Hot Summer Days - July 2025

July 10, 2025, Komoka North

It was lovely seeing the Mute Swans this morning.  They have five young.  I saw a few Eastern Bluebirds, Catbirds, Northern House Wrens, Northern Flicker, Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Kingbirds, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Wood Ducks, Barn Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Belted Kingfisher, Field Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, Savannah Sparrows and an Osprey.

Not many butterflies and dragonflies - Common Wood-Nymphs, Little Wood Satyr, Cabbage Whites, Halloween Pennant, Widow Skimmers, Common Whitetails and Blue-fronted Dancers.

Mute Swans with 5 young

Eastern Kingbird

Northern Flicker

Eastern Bluebird

Blue-fronted Dancer

Widow Skimmer

July 12, 2025, Airport, Fanshawe Pond

At the airport, there were many Mourning Doves, adults and young and also many young starlings.  I saw an Osprey, Turkey Vulture, Barn Swallows, Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Goldfinches, Killdeers, American Robins and Common Grackles.

The area of weeds and long grasses where I see some butterflies has been mowed down.

Mourning Dove

Savannah Sparrow

Oprey

Fanshawe Pond.  There were 2 Monarchs, Cabbage Whites, and lots of Common Whitetails.

Pied-billed Grebe

Short-billed Dowitchers

Insects - Week of July 8, 2024

Looking for insects

Widow Skimmer  (female)

This is the 2nd time I've seen a Snowberry Clearwing.  First time was in July 2018.  It has been awhile.  I was so pleased to see it.  They are sometimes called "Hummingbird Moth".  They hover in front of a flower and sip nectar, just like a hummingbird.  

Snowberry Clearwing

Blue Dasher

Widow Skimmer  (female)

Viceroy

Halloween Pennant

Eastern Pondhawk

This is the 3rd Monarch I've seen so fair this year.

Monarch

Komoka Park

Blue-fronted Dancer

Red-eyed Vireo

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Variety of Wildlife Found July 1-5, 2019

I was out to different areas in London this past week.  I was mainly looking for butterflies and dragonflies.  I'm aware of the birds around me but I'm mainly concentrating on insects.  I'm finding it's not easy finding butterflies so far.  Some areas I didn't see any butterflies at all! 

Butterfly Milkweed

There was a long grassy area I was looking at when this huge raccoon came out and walked to the other side of the walkway and down to the river. It was huge!  Back looking around at the long grass area for butterflies....I turned to go back and there was a White-tailed Deer standing there staring at me!  It startled me!  The deer went on down to the river.  It was really nice seeing the raccoon and deer but found no butterflies.

Raccoon

White tailed Deer

Great Blue Heron

I look for flowers too.

Purple-flowered Raspberry

Chicory

Mallards

Eastern Pondhawk

The next two butterflies are lifers for me.

Little Wood Satyr

Northern Pearly-eye

I haven't seen too many Cabbage Whites so far.  I hope to find more butterflies this coming week.

Cabbage White

Common Ringlet

Painted Turtles

Blue Dasher

Northern Flicker

This is the only butterfly I'm seeing a lot of....Common Crescent.

Common Crescent

Widow Skimmer

Common Whitetail

Blue-fronted Dancer

Signs of Fall

Hyde Park Drainage Pond, London, Ontario

I went to Hyde Park this morning before it got too hot (sunny, 25c, feels like 32c).  I saw a couple of migrating Broad-winged Hawks and a Turkey Vulture.

Turkey Vulture

Broad-winged Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Both the Great Egret and Great Blue Heron were in the pond.

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

I usually see lots of Woolly Bears...this is the first one I've seen this season.

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

There are still a few of damsel and dragonflies around.

Bluet sp

Widow Skimmer

Autumn Meadowhawk

Monarch

Clouded Sulphur