-wing no less! In spite of not looking like most of the pictures I'd seen of this species the shape was totally distinctive. This mainly tropical species rarely makes it up to these parts so I was well pleased.

One of the reasons for making this trip was to catch some borer moths in the genus Papaipema. All are lovely in their own ways. We trapped four species on this occasion with P. cerina above being the most spectacular - not least because none of us had seen it before! We caught three individuals out of which this was the largest and brightest.

When MK said "Hmmm, there's a nice-looking pyralid" I was totally amazed to look down and see the striking Mimoschinia rufofascialis. I'd caught this once before in my back yard in Toronto many years ago, also in September. It was years before I was finally able identify it so I was grateful for a second chance to obtain better photos. Fantastic-looking creature. I'm not totally sure of it's status in the province but it is possible that my two records are all there is.

This is the distinctive-looking geometrid called the Juniper Geometer. We caught two of these. In September 2004 I caught one of these at the same site so it's nice to be able to confirm that it does actually live here! It is possible that this is the only site in Ontario, but this needs confirmation.

Finally, and yet another great surprise was this brilliant geometrid called Packard's Wave. Again we caught two crispy fresh individuals. Yet another new moth for me and totally unexpected - what a night! Out of interest, this moth closely resembles a migrant species in UK called Blair's Mocha - the resemblance is uncanny - check it out.

So, a fantastic night of mothing. There was more...and I'll post some more photos when I have time.

New Airplane for the Yard List...

2007-09-14T08:28:00.001-07:00

Yet another quiet night on the moth front. I did catch the plume moth above - Platyptilia carduidactyla. I'd only seen this one once before (Brooklin in October a few years back) so this was a welcome addition to the old back yard list. James calles this bunch of tricky long-legged micros "airplane moths" due to way they hold their wings at rest. Not a bad description really...

2007-09-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

It's been very quiet the past couple of nights due to cooler clear nights. One highlight though was the nice tortrix Epinotia lindana above - a garden tick no less! The jagged-edged pattern on the forewing is distinctive on this late-flying sprite. Maybe tomorrow there will be more to report...

Cutting Edge Mothing...

2007-09-13T06:14:00.001-07:00

I was in deepest Durham county over the weekend taking part in the annual Toronto Ornithological Club "fall field day". It was a fun event starting and ending with several beers! Our team scored 121, which was a fine effort on the day. Anyway, it is always an excuse for me to run a moth trap in the back yard of my kindly hosts. The eventual contents of the trap were a bit dross-like this time around with little of great interest. However, I did catch two nice examples of the the moth featured above - Agrotis gladiaria, Swordsman Dart. This late-flying noctuid is fairly common but I never seem to catch too many. The larva are generalists on many plants.

Gooping on the Spit...

2007-09-12T05:21:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I was invited to help out with a moth night here in Toronto on the Leslie Street Spit. The night was hosted by members of the Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station (TTPBRS), which is run by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Also present were some of the keener "moth people" from the Toronto Entomologists Association. I set up a blacklight and a mercury vapor bulb in front of sheets and slathered my favorite "goop" on several likely-looking trees in the vicinity. After a while Seabrooke Leckie from TTPBRS set up her blacklight too. I have to say that the whole event was a great success and we caught and identified 55 species in a couple of hours - which is not too bad for this time of the year.

The highlight, for me, was the rather drab moth featured above - Abagrotis orbis. This is a very local species in Ontario, where it favors lakeshore dune habitats. There are previous records from Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Normandale and Port Franks. I also know of two other records from Toronto - one of which was in my back yard a couple of years back. So, perhaps not too surprising that it should occur here.

Another nice find was Oligia obtusa - the Obtuse Brocade for want of a better name. I'd only seen this moth twice before so to attract three on this evening was great.

Puta Sallow. All the individuals we attracted on this occasion (about 3-4) were rather pale. The markings where all there (note the dark "W" across the wings) and the size was right but I was confused at first since all the others I'd caught in previous years were a little darker and more variegated than these.

The diminuative tortrix Phaneta raracana. I'd only seen this once before and badly needed better pix!

The pyralid Apomyelois bistriatella. My only new moth of the night - hey, I'll take it!!

Lastly, the lovely late-flying tortrix Eucosma dorsisignatana. I catch this just about every year at a variety of locations. Love the snouty aspect and all those fine vermiculations...

I would like to thank Dan Derbyshire, Seabrooke Leckie, Ian Sturdee, Carolyn King and Steve Laforest for all their help in making this event a great success. I do believe we may have a few moth converts here - here's to the next one...

Play Dead - Vol 2...

2007-09-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

The strange and exceptionally hairy Larch Tolype above is in the devilish act of playing dead. It's only the females that do this. The smaller and darker males whizz off into hyperspace as soon as you even look at them. Both sexes are very difficult to photograph for different reasons - the males nearly always have to be "chilled-out" for a few minutes, and the females need to be "warmed-up" a trifle. The life of the Moth Man eh...

Still, when she IS warmed up and decides to sit in a more acceptable manner she looks pretty good, albeit a bit on the hairy side!

Back from the Portage...

2007-09-07T19:51:00.001-07:00

We all trundled up to the family cottage on the shores of Portage Lake for the last couple of weeks of August. When not doing all the cottagy things that one does up there I found plenty of time to indulge in a bit of mothing. In the two weeks I notched up a nice list of mid-autumn specialties and a host of new micros.

Portage Lake is about 20 Km south of Parry Sound. We are lucky to be on the north edge of the lake which has excellent mixed woodland and shrubby-edged clearings all around. The moth list is ever-growing, especially since I'm slowly sorting through the micro bits. Below are a few of the nice moths to be found here at this time of year...

My highlight macro was this chunky noctuid called the White-tailed Diver. I've long wanted to see this moth and was totally surprised when it eventually did decide to reveal itself to me. The young larvae are leaf miners on aquatic plants such as cattails, water lilies and pickerelweed, after which they bore into the leaf stems. They then swin to shore and winter in lakeside leaf litter before pupating in the spring. Apparantly, second generation larvae (as was this individual) pupate in the larval tunnels. An amazing life history. This moth appears to be uncommon at best in Ontario so I have to thank the moth gods for this one...

The small but chunky Oligia minuscula. I've only ever seen this moth here, and not that often either. It seems to have a short flight period in mid August to early September. They usually have an obvious black bar in the median area of the forewing which this individual lacks.

A nice Dotted Sallow. This is generally the first of the orange sallows to emerge in the fall and, as you can see, is distinctly on the dotty side.

The lovely Scalloped Sallow in its usual "headstand" resting pose - don't ask me why! It is on the wing mostly in September. The larvae feed on a wide variety of trees and plants.

The complex-looking Sutyna privata. Again, I've only seen this moth here at Portage Lake and the surrounding area. Occasionally I've found it at rest in the daytime on Tamaracks in the middle of fens and bogs. Another September flier.

The oddly-named Old Man Dart. I like this one. It appears to be nothing special but a closer look reveals quite a nice subtle pattern on the forewing. The larva feed on a wide variety of trees and plants and the adult is on the wing in late August to early October.

The nice-looking Euxoa campestris. A typical "dart" this moth seems to be rather local, another Portage specialty as far as I'm concerned. I hadn't seen it for a while so I was happy to obtain a nice series of photos.

The sizeable Great Dart. Yet again, in Ontario I've only seen this moth here, but there again I do a lot of mothing here! I was very excited to catch some of these in UK last autumn where it is an irregular migrant in the southern half of the country. Over there it is called the Great Brocade, a name I prefer.

Finally, and though I did catch a great many neat micros, this was the pick of the bunch this time. Meet Archips alberta. This tortrix is quite large and beautifully patterned. I wasn't sure what it was at first but a quick glance through the MPG tortix pages steered me in the right direction. It seems to be rather local in Ontario.

So, a tiny fraction of the moths I caught during the two weeks. Well, gotta save a few pix for next time eh...

See ya later...

2007-08-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

The MM will be away up north for couple of weeks so you can have a well-deserved break! Hopefully I'll have some nice images to share with you upon my return...

For now here is the lovely Sensitive Fern Borer Moth - the shape of things to come.

Best moth of the night...

2007-08-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've been quite pleased with my back yard trap of late - ie. I've been getting lots of new moths for the list. Admittedly, most are micros, many distinctly on the "dusty" side of the spectrum. However, I'm OK with small things right now!

The above moth was long awaited - the lovely Glyphipterix impigritella in all it's metallic-banded glory. What a great creature - so much packed into a tiny form. It's hard to imagine that I would let stuff like this slip through the cracks in earlier days just because there wasn't the resources available to identfy them. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the folks who created and maintain the wonderful Moth Photographers Group site. I'm sure I'm not alone...

More Dickey Moths...

2007-08-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

I had such a good time at the Dickery that I thought I'd post a few more photos of some mothy delights from the trap...

This is the complex looking Fillet Dart. Is a pretty swish noctuid that I don't catch too often, though it is by no means uncommon. Ths larva feed on blueberries.

The super Fringe-Tree Sallow. Another moth that falls into that "I don't get this too often" category! Often this is because the moths in question have short flight periods and are very host specific and are thus quite local. The larval foodplants include ash, feverwort and fringe-tree.

Out of the many Catocala species this is one that I've seldom seen over the years, though at Dickey lake the Similar Underwing seems to be not uncommon. This one is an oak-feeder.

I'm a big fan of pyralid moths, especially the members of the crambidae. All are small, pencil-slim creatures which often display lovely and complex patterns on the wings. This one is Catoptria latiradella. It must be rather local becaues I've only seen it a two localities - here and at Portage Lake. It is one of my favorites...

Lastly the impressive Great Tiger Moth. Before this I'd only seen this large tiger at Portage Lake - it seems to be rather local. The same species (though a different subspecies) occurs in UK where it is called the Garden Tiger Moth and is much more common.

The Delights of Dickey Lake...

2007-08-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

A most welcome invite to a lakeside cottage this weekend saw us heading northeast for three hours into deepest Hastings County. Dickey Lake to be precise! A lovely spot to indulge in fine company, much beer, anything watery and, of course, some quality mothing! And, there is the added attraction of driving past "Thanet" Lake - ahh, memories of back home...

And the moths were indeed good. I caught a fine selection of August fare including a few noctuid year ticks and some cracking micros. The biggest surprise, in more ways than one, was the capture of two Great Ash Sphinx Moths (the fresher of the two featured above). These lads are HUGE - totally impressive in spite of their rather sombre attire. In fact they are so well camouflaged they were hard to find once placed on a tree trunk to recover from their ordeal...

This is a Purple Arches. In life this chunky noctuid exhibits a subtle purple sheen on the wings which is rather nice. The larvae feed on alders, blueberries, birches and others.

The Yellow Three-Spot. I'd only seen this once before so I was delighted to be able to take a nice series of photos. Sod Grasses are the prefered larval foodplants.

The electric Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth! A really lovely-looking moth. I catch this one all over the place but it seems never to be common - usually just one of two per session. The larva feed on tree lichens.

When James rushed into the cottage with the net saying he'd caught something nice for me I really didn't expect this! A brilliant Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth. I was so pleased. It was a bit flighty but, thankfully, it posed for a few photos. The larval foodplants are lichens and the adult can be seen during daylight hours feeding on autumn flowers like goldenrods. Later in the day James caught another creature which bore an amazing resemblance to this moth...but it turned out to be a Net-winged Beetle called Calopteron terminale. Sadly it flew off in a beetle-like way before I could get any pix.

Finally, for now, a colourful Parthenice Tiger Moth - just look at those hindwings!! Well, everyone likes a Tiger Moth don't they???

Thanks to our gracious hosts Cynthia and Alan for allowing us to indulge ourselves...well, me anyway!

The new pest in town...

2007-08-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

If you see the moth above you MUST report your sighting immediately to the Ministry of Agriculture!! No kidding - they are worried about this harmless-looking little sprite. It is a small pyralid called Duponchelia fovealis and apparently it has the potential to become a serious greenhouse pest.

I caught this fine example last night in my back yard trap here in Toronto. Don't worry, I've already reported the sighting to the appropriate authorities! I didn't know what it was at first so I took photos and let it go. Guess I shouldn't have done that! Anyway, I eventually tracked it down on the UK Moths site. It is an uncommon adventive there. Strangely, I had to chance to twitch one last year whilst I was over there...but didn't. If I had I would have recognized it immediately. Anyhow, there were some Ontario records in 2005 - all in greenhouses. Too bad, I thought this might be a first!

Here is another nice-looking, and harmless, pyralid called Chalcoela iphitalis. I catch this moth regularly throughout the summer in Toronto, but it seems to be scarce elsewhere.

Sun and Sand in Southampton...

2007-08-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

We were all in the lovely little town of Southampton for the long weekend. Is right on the shore of Lake Huron sandwiched between Port Elgin to the south and Sauble Beach to the north. It is famous for it's lovely beaches and the irresistible Jerry's Fries!! KT and I stayed in our favorite B&B whilst "the boy" was sent packing to stay with his cousins just down the road in a small cottage my sister-in-law rents every year. Perfect for me because I can run my moth trap in their garden!

It's not bad for moths here and every year I catch a few bits that I consider to be of interest. I was looking closely at micros this time - of course!!

Here are a few highlights. The lovely moth above is a White Underwing, always a treat to see this ghostly vision...

Here's a moth I don't catch every year - in fact I hadn't seen one for about three years. This is the striking prominent called Notodonta scitipennis. It reminds me of another prominent found in UK, the Iron Prominent. I love the rusty metal aspect of this splendid creature.

Now here's a moth that does also occur in UK - the Ni Moth, only over here it is called the Cabbage Looper Moth. I remember being very excited last year to catch a couple of these in my balcony moth trap in Ramsgate! I've rarely seen this moth in Ontario and I've often wondered it it may be a partial migrant to the area?

Finally this is the brilliant pyralid called Diastictis ventralis. I'd been after this one for years! It seems to be fairly common in coastal fens and can be disturbed and easily netted from suitable habitat during daylight hours. The orange-brown base colour with those sharp white spots are distinctive.

More to follow...