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August 2007 Sightings in the Windsor Area
Wednesday, Aug 29: we have a new web page on the grasshoppers, crickets and katydids of Ojibway. The page includes a checklist of local species and many photographs.
Wednesday, Aug 22: The Chimney Swifts are back at Walkerville High School in Windsor (2100 Richmond St.). The best spot to watch the swifts is in the school yard behind the school at dusk. They will be migrating south in mid September so don't delay if you wish to see this spectacular show. Betty Learmouth estimated 300 to 400 swifts heading into the chimney yesterday (Aug 21) and tonight.
Highlights of this morning's trip to Holiday Beach included many of the species seen last week plus Least Bittern, Great Crested Flycatcher (3), Tufted Titmouse, Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided Wabler, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Mourning Warbler and Canada Warbler. Blackburnian Warblers were the most common warbler this morning and Northern Flickers were numerous (+25). Purple Martins have largely departed for points southward with only a few seen today.
Thursday, Aug 16: Tonight there was a program about singing insects at the nature centre. At this time of year the prairie and woods are full of the songs of many kinds of ground crickets, tree-crickets, katydids and cicadas. Here are external links to two web sites about singing insects: Singing Insects of North America and Cicadas of Michigan.
Wednesday, Aug 15: Highlights from this morning's outing to Holiday Beach included four Bald Eagles (1 adult and 3 immatures), 32 Great Egrets, Pied-billed Grebes with young, American Coots with young and Common Moorhen and young. Swallows constantly flew by the hawk tower and 200 Purple Martins were seen perched in a tree top along the beach. Migrant song birds included Olive-sided Flycatcher, many Eastern Kingbirds, Rose- breasted Grosbeak, Blue-grey Gnatcatchers, many Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-and-White Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, several Warbling Vireos, Bobolink, and over 40 Baltimore Orioles. Migrant raptors were scarce but we did see two Northern Harriers and two Osprey. 71 species of birds were seen in all.
Wednesday, Aug 01: The top photo of Dense Blazing Stars and Grey-headed Coneflowers was taken on Sunday. This is the peak flowering period for many of the tallgrass prairie wildflowers. Trails in the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve and Spring Garden Natural area are great spots to see a profusion of flowering plants.
The Perseid meteor shower promises to be very good this year. Mark Sunday evening, August 12th on your calendar! For more information visit the Perseid page on the NASA web site. For local astronomy information visit the Windsor RASC web site.
