Findings - August 11-16, 2025

Exploring around London, I found some species of turtles and butterflies.

Spiny Softshell

Great Egrets and a Green Heron.

Great Egret

Green Heron

Great Egret

Peck's Skipper

Tawny-edged Skipper

Viceroy

Northern Crescent

Red-spotted Purple

A Soggy Week

Week of Aug 21, 2023, we had some rainy days, lots of rain. The Thames River is very high and fast moving.  So I didn't see much at the river.  I went to a wetland in North London.  It was quiet.  I decided to take some pictures of plants.  They are so pretty this time of year.

Joe-Pye Weeds

Hawkweed

Canada Goldenrod

The only butterfly I saw other than Cabbage Whites was the Northern Crescent.  The first one I've seen this year! lol

Northern Crescent

A Double-crested Cormorant few over.  I also saw a Cooper's Hawk, Turkey Vultures. and Ring-billed Gulls.  It was an overcast day so my pictures were silhouettes.    

Double-crested Cormorant

I also saw some Mallards, a Belted Kingfisher, lots of American Goldfinches, House Finches, Catbird and Song Sparrows.

Some Insects

A short blog this week.  This past week, there seems to be more butterflies around.  It's always nice to see the Black Swallowtail.  Also, I've seen Common Ringlets, some Monarchs, Viceroys, Cabbage Whites, Clouded Sulphurs, and Northern Crescents.

Black Swallowtail

Northern Crescent

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

I've seen dragonflies and damselflies around.  Most of them are flying so it's difficult to get photos.

Powdered Dancer

Eastern Pondhawk

A Quiet Week

It has been a quiet week trying to find birds, butterflies and dragonflies.  It was very hot and muggy for a few days and also had rain.  

Gray Catbird

Double-crested Cormorant

I went to Greenway Park again to check on the Ospreys.  

At Hyde Park, the water is too high for shorebirds right now. I saw lots of Mallards in the water and a Great Blue Heron.  Around the pond area were Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings, Northern Flickers, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal and some Song Sparrows.  

There were Cabbage Whites, the odd Monarch, Clouded Sulphurs and I saw an Orange Sulphur.   

Northern Crescent

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Common Whitetail

Hopefully, things will start to pick up soon

Mid-August Findings

August 10, 2020  The Coves, London, Ontario

Nothing much new to report this past week.  I'm seeing signs of Fall now.  

Midland Painted Turtles

Midland Painted Turtles

Slider

August 11, 2020 - Hyde Park, London, Ontario

I saw a couple of Great Egrets which was nice.

Spotted Sandpiper

I really enjoyed watching a pair of Ospreys since April when they were building their nest.  Now it's fun watching the juvenile.

Osprey

Ospreys

August 12, 2020  Westminster Ponds, London, Ontario

Cedar Waxwing

Barn Swallow

Common Wood Nymph

Viceroy

Monarch

August 13, 2020 Hyde Park, London, Ontario

I have not seen too many butterflies.  Since all the weeds and grasses were cut back in the Spring, I have not seen the variety of butterflies and dragonflies I usually see.  This is where I've seen the Clearwing the past 2 years.  I don't think I will be seeing one this year.

Northern Crescent

Pearl Crescent

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Birds, Butterflies and Dragonflies

Hyde Park Drainage Pond

It was a beautiful day today...warm and sunny.  This afternoon I went to Hyde Park to look for butterflies.  The butterflies were fluttering around and there were some dragonflies too.  

Group of Mallards

I saw 2 Indigo Buntings. Beautiful birds!

Indigo Bunting

There is a farmers field beside the pond.  With a fence and bushes it's not always easy to look over the fields.  Way in the distance, I could see black things moving.  I got my camera on them and there were 5 wild turkeys running around.  Then I saw a Great Blue Heron fly over and landed in a tree way in the distance. 

Wild Turkey

Great Blue Heron

This is the other Indigo Bunting I saw this afternoon.

Indigo Bunting

There were a lot of Crescents flying around.  Some Cabbage Whites, Clouded Sulphurs, Monarchs, and a Red-spotted Purple.

Northern Crescent

Clouded Sulphur

This Azure species was pretty worn.

Azure sp

Clouded Sulphur

I was so excited to see my first Clearwing of the year......Hummingbird Clearwing.

Hummingbird Clearwing

My first ever Calico Pennant.

Calico Pennant

Eastern Pondhawk

Eastern Amberwing

Common Whitetail

Northern Leopard Frog