Great Egret (American) (Ardea alba) (1) – Reported Aug 26, 2014 17:20 by Walter Wehtje – Peterborough – Trent Severn south of Trent Campus, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Feeding at edge of cattails along east side of lake and across from the Peterborough Country Club. Large Read more…
Today, we had two Monarchs visit the Buddleia in our garden. Over the past week, we’ve had a single Monarch come to the garden most days. Yesterday, there were also a Giant Swallowtail (second of the year), a White Admiral and a Red Admiral. The admirals were on the Buddleia, Read more…
Philadelphia Vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) (1) – Reported Aug 26, 2014 07:32 by Donald Sutherland – Peterborough–Trent Rotary Rail Trail, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) (2) – Reported Aug 26, 2014 07:32 by Donald Sutherland – Peterborough–Trent Rotary Rail Trail, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.362531,-78.2885554&ll=44.362531,-78.2885554 – Read more…
I am out on my bike at 8 pm tonight just north of Sherbrooke at Woodglade. I have counted at least 16 Common Nighthawks on the wing. They are silent but I have been able to clearly see the wing band. After so many years of not seeing many of Read more…
Great Egret (Ardea alba) (1) – Reported Aug 24, 2014 08:14 by Donald Sutherland – Peterborough–Trent Rotary Rail Trail, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “perched atop cedar tree on west bank of river just N Champlain College, Trent University at around 0815 h. Through 10X40 binoculars could Read more…
On July 29, Chip Taylor, University of Kansas professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and founder and director of Monarch Watch. posted this on Monarch Watch Blog : “Those of you who follow monarchs closely are aware that the monarch population has been declining for the last 10 years with Read more…
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) (3) – Reported Aug 23, 2014 09:56 by Donald Sutherland – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.4180879,-78.2587266&ll=44.4180879,-78.2587266 – Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19549575 – Comments: “2 females, 1 molting male, South cell”
Each year around our property on Buckhorn Lake we enjoy watching the Ospreys and their young as they learn how to fish. As we know, most fly above the waters and eventually dive for the fish. This year we have been fortunate to watch a new born and for whatever Read more…
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) – Reported Aug 22, 2014 18:55 by Scott Gibson – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “female” Sora (Porzana carolina) (1) – Reported Aug 22, 2014 18:55 by Scott Gibson – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “observed Read more…
My condo neighbor [Mrs. Betty Mitchell] recently caught this squirrel playing with a stick and throwing the piece of a branch around just like a young puppy would, and, just as happy as one. The playing went on for nearly a full 15-minutes she reports. Gord Young, Peterborough
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) (1) – Reported Aug 22, 2014 18:55 by Scott Gibson – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “adult; in middle of north pond”
Last night on Maple Crescent, I heard my first Snowy Tree Cricket of the summer. It started calling at about 8:30 p.m. Also known as the “thermometer cricket” you can use the cricket’s chirping rate to estimate air temperature. For degrees Celsius, count the number of chirps in 8 seconds Read more…
Choke Cherries. Our Choke Cherry trees have never had berries on them before, and this year they are dripping with them. Smilax. Again we have two Smilax plants growing on the farm, far apart from each other, which is interesting. The one plant is gorgeous this year and heavy with Read more…
I observed a Green Heron on the Otonabee River under the hydro wires near the Peterborough Airport on two separate occasions recently. On August 2nd at approximately 8:30 pm, I watched the bird fly across the river and perch on a low fallen tree limb about 50 feet from where Read more…
On August 11, the same day I saw the Western Kingbird, I was treated to the sight of a young wren, still with the yellow on the edges of its beak, calling persistently for some parental attention I presume. Also there was a Spotted Sandpiper on what I call our Read more…
This picture of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk was taken on August 2nd at my home near Kerry Line and Pigeon Lake about noon. Linda Easton Note from Tim Dyson, a local raptor expert, who made the identification: Interesting in Linda`s photo of the Cooper`s, is that it shows an “August” Read more…
I didn’t know whether to simply stare in awe or risk missing part of the show by attempting to get the perfect picture. Swimming alongside our whale-watching boat were two enormous Humpback Whales, a 40-50 foot female and her only slightly smaller calf. The two cetaceans moved gently up and Read more…
It appears that Common Nighthawks have begun to migrate south. Tonight at 6:50, I counted 38 flying over St. Anne’s school. 20min later I counted 44 flying around stormwater ponds behind Walmart and Evans Dr (suspect the same flock just moving around the north end). Pretty amazing site to see Read more…
On August 9th, I saw what must be a Western Kingbird on our property. I had the bird in my binoculars for quite long enough to get a good description, though just from the front, I thought at first it must be a phoebe – they regularly nest next door Read more…
In early August, I found two very comical-looking Hermit Sphinx Moth caterpillars, Lintneria eremitus, on my basil. Tony Bigg was able to identify it. According to Tony, common foodplants are basil, bee-balm, bugleweed, mints, sage and others in the mint family. Rob Welsh, Stony Lake
We finally had a Monarch show up in our garden on August 17. As of today, local naturalist Tim Dyson has counted a total of 46 Monarchs so far this summer. Tony Bigg, another inveterate butterfly watcher, was up to 61 Monarchs as of this week. He had 14 all Read more…
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) (4) – Reported Aug 18, 2014 15:27 by Bill Crins – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (1) – Reported Aug 18, 2014 15:27 by Bill Crins – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist:
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) (1) – Reported Aug 20, 2014 07:05 by Iain Rayner – Ptbo – Water St., Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Flushed from Water St. side of river. Medium size heron. Grey wings, grey tail, Black Back”
I don’t know how rare or common these Hummingbird Clearwing moths are in this area, but I’d never seen or heard of one before. It visited my Monardas at about 5 p.m. on August 12. It was pretty amazing to watch a moth fly and hover like a hummingbird. For Read more…
Yesterday, we saw and photographed an immature Broad-winged Hawk on a logging road just south of Bancroft. It was not at all afraid of us. Tim Rollwagen, Lakefield
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) (1) – Reported Aug 18, 2014 07:25 by Donald Sutherland – Peterborough–Trent Rotary Rail Trail, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “adult”
My biologist neighbour spotted a beautiful paper nest on our street. It belongs to Bald-faced Hornets. Wikipedia advises observing these very protective creatures from a safe distance! Ian MacDougall, Edmison Drive
As pleasant as a late summer picnic might be, there always seems to be a handful of unwanted guests. Like corn-on-the-cob, tomatoes and blueberry pie, hornets and yellowjackets are often part of a late summer outside meal. They would be little more than an annoyance if it wasn’t for the Read more…
“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist and science communicator This year’s unprecedented forest fires in the Northwest Territories, flooding in the southern prairies, drought in California and warmest May and June on record for Read more…
This past month was cold and wet for most of Ontario. Overall, July 2014 sets itself apart due to the absence of any heat wave. The mean temperatures for July were, for many locations, colder or very close to those of June. The largest departures from normal values were seen Read more…