New Year January 2025

To highlight 2024, I only got one new lifer back in January - Black-billed Magpie.  It wasn't a good year for butterflies or dragonflies.  There were not many around.  I had to really look for them through the Summer and Fall.

I started the new year 2025 going to Fanshawe CA to see what was around.  There were a nice variety of birds at the Tamarack Trail.  Lots of Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrows, American Tree Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Black-capped Chickadees.  I also saw two juvenile Bald Eagles fly over.

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Dark-eyed Junco

Mourning Dove

Yesterday (January 4), I went to Greenway Park for a walk.  It was really cold feeling like -15c and a strong, cold West wind.  There were snow squalls too.  I walked along Thames River and saw lots of Common Mergansers, some Hooded Mergansers, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneyes, American Black Duck and lots of Canada Geese and Mallards.  The Ring-necked Duck is still there.  Two juvenile Bald Eagles were flying over the river.  I will go to Greenway one more time this coming week before the area is closed down for construction until mid-March.  

Blue Jay

Ring-necked Duck (centre)

Common Mergansers

Fall Birding - 2024

Coves - October 8, 2024

We have had beautiful weather this past week.  I'm seeing a nice variety of birds.... still seeing the odd Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawks, lots of Cedar Waxwings, Robins, American Goldfinches, Blue Jays, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Downy Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees and now seeing more Dark-eyed Juncos.  They are so cute!

Dark-eyed Juncos

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Komoka - October 11, 2024

Another gorgeous day for a walk at Komoka.  There are 4 Mute Swans at the ponds.  I'm not seeing many ducks yet.  

Mute Swans

Greater Yellowlegs

Canterbury- October 12, 2024

Birds I saw were two Pied-billed Grebes, Cedar Waxwings, Robins, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinal, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbirds, Black-capped Chickadees, White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, a Killdeer, American Goldfinches, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

There were lots of House Finches

Saw a few Clouded Sulphurs and Orange Sulphurs

Trees are now turning nicely,

Mid-January Birding

Coves - January 15, 2024. I went birding this week to places close by.  A very cold, frigid week with temperatures of -16c feeling like -20c to -27c. The birds were trying their best to keep warm.  At the Coves, I saw a female Red-winged Blackbird.  This is the first time I've seen a Red-winged Blackbird in January!  I looked over my 45+ year bird listings and saw one listed in February1985.

Red-winged Blackbird

There were a few Great Blue Herons along the edge of the water.  I also saw American Tree Sparrows, Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrows, Dark- eyed Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, and a couple of Red-tailed Hawks. 

Springbank Park - January 16, 2024  A very cold day.  Parts of the Thames are frozen with lots of ice floats with the water level still high.  I really like the winter ducks.  Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, and Common Mergansers.  I saw American Black Ducks, lots of Canada Geese (over 250), Mallards (over 200), Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Blue Jays, American Crows, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Common Goldeneye

Common Mergansers 

Northern Cardinal

Blue Jay

Greenway Park - January 19, 2024.  At Greenway, Friday, I really felt the cold.  Didn't stay too long.  There were many ducks along the edge of the Thames River.  Lots of Canada Geese, Mallards, Common Mergansers, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers, and Common Goldeneyes.  I spotted a lone male Green-winged Teal with a group of Mallards.  I also saw 2 Great Blue Herons and along the edge in the bushes were Dark-eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, American Goldfinches, House Finches, Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, and a White-breasted Nuthatch.

I was looking at the ducks when this bird came flying over and landed in a tree right in front of me.  A Sharp-shinned Hawk!  There were some noisy Blue Jays around and I think the hawk was chasing one but stopped short to the tree.

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneyes

Common Goldeneyes with a Common Merganser (male)

Common Merganser (Female)

Canada Geese

This poor Great Blue Heron looks so cold

Recent Outings

 April 21, 2021

I have been out birding this past weekend and this week.  The weather was nice but it turned cold...had snow on the ground this morning.  It snowed off and on today.  So far, I've had no luck finding bird migrants.

Here is a short post showing the variety of birds I saw in the woods and at ponds.

Blue Jay

Turkey Vultures

Northern Flickers

I also saw Common Grackles, Robins, Cardinals, Goldfinches, Cedar Waxwings, Ospreys, Red-tailed Hawks, Song Sparrows, Killdeers, Canada Geese, Belted Kingfisher, Crows, Mourning Doves, and Mallards.

Ring-necked Ducks

Pied-billed Grebe

Brown-headed Cowbird

Wood Ducks (male and female)

Wood Duck

Downy Woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbird  (female)

Variety of Wildlife

 Birding around London Area

I love the diving ducks.  I watch them as they dive under the water and I look to see where they come back up.  Sometimes a few are diving and sometimes like the Hooded Mergansers (9) I saw the other day, they all went under together and watch them pop up at different times.  

Hooded Merganser (female)

                                        

The American Wigeon surface-feeds like Mallards.

American Wigeons

American Wigeons

There has been lots of finches around lately.....especially Goldfinches.

American Goldfinch

Blue Jay

I really like sparrows.  This time of year one can see White-throated Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Tree Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows and Fox Sparrows.

Song Sparrow

Red-tailed Hawk

American Robin

On November 5, 2020, I saw an American Toad on the trail.  It was a warm day, high of 17c which toads like.

At Springbank Park, a Red-necked Grebe showed up at the Thames.  This is a juvenile bird.  I have not seen one for years.

Cedar Waxwing

Great Blue Heron

I was looking for sparrows and a White-tailed Deer was staring at me.

Northern Cardinal

Mallards

Black-capped Chickadee

Downy Woodpecker