Roger Frost led a group of seven participants on an outing for Willow Beach Field Naturalists to the Alderville Black Oak Savanna. The main objective was to look for fall bird migrants but as usual we found other species of interest along the way. Initially the weather was overcast with a brief misty rain, but the balance of the outing was enjoyable.

The tallgrass prairie was a beautiful sight with large patches of Big Bluestem and Indian Grass among other species of grasses. Of course in the savanna areas the Black Oak is prevalent and not commonly seen elsewhere. We found a small patch of New Jersey Tea. There was a large area of Gray Dogwood still with lots of berries.

In the Black Oak savanna there was something attracting a large concentration of migrants. The food source may have been a hatch of winged ants. Most of these birds were Eastern Bluebirds and Chipping Sparrows. Throughout the property there were as many as 20 Bluebirds which offered an excellent viewing opportunity for the birders. Altogether we observed 28 species of birds during the outing.

Butterflies observed included Monarch, Pearl Crescent and Clouded Sulphur. Moth larvae found along the trail were Hickory Tussock Moth and Milkweed Tussock Moth. A couple of Praying Mantis also caught our attention. The morning was capped off with a Merlin flying by and perching at the top of an Eastern White Pine. Thanks to Roger and Elizabeth for their help on this outing.
(Photographed September 22, 2019 at the Alderville Black Oak Savanna, Ontario, Canada - photos by Don McLeod)