March Findings

Last week, I went birding at the Upland Wetland Area.  It was a warm day 18c and sunny.  There were not many birds but it was nice to see some Painted Turtles (3).  I've never seen turtles out sunning this early (March 4)

Killdeer

I checked out the Hyde Park Collection Ponds.  It was overcast with some light rain but mild at 13c.  There were seven Ring-necked Ducks busy diving for food.  A Belted Kingfisher flew from one end of the pond to the other.  I managed to get a far away photo.

Ring-necked Duck

Some Killdeers around.

Killdeer

I also went to the Coves Saturday and as usual enjoyed looking at the Great Blue Herons.

There were a pair of Bald Eagles in a tree.  One flew around with a branch and back to the tree again.

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)

Birding - Week of February 19, 2024

I went birding at Greenway Park two different days last week.  - Feb 19 & 22.  

February 19 was a very cold day, -12c but sunny.  There was a nice variety of bird at the river.  Canada Geese, Mallards, Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, and American Crows.

Great Blue Heron

Common Merganser

Common Goldeneyes

Common Merganser

Green-winged Teal sleeping

Common Goldeneyes

Green-winged Teal

Pied-billed Grebe

Bald Eagle

February 22 - A difference in weather.  Today was 8c, overcast.  I found the Pied-billed Grebe again which was nice.  Also I saw some American Black Ducks, Common Mergansers, Bald Eagle, heard my first of year Red-winged Blackbird, a Song Sparrow and Northern Cardinals were singing.

Pied-billed Grebe

I watched 2 Red-tailed Hawks flyover. One of them dived to the ground and by inches missed a squirrel then flew up in the tree.  

American Black Duck

Red-tailed Hawk