Mid-March Findings

Birding around London area.  I went to a wetland north London to see what I can find.  It has been cold and overcast with lots of snow on the ground.  I saw a couple of Turkey Vultures, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Cardinals (singing), American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees.  

Turkey Vulture

Cooper's Hawk

Showing the Cooper's Hawk claws.

Greenway Park - March 14, 2023 - It was a cool day with light snow.  Starting to see more Spring birds - Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, Killdeer, Wood Ducks.  I also saw a Great-blue Heron, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Song Sparrows, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and Black-capped Chickadees.

Common Merganser with Canada Goose

Wood Ducks

American Kestrel

Fanshawe CA - walked the Tamarack Trail - Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyes Juncos, Blue Jays, Canada Geese, American Crows and Mallards...still lots of snow on the ground.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Downy Woodpecker

American Red Squirrel

Mid-July Birding

July 11, 2022 - Hyde Park

Barn Swallows - juveniles waiting for food.  There were quite a few swallows flying around catching insects for their young.  

An Osprey flying overhead.

July 12, 2022 - Kilally Meadows ESA

There are a pair of Ospreys nesting at Kilally Meadows ESA.  They nested here last year, too.  The birds I saw - Yellow Warblers, Catbirds, Red-eyed Vireos, Cedar Waxwings, American Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, Field Sparrows, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Spotted Sandpipers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Mallards and Turkey Vultures.  

Osprey

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Turkey Vulture

July 14, 2022 - Uplands North Wetland

I have not been here for awhile so I thought I would check it out.  The water is very low.  Lots of female Mallards and juveniles (36).  I saw one female Wood Duck and some Killdeers and Spotted Sandpipers.  All the usual birds were there, Barn Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Great Blue Heron, Canada Geese, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Common Grackles, Catbird, Starlings and Turkey Vultures flying overhead. 

Mallards

Mallards

It was nice to see some turtles on the logs.  Midland Painted Turtles and a Snapping Turtle. 

July 16, 2022 - London Airport

The Northern Mockingbirds are still here.  Some people are seeing juveniles so it's nice the Mockingbirds had a successful nesting season.  

Northern Mockingbird

The Ospreys are here again this year having another successful nesting season as well.

Grasshopper Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Kestrel

In the last few years, I go to places where I see lots of butterflies.  I'm not seeing them this year.  I saw some Cabbage Whites, a few Monarchs, Clouded Sulphurs, Orange Sulphurs, and a couple of Mourning Cloaks just recently.  I look for milkweeds...not one butterfly. There are a lot of butterflies I have not seen yet.  Dragonflies...having the same problem.  

Fall Birding

Last week I went to the Hyde Park area.  It was a warm and humid week.  We had rain and most days were overcast.  I found the mosquitoes were really bad and were biting.  I didn't have much problems with mosqutioes all summer until last week.  I think because everything is wet and it was humid.

Some photos I took were distant shots so not very clear.  

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Red-winged Blackbird

Birds I saw were Canada Geese, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Turkey Vultures, Cooper's Hawk, Kestrel, Killeers, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinal, Belted Kingfisher, American Robins, Catbird, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, American Goldfinches, White-throated Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, House Finches, lots of Mourning Doves and Starlings.

Killdeers on the rocks

American Robin

Starlings

Poor distant photos. 

American Kestrel

Cooper's Hawk