Bird Watching
Whether you are a novice birder or a birding enthusiast, watching birds is a very enjoyable and educational activity. Birding only requires a good pair of walking/hiking shoes, a decent field (identification) guide, and a pair of binoculars. You can observe birds anywhere from your backyard to nearby natural area to provincial parks.
Key birding areas located on UTRCA land include Fanshawe Conservation Area (London), Pittock Conservation Area (Woodstock), and Wildwood Conservation Area (St. Marys), each with more than 200 species observed.
Fanshawe CA is often the top hotspot for bird species observed on eBird Middlesex. As of September 2021, 254 species have been recorded. Wildwood CA (approximately 230 species) is often the top hotspot and Pittock CA is close behind place on eBird Oxford. Wildwood CA also has records in eBird Perth.
The diversity of species recorded at these three locations is due, in large part, to their size, habitat diversity including the large reservoirs, proximity to the river, and number of people visiting the sites. Each of these sites contains one or more hotspots. To find out what birds have been observed at these and other birding hotspots throughout the watershed, please use eBird.
Other great places to go birding in the Upper Thames River watershed include the London Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs), small day-use conservation areas, provincial parks, sewage lagoons, municipal parks along the Thames and its tributaries, and Thames Talbot Land Trust properties.
Local field naturalist clubs are a fantastic resource and offer a wide range of materials including bird checklists and guides, as well as outings and other educational opportunities. See links below.
Links and Resources
Red-breasted Nuthatch
