Local Nature - May 2025

 First Week of June 2025

Eastern Bluebird

Spotted Sandpiper

Northern House Wren

I only saw Cabbage Whites for the month of May.  June 2, I saw my first Little Wood Satyr and Common Ringlet.

My first dragonfly of the year - Common Whitetail plus I saw my first Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (couldn't get my camera on it)

Mallard and ducklings

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Large Spiny Softshell Turtle

First Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year - June 7, 2025

Red-tailed Hawk being chased by Red-winged Blackbirds

Other first of year butterflies I saw yesterday were the Mourning Cloak and Northern Crescent.

Bird Outings this Week

The week of May 6, 2024 

Medway Valley - May 6, 2024 - I have not been to Medway Valley for awhile so I popped in to see what I can find.  I found some nice birds, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Orioles, Hermit Thrush, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Catbirds, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Yellow Warbler,  

I 

Woods in Medway Valley

Greenway - May 7, 2024

I checked out Greenway Park one day.  Lots of nice birds...Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Warbling Vireo, Barn Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Carolina Wren and Red-bellied Woodpecker to name a few.  

I saw some turtles across the river sunning.  Northern Map Turtles and Spiny Softshells.

Spiny Softshell Turtle

Northern Map Turtle

Komoka Park - Found a variety of wildlife.

Blue-winged Teal

Spotted Sandpipers

Brown Thrasher

Great-crested Flycatcher

Juvenal's Duskywing

At the Hyde Park Ponds, there were some sandpiper species found.

Solitary Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper

Midland Painted Turtles

Lilac

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.

Some Pleasant Birding Days

At the end of last week and into the long weekend, it's nice to see a lot more migrants.  I found a few more warblers, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Redstarts, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Ovenbird, Black-and-White Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and a male Golden-winged Warbler.  I was excited to see the Golden-winged Warbler as I have not seen one since 1994 at Point Pelee.  I had a really good look at it with two other birders.

I'm still missing my favorite - Black-throated Blue Warbler!

I was also excited to see an Eastern Bluebird.  For some reason, I don't see them often.  

Eastern Bluebird

American Goldfinch

Here are some photos of other birds I've seen. 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tree Swallow

Red-tailed Hawk

Yellow Warbler

Spotted Sandpiper

Great Blue Heron

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Solitary Sandpiper

Lots of turtles, too!

Wandering Hyde Park

Wednesday, July 24, 2019 - Hyde Park

I went for a walk in Hyde Park this morning.  It was sunny, high of 25c.
Butterflies were scarce.  I saw a couple of Monarchs, one Red Admiral and no Cabbage Whites.  I have not seen any of the yellow/sulphur butterflies as of yet.  Dragonflies are not any better...very few.  Last year, there were lots of dragonflies in this area.  

I saw a nice variety of birds though.  Great-Blue Heron, Pied-bill Grebe, Ring-billed Gull, a family of Northern Flickers, Willow Flycatcher, Spotted Sandpipers (2), Song Sparrows, American Goldfinches to name a few.

Spotted Sandpiper

Willow Flycatcher

Northern Flicker

Song Sparrow

Pied-billed Grebe