St. Thomas Field Naturalist Club

Category: St Thomas Field Naturalist Club

  • Hawk Cliff Woods Migration Weekend

    Saturday and Sunday, Sept 27 & 28, 2025 10 a.m to 3:30 p.m. above photo by Rob Paterson

    Note: new location at Hawk Cliff Woods north meadow entrance at 43277 Dexter Line, Union, ON.

    Celebrate the spectacular fall migration of hawks and other raptors and Monarch butterflies at this free outdoor event hosted in partnership with St. Thomas Field Naturalist Club, Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders, and volunteers of Monarch Watch. Learn about migrating raptors and Monarch butterflies, their lives, and conservation challenges and opportunities!

    Sunday and Saturday Program

    10:00 AM: Hawk Talk by the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders
    Be awed and inspired by the hawk and raptor conservation work of the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders! Learn about some of our local hawks and raptors, their migrations, and the banding work completed by volunteer banders. Live wild birds are responsibly handled under permit during this presentation, pending weather and wind conditions.

    11:30 AM: Raptor Presentation by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy
    Get ready to be educated and entertained with the Canadian Raptor Conservancy! Learn about the natural history, size, prey species, range, and relationship to humans of a variety of birds of prey up close and personal. This demonstration showcases domestically produced, professionally trained birds in free-flight – you won’t want to miss it.

    1:00 PM: Monarch Presentation
    Learn about the amazing journey and life of the Monarch butterfly, and some of the great conservation work being done to protect our small but mighty friends. Live butterflies are responsibly handled under permit during this presentation, pending weather conditions.

    2:00 PM: Hawk Talk by the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders
    Be awed and inspired by the hawk and raptor conservation work of the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders! Learn about some of our local hawks and raptors, their migrations, and the banding work completed by volunteer banders. Live wild birds are responsibly handled under permit during this presentation, pending weather and wind conditions.

    Information supplied by Thames Talbot Land Trust

  • First Wednesday evening walk

    There were 14 of us out for a walk. We saw a large variety of ducks. Al Hurst spotted a Wilson’s Snipe
    and most people got to see the Great Egret. There was one lone Tundra Swan still in back ponds.
    Big thanks to Tom d’Entremont for organizing our Spring walks and of course Ron Casier for doing
    an amazing job looking after the Aylmer Wildlife Management Area. Looking forward to next weeks
    walk at Springwater Conservation Area.

    Great Blue Heron photo by Jackie Sharpe

  • Duck Rally 2025 Results

    Annual Duck Rally started at Aylmer Wildlife Management Area with 30 species to start our day including a juvenile Trumpeter Swan. The coldest place this year was Belmont Sewage Lagoons due to extremely cold brisk winds from the north. Because of the weather the harbour at Port Stanley was a bust.
    We had a great turnout with 28 people from the west end of the county, London and all the way to Stratford in the north east joining us for a great day birding. A Belted Kingfisher greeted us at Lake Margaret and that is where we got our Pied-billed Grebes and Blue-winged Teal.
    Twenty of us went to The Buccaneer in Port Stanley for a very enjoyable lunch and finished at Port Stanley Lagoons where many got to see an immature Golden Eagle and crazy number of American Coots. We ended with 52 species for the day. Surprise of the day was no Wood Ducks.
    Hope everyone who came out had a great time and look forward to the Rondeau Adventure on May 10th.

    List of birds seen on Duck Rally on March 22, 2025

    Canada GooseBuffleheadBelted Kingfisher
    Mute SwanHooded MerganserBlue Jay
    Trumpeter SwanCommon MerganserAmerican Crow
    Tundra SwanRuddy DuckCommon Raven
    Blue-winged TealMourning DoveBlack-capped Chickadee
    Northern ShovelerAmerican CootEuropean Starling
    GadwallKilldeerEastern Bluebird
    American WigeonRing-billed GullAmerican Robin
    MallardPied-billed GrebeHouse Sparrow
    American Black DuckHorned GrebeDark-eyed Junco
    Northern PintailGreat Blue HeronWhite-crowned Sparrow
    Green-winged TealTurkey VultureSong Sparrow
    CanvasbackGolden EagleEastern Meadowlark
    RedheadCooper’s HawkRed-winged Blackbird
    Ring-necked DuckNorthern HarrierBrown-headed Cowbird
    Greater ScaupBald EagleCommon Grackle
    Lesser ScaupRed-tailed HawkNorthern Cardinal

  • Hawk Cliff Woods Migration Weekend

    The event this year will be on October 1st and 2nd, one weekend only.
    9:30 am – Thames Talbot Land Trust hike
    11:00 am – Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders presentation
    1:00 pm – Monarch Watch presentation, showing tagging of butterflies and travels to Mexico
    2:00 pm – Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders presentation

    All events are run by volunteers.