Elegant Great Egret

July 25, 2020 - Uplands North Wetland, London, Ontario

It's always nice to see a Great Egret!  I was at the wetland for about 15 minutes when the egret flew in from behind me and landed low on a dead tree.  It stayed there the whole time looking around and preening.

The Great Blue Heron is at the top of the photo looking down at the Great Egret.  For a short time, they were croaking at each other.

As I was heading back to the car, a heron was fishing close by.  It caught a fish and a few times dropped it.

July 25, 2020 - Hyde Park, London, Ontario

I didn't see too many butterflies but saw this beauty.

Black Swallowtail

I'm now seeing some baby frogs - Northern Leopard Frogs.

There are 3 of them in the photo below.

Week Adventures - July 20-22, 2020

July 20, 2020  Westminster Ponds, London, Ontario

I went to Westminster Ponds to mainly look for insects.  There were a few butterflies around.  A nice warm day 25c and sunny,  feeling like 31c.  Birds I saw were House Wrens, Catbirds, Downy Woodpeckers, and Barn Swallows to name a few.

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Monarch

Northern Broken-Dash

Halloween Pennant

Turkey Vulture

July 21, 2020 - The Coves

I decided to go to The Coves this morning.  It was 21c and cloudy,  I saw a nice variety of birds.  Wood Ducks, Great Blue Herons (8), Catbirds, lots of Robins, American Goldfinches, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Indigo Bunting, Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, House Finches, and Northern Cardinals.

Catbird

I was watching this Great Blue Heron wading around for fish. 

Great Blue Heron

As it was moving around, the heron kept looking up to the trees.  I thought I would look to see what the heron was seeing. 

There was another heron up there.  It looks like a young heron.  Maybe the heron in the water was trying to entice the young heron down to the water.

Great Blue Heron (young)

I always love to see Indigo Buntings!

Indigo Bunting

Wood Ducks (female and young)

Midland Painted Turtle

Group of Common Whitetails 

July 22, 2020 - Hyde Park, London, Ontario

A cloudy morning almost felt like rain.  It was getting more humid throughout the morning.  I saw swallows busy catching insects over the water - Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.  This time of the year one starts to see sandpipers as they fly back down south.  There were lots of Killdeers, a Lesser Yellowlegs and a Least Sandpiper.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Tree Swallow

There was a lot of action in the woods and fields.  A lot of juvenile Robins and Starlings around.  I saw an Eastern Kingbird feeding its fledged young in a nearby tree.  There were Cedar Waxwings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Catbirds, Field and Song Sparrows, and a Willow Flycatcher, 

Cedar Waxwing

Eastern Kingbird

Searching for Dragonflies and Butterflies

July 14, 2020 - The Coves

I was birding but also looking for butterflies and dragonflies this week.  Here are some of my photos.

Ebony Jewelwing

Eastern Forktail

Silver-spotted Skipper

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Northern Broken-Dash

Question Mark

July 14, 2020 - Westminster Ponds

Blue Dasher

Blue Dasher

Meadowhawk

Eastern Pondhawk

Eastern Amberwing

Meadowhawk

Common Wood Nymph

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Black Swallowtail

July 18, 2020 - Hyde Park

I was out early as we are in another heat advisory.

Forktail

Viceroy

Red Admiral

Willow Flycatcher

Osprey

Green Frog