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

Week of August 11, 2024 Findings

Recently, birding has been slow.  I'm seeing fewer butterflies too.  Here are photos from last week.

Eastern Kingbird

Song Sparrow

Springbank Park - August 12, 2024

Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Spiny Softshells

Baltimore Oriole (Female)

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Komoka

Autumn Meadowhawk

Eastern Forktail

Black Saddlebags

Common Ringlet

Wet Week of July 14, 2024

Hyde Park - We've had some very hot, humid days lately.  I try to get out earlier before it gets too hot.  I'm enjoying watching the Osprey nest in Hyde Park.  It looks like only one chick.  The first couple of photos are the female and the third with her chick.  The male Osprey is fishing or perched at a huge tree behind the nest.  

Baby Painted Turtle

Barn Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

We had a very wet week.  Monday, London broke a century-old weather record, with a total of 59.3 millimeters of rain within a day.  The previous record 1923 was 45.2 mm.  After the record-breaking rain, London got hit with more heavy rain on Tuesday, bringing a total of 104 mm of rain 

A lot of flooding in the past few days. Some parks near the Thames River have closed such as Gibbons Park as most of the park is under water.

Hyde Park Area

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Kingbird

Question Mark

Baltimore Oriole (immature or female)

Around the Ponds

Week of August 14, 2023

Visiting different ponds this week.  A variety of plants, birds and turtles.

Midland Painted Turtles

Greater Yellowlegs

Green Heron

Eastern Kingbird

Merlin

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron