I finally had a half day for myself in late June 2026 and I took advantage of the drier weather to walk round the Rattray inspecting all the early summer sights. As usual, a couple of people asked me if I had seen anything which I find hard to answer because to me it’s all great: Basking Eastern Forktail damselflies, flowering Canada Anemone, bathing American Robins, I treasure them all. Near the end of my prowl, though, I saw something unusual because it prefers to hunt through the dense cattails: a Least Bittern.
Dragons Chase Damsels along the Trails of the Rattray Marsh
I have a surprising number of dragonflies and damselflies that visit my boring back yard, far from water. I’m always pleased, though, to see more.
Some, like this Common Whitetail, like to perch on the board walk or a log and that makes them easier to photograph.
I kept seeing female Ebony Jewelwings along the trail. (They have little white rectangles on their wings.) The males, like this one, though, seemed to be hanging out near the water. Maybe the females just weren’t in the mood for romance.
Eastern Forktails are very small compared to the Ebony Jewelwings. I love their delicacy. This male was near the downstream bridge over Sheridan Creek.
From the other side of the bridge, I saw several damselflies laying eggs into the water weeds in the creek. You can see she is putting her ovipositor into the weed well below the water’s surface. I didn’t know what kind of damselflies these were, though their powdery blue colour suggested dancers.
A check on iNaturalist suggests they are probably female Eastern Forktails. Which makes sense given their small size and the males in the area, but I had not known the adult females are so differently coloured!
A Bounty of Butterflies at the Rattray Marsh
I admit I had hoped to see an adult Baltimore Checkerspot at the Rattray. I didn’t have the time, energy or good weather required to drive to Fletcher Creek Ecological Preserve. I once found a Checkerspot caterpillar at the Rattray so I was hoping but it wasn’t to be.
However, it was nice to see this colourful Crescent.
Not as brightly coloured but with attractive eyespots, this Little Wood Satyr was sunning along the Old Poplar Trail spur path. I saw a couple along other trails, too.
And this Azure paused just long enough for me to try for a photo.
There were several Least Skippers near the downstream bridge. This one is on some Dogbane that is just starting to bloom.
Botanical Beauties at the Rattray Marsh
The False Sarsaparilla along the Knoll Trail has set seed. I rarely see the flowers or the seeds anywhere but at the Rattray.
And this “paint speckled” Mayapple leaf was so colourful it looked like a garden plant. It won’t be long before the leaves disappear till next spring.
This photo serves double duty, showing a closeup of the Dogbane blossoms and of a Spotted Pink Lady Beetle. The ladybug is a native which is always a bonus to find in these days of swarms of introduced ladybeetles.
Bathing Birds and Other Beauties at the Rattray Marsh
After bathing in Sheridan Creek, this Northern Flicker showed its “yellow shafts” while preening.
A Great-crested Flycatcher was more interested in hunting.
An American Robin took a plunge into the pool though.
While quite close by, a male Indigo Bunting sang territory and was answered by a faint reply from another Bunting.
An Unexpected Treat at Lunch Time at the Rattray Marsh: a Least Bittern Stalks Past
When Credit Valley Conservation rebuilt the Knoll Path boardwalk a few years ago, they added a few nice built-in benches. I stopped at one to eat some cherry tomatoes (that actually tasted like tomato and were sweet! I love summer!) A small bird caught my eye when it moved along a log in front of me. Of course, my camera was turned off and set beside me. By the time I got it up and cautiously approached, the little marsh stalker had moved back into the cattails.
You can sort of see its colouring in this photo. It was a Least Bittern though at first I was thinking more of Green Herons which are often seen here.
When I got home, I reported it to eBird but it was several days before the sighting was approved. I’m not sure when or how others heard that “the Bittern is Back!” but an eBird list from July 4 noted their were “mobs” looking for the bird. (Least Bitterns have been heard and seen here various years before 2026.) I hope they only see it the way I did: briefly without bothering the bird and from a respectful distance.
I’m sure this nearby Mallard family have seen it many times, but Mom seemed much more concerned with her own ducklings safety.
And “rare” or “common” I loved seeing all these beauties on my June 2026 afternoon ramble!
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