Tiger Longwing
At last, Saturday arrived. Our last morning in Costa Rica, and our last morning at the beautiful Occidental Grand Papagayo resort. The final hours of our wonderful trip to the tropics were trickling through the hourglass, and I was sad to see it coming to an end. I got up, started packing up as much of my stuff as I could without disturbing Doran, then went out for a quick walk to the red-flowering trees – my favourite bird-watching spot on the resort. I still hadn’t given up on seeing those Squirrel Cuckoos again.
Deb and I enjoyed our picnic by the water, though there were few ducks to be seen on the lake. One of my favourite spots in the park is the field of wildflowers behind the picnic area, where I enjoy spending time looking for butterflies. It is also a good spot for dragonflies, which can often be seen patrolling the skies above. Common Green Darners, mosaic darners, and Black Saddlebags are the chief species seen here, and I always hope to find them perching in the vegetation.
I had less luck at Shirley’s Bay on Monday. I only observed 18 species, and both shorebird and warbler numbers were down. The three Red-necked Phalaropes were gone, but this time I saw a couple of Killdeer, a couple of Spotted Sandpipers, and a single Sanderling. In the woods I encountered one singing Eastern Wood-Pewee, two Red-eyed Vireos, two Black-and-white Warblers, and one of each of Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, Palm Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler. A little disappointed with the variety, I headed to the Bill Mason Center next where I hoped to find some interesting insects.
On August 27th, five members of the OFNC led by Roy John drove down to Presqu’ile Provincial Park to enjoy a day of birding on the shores of Lake Ontario. Except for a few large banks of fog, the drive was uneventful. We saw one Osprey, two Green Herons in flight, and a couple of Great Blue Herons standing motionlessly in roadside marshes. Although a few more OFNC members met us at the park, I was surprised how few people had signed up given how wonderful Presqu’ile can be this time of year for birds, butterflies and dragonflies. The weather, too, couldn’t have been any better – blue skies and warm sunshine in the morning, followed by cloudy periods in the afternoon to prevent it from becoming too hot.
The Pathless Wood 