Nature London Hikes Medway Heritage Trail by Lissette Verbeem, Nature London
The Nature London Woodcock Walk by Jennifer Evans, President, Nature London The American Woodcock is an elusive bird that migrates from the southern U.S. through London, Ontario, to the boreal forests north of us each year. They are difficult to spot because they typically hide in dense leafy debris. Only about a foot long, their oversized bill is often the only thing that gives them away if you stumble upon them. The best way to see a Woodcock is when they are making noise. During the breeding season between March and May, males attempt to attract mates through an elaborate song and dance unlike any other bird ritual. Luckily, several Woodcocks call within London every year. 2026 has been especially good, with reports of Woodcocks calling behind Fanshawe College, in the Wortley neighborhood, Killaly Meadows, and the Hyde Park area. The performance starts with a series of nasal calls known as peents. After 10 to 20 calls, the male takes to the sky for a sky dance. On March 21, twenty Nature London members visited an un- assuming location behind the Mandarin restaurant in Hyde Park. The road—aptly named Woodcock Street—is a mix of industrial and agricultural land with a cleared area that serves as the perfect stage. Woodcocks perform at both dusk and dawn. At about 20 minutes after sunset, the peent calls began. We waited for the first sky dance; once he took flight, we saw his large, circular body flickering above us like a giant bumblebee. We heard the whistling noise as he descended to the ground and were even treated to views of him sitting on the grass.
March 28 was a wonderful day to get out to hike – the bit of snow and a cool wind soon gave way to a bit more sun, a bit less wind and a bit warmer temperature. We started at about -1ºC and we finished off at about 3ºC, and hiked from 10 am to about noon. I was joined by nine members, and apologize to the people who were not able to find us. Snowdrop flowers were ready to open, just waiting on some sunshine, to melt the snow to show in their full glory. They were open on our return. The yellow flowers of Coltsfoot (looks a bit like dandelions, but not the same green leaf shape) and skunk cabbage were up, not yet in full green leaf stage. Pussy willows were also in bloom. Some of the hikers were first timers on this trail near 1780 Attawandaran. It is mostly paved with a section through the forest that is usually wood chip covered. The trail was dry for the most part, unlike what we might have encountered had we hiked this back in December, when we had the freezing rain, snow and rain all within a couple of days. We started off spotting of a couple house finches, some robins, and a couple of grackles. Down the path to the bridge, we encountered a couple of mallards, a few redwings, Canada geese doing a fly over, crows, a coopers hawk and some flying TVs (oh yes – known as turkey vultures) circled above on the thermals. The river was moving but there was not much in terms of ducks. Back on the main path heading towards Sunningdale, we encountered goldfinch, robins, grackles, house sparrows, some more house finches, a couple of black squirrels, mourning doves, rock or ferral pigeons, a brown-headed cowbird, cardinal, eastern phoebe (first of the season), white-throated sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, and black-capped chickadees. A juvenile bald eagle graced us with its presence and sat for quite a while so all of us could get a good look at it. We saw a few more mallards in a couple locations, as well as a downy woodpecker, blue jays, chipping sparrows, and starlings, and a red-bellied woodpecker to round out our 25 or so bird species, in addition to seeing some spring flowers, and mammal species. We made it through the forest – a very productive wander along the Medway Creek and then by that point, it was time to head back. Learn more about Nature London at www.naturelondon.com.
If you would like to see an American Woodcock this spring, there is still time! These interesting fellows will call until the end of May. Head to eBird.org to find recent sightings and visit those locations just after sunset. I hope you get to experience the magic of the Woodcock soon—and be sure to check naturelondon.ca for future walks! Tree Assessment Tree Trimming & Removal Hedge and Shrub Trimming & Removal Lawn Fertilizing J & A Arbory EST. 2014 Jeff Franklin @ 519-494-2009 Please call or text. Full Insurance & Liability coverage • Boom & Height certified
Photo by Lissette Verbeem
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Hyde Park – Oakridge Villager • May 2026 • Page 7
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