Fingal Wildlife Management Area

If you drive south from Strathroy on Melbourne Road; if you pass through the village of Melbourne, continue south thru Middlemiss, Iona Station and Iona you will end up at Fingal Road.  Now if you turn left onto Fingal Road and drive for about 5 km, you will arrive at the Fingal Wildlife Management Area.

This area was once (1940-1945) the location of the No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School.  These 720 acres are now managed by the Elgin County Stewardship Council as the Fingal Wildlife Management Area.  The area is criss-crossed by numerous trails.  There are picnic tables and benches located through-out.

Located at the far southern corner, there is a pond (The Ian Carmichael Pond), which is bordered by a tall grass prairie.

I visited the site this afternoon and spent several hours walking some of the trails.  It is quite an interesting place, and even after several hours, I saw only a small part.

I didn’t see much in the way of bird-life, certainly nothing unusual.  But I did manage to get quite close to a Great Blue Heron.

There were, however, some butterflies around, but again, nothing very unusual.  I saw NO hairstreaks or skippers.  I saw one Spicebush Swallowtail.

Spicebush Swallowtail

A Common Buckeye landed on the trail right in front of me.  I took a couple of pictures.  But when I took my eye off it for a split second, it seemed to vanish.  I could not relocate it.

Common Buckeye

Orange Sulphurs were quite numerous.  They are actually quite a good-looking butterfly.

Orange Sulphur

One of the trails I walked was in deep shade, and there were numerous fungi along the trail.  I took a pic of one group.

I plan to head back and explore some of the areas that I never had a chance to get to today.  If you like to walk trails, surrounded by nice birding and butterfly habitat, then find some time and check this place out.