Today we visited a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve about an hour and a half away (Long Point). We saw a lot of insects, including a new-to-us type of butterfly-- a Fiery Skipper; the other insects we saw were bees, drone flies, moths (both caterpillars and adults), lots of grasshoppers, and various types of beetles. We also saw a beaver. The main thing people look for at Long Point, though, is birds. We saw some that we see pretty often-- Red-Winged Blackbirds, Canada Geese, Double-Crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons-- and some that we haven't seen before-- Bald Eagles, Tundra Swans (we think), and this little guy.
At the Long Point Bird Observatory there were some scientists conducting research today. We walked past this little bird caught in a net trap; he wasn't moving and we worried he was dead. We purposely walked back the same way to check on him, and one of the researchers had just extracted him from the trap. We were glad to see that he was fine! She showed him to us up close, pointing out his reddish tail feathers (an identifying feature of the Hermit Thrush). I asked if I could take his picture and she said yes, so I snapped this shot as quick as could be to let her move him along for his check-up or whatever. Luckily he looked at me and posed nicely so the quick shot turned out not too badly!
How lovely