New Year January 2025

To highlight 2024, I only got one new lifer back in January - Black-billed Magpie.  It wasn't a good year for butterflies or dragonflies.  There were not many around.  I had to really look for them through the Summer and Fall.

I started the new year 2025 going to Fanshawe CA to see what was around.  There were a nice variety of birds at the Tamarack Trail.  Lots of Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrows, American Tree Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Black-capped Chickadees.  I also saw two juvenile Bald Eagles fly over.

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Dark-eyed Junco

Mourning Dove

Yesterday (January 4), I went to Greenway Park for a walk.  It was really cold feeling like -15c and a strong, cold West wind.  There were snow squalls too.  I walked along Thames River and saw lots of Common Mergansers, some Hooded Mergansers, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneyes, American Black Duck and lots of Canada Geese and Mallards.  The Ring-necked Duck is still there.  Two juvenile Bald Eagles were flying over the river.  I will go to Greenway one more time this coming week before the area is closed down for construction until mid-March.  

Blue Jay

Ring-necked Duck (centre)

Common Mergansers

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

Wet and Buggy

Just a short blog this week as four days I didn't go out birding...so nothing much to report.

Lots of Painted Turtles catching some sun first part of last week.  We had a lot of rain - heavy downpours lately so Thames River is very high.  No rocks are showing to look for more turtles.  

Mourning Dove

Today I went to the Coves.  The mosquitoes were really bad so I didn't spend as much time there as I hoped.  It was hard taking photos with mosquitoes buzzing around my head. 

Catbird

Lots of adult and juvenile robins around.

Family of Northern Flickers - There were 5 together

First Week of November 2022

I was out birding for a couple of days this past week.  The weather has been unseasonably warm with some fog several mornings. Greenway Park and Westminster Ponds were the places I visited.  I have been enjoying finding sparrows and finches - Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, House Finches, American Goldfinches and Purple Finches.  Also Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Hairy Woodpeckers.   There has been a steady migration of American Robins through the week.

Great Blue Heron

Wood Ducks

Lots of Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwings

Common Merganser - female

Double-crested Cormorant

Green-winged Teal

American Black Duck

White-breasted Nuthatch

Great Blue Heron

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Mourning Dove

Looking at the weather for next week, looks like another pleasant week for birding!

End of February Birding

I have been out birding but have not seen anything different for the past few weeks.  We've had some really cold days in February.

Last week, I went to Greenway Park to see what was around.  It was a little milder today and sunny.  Most of the ducks were along the banks of the river trying to keep warm.  Lots of Canada Geese, Mallards, some Black Ducks, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye,  Hooded Mergansers and Common Mergansers.  

Common Mergansers and Mallards

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser (female)

Always nice to see a Robin.

One day, I went out to Killarney Ponds, east London.  There were reports that a Redhead and a Greater Scaup were there.  I saw both of them, first of the year for me.

Redhead

Greater Scaup

While I was out the east end of the city, I went to Fanshawe CA.  It was a very cold day, feeling like -14c so I didn't stay too long.  I checked out the Tamarack Trail Area.  There were lots of Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, White-throated Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Tree Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, and Red-breasted Nuthatches

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Dark-eyed Juncos

Tree Sparrow

Yesterday, I went to Canterbury Park.  I have not been there since the Fall.  The pond is still frozen over.  I saw some Blue Jays, American Robins, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinals and American Crows.

Red-tailed Hawk

Looking forward to seeing some signs of Spring next week!