Birding - First week of November 2025

The first week of November, we had some nice weather...temperature around 10-12C. Through the week, I checked some ponds around London to see what was around.  

Coves - Nov 1/25 - I saw lots of birds this day....American Goldfinches, House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets.  There were also flocks of Cedar Waxwings, American Robins and a singing Carolina Wren.  

Great Blue Herons

Wood Ducks

Nov 2/25 - I checked out the ponds in Hyde Park.  It was nice to see a Great Egret this late in the season.  A few Clouded Sulphurs were flying around.

Clouded Sulphur

Nov 4/25 - I went to some ponds South London.  Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles, and some Hooded Mergansers. There was some Clouded Sulphurs flying this day too.

Nov 6/25 - Went to Greenway Park.  I saw one Greater Yellowlegs and one Double-crested Cormorant.  Getting late for them.

Nov 8/25 - Fanshawe Lake - Flocks of Canada Geese flying over.  I saw some ducks out in the lake, Common Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes.  There were other groups of ducks but could not identify them as they were so far out.  I also saw one Great Blue Heron and Ring-billed Gulls.  There were some smaller birds around American Goldfinches, House Finches, Black-capped Chickadees, White-throated Sparrows, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Blue Jays and Northern Cardinals.

Spring Birds - 2025

We've had some cool days through the week but one day it was warm at 27c.  Suddenly, after that warm day the leaves started coming out and the tree blossoming. The May Apples are coming up, too.  So nice to see green.

Eastern Bluebird

Below Tree Swallows are nesting in Eastern Bluebird boxes.  Every spring there is a battle for the Bluebirds to nest in these boxes.  The swallows dive boom them when they are sitting at the nest box.

I was happy to see a Sandhill Crane as I don't see them often.

Sandhill Crane

Mute Swans

FOY snake - Common Garter Snake

Week of October 13-19, 2024

At the Coves, I saw this juvenile Turkey Vulture up on the light standard at the soccer field.  I was able to get some close-ups pictures.  Very large birds....they are beautiful in their own way.  I love seeing them soaring and sad when they leave to migrate south.

There were lots of birds in the trees especially Cedar Waxwings (flocks) and American Robins.  There are a lot of berry bushes around.  There were a few White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Back-capped Chickadees, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinches, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.   

Wood Duck

Wood Duck (females)

Another Great Blue Heron.  I love taking photos of them.

Hyde Park - October 14, 2024

The trees are very nice this week in Hyde Park.

Uplands Wetland - October 19, 2024

The morning started out in dense fog.  As the fog disappeared, the ducks started to come out of the reeds.  

Green-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal (female)

Great Blue Heron and Canada Geese in the fog

Some First of the Year Birds

February 27, 2924 - Gibbons Park. This is the first Red-winged Blackbird I've seen this year.

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Mergansers

February 28, 2024 - Started to go out birding.  It was 14c. this morning.  It suddenly got dark NW London at Hyde Park  I was taking photos of the ducks when the wind picked up so strong it just about knocked me over.  It started to rain a bit.  I can feel the temperature dropping.  After 10:30 going home the temperature was 4c.  The temperature continued to drop and by the afternoon it was -1c with snowflerries. 

My photos are dark but I saw a Redhead and some Ring-necked Ducks.

Redhead

Ring-necked Ducks

This is when the wind gusts were strong and the ducks were all of a sudden swimming in waves.

What a change in weather the next day, February 29, 2024, -7c, feels like -15c, mostly cloudy, W wind 28 km/h, gust 48 km/h.  I went to a Hyde Park Pond and saw my first of the year Killdeer.

Coves and Greenway Park, March 1, 2024, 7c, sunny, a nice day.  Some birds were singing such as the Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals and a Carolina Wren.  I saw these Great Blue Herons at the Coves sleeping.

At Greenway Park, I saw this beautiful Red-tailed Hawk.

This is the only Common Merganser I saw at the river.

Common Merganser (female)

It was nice to see the Wood Ducks.  First of the Year.

Wood Ducks

Mallard (female)

Mid-March Findings

Birding around London area.  I went to a wetland north London to see what I can find.  It has been cold and overcast with lots of snow on the ground.  I saw a couple of Turkey Vultures, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Cardinals (singing), American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees.  

Turkey Vulture

Cooper's Hawk

Showing the Cooper's Hawk claws.

Greenway Park - March 14, 2023 - It was a cool day with light snow.  Starting to see more Spring birds - Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, American Robin, Killdeer, Wood Ducks.  I also saw a Great-blue Heron, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Song Sparrows, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, and Black-capped Chickadees.

Common Merganser with Canada Goose

Wood Ducks

American Kestrel

Fanshawe CA - walked the Tamarack Trail - Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyes Juncos, Blue Jays, Canada Geese, American Crows and Mallards...still lots of snow on the ground.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Downy Woodpecker

American Red Squirrel