Mid-February Birding

Fanshawe Lake - I took a walk along Fanshawe Lake this week to see what I can find.  At far distance, I spotted Common Mergansers and a large group of American Black Ducks.  I figured about 50 of them.  There were some Mallards mixed in there too.  

Common Mergansers

American Black Ducks

Immature Bald Eagle

Common Goldeneyes

A few more photos of Common Mergansers.  

I went to the Coves on Friday.  I saw some Canada Geese but no ducks.  The ponds were mostly frozen.  There were a few smaller birds flying along the pond edge and in thickets....Dark-eyed Juncos, American Goldfinches, American Tree Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Mourning Doves. Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, House Finches, and Carolina Wrens.  

Mourning Dove sleeping

The Red-tailed had some lunch.

Red-tailed Hawk

In my last blog I mentioned some rarities I saw.  To many people the ducks are not rarities but maybe uncommon but for me and the area where I bird, they are rare as I don't see them that often.  

Some Rarities this Week

Fanshawe Lake Area- February 3, 2024, -1c, overcast - Lake was half frozen.  I saw Canada Geese, Mallards, Common Mergansers, Northern Pintails, Bald Eagle, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Goldfinch, and Pine Siskins.

I don't know what kind of spruce trees these are, they are loaded with pine cones.

Pine Siskin

It was nice to see the Northern Pintails.

Northern Pintail

February 9, 2024 - Record breaking temperatures today.  It was 11c in the morning when I was birding.  The afternoon was a record 14c.   Winters sure have changed from when I was young!  I thought I would check the Thames River along Wonderland Road to see what I can find along the river.  Lots of Canada Geese and Mallards and I also found 4 Northern Shovelers. Beautiful ducks - 2 males and 2 females.  We rarely see them in this area.

Below - Female Northern Shoveler in the middle left and female Mallard to the right.

February 10, 2024 - I went to Kilally ESA to find the Greater Scaup which had been sighted this past week.  I finally found it with a couple of Mallards.  This is another duck rarely seen in our area.

Last Week of January 2024

It has been dreary the last week of January but actually the whole month of January.  The temperature was around the 0c mark and also overcast, light snow or drizzle.  So the ground has been wet and muddy with water pools to walk around on the paths.   

At Greenway, there were not many ducks.  The Thames River is still very high.  A few Goldeneyes and Common Mergansers were seen.  The Canada Geese and Mallards are along the edge of the river plus Canada Geese were on the grassy areas in the park.   

Goldeneye

Common Mergansers

January 29, 2024 - The Coves...Parts of the ponds were open but mostly still ice covered.  Many Canada Geese and Mallards were around.  A couple of Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers and one Great Blue Heron.  There was a pair of Red-tailed Hawks in a tree together and an immature Bald Eagle flew by.  Other birds I saw were Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinals, American Tree Sparrows and American Goldfinches.  

Hooded Merganser

Compare the size of the Hooded Mergansers with the Canada Goose in the background.

Hooded Mergansers

Great Blue Heron

Common Mergansers

Mallard

Red-tailed Hawk

Mourning Dove

American Robin

It has been quiet at the Hyde Park ponds.  The pond is still frozen.  Here is a Great Blue Heron at the edge and was walking a bit on the ice.

Great Blue Heron

American Tree Sparrow

It was a nice surprise to see a Merlin land in a tree nearby.  

Merlin