The Bugs Of Summer

So it's certainly been a different year as far as outdoor exploration goes. Obviously I did not do any travelling to see birds this year, nor will I be doing that for the foreseeable future. Local exploration was also curtailed for a while while all the trails were closed. And then even after things opened back up… that miserable 40 degree heatwave hit just as the milkweed plants were flowering, so even though that's arguably the best time of year to go hunting butterflies, you can bet I was not going out to do so if I could spend that time lying flat in front of the fan instead.

There are two major downsides that I've found to the hobby of bugwatching. One: bugs, like birds, really like to fly away from you just as you're about to get a good look at them (why oh why didn't I decide to be a botanist). Two: if you miss the flight window on a particular species, you have to wait an entire year for it to come around again. This year, I missed the window on pretty much all of the early-season bugs.

However, in this later part of the season I've started visiting a nearby spot that seems to be just buzzing with fun insects (pun intended). It's an old quarry site, which has created this odd collection of poorly-vegetated shallow wetlands and rock-bottomed ponds. Unfortunately, one part of it seems to be used by the locals as a swimming hole/hang out spot, which makes it very awkward to walk around taking pictures of bugs. But I already got three new-to-me species there (four if you count the one I couldn't get pics of) so I'm going to go back at least once more and see what else I can find.

Azure Bluet

Saffron-winged Meadowhawk

Broad-winged Skipper

Field work this summer has also netted me two new species (although not literally, since in both cases the net had been left in the car):

River Bluet - actually an S2 species in Ontario (i.e., it's considered rare on the provincial level although it isn't a regulated Species at Risk). Not something I expected to find along an urban creek corridor, but it has been previously documented in other streams in the vicinity.

European Common Blue - a recent introduction to Ontario. Until just last year, I think, it was only known from a location in Quebec, and then it showed up in a spot in the north GTA. This was a new location a few km away from the previous observations.