Short Walk in Hyde Park

Hyde Park, London Ontario 

The day started out cloudy, high of 14.  As I was walking around the sun finally came out and the butterflies and dragonflies started flying around.
I saw a Monarch, Hairstreaks, Common Ringlet, Cabbage Whites and Sulphurs.  I was unable to get photos, they were really moving about.      

Bluet sp.

The dragonfly below (centre of photo), I've never seen before, it was red...I could not get the camera to focus.  Thanks Blake for the ID!

Cherry-faced Meadowhawk

Widow Skimmer

Nature is Wonderful

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Elmira (Regional Municipality of Waterloo)

I know Cabbage Whites are very common but to me, it does not matter if wildlife are common or rare.  I appreciate and take a moment to admire the beauty of common species. These Cabbage Whites were flitting all over a flower garden especially the purple flowers. There were 6 to 7 flying about. The continuous of butterflies fluttering around the flowers were beautiful.   

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

This wasp was enjoying the flowers, too.

Great Black Wasp

Wandering about in Grassland Areas

August 25, 2017 - sunny, clear, 14 degrees this morning
Hyde Park, London, Ontario

Birds I saw - Great Blue Heron (looked very relaxed just looking around), Mallards, Eastern Kingbird, American Goldfinches, and Song Sparrows

Butterflies - Cabbage Whites, some Sulphurs and Black Swallowtail..they were really moving about so could not get photos.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Thanks to Blake Mann for ID of this butterfly.  It's a regular butterfly that can be found in grassland areas.  This is a lifer for me.

Common Ringlet

Eastern Kingbird

Some Elegant Wading Birds

August 24, 2017 - it was mainly cloudy, 15 degrees

Hyde Park Rail Trail...I only saw one species of butterfly.
Birds - Song Sparrows, Mallard, Cedar Waxwing, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Mourning Dove and American Goldfinches.

Northern Crescent

Cedar Waxwing

There were 2 Great Egrets.

Great Blue Heron / Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

This is another Northern Crescent I saw.

Northern Crescent

Mixture of Stuff

August 23, 2017 - sunny, slight breeze

Hyde Park Rail Trail - It was a nice morning for a walk.  I walked halfway around the pond.

Song Sparrow

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Wild Clover

This is the only butterfly I saw...not many around.

Northern Crescent

I took photos of these grasshoppers...they were jumping all over the place and crickets were too.  I saw two species of grasshoppers..maybe three.

Grasshopper Nymph

This one below are the ones I remember as a kid.  It's in the centre of the photo with the head near the top.

Differential Grasshopper

This one below might be the same as the above.  It was brown as the other was green. It's in the centre facing right.

Red-legged Grasshopper

Carolina Grasshopper

Common Whitetail

Hyde Park Rail Trail

August 14, 2017 - Hyde Park Rail Trail - Stanton Drain Stormwater pond constructed in 2013.

I was looking for butterflies but not many around.  I saw one Monarch, some Cabbage Whites and small yellow butterflies (I think Sulphurs).  

Mallards

Clouded Sulphur

American Goldfinch

Widow Skimmer

This was a CN railway line paved.  The open trail is lined with long grasses and  wild flowers.  There are many insects and birds.  I saw American Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, Mallards, Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, Ring-billed Gulls (2) and Grackles.  There is mixed habitat with meadows, farmland, woods and some wet areas.     

Part of Trail looking south

Part of Trail looking north

Walk in Woodland

Friday, August 11, 2017

I went for a little walk in Woodland Cemetery in London, Ontario. Woodland is a very old cemetery dating back to 1879 along the banks of the Thames River.  It's around 100 acres of beautiful and tranquil landscape.  I always see White-tailed deer there.  

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer

Happenings at Sifton Bog

Sifton Bog (ESA), London, Ontario
Sunny, warm, 24 degrees, high of 27, feeling like 30. Walking at the beginning of the bog, the swamp is just mud now.  Nothing much around there.  At the actual bog pond, I noticed the pond lilies are finished.  I heard Green Frogs and Song Sparrows. 

Cottongrass

Cluster of Cottongrass

Green Frog

Sifton Bog (Redmond's Pond)

This damselfly below was so tiny.  With the bright sun, the blue at the top of the abdomen caught my eye.  I really cropped this picture, so the colour is not good.  It looked blue at the head part, and the wings were clear.  

Damselfly sp.

The flower below was in the peat mat close to the pond.  This is the only one I saw and it was very small.

Small White Lady's Slipper

Nightshade

Tansy

Chicory

Small Damselfly

Civic Gardens

It is a warm, sunny day, high of 22, humidex 25.  I went to see if I can find any butterflies.  I saw one Cabbage White.  So, I went for a walk at the west end of Springbank Park.  I found this damselfly on the walkway.

Blue-fronted Dancer 

Strathroy Lagoons - Butterflies and stuff

Saturday, August 5, 2017 

It was a cool day, partly cloudy and very windy, high of 20.  I've been going to Strathroy Lagoons since 1980. Especially, going August & September for shorebirds and in the fall for ducks. In those days there was usually one pond with a low water level with good mud flats for shorebirds.  
Today the 2 large ponds...the water level was high so no shorebirds to be found.  Both ponds were quiet, too.  I walked around the one pond to the right. The shrubs and vegetation have grown quite high and dense in places. In the 80's it was easy looking around the shore of the ponds with a lot less vegetation.    

Queen Anne's Lace

Jewelweed

Strathroy Lagoons

Common Whitetail

Teasel

Wild Bergamot

Field Bindweed

Bullrush

The butterflies were really flying all over the place because of the wind. I was able to get some photos as a few were able to hang onto a leaf for a minute.  

Viceroy

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Cabbage White

Eastern Forktail

Monarch

Monarch

There were a few Turkey Vultures flying over.  I also saw Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrows, Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows and Mourning Dove. In October 1981, with other birders, we saw a Ruff here.

Turkey Vulture

Cabbage White

Viceroy

Viceroy

Milkweed Pods

Red Milkweed Beetle laying eggs? 

Milkweed Pods

Common Whitetail

Bluet Sp

Goldenrod