Aylmer Wildlife Management Area - 2024

 March 25, 2024 - Aylmer Wildlife Management Area (AWMA)

For years, I have always seen thousands of Tundra Swans resting at AWMA during the annual Spring Tundra Swan Migration.  This year was different.  There was only 147 Tundra Swans seen...the lowest number I have ever seen for many, many years.  Is it because of the mild winter?  

Birds I saw were 147 Tundra Swans, Canada Geese, Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks, Green-winged Teals, Gadwalls, American Wigeon, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gulls, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Grackles, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, and American Crows.  

March Findings

Last week, I went birding at the Upland Wetland Area.  It was a warm day 18c and sunny.  There were not many birds but it was nice to see some Painted Turtles (3).  I've never seen turtles out sunning this early (March 4)

Killdeer

I checked out the Hyde Park Collection Ponds.  It was overcast with some light rain but mild at 13c.  There were seven Ring-necked Ducks busy diving for food.  A Belted Kingfisher flew from one end of the pond to the other.  I managed to get a far away photo.

Ring-necked Duck

Some Killdeers around.

Killdeer

I also went to the Coves Saturday and as usual enjoyed looking at the Great Blue Herons.

There were a pair of Bald Eagles in a tree.  One flew around with a branch and back to the tree again.

Some First of the Year Birds

February 27, 2924 - Gibbons Park. This is the first Red-winged Blackbird I've seen this year.

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Mergansers

February 28, 2024 - Started to go out birding.  It was 14c. this morning.  It suddenly got dark NW London at Hyde Park  I was taking photos of the ducks when the wind picked up so strong it just about knocked me over.  It started to rain a bit.  I can feel the temperature dropping.  After 10:30 going home the temperature was 4c.  The temperature continued to drop and by the afternoon it was -1c with snowflerries. 

My photos are dark but I saw a Redhead and some Ring-necked Ducks.

Redhead

Ring-necked Ducks

This is when the wind gusts were strong and the ducks were all of a sudden swimming in waves.

What a change in weather the next day, February 29, 2024, -7c, feels like -15c, mostly cloudy, W wind 28 km/h, gust 48 km/h.  I went to a Hyde Park Pond and saw my first of the year Killdeer.

Coves and Greenway Park, March 1, 2024, 7c, sunny, a nice day.  Some birds were singing such as the Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals and a Carolina Wren.  I saw these Great Blue Herons at the Coves sleeping.

At Greenway Park, I saw this beautiful Red-tailed Hawk.

This is the only Common Merganser I saw at the river.

Common Merganser (female)

It was nice to see the Wood Ducks.  First of the Year.

Wood Ducks

Mallard (female)