Grebe having Lunch

September 20, 2017 - Partly cloudy, 25 degrees, hot, humid

Hyde Park Drainage Pond/Rail Trail, London, Ontario

Crow, Cardinal, Mallards, Great Blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebes, Ring-billed Gull and Robin
Monarch - 2
White Cabbage - 2
Sulfur sp - 4
Damselfly - 2

Great Blue Heron

New England Aster

Pied-billed Grebe eating lunch.

A Quiet Morning

September 1, 2017

Hyde Park Rail Trail - London, Ontario

I went for a short walk in Hyde Park today.  It was a cool 13 degrees with some wind.  Didn't see too many butterflies or dragonflies.  I saw this damselfly (below) bluet species.  There was a few of those around.

Damselfly sp.

I found this bug...(no idea what it is) but I thought it looked interesting)

Bug sp.

Great Blue Heron

 Northern Crescent

Short Walk in Hyde Park

Hyde Park, London Ontario 

The day started out cloudy, high of 14.  As I was walking around the sun finally came out and the butterflies and dragonflies started flying around.
I saw a Monarch, Hairstreaks, Common Ringlet, Cabbage Whites and Sulphurs.  I was unable to get photos, they were really moving about.      

Bluet sp.

The dragonfly below (centre of photo), I've never seen before, it was red...I could not get the camera to focus.  Thanks Blake for the ID!

Cherry-faced Meadowhawk

Widow Skimmer

Wandering about in Grassland Areas

August 25, 2017 - sunny, clear, 14 degrees this morning
Hyde Park, London, Ontario

Birds I saw - Great Blue Heron (looked very relaxed just looking around), Mallards, Eastern Kingbird, American Goldfinches, and Song Sparrows

Butterflies - Cabbage Whites, some Sulphurs and Black Swallowtail..they were really moving about so could not get photos.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Thanks to Blake Mann for ID of this butterfly.  It's a regular butterfly that can be found in grassland areas.  This is a lifer for me.

Common Ringlet

Eastern Kingbird

Some Elegant Wading Birds

August 24, 2017 - it was mainly cloudy, 15 degrees

Hyde Park Rail Trail...I only saw one species of butterfly.
Birds - Song Sparrows, Mallard, Cedar Waxwing, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Mourning Dove and American Goldfinches.

Northern Crescent

Cedar Waxwing

There were 2 Great Egrets.

Great Blue Heron / Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

This is another Northern Crescent I saw.

Northern Crescent

Mixture of Stuff

August 23, 2017 - sunny, slight breeze

Hyde Park Rail Trail - It was a nice morning for a walk.  I walked halfway around the pond.

Song Sparrow

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Wild Clover

This is the only butterfly I saw...not many around.

Northern Crescent

I took photos of these grasshoppers...they were jumping all over the place and crickets were too.  I saw two species of grasshoppers..maybe three.

Grasshopper sp.

This one below are the ones I remember as a kid.  It's in the centre of the photo with the head near the top.

Grasshopper sp.  (Differential?)

This one below might be the same as the above.  It was brown as the other was green. It's in the centre facing right.

Grasshopper sp.

Locust sp?

Common Whitetail

Hyde Park Rail Trail

August 14, 2017 - Hyde Park Rail Trail - Stanton Drain Stormwater pond constructed in 2013.

I was looking for butterflies but not many around.  I saw one Monarch, some Cabbage Whites and small yellow butterflies (I think Sulphurs).  

Mallards

Clouded Sulphur

American Goldfinch

Widow Skimmer

This was a CN railway line paved.  The open trail is lined with long grasses and  wild flowers.  There are many insects and birds.  I saw American Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, Mallards, Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, Ring-billed Gulls (2) and Grackles.  There is mixed habitat with meadows, farmland, woods and some wet areas.     

Part of Trail looking south

Part of Trail looking north