Winter Birding in December 2025

 December 14, 2025

I have been out birding.  I'm seeing all the regular birds the last few weeks.  Winter is here as we have a lot of snow now, ponds are frozen over and the Thames River is starting to freeze in some sections.  The ducks I've seen lately are Mallards, Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads and American Black Ducks.

Red-tailed Hawk

American Robins finding a little opening in the frozen pond for a drink.

Hooded Merganser

Bald Eagle

Hundreds of Mallards and Canada Geese in the parks.  Someone was feeding them corn.

Common Merganser

This was this morning, December 14, really cold, feeling like -22c and heavy snow squalls.  These poor Robins.

Mid-November Birding 2025

I have seen a few new winter ducks lately.  Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Bufflehead, and Common Goldeneye.  Not in big numbers though.  The London area has had some heavy snowfalls...heavy, wet snow lately.

Hooded Merganser

Bald Eagle

Hooded Merganser

Buffleheads

Winter Birding - February 2025

 February 10-15, 2025, Greenway Park and Springbank Park

I was only out for two days this week as we had some snowy days.  

I went to the parks and walked along Thames River to see what I can find.  I really enjoy looking at the ducks.  Common Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards and Canada Geese.

Common Goldeneye

The Northern Pintails have been around for a few days.  I managed to find them.  Two males and one female.  They are not common here.

The male Ring-necked Duck is still around

 

On this day, I saw 9 Great Blue Herons in the trees.

Again, the Bald Eagles were flying around and resting in trees ....a joy to watch..

I saw some Hooded Mergansers.  I always just see a few at a time.  They are never here in big numbers.

The Red-breasted Merganser is more of a rare find here.  This female below was busy diving.

Birding Area Parks

I went for a walk at Greenway Park, January 10, 2023 to see what was at the river.  Lots of Canada Geese and Mallards.  Also saw some Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, and American Black Ducks.  The water is still high at the Thames with no ice or snow.  The ducks are spread out more because of that.

There were 4 crows making a fuss over in the tree area.  I noticed a Cooper's Hawk high up in a tree.  The crows were constantly harassing the hawk.

There was a little open water at the swamp area that the Mallards are together swimming around at the Coves, January 11.  

I saw two Carolina Wrens and there were very active.  

In the swamp area there were Song Sparrows, American Tree Sparrows, Winter Wren, Carolina Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos, American Goldfinches, House Finches, Downy Woodpeckers, and White-breasted Nuthatch.  I watched these birds for awhile.  

Song Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow

Two Red-tailed Hawks were flying over together.

Sandpiper Surprise

I thought I would go to Greenway Park, November 23, 2022 for a walk along Thames River.  The weather was nice 7c and sunny.  A lot of Canada Geese and Mallards around. 

A very large Canada Goose

It was nice to see some Common Mergansers and Hooded Mergansers.  

Common Merganser

Hooded Mergansers

While looking at the ducks, I scanned the other side of the river along the bank.  I noticed something small moving and realized it was a Spotted Sandpiper.  I've never seen a Spotted Sandpiper this late in the season.  It was moving around and feeding like crazy.  I tried my best to take some photos along the river bank where the Spotted Sandpiper was moving along.  

Spotted Sandpiper

Not far from the Spotted Sandpiper, I saw something else.  It was a Wilson's Snipe!  I've never seen a Wilson's Snipe this late in the season.  They both blended very well with a background of leaves, branches and rocks.  I did get some photos but not great.

Wilson's Snipe

There was also a couple of Killdeers.

A Cold Week of Birding

I didn't get out birding as much as I usually do this week as it was so cold with the windchill feeling like -20.  My camera didn't like the cold.

Week of January 24 - I finally got a Snowy Owl for my Middlesex County list.  I have seen Snowy Owls a while ago in Elgin County.  It was enjoying the sun on its face as it was a really cold day.  I was on a highway so I stayed in the car and took the photos through the front windshield.

Springbank Park - A really cold day feeling like -16c.  I saw two groups of robins totaling 30 robins along the banks of the Thames.  Also some Dark-eyed Juncos, Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinals, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker.  I quit early that day.

Greenway - With the cold, the river is really icing over.  I saw the Bald Eagle in its usual perch high in the tree.  Some Hooded Merganser and Buffleheads.

Hooded Merganser

I saw a few Robins, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadees, a couple of Great Blue Herons, and lots of Canada Geese and Mallards along the edge of the river trying to keep warm.  

Downy Woodpecker

I didn't last very long today either as it was feeling like -18c.