Kains Woods ESA

April 15, 2021

Kains Woods ESA

I decided to go for a walk at Kains Woods Environmentally Significant Area (ESA).  It was cool, with light rain and hail.  It was quiet bird wise but it's nice to walk along the river and view all the different tree species and later in the Spring...wildflowers. Some parts of the trail is challenging with several steep sections and cedar swamps.

In all ESAs in London, there is a sign at the beginning of the trail 'Be Coyote Aware'.  I've never seen a coyote until yesterday when I was at Kilally Meadows ESA.  I saw one walking along the woods edge and it saw me so it went deeper in the woods.  It was neat to see.

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Trout Lily

Eastern Skunk Cabbage

Common Merganser (female)

Here are some photos of the trail (the steep part).

Canada Goose on her nest

Balmy Week in April

The first week of April - The weather turned summer like - very warm, temperatures high in the mid-20s.  I saw my first turtles of the year and hearing frogs croaking.  More and more Tree Swallows were seen every day and some birds busy building their nests.

Eastern Meadowlarks

Osprey

Killdeer

Tree Swallow

Blue-winged Teal

Cedar Waxwings

Pied billed Grebe

Turkey Vultures

Bufflehead

Wood Duck

Lots of Painted Turtles!

It was nice to see a Virginia Rail at Westminster Ponds this week!  Very hard to find in the reeds.  This was my best shot.

March into April Findings

 End of March into April 2021

I have been birding around London trying to find some new migrants.  Now, one starts to find some birds building nests or finding suitable areas to build a nest.  

I found this Canada Goose on the bank of the Thames River on her nest.

The Black-capped Chickadees were doing some house cleaning in a hole of the tree branch.  The pair were taking turns going in and out of the hole.

Song Sparrow

The Ospreys are returning and at this particular Ospreys nest it was occupied by a Canada Goose high in the light standard of a baseball diamond.

A Red-tailed Hawk is flying with nesting material.

American Robin

Dark-eyed Junco

Cooper's Hawk

I am starting to find plants and flowers now.  So I will be concentrating on plants along with finding birds. 

Common Snowdrop

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