Findings End of July 2025

Around London, some animals and butterflies I saw.

Cabbage White

Tawny Emperor

Viceroy

Red-spotted Purple

Red-spotted Purple

Eastern Tailed Blue

Giant Swallowtail

Hot Summer Days - July 2025

July 10, 2025, Komoka North

It was lovely seeing the Mute Swans this morning.  They have five young.  I saw a few Eastern Bluebirds, Catbirds, Northern House Wrens, Northern Flicker, Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Kingbirds, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Wood Ducks, Barn Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Belted Kingfisher, Field Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, Savannah Sparrows and an Osprey.

Not many butterflies and dragonflies - Common Wood-Nymphs, Little Wood Satyr, Cabbage Whites, Halloween Pennant, Widow Skimmers, Common Whitetails and Blue-fronted Dancers.

Mute Swans with 5 young

Eastern Kingbird

Northern Flicker

Eastern Bluebird

Blue-fronted Dancer

Widow Skimmer

July 12, 2025, Airport, Fanshawe Pond

At the airport, there were many Mourning Doves, adults and young and also many young starlings.  I saw an Osprey, Turkey Vulture, Barn Swallows, Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Goldfinches, Killdeers, American Robins and Common Grackles.

The area of weeds and long grasses where I see some butterflies has been mowed down.

Mourning Dove

Savannah Sparrow

Oprey

Fanshawe Pond.  There were 2 Monarchs, Cabbage Whites, and lots of Common Whitetails.

Pied-billed Grebe

Short-billed Dowitchers

Some Findings - Week of June 9, 2025

A flock of American White Pelicans have been seen at Fanshawe Lake this week.  When I went to see them, there were 14 of them in the middle of the lake.  I have seen American White Pelicans in Florida but this sighting was a lifer for Ontario and Middlesex County for me.  

American White Pelicans

young Savannah Sparrow

The Northern Mockingbird is continuing at the London Airport.  There has been a pair nesting there for the past few years.

Northern Mockingbird

Song Sparrow

Red-spotted Purple

American Bullfrog

Today at the Coves, I saw two DeKay's Brown Snakes.  They were too fast for photos.  

Around Wetlands - Mid-September 2024

This past week, we've had really nice sunny, warm weather for mid September.  The trees are just starting to turn colours.  I've been visiting wetlands around London area.  Lots of Double-crested Cormorants and Great Egrets migrating. 

Some Great Blue Herons

Monarchs are migrating.  Not seeing a lot of Monarchs just like last September.  

Monarch

This is a Common Checkered-Skipper.  It's probably very common but this is a new one for me.

Viceroy

Green-winged Teals.  They are really cute little ducks.

It's nice to see some shorebirds.  

Greater Yellowlegs

Solitary Sandpiper

Killdeers

A few Kingfishers are around.

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Leopard Frog

American Bullfrog

Some Pleasant Days Birding

This past week I was birding in the Hyde Park area, Springbank Park and Kilally Meadows.  There were a nice variety of birds.  In Hyde Park, I saw my FOY Eastern Kingbird.  Also Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Canada Geese with their goslings, Turkey Vultures, Killdeers, Field Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Common Yellowthroat, Catbirds, and Baltimore Orioles. 

I'm looking for butterflies and dragonflies too.  I've only seen Cabbage Whites and no dragonflies so far.

Green Heron

Eastern Kingbird

I was watching the Great Blue Heron for awhile.  The Red-winged Blackbirds were not happy with the heron around so the heron was being harassed.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Common Yellowthroat

There were some nice birds at Springbank Park.  Here is a Wood Duck having a sleep on a rock.  

Carolina Wren

Solitary Sandpiper

At Kilally Meadows there are a lot of Yellow Warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Baltimore Orioles.  The Eastern Towhee was nice to see.  I heard it singing and found it in an open bush.  

Two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

Saw my first Bullfrog of the season.

American Bullfrog