Middlesex County Lifer - Cattle Egret

 A Cattle Egret was seen yesterday in Middlesex County.  It's out on Gainsborough Rd in a pasture with cows.  I've seen Cattle Egrets in Florida a few times but, of course, never in Canada.  

The Cattle Egret forages on insects and often follows cattle to capture insects stirred up by their movement.  Our smallest white heron with short legs and short bill.             

Here are some photos.  

More Birding at London Area Ponds

This week I checked out more ponds in the area.  This pond on Wonderland Rd S had 5 Canada Geese swimming around.  Along the edge of the pond, there were American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, and a Fox Sparrow...my first of the season. Someone had thrown seed on the pathway...the birds were enjoying it.  Also House Sparrows.

Fox Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

At Westminster Ponds, I saw a Pied-billed Grebe, American Coots, Mallards, Canada Geese and American Black Ducks.

The photo of the Pied-billed Grebe is a distant photo...not very clear.

American Coots

American Black Ducks

I also saw Dark-eyed Juncos, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Great Blue Heron, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-tailed Hawk and a Ring-billed Gull.

Downy Woodpecker

At the Hyde Park ponds, I counted 148 Canada Geese, 42 Mallards, a Great-Blue Heron and one Gadwall.

Canada Geese

Gadwall

Great Blue Heron

Northern Flicker

A far away shot of the Belted Kingfisher.

Belted Kingfisher

Birding at Area Ponds

Last week, I went to some local areas. At Uplands Wetland, there were lots of birds moving this morning under overcast skies.  Along with the Canada Geese and Mallards, there were 3 Green-winged Teals.  Lots of American Robins, American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, a couple of Red-tailed Hawks, Red-winged Blackbirds, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Black-capped Chickadees.  

Red-tailed Hawk

This Cooper's Hawk stopped by for a few seconds.  I managed to get a couple of photos before it took off.  

Cooper's Hawk

Green-winged Teal
 with a female Mallard to the right.

At Canterbury Park (November 4), a large migration of American Crows were flying over this morning.  I counted 360 Crows streaming westward.  They were quite high.  I stopped counting to continue birding as they were still flying overhead.  There were lots of Starlings in the trees mixed with American Robins and Blue Jays.  I also saw a flyover Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Canada Geese, Mallards, American Goldfinches and a American Tree Sparrow.

On November 6, I went to the Coves.  It was a cool start -2c but warmed up nicely to 9c.  Again, this morning. American Crows were streaming West which I counted up to 106.  As I was birding, the Crows were flying overhead in smaller groups.  I saw my first of the season 3 Hooded Mergansers which was nice. 

A large flock of Cedar Waxwings (35) were in the trees flying down to bushes to eat berries.     

The Hooded Mergansers (not a good photo) were at the opposite side under over-hanging branches. 

Mallards