Local Birding

Weeks of January 17-24, 2021 

I have been birding around local areas lately.  I'm finding a nice variety of birds.  Here are some photos.  This past week has been colder and yesterday, January 29, 2021, London got about 1 foot of snow!

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

House Finches

House Finches

American Black Duck

Common Mergansers

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser (female)

New Lifer - Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck, London, Ontario

The Harlequin Duck (first-year male) is a very rare duck in southwestern Ontario.  There was one sighted here a few days ago, so I thought I would go and find it...I've never seen one before.  They breed northern Canada and overwinter along the Atlantic coast.  It was in the Thames River with a small group of Mallards in the fast moving water with a strong current.  It was feeding among the rocks. They like swift rivers and streams, coasts and islands...often the roughest and rockiest of shores where the water is highly turbulent.  

The Harlequin likes to eat crustaceans and mollusks.

Mild January Weather

 January 4 to 9, 2021

I saw a nice variety of birds in the Coves this day.  A Carolina Wren was singing, Mallards, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, Mourning Doves, American Robins and some Canada Geese flying over and Ring-billed Gulls.

American Robins

House Finch

Fanshawa CA - The gate is closed to cars at the dam because of the Covid-19 lockdown, so I walked halfway down the dam area to see what was in the water.  The one side is frozen and the other side half frozen with open water in the middle.  I can see Canada Geese and there were 3 ducks but they were too far to ID.

I went over to the Tamarack Trail area to see what was there.  There were Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays flying in and out.  Other birds were Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Downy Woodpeckers, and White-breasted Nuthatch.

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Coves - Finally a nice sunny day.  It's always nice to see American Robins in January.  There were White-breasted Nuthatches, House Finches, Carolina Wren, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals and a Red-tailed Hawk.  

So far, we have had mild weather around -2c to 4c (day temperatures) with overcast skies.  The winters sure has changed from years ago when I was a kid.  We haven't had a frigid cold snap yet. 

I went over to Greenway Park to see what was in the river.  Lots of Canada Geese in the water and flying over.  Lots of Mallards, some Buffleheads, Common Mergansers, Ring-billed Gulls and a Herring Gull.

Buffleheads

Buffleheads

Common Mergansers

Common Merganser  (female)