Bridgenorth Trail & Miller Creek Cons. Area revisited

Last year, I biked to a nearby conservation area called Miller Creek.  However, the biking was not as safe I preferred since I was basically biking on a busy country road.  However, near where I live now, there is a close trail that takes me there and through the countryside.  I biked through it today and like the trail quite a lot - quiet, safe, easy, etc.

Saw a dead frog on the hot gravel road.


On the side of the road is a small drainage area.  There are many frogs in it, including this Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) identifiable by the ridges running down its back.


This is the Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana), a larger species and without the ridges on its back.

Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), growing next to the pond is a plant that I saw back in Algonquin two years ago.  Looking at one website, it mentions that the plant produces cleistogamous flowers which do not require cross-pollination.  I wonder if means all flowers or just some flowers, and if the latter, what does it look like??  Also, the sap from this plant has soothing and fungicial properties and can be used to treat Poison Ivy and Stinging Nettle rashes and Athlete's Foot.  Interesting!

A woolly bear with short black bands.  So, a short winter is in the forecast?


Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) drinking nectar from the trail-side flowers.


Carpenter bee (Xylocopa sp.) with pollen all over its face.


Eastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas), a common butterfly in southern Ontario but uncommon elsewhere in Canada.


While photographing the bees and butterflies, I heard something jumped in the grass.  Looking down, I saw this Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) looking up at me.  It's an easy species to identify with the beautiful leopard-like spots all over.

A male Ruby Meadowhawk (Sympetrum rubicundulum) looking at me with a prey in its mouth.

Then there was something hopping through the plants, a jumping spider (Salticidae).

A Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) not giving me a good shot at all.

And the butterfly Viceroy is trying to mimic - the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterfly.


I got to Miller Creek after two hours (even though it only takes 35 minutes to bike there), and it was pretty hot and humid when I arrived.  Not much wildlife except for insects.


This is the Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum) which used to be called the Yellow-legged Meadowhawk, a name that I like better because some complexes of the Ruby Meadowhawk also look like them, except with black legs.

I found this good blog post that shows all the dragonfly photos that the blogger that photographed.  It's a quick way of seeing what species you saw.

A Locust Borer (Megacyllene robiniae) feeding on the pollen of a goldenroad, just like BugGuide said it would and "a serious pest of Black Locust trees."  I wonder if I should had done something then if I knew it was a pest.

Second deaths of the afternoon - a dead shrew on the trail.  I moved it to the side so it doesn't get stepped on more.  RIP.

On the lookout there were many these tiny winged ants mating with each other.  After mating I think the males die out because there were many bodies on the wood surface.  For example, I believe this one is dead but just happened to be at an upright position for taking photos.  [Edit: My labmate just mentioned that this is in the Myrmicinae subfamily because of the two notches in the abdomen's petiole.  The newly emerged queens also have wings.]

A jumping spider carrying off one of the dead ones and running to hide in the shaded part of the surface.


Unknown Sulfur Butterflies (Colias sp.) mating on a milkweed seedpod.  They were mating at a vertical position, but I think this is easier on the eyes.

Unknown flycatcher (Tyrannidae), a group of birds difficult to identify without hearing its calls/songs.

A prickly spider making its web right over the trail.

Came across this plant with the red leaves, reminding me that autumn is almost here.