Family Day Birding Brings A Whirlwind Of Emotions

 

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This male Redhead presented amazing views from the platform at Greenway Park.

Unexpectedly, I ended up with the Family Day long weekend off work. Having just returned a few days prior from my winter getaway, I intended to work the three days to make up the lost hours. While my wallet will undoubtedly feel the pain, I can’t say I was overly disappointed as having just spent several days in nature I was still feeling the benefits and my desire to immerse myself in nature again was quite strong. 

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Over the Family Day long weekend, cardinals began singing their signature song.

I wavered quite a bit about where to go and had several locations in mind. I was leaning heavily toward Greenway Park as I have not been there much lately and this is my favourite park in the city for birding. After receiving a heads-up from a Facebook follower of a male Redhead present near the platform overlooking the river my mind was made up. 

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Cedar Waxwing reaching for a buckthorn berry.

On Saturday morning I made my way to the park shortly after first light. With the sun rising just over the trees I made the short walk from the parking lot to the platform overlooking the Thames River. Sure enough, just like I was told through Facebook, the male Redhead was swimming among all the Mallards only a few feet from shore. The morning sun illuminated the duck’s colourful plumage perfectly as I fired off several images.   

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Interestingly, a flock of robins was found in the same patch of buckthorn as this time last year.

Here’s where things started to get emotional. I was excited to have such close views of this beautiful duck and very appreciative of the woman who notified me through Facebook of the bird’s location. A sense of sadness came over me as the Redhead is my dad’s favourite duck and I wished he was there with me to experience it. I considered taking my dad with me but as he ages, he really feels the cold and this morning was rather chilly with a strong wind. Knowing Dad doesn’t do cold and windy anymore, sadly I made the decision not to bring him along. Dad and I have done a lot of birding, canoeing, and fishing on the Thames River over the years so lots of incredible memories came up on this day. 

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Whether on foot or in the canoe, Molly joined me on most of my birding outings. In this picture, she was fixated on a cow moose and its young calf.

Also heavily impacting my emotions was the fact it was Family Day weekend last year after enjoying the day outdoors with Molly I noticed a large lump on her front leg. The lump was diagnosed as osteosarcoma and she was given 6 to 8 weeks to live.  Like the trooper she was, Molly stayed with me another 10 weeks before the difficult but necessary decision was made to have her euthanized.  

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Molly was my best friend and companion so naturally, she got special treatment. When spending time by the campfire this included her own tent, therapeutic dog bed, sherpa blanket, and nightlight.

For those of you not aware, Molly was my dog, best friend, and number one birding companion. In fact, for most of the images I’ve shared, Molly’s leash was attached to my Cotton Carrier and she was right by my side. 

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This photo was taken on Molly’s final visit to Greenway Park.

I can’t tell you the number of days Molly and I spent at Greenway Park birding over the 12 years she was in my life. Greenway Park is where I got started in nature photography after a trip to the dog park with Molly when she was quite young revealed so many birds present highlighted by a Bald Eagle flyover. From that day on I spent as much of my free time as possible with Molly enjoying the great outdoors while practicing photography.

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Before Molly I hated winter. Her love of snow taught me how much fun winter is and now I love winter. After spring migration winter is my favourite season for birding.

Molly was my biggest motivator for getting outside with my camera. On days when I didn’t feel like going out, I couldn’t say no to her beautiful brown eyes so off we would go to Greenway. We had some amazing times there over the years and observed over 100 bird species in this park only a few blocks from downtown. Not too bad in a city with a population of over 400,000. I’ve found it challenging to motivate myself to get out over the last year without Molly and this is the reason I’ve been MIA from blogging over this time.   

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This male Downy Woodpecker presented a unique view. It’s not often they perch horizontally. 

After enjoying the sighting of the Redhead, I followed the path upstream and was treated to more great sightings. My favourite bird, the Red-bellied Woodpecker was seen high up in a willow tree and I managed to capture an image of a Downy Woodpecker as it paused briefly on an eye-level limb. This was one of several Downy Woodpeckers aggressively chasing each other presumably defending their territory

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Robins were observed drinking and bathing in the Thames River.

As I came to a patch of buckthorn, I could hear the soft calls of robins and high-pitched whistles of Cedar Waxwings. Scanning the trees, a mixed flock of these birds was feeding on the berries. Looking down at the river, more robins were seen drinking the water that was magnificently reflecting the blue sky. Despite barely passing art class in high school and only taking it as it was a required credit, I did learn orange and blue are complementary colours and love how robins look against a blue sky or water. I guess this answers the age-old question so often asked in school “when am I ever going to use this again”?

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I’ve always been fortunate to have Carolina Wrens in my backyard. These birds are very fond of peanut halves and peanut suet offered at my feeders.

Torn between staying at my favorite park and heading back home, I opted for the latter. The appeal of heading home was greatly influenced by some new feeders and seed I received from Urban Nature Store. I recently became a brand ambassador for Urban Nature Store and am excited to share my experiences with and promote their high-quality birding-related products and seed, some of which is made right here in Ontario! 

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White-breasted Nuthatch.

Still bundled up from my park outing, I carried my camera to the backyard. Under beautiful sunshine, the feeders and surrounding trees were filled with birds. I enjoyed the show put on by my feathered friends and captured several images. The warm sunshine felt great and I ended up spending the remainder of the day in the yard which no doubt helped me deal with my mixed emotions. John Denver nailed it when he sang sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

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This picture of Molly and me was taken on our final walk. The lifejacket was so I could take the weight off her front leg if necessary. Whenever I crouched down to her level for a picture, she always saw it as an opportunity for a public display of affection.

Despite Family Day weekend bringing a whirlwind of emotions, one thing is certain, surrounding myself in nature made everything better. Enjoying the birds while reflecting on both amazing and sad memories set everything at ease. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nature is the best medicine. 

Good birding,
Paul  

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Returning To Greenway Park After A Lengthy Hiatus From Photography

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This Great Blue Heron was one of many birds recently observed while birding in Greenway Park.

Winter is one of my favourite seasons to head out birding and photograph the many species found throughout our area at this time of year. Unfortunately, with winter now half over, I have only ventured out a few times with my camera. It’s not that I’ve lost interest in photography, I have been dealing with some persistent back issues that have made walking quite painful. 

Those of you who know me personally are aware that it was because of a back injury I became so interested in photography. Back in 2013 after herniating a disk in my lower back I was told if I walked every day and did physiotherapy the issue would likely resolve in 4-6 weeks. At that time, I spent every day walking with my camera and taking pictures. Each afternoon after doing my exercises I would lay flat on either heat or ice (whichever felt best at the time) and watch YouTube videos about the various elements of photography. The following day I would try to improve on these elements during my walk. 

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Northern Cardinal eating a Buckthorn berry.

This regimen really helped improve my photography but when it came to my back I had plateaued and surgery was required. Following a successful surgery, I was encouraged to keep walking and exercising to maintain a healthy back. This is one reason why I am now such an avid walker. Walking keeps me active and relatively pain-free. Without it, my pain goes up and my mood goes down, so getting out for a walk every day is very important to me. The combination of physical exercise and being surrounded by nature is incredibly beneficial to my mental health as well. I typically take my camera with me on these daily walks to capture the abundance of wildife I encounter along the way. 

Last November, this all changed when walking started to become painful. As a result, my walks have been much shorter, slower, and I have been leaving my camera behind as I have not wanted to carry the extra weight. This is why the lack of blog posts recently and so few Facebook updates.  I appreciate everyone who has continued to follow during this hiatus and welcome the new subscribers who have been patiently waiting for a post to show up in their inboxes. More x-rays and another MRI helped my physiotherapist come up with a plan of attack, which resulted in new exercises as well as some old favourites, which to my delight, has me feeling much improved. I decided it was time to bundle up and head out with camera in tow to see what I could photograph.    

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Greenway Park is one of the best locations in London, Ontario to observe Bald Eagles during the winter months.

Wanting to ease myself back into things, I decided to visit Greenway Park, one of my absolute favourite winter birding locations. The flat ground combined with a lack of snow and ice (the City of London does an amazing job keeping the paved path plowed and salted) would make for easy walking and the adjacent Thames River and surrounding woodlots provides the perfect habitat for a variety of bird species. 

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Brown Creepers display some of the most incredible camouflage of any bird.

After parking my car and gathering my gear, I followed the river upstream. As usual, there were plenty of Mallards and Canada Geese in the river around the dock hoping to be fed by park goers. Two Muscovy Ducks sat on a fallen log close to the bank nicely sheltered from the cold wind. I could hear the high pitched calls of a Brown Creeper so scanned the nearby Willow Tree. The bird briefly came into sight, but I was unable to get a photo. Luckily, Brown Creepers are very predictable. If you are not familiar with the behaviour of a Brown Creeper they cling to tree trunks similar to woodpeckers and nuthatches looking for food. After ascending the trunk they then fly to the bottom of the next tree and repeat the process. This makes them easy to photograph once located and as result I was able to position myself for a series of shots. 

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The odd field marks on this goose left me scratching my head when it came to identification.

Making my way past the westernmost soccer field, I noticed a goose with some interesting field marks. The bird’s white cheek patch was larger than that of a Canada Goose and its head and neck were mottled brown and white not black. The body resembled a Canada Goose but the bird had orange legs. A prior report on eBird suggested this goose may be a hybrid between a Canada Goose and a Swan Goose, which seems reasonable based on its appearance. Swan Geese are native to Mongolia and China but have been domesticated in North America. I can’t say definitively what this was, other than an interesting sighting for sure. 

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Red-tailed Hawk perched on a platform installed to attract nesting Osprey.

Near the small island just downstream from the CN overpass, a single Long-tailed Duck swam amongst a group of Common Mergansers. Common Goldeneyes were also present. These ducks were all a little too far away to achieve a quality image. At the far end of the park, a Red-tailed Hawk surveyed the open meadow from high atop a platform the city erected in hopes of attracting a nesting pair of Osprey.

Heading west back towards my car, a Bald Eagle made its way upstream. I quickly turned my camera’s dial to adjust the exposure to compensate for the heavy cloud cover. Achieving focus, I held down the shutter and captured several images. 

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American Robins are often observed during the winter months along the Thames River.

Buckthorn Trees line a section of riverbank in the park and as a result, it is not uncommon to find American Robins here in winter feeding on any remaining berries. In one small tree, I counted seven robins. As I walked past, I could barely hear their soft calls. During the winter months, robins are much less vocal than in spring when they are regularly heard calling quite loudly at first and last light. Northern Cardinals were also observed in the park feeding on Buckthorn berries. 

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Great Blue Heron attempting to swallow a large fish.

Most of the waterfowl on this day were close to the near bank as this provided shelter from the wind. Looking over the edge into the water, I noticed a Double-crested Cormorant standing at the water’s edge. Three Great Blue Herons were also observed along the near bank one of which was struggling to swallow a large fish. I estimate this fish to be about 20″ long and watched for several minutes as the heron made repeated futile attempts at swallowing its prey. Eventually, the heron gave up and dropped the fish. I could see the fish’s white belly on the bottom of the river just in front of the heron. Not wanting to interrupt this bird from a potential meal on a cold day, I carried on.

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White-tailed Buck at the top of the ridge overlooking Greenway Park.

Before reaching my car, a young White-tailed Buck made its way into the woodlot behind the parking lot. As it climbed the ridge entering Woodland Cemetery it paused long enough for a few photos. 

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Brown Creeper

After such a long hiatus from shooting it was absolutely amazing to be back out with my camera at one of my favourite locations. Greenway Park did not disappoint (it never does)! Much of the wildlife in Greenway Park is accustomed to human activity so a long telephoto lens is not necessary to capture images of many of these species. Before upgrading my lens, I was quite proud of the images I achieved with a 250 mm kit lens while birding at this amazing park. If you get the opportunity this winter, head down to Greenway Park and enjoy the vast array of wildlife that inhabits this great park. 

Good birding,
Paul

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City Of London Provides Explanation For Cutting Milkweed In Greenway Park

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Milkweed is critical to the survival of Monarch Butterfly as it is the only plant consumed by their caterpillars. The City of London needs to make sure areas of Milkweed are protected in city parks.

Earlier this week I published a post City Of London Shows Disregard For Species At Risk regarding the recent pesticide use and mowing of Milkweed in Greenway Park. Through the power of social media, my concerns reached over 15,000 people and were shared with various Monarch Butterfly Groups, including the David Suzuki Foundation. Several concerned citizens, myself included, contacted their City Councillors asking why these actions took place. I have heard back from my Ward 11 Councillor Stephen Turner and learned the mowing occurred as a result of lost soccer balls. Whereas, the pesticides were applied to control Poison Ivy.

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It was sad to learn that the City of London mowed the largest patch of Milkweed in Greenway Park over complaints of lost soccer balls.

Here is Councillor Turner’s response:

Thanks to Paul Roedding for noticing the issue regarding the activities in Greenway Park recently. He brought to my attention that a significant area of naturalized meadow adjacent to the soccer fields had been mowed and that this area was well populated with milkweed, which is an important food source and habitat for migrating Monarch butterflies. He also remarked about the use of pesticides in the area as well. I wrote to the City’s Parks and Recreation department to inquire about what had happened and why so I’d like to share the response with you. There is an area around the soccer fields that had grown tall and dense in recent years and regular complaints about this had been filed with City Hall. Soccer players were often losing balls in the meadow and were concerned about any concealed dangers they might encounter while searching for balls. In response, city staff cut the area back to provide a larger buffer to the soccer pitch, in particular, behind the goals. Unfortunately, staff were unaware of the significance of the milkweed or monarch population in the mowed area. Spot application of pesticides was performed along the fenceline of the Greenway pollution control plant to treat poison ivy that had grown in the area. While I have campaigned against the use of cosmetic pesticides, the pesticide application in this circumstance seems reasonable given the public safety risk. Staff have assured me that the area and practice will be reviewed and the appropriate area will be allowed to re-naturalize. I have asked that the sensitive areas be visibly marked out and that city staff be trained to recognize these habitats in order to avoid similar incidents in Greenway or other parts of the city as well. Having been a 9 year member of the Environmental and Ecological Planning Advisory Committee and an inaugural member of the board of ReForest London, I very much share Paul’s concern about our sensitive environmental lands and I will continue to pursue strong environmental policies and practices for our city.

Greenway Park is a beautiful multi-use area along the Thames River, consisting of several soccer fields, an off-leash dog park, a playground, paved multi-use paths, and several natural areas that are home to many of London’s Species at Risk, including the Monarch Butterfly.

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A large buffer already existed around this soccer field at Greenway Park. The large brown area in the right of the photo was once a large patch of Milkweed until the City of London mowed it after complaints of lost soccer balls. Similar mowing took place around the entire soccer field.

The area in question is located in the west end of Greenway Park, and surrounds one of the city’s soccer fields. At one end of the soccer pitch once stood the largest section of mature Milkweed plants in the park. I have photographed many Monarch Butterflies here over the years, and have observed this Species at Risk in the same location again this year. Despite there already being a large mowed area around the field and behind the goal, serving as a spectator area, the City of London Parks and Recreation Department mowed an even larger section surrounding the field, disrupting the naturalized area including this large patch of Milkweed. According to Ward 11 Councillor Stephen Turner, the city received complaints over lost soccer balls in the adjacent natural areas containing the Milkweed. Unfortunately city staff were unaware of the significance of Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies and mowed these mature plants.

I searched the few remaining Milkweed plants and found one Monarch Caterpillar, proof that this species was reproducing in the area. I can only imagine the number of other caterpillars or pupa destroyed by this mowing.

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This Monarch Caterpillar was discovered in one of the few remaining Milkweed Plants in Greenway Park, proving that Monarchs were reproducing in the area.

Mature Milkweed plants, such as the ones mowed, produce a large taproot and will grow back next season if mowing ceases. It is unfortunate that this situation happened, but is an excellent opportunity to educate everyone about the state of the Monarch Butterfly and the importance of Milkweed. I am happy with Councillor Turner’s response and agree that city staff need to be trained to recognized these sensitive habitats. I would like to see a permanent sign go up in this area to educate all park users about the significance of Milkweed and why this area needs to be protected. It would also serve as a reminder to city staff not to mow the area in the future, as well as be aware of similar habitats in Greenway and other city parks. After all, soccer balls can be replaced at a local sporting good store, Monarchs however cannot.

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The Milkweeds seed pods on the mowed plants were not yet mature and therefore will not germinate. The mature plants, with their long taproots will emerge next year if mowing is discontinued.

I am glad to hear Councillor Turner, like me, is opposed to the use of cosmetic pesticides. I would like to see the city perhaps take a closer look at areas where they are considering their use to determine if they are really necessary. We are often told that the safest method of application was used, but let’s not confuse safest with safe. When it comes to harmful chemicals that require a sign telling humans to stay off, they are not safe. I find that many of the city parks and ESAs I visit are using spot control methods of pesticide use for Poison Ivy, but not all of these spots require treatment to keep the public safe. The long term cumulative impacts of pesticide use add up. Many of these pesticides are being used in areas where human access is either limited or prohibited. In the case of Greenway Park, pesticides were used along the hedgerow adjacent to the Greenway Pollution Control Centre. This area is seldom used by foot traffic as the multi-use path is across the road. Anyone walking here would run a far greater risk of being struck by a car than coming in contact with the Poison Ivy.  Perhaps signage stating that Poison Ivy is present in an area and to remain on marked trails would be a safer alternative. Signage could also save the city money in the long run as fewer areas would require pesticide use.

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Spot applications of pesticides were applied along the hedge on the left side of the photo to control Poison Ivy. This area does not support human foot traffic and leaves me wondering if application was necessary at all.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances and the timing of this mowing, I am pleased with the response from Councillor Turner and the City of London, and would like to thank him for addressing this matter promptly. Acknowledging that a mistake was made, and hopefully using it as a learning experience to prevent it from happening again, provides a slightly positive twist on an otherwise negative situation.

I would like to thank all those who took the time to share my original post or contacted your City Councillor to express your concerns as well. When it comes to environmental issues like these, education is key. In today’s online world we have the ability to reach thousands of people; taking the time to start a conversation and present information in a positive way can often result in change. By coming together as a community, we can all become environmental stewards and make London, Ontario a better place.

Good birding,
Paul

 

City Of London Shows Disregard
For Species At Risk

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Since Milkweed was removed from the noxious weed list in 2014, many individuals, groups, and municipalities have been adding it to landscapes to create habitat for the at risk Monarch Butterfly. So why would the City of London cut it down in Greenway Park?

It is no surprise that Greenway Park in London, Ontario is one of my favourite locations for birding and to take photographs. The mixed habitat and adjacent Thames River are home to a wide variety of wildlife, and those of you that follow me often see posts and images from this area. Several species found in the park are currently listed as at risk on Ontario’s Species at Risk list, making it one of the best places in the city to view these fragile species.

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A large flock of Chimney Swifts was observed feeding on the swarms of insects directly above the area where the City of London applied pesticides in Greenway Park.

This past week while visiting the park, I observed the largest daytime flock of Chimney Swifts (currently listed as threatened in Ontario) that I have ever seen circling over the park and Thames River. Mixed in with this flock were several Barn and Bank Swallows (both listed as threatened in Ontario). Basking on the river banks next to the path were both Northern Map Turtles and Spiny Softshell Turtles (listed as special concern and threatened respectively in Ontario). Finally in the open field a little further down the path I observed four Monarch Butterflies (listed as special concern in Ontario). Observing so many Species at Risk in a forty yard section of the park left me feeling happy and optimistic for the future of these fragile species.

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The Spiny Softshell Turtle, currently listed as threatened in Ontario, is one of the many Species at Risk jeopardized by the City of London’s use of pesticides in city parks along the Thames River.

As I rounded the corner of the path, I came across a sign stating that pesticides had been used in the area and to stay off. I called the number on the sign to find out more about the pesticide use. The representative from the company that was contracted by the City of London to apply the pesticides gave me an explanation and stated that the method of application was the safest possible method. Understanding their logic, I thanked them for the information and ended the conversation.

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Regardless of what we are lead to believe, there is no safe way to apply pesticides.

The reality of this situation is that when dealing with Species at Risk, there are no safe pesticides or safe methods to apply them. That would be like saying there is a safe way to smoke a cigarette. If a sign is required telling humans to stay off, how safe are insects or birds whose weight is measured in grams not pounds? Furthermore, are we really supposed to believe that these harmful chemicals do not make their way into the adjacent river with runoff?

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This freshly mowed area was once a large patch of Milkweed, a plant critical to the survival of the Monarch Butterfly. The City of London is responsible for the habitat destruction of this Species at Risk.

Pesticide use has far greater negative impacts than we are often led to believe, and many times the intended target is not the only species being harmed. As an avid nature lover and advocate for Species at Risk, it upsets me to know that our tax dollars are going toward the use of pesticides and potential demise of these species that are supposed to be protected.

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These mulched up seed pods are all that is left of a large patch of Milkweed in Greenway Park after it was unnecessarily mowed by the City of London.

In addition to pesticide use, The City of London, for reasons yet to be determined, has mowed the largest section of Milkweed in the park. We all know how important Milkweed is to the survival of the Monarch Butterfly, so I cannot fathom why the city would do this. The really upsetting part is this area was likely still hosting Monarch caterpillars and pupa. I can only image how many future Monarchs were destroyed by this senseless cutting.

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This Monarch Butterfly was photographed on the Milkweed in Greenway Park prior to the City of London cutting it down.

These unnecessarily destroyed caterpillars and pupa would have developed into the generation of Monarchs that will soon migrate to their wintering grounds in Mexico. It is this same generation that begins migrating north next spring to continue the cycle.

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Monarch Butterfly on the leaf of a Milkweed plant in Greenway Park.

I emailed my City Councillor to express my concerns and he forwarded my email on to the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of London. I will be interested to hear what their reasoning is for these two acts that jeopardize Species at Risk and their habitat.

If you are as fed up as I am with the ignorance and blatant disregard for Species at Risk and their habitat, by all levels of government, please share this. If you are a resident of London, Ontario, I encourage you to contact your Councillor to express your concerns.

London’s new City Council has the opportunity to become nationwide leaders when it comes to preserving and protecting Species at Risk. Collectively we can work toward becoming the solution and not the problem.

Good birding,
Paul

Greenway Park Showing Signs Of Hope For The Monarch Butterfly

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Monarch Butterflies clinging to Milkweed and other wildflowers were a welcome sight in Greenway Park.

By now most are aware of the decline in Monarch Butterfly numbers and that Milkweed is necessary for their survival. So far in 2014, governments, environmental groups, and citizens have all been taking measures to ensure the survival of this beautiful butterfly. For the most part, this has been in the form of planting various types of milkweed and protecting existing patches.

On my many outings throughout the city this year I have been paying close attention to milkweed patches, checking for any signs of monarchs. Early June produced a single monarch fluttering over a meadow containing various wildflowers, milkweed included, in the west end of Greenway Park. I was optimistic for future sightings and hoped that this area would potentially be a breeding ground for the monarchs.

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Several Monarch Butterflies in a large meadow containing Milkweed and other wildflowers has me hopeful their numbers will rebound.

As weeks went by, I continually checked this area hoping to see more monarchs or evidence that they had been reproducing. Several insects, including bees and other butterfly species could be seen feeding on nectar and gathering pollen from the milkweed and various wildflowers, but unfortunately no more monarchs were seen, nor were any eggs or caterpillars. My optimism faded, but I continued to observe the area whenever I found myself walking there.

My faded optimism quickly turned into excitement this past week when another monarch sighting took place. I was photographing some of the various birds and wildlife in the area, which on this day included: Yellow Warblers, Red-winged Blackbirds, an Eastern Kingbird, and White-tailed Deer, when I caught a hint of back and orange flutter past. To my delight it was a Monarch Butterfly. I watched as it flew back and forth over the meadow eventually settling on a Milkweed flower. I quickly snapped several photos then watched as it flew off over the field. Satisfied with my sighting and photos my attention returned to the deer and bird species.

As I watched a doe grazing on the variety of plants, once again a monarch passed by. As I carried on a little further, another Milkweed plant revealed a Monarch Butterfly feeding on it’s nectar. Curious as to whether it was the same butterfly covering a lot of ground or multiple Monarch Butterflies in the area, I scanned the tops of the flowers. I quickly observed several Monarch Butterflies fluttering low over the meadow and clinging to the Milkweed and various wildflowers within it.

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Monarch Butterfly on a Milkweed leaf.

Having only seen one Monarch Butterfly in all of 2013, and not within the city, this was a welcome sighting. Whether or not it is a sign of their numbers rebounding, or just one small group in a dwindling population, only time will tell. Hopefully another generation of monarchs will get their start here in one of London’s beautiful parks. To access Greenway Park, turn onto Greenside Avenue from Springbank Drive and follow the road into the park. Be sure to make the quick right hand turn before the pollution control center. I recommend parking in the large lot directly across from the off leash dog area. From there the large patch of Milkweed is on the far side of the soccer pitch. Remember to keep a close eye and ear for all the great wildlife that call Greenway Park home.

Good birding,
Paul