Frigid Cold Days in January 2026

Frigid Cold - Most of January, we've had frigid, cold temperatures feeling like -25c, -27c.  We've had lots of snow, too.  I have been birding out in these temperatures, mainly along the Thames River.  

The last couple of days, I saw Redheads which are not common, Greater Scaups, not common and a female Harlequin Duck (rare).  I've seen lots of Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes and Bufflehead.  A Pied-billed Grebe has been hanging around for awhile.

Great Blue Herons

Pied-billed Grebe

Bald Eagle

Common Merganser (female)

Redhead

Gadwall 

Common Goldeneye

Greater Scaup

Harlequin Duck

More Ducks!

 March 1, 2021

I took this photo of the Harlequin Duck, January 16, 2021.

This photo was taken today, March 1, 2021.  Notice his plumage is slowly changing.

A sleeping Green-winged Teal.

A pair of American Coots was nice to see.

New Lifer - Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck, London, Ontario

The Harlequin Duck (first-year male) is a very rare duck in southwestern Ontario.  There was one sighted here a few days ago, so I thought I would go and find it...I've never seen one before.  They breed northern Canada and overwinter along the Atlantic coast.  It was in the Thames River with a small group of Mallards in the fast moving water with a strong current.  It was feeding among the rocks. They like swift rivers and streams, coasts and islands...often the roughest and rockiest of shores where the water is highly turbulent.  

The Harlequin likes to eat crustaceans and mollusks.