Birds and Butterflies - August 9, 2024

Birding Week of July 29, 2024 - August 4, 2024 - London Area

At some wetlands there are Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons around.

Ospreys - Adult female and chick

Song Sparrow

American Goldfinches

Young Eastern Meadowlarks

Eastern Meadowlark

Mourning Doves

Photo below....this is a far away photo of an American Goldfinch feeding a young Brown-headed Cowbird.

Least Skipper

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

Common Ringlet

June Birding - Very Warm and Dry Conditions

Continuing from mid-May and into June, we've had no rain.  It is getting so dry that some small ponds I go to are dried up.  It's not good hearing about the wildfires across north Canada.

For the start of June, I have been out birding at a few spots.  Out in open fields, I love hearing the Eastern Meadowlark.  Also seeing Song Sparrows, Killdeers, Mourning Doves, Red-tailed Hawks, Ospreys, American Robins, American Goldfinches, Savannah Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrow.

Grasshopper Sparrows are very tiny sparrows....one would see them out in fields. grasslands and prairies.  They have been in steep decline in some areas due to habitat loss.

Grasshopper Sparrow

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Song Sparrow

Mallard family

Female Wood Duck and ducklings

In the butterfly category, I saw my FOY Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Eastern Giant Swallowtail.  The last few days while birding, I have not seen any butterflies (not even Cabbage Whites) anywhere.  Also, have not seen any dragonflies.  I'm getting concerned about this.  Maybe it's still too early, I don't know.   

It is very, very dry...we need rain!

Local May Birding

I did some birding around London area this week....got a few first-of-year birds which is nice.

Grasshopper Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Eastern Meadowlark

The Northern Mockingbird is a rare bird for our region.

Northern Mockingbird

Baltimore Oriole

Killdeer

Birds I found in Springbank Park.

Least Sandpiper

I watched a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers.  They have a nest in a tree cavity...busy catching bugs for their young.

Great Crested Flycatcher

Hyde Park Area

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Yellow Warbler

Tree Swallow

Grassland to Marshland

I went to the London Airport to see what was around (June 11, 2022).  I really like Meadowlarks and different sparrows.  I know I can always find them there.  They like open fields with long grasses and weeds which is a perfect habitat for these birds.  As you can see they also like fences and wires.  

Eastern Meadowlark

Savannah Sparrow

Grasshopper Sparrow

At another park, I found a couple of Great Blue Herons.  I love Great Blue Herons so I always have photos of them to share.  The birds are really busy nesting and feeding their young right now.

Cedar Waxwings

Ruby throated Hummingbird

The Swamp Sparrow was in the reeds with a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds.  This bird was bouncing around the reeds with food then it dropped down out of sight to probably a nest and young.

Swamp Sparrow

Mid-April Outings

I'm still birding around London ponds and areas.  At the London Airport, I got an Eastern Meadowlark.  I love hearing them.  I'm behind in adding photos to the blog the last 2 weeks.  Here are some of them.    

Great Blue Heron

It was nice to see the Ospreys back.

Osprey

Blue-winged Teal

A pair of Ospreys are back at Greenway Park.

FOY - Yellow-rumped Warbler