September 1st was a fine sunny day to visit Hawk Cliff. Hawk Cliff Woods is one of the nature reserves stewarded by the Thames Talbot Land Trust. It is a 230-acre property overlooking Lake Erie near Port Stanley. The reserve comprises a significant area of Carolinian forest, a wildflower meadow, and the Auzins Community Wildflower Garden. The reserve is a prime destination for the fall migration hawk watch.
In early September, the fall hawk migration has not yet begun in earnest. High overhead, there were some local Bald Eagles, an American Kestrel and a Turkey Vulture.
In the meadow and the community wildflower garden, there was some insect drama. We expected to find Monarch butterflies or their larvae on the Common Milkweed plants in the community wildflower garden, but we only encountered the larvae of many Milkweed Tussock Moths.
We then spotted a Great Golden Digger Wasp in the process of moving an Oak Bush-Cricket into its burrow. These wasps capture and paralyze katydids and crickets, then fly or haul them to their burrows where they place them in the nest cells as food for their young. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, nests are dug in sandy soils. As a boon to gardeners, the wasps catch grasshoppers, which commonly eat food and ornamental plants; they aerate the soil and improve water’s ability to soak into the ground with their digging; and they pollinate flowers.
Other flyers:
Plantlife: Great Blue Lobelia in the Auzins Community Wildflower Garden, Red Clover, Chicory, Guelder-Rose with red berries (an unwanted, introduced shrub), Riverbank Grape.
Wandering Bee Fall Flowers
We have had many overcast days with much rain. Clearing skies are always a welcome sight. The fall colours are more muted this year.
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