Happenings in London

Hyde Park Drainage Pond and Westminster Ponds ESA

I went to Hyde Park the other day mainly to look for butterflies and dragonflies.  There are plenty of Red Admirals around.  I'm seeing the odd Monarch, Cabbage White and some skippers.

Eastern Forktail

Common Wood-Nymph

Bluet  sp

Red Admiral

This is the first Northern Leopard Frog I've seen this year.

Northern Leopard Frog

At Westminster Ponds ESA, there were plenty of Blue Dashers.  I walked the boardwalk and the walkway at the other side of the pond.  There were a lot of wild flowers and flowering weeds around but I did not see one butterfly!  Below are some photos I took.

Blue Dasher

The lily pads are very nice around the edge of Saunders Pond.

Blue Vervain

Butterfly Milkweed

Saunders Pond

Butterflies and Dragonflies

This week, I've been out looking for butterflies and dragonflies.  It seems Red Admirals are in great numbers right now.  Below are some of the photos.

Tawny-edged Skipper

Common Whitetail

European Skipper

Little Wood Satyr

Ebony Jewelwing

Little Glassywing

Delaware Skipper

Painted Lady

Common Wood-Nymph

Cabbage White

Monarch 

Red Admiral

Eastern Forktail

And I will add a Green Frog.

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