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

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.  

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