Some March Meandering

Greenway, March 1, 2022 - It was a cool, overcast day.  I went to Greenway to see the ducks.  I love seeing the Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers and Bufflehead.  The Common Mergansers are so white they really stand out...beautiful!  Some of the ice on the river has melted.  I saw a nice variety of birds...American Black Duck, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, American Robins, Great-Blue Heron, Northern Cardinals (singing), Carolina Wren, Blue Jays and a Song Sparrow.

Bufflehead

Common Mergansers

Hooded Mergansers

Gibbons Park, March 2, 2022 -  I saw my first Red-winged Blackbird (FOY).  It was so nice to see!  I checked out the Great Horned Owl.  It was a little milder today...some of the snow is starting to melt.  There were American Robins, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Cardinals (singing) and Blue Jays.

Terrible photo of Red-winged Blackbird.

Great Horned Owl

Coves, March 3, 2022 - It was quiet at the Coves today.  The ponds are still frozen.  I saw four Great-Blue Herons in a tree together.  Some are still sleeping.

Greenway again March 5, 2022.  Lots of Common Mergansers.  I counted 21.  So beautiful to watch.  There were some Hooded Mergansers, American Black Duck, lots of Mallards and Canada Geese. 

 

Birding in London Parks

I got around to some London parks this past week.  A very cold week.  At Gibbons Park, there were the usual Canada Geese and Mallards.  I also saw some Hooded Mergansers swimming around and fishing.  They are fast little swimmers.

Hooded Mergansers

Other birds I saw were White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Dark-eyed Juncos, American Goldfinch, Blue Jays and 5 Robins, which is always nice to see.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Some scenes of Thames River.

Greenway Park - Lots of Canada Geese (over 200), Mallards (over 200) along the banks of the river, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, Great Blue Heron, and some Black Ducks.

Black Duck to the right

This Bald Eagle was flying around and landed right above me!  Magnificent birds!

This poor thing (Great Blue Heron) is really tucked in to stay warm.  It was really cold, feeling like -19c.  

Yesterday, I went to Fanshawe CA to see what was around.  I walked to the dam.  The lake was frozen the one side but there was water below the dam where I saw the Common Goldeneyes, Canada Geese and Mallards.  Really cold!  I mainly watched the birds at the start of Tamarack Trail.  People leave bird seed there.  Lots of nice birds, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Tree Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Downy Woodpeckers.  

At one of the parks, the Great Horned Owl just started nesting last week.

Bird Walks in London, Ontario

Well, winter has arrived.  It has been very cold, snowy and a windy week.  I went birding at some places in London this past week.

I was looking at a Mourning Dove in a tree and suddenly it flow off with 20 other Mourning Doves (which I didn't see) on the ground under bushes.   I then realized a Cooper's Hawk came flying in and landed in a tree above me.  

House Finch

I saw 4 Great Blue Herons on this day.

At Huron Street Woods, there was a Pied-billed Grebe reported recently.  I finally found it.

At Gibbons Park, mother Great Horned Owl is in her nest.  

Song Sparrow

Common Mergansers

A Red-tailed Hawk flew into a tree right in front of me for a few minutes and flew down to dead tree trunk.  It was looking around and suddenly flew to the ground under bushes and caught something.  

It stayed under the bush and ate his meal (I think it was a mole).

Common Mergansers

Saturday, February 6, I went to Greenway Park.  It was so cold with the wind (feels like -20c).  The Canada Geese and Mallards were mostly along the edge of the river or sleeping on the ice.  This is the first time during this mild winter that the Thames River is freezing over.

Common Goldeneye

Adorable Owl

I thought I better go see the Great Horned Owls before the baby is gone from the nest.  The baby has stepped out of the nest which is just at the left.  It is so cute....all fluff.  The nest is in a Willow Tree.
The parents were in the tall pine/evergreen trees not too far away.