We detoured on our way to Burwash last Wednesday to visit the pond on Hwy 522 between Grundy Lake PP and Pakesley Siding.  This is what we saw there:

Northern Crescent butterfly, one of three (Pearl, Northern, Tawny) Ontario Crescents that are difficult to ID.

Versacolor iris with visitor … in front of a mottled bunch of small waterlilies.

The pondbank was buzzing with these dragonflies:

Frosted whiteface, solo and “going forth to multiply”.

 

I checked out many internet possibilities to ID this one, all to no avail.  Help, please.  Very small, about 1/2″ wingspan.

Dot-tailed Whiteface, a widespread dragonfly….

At the entrance to the abandoned former Burwash Industrial Farm (Provincial Prison) we saw this Red Tailed Hawk on a telephone wire above a small pond.

It turned to inspect the photographer before taking off.  But its feathers confirmed that it had been hunting protein in the water.

Across from the DND maintenance shack this Common Grackle posed ….

while this cousin was saying, “Magic mirror, on the wall – who is the fairest one of all?”

Sandhill Crane increasing its distance from the road.

I’ve never seen this before. Little Painted Turtle sharing a log with a big Snapping Turtle.  Immediately after the shutter released the lil turtle decided that discretion was the better part of valour and slid off of the log.

I am going to start to pay more attention to these to see what magical beasties emerge from inside:

In the former residential area there are some cultivars including a nice patch of Dianthus, which attracted quite a few skippers.

In this case the attractor is Birdsfoot Trefoil:

AHA!  Look what we found!!

The white crab spider poised in ambush position.

I moved around it in the car to get some long distance shots.

When I moved to the other side it scuttled to the underside of the flower.  Maybe it suspected that I was some large bird of prey.  (I’m large but not a bird of prey.)

I left it alone and went further into the site, visiting with some MNR firefighters, including one who just came back from working the Fort Mc wildfire.  I had a glimpse of a Chukar Partridge that I’d photographed last June 26 and posted on June 28th.  It is in this archive.

In the meantime I became impressed with the amount of insect traps in the fields.

On the way back I saw the ambush spider lying in wait on the daisy bobbing in the breeze …

On my return to the entrance the Red Tail paused in its inspection of the pond before taking off for less traveled spots:

This Blandings Turtle showed its bright underchin to me while it slowly meandered across the old Hwy 69, while I protected this threatened specie by  parking on the open road with my flashers on.  It slowly moved onto the shoulder and then scampered into the grass.

Seeing another white crab spider was quite special, prompting me to examine roadside Ox-eye Daisies more carefully.

We are having a spell of hot weather.  That will speed everything up, leading to the possibility of  Monarchs and Clearwings visiting the newly opening milkweeds in the neighbourhood.