This year I’m determined to look for the migrating Monarchs at the Point Pelee Tip, so I went to talk to the Park naturalist, to get myself a plan. The naturalist gave me some valuable pointers about how and when to increase my chances of seeing the butterflies. He said the upcoming weather and temperature forecasts indicate when we might have roosting Monarchs. So I’ll be heading out this week with my bins (7x10 and 8x50) and camera accordingly. Wish me luck!
In the meantime, here’s couple of shots from my fact-finding visit. There are at least 5 species of turtles in Point Pelee, including the common snapper, painted, Blanding’s, and the Stinkpot (a musk turtle -surprise!) so there’s no way of knowing what nest is whose. The Park staff patrol the two-lane road every summer as turtles come up from the marsh and woods to the sandy, clear roadsides to lay their eggs. They look for signs of a nest, and then quick put these predator-proof cages over them. The little darlings are hatching now, so the warning sign above is right at the Park gate. I didn’t see a
ny turtle toddlers on my visit, but did catch a glimpse of this sweet little mink, calmly have lunch on some unidentified substance in the middle of the road. Not a good shot, just stuck the camera out the window. Good thing; s/he took off seconds later, with very elegant moves.Point Pelee National Park
Posts
