Ojibway Bioblitz Weekend!

I'd never participated in a bioblitz untilt his past weekend at the Ojibway Prairie Complex in Windsor.  I had a blast, exploring the natural areas of Windsor is fun to begin with, but add a bunch of experts and a 'mission' to document as many species as possible in 24 hours and it's sure to be a great time. 

After registering on Saturday morning, I was assigned to Brunet Park/La Salle Woods.  I had never visited this site before so it was interesting getting to know a spot so well over Saturday and Sunday morning.

The site has a few open areas of tallgrass prairie, oak woodland, thicket, wet woods and upland forest.  On of the most interesting areas was the hydro corridor which contains small numbers of Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata).  In the coming weeks these spikes will burst into purple blooms, a stunning effect particularly en masse.

I had never before seen Shrubby St. John's Wort (Hypericum prolificum) growing in the wild so these were a treat to see.

A few flowering stems of the towering Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum).  Somewhat similar to rail lines, it's interesting to think what hydro corridors have done for the preservation of prairie habitats with the regular removal of brush beneath the lines.

A shot of the buds of Prairie Dock.

Neck-deep in a mix of Riverbank Grape and Black Raspberry I looked up to find a patch of Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra).

A little late to the party, I came across the remains of the provincially threatened Purple Twayblade (Liparis lillifolia).  The MNRF website notes that surveys between 2007 and 2009 found there to be 200 to 500 plants in Ontario each year.   

Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) vines blanket other vegetation along with Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis) and the rare Fox Grape (Vitis labrusca), both of which I had on my list for Brunet Park.

A mosquito-ridden stroll (jog?) through an area of wet forest yielded Muskingum Sedge (Carex muskingumensis).  The massive, elongated spikelets make this sedge an easy identification when you do find it.

While the butterfly contingent was on top of things, I kept an eye out.  I think I saw more Great-spangled Fritillaries than Red Admirals, maybe even Cabbage Whites.  I guess they are tough to miss.

Bending down to inspect a Black Huckleberry (which was unexpected), I snapped a shot of this Dun's Skipper.

Stepping into the woods once more I scoured the groundcover for new species only to find this Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar feeding on a young Sassafrass.

A stop at Ojibway shores yielded a few new species for my list including Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta), Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) and Water Plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) among others.  Then it was back to the Ojibway Nature Centre for dinner, followed by some bat acoustic recording and moth lighting (if that's what you call it).  Most of the next few pictures are of the larger, showier moths, but as the blankets show there was so much more going on.

A few Grapevine Beetles (Pelidnota punctata).

Fun times!

Scarlet Underwing (Catocala coccinata)

Small-eyed Sphinx (Paonias myops) on a dirty canvas.

Virgin Tiger Moth (Grammia virgo)

Sitting out back this evening I came up with a use for the extremely bright floodlight in my neighbours backyard (the light they have hard wired to run between 8 and 8 all night every night, 365 days of the year)...free moth light!