August sightings of note

Black Bear at Chemong Lake

Just a report of a Black Bear on August 1. It was large. I couldn’t get a photo as I wasn’t going to open the door. It came right up to our roadside door as I was standing there and yelling for my husband to wake up and come see it. Our dogs didn’t bark until after it left. It was at 2:30am. We are on Pinehurst Ave. in Selwyn. Maris Lubbock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increased sightings of Monarchs and frogs 

Every summer we feel lucky if we see one Monarch Butterfly, but on August 26 I was treated to the sight of two butterflies feeding up on Joe-Pye Weed for several hours alongside the river bank.  They seemed to be working as a team, getting ready for their long journey south.  Maybe next year we’ll see more. This year our frog count has gone up, having been on the low side for a few of years.  On August 24 we counted eight Green Frogs in the shallow creek that drains into the river and there are three Grey Treefrogs residing in and around our house deck.  This one almost looks like its smiling. Stephenie Armstrong, Warsaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sightings from Roadsend Farm

On the weekend of August 19, my husband and I saw a very light coloured Ruby-throated hummingbird (leucistic) at one of our feeders. Although we have no flowers, except for day lilies at the front, we are inundated by hummers every year.  Ed puts up and maintains nine feeders spread around our large backyard and so each year I guess the word goes out…Go to McAuleys! The battles at the living room window feeders are amazing.

I’ve been following the Smilax plants each year, since I first told you about them. Last year we had butternuts like crazy, but none this year. Nor any apples, no elderberries, no fruit on the Ironwood trees and very few hawthorn or buckthorn berries. Last year we had several dozen morels but none this year. No puffballs this year or last, either.  We did, however, have the first bittersweet I’ve seen in two decades. I know that is what nature does, but it’s still amazing and somewhat distressing.  Darienne McAuley, Roadsend Farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monarch migration underway

On August 30, I drove down to the shore of Lake Ontario, just west of Port Hope at Port Britain. Monarch migration was in full-swing. Standing on the shoreline, Talulah Mullally and I watched a steady stream of Monarchs flying from east to west. In the space of 15 minutes, at least 80 individuals flew by. Winds were light and the temperature was probably about 20 C. Drew Monkman

 

Shorebird migration continues

Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) (1)
– Reported Aug 30, 2018 11:35 by Dave Milsom
– Otonabee Gravel Pit Conservation Area, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) (1)
– Reported Aug 29, 2018 07:40 by Iain Rayner
– Bridgenorth–Yankee Line pond, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist:
– Comments: “About KILL size with yellow legs, short decurved beak and heavy dark head and breast with abrupt change to white on mid breast.”

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (2)
– Reported Aug 29, 2018 07:40 by Iain Rayner
– Bridgenorth–Yankee Line pond, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist:
– Comments: “Greyish peeps with a lot of white on head and contrasting supercillium, short thick bill, wing tips same length as tail. Quite comfortably feeding in water up to their belly. Leg colour not obvious at that distance.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This great summer for Monarchs continues!

No doubt people have seen many Monarch butterfly larvae this season; however I was excited to see seven large ones on our Butterfly Milkweed plant (August 26). Just wanted to share! Gwen McMullen, Warsaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backyard hummingbird action in Peterborough

I just had to send you these photos I managed to get last evening (August 24) from a feeder hung in our birch tree by the deck. I’m thrilled because we don’t get many hummingbird visitors but clearly patience pays off! I now know how wildlife photographers feel when they get a shot after hours of waiting! Wendy Marrs, Ridgewood Road

Note: This is the first summer we’ve had hummingbirds coming to our feeders on Maple Crescent in Peterborough all summer long. We are now seeing at least one juvenile bird, so it appears that the hummers nested. D.M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nighthawk migration is under way
Now’s the time to be looking for migrating Common Nighthawks. The best time to see flocks is late afternoon and evening. They feed as they fly and are often seen over water. In my experience, they often turn up after a rain event. A great location to view from is the Indian River near/at Back Dam Park on Rock Road, just outside of Warsaw. On the evening of August 20, I saw 77 nighthawks between 6:30 and 7:45 pm. They were appearing in the NW and flying SE. Most were fairly high, maybe 150 – 300 feet, and in loose flocks of about 5 to 15. Binoculars are a must.
On August 24, Tim Dyson observed an amazing 162 nighthawks between 5:10pm and 8:40pm. 73 of the birds passed over in the space of just 90 seconds! All were seen from his home on 1st Line of Douro-Dummer. The migration will continue until early September.   Drew Monkman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another successful nesting of Trumpeter Swans

For the second year in a row, a pair of Trumpeter Swans has nested in the Woodland Campsite wetlands in Lakehurst, ON. This year they successfully reared one cygnet. The one adult is tagged J07. The second adult has no visible tag. Shortly they should be bringing the cygnet nearer populated shorelines. Barb Evett

 

Great Egret (Ardea alba) (1)
– Reported Aug 21, 2018 10:35 by Kyle O’Grady
– Peterborough–Television Road pond, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47987089
– Comments: “Continuing bird”

I found this Pandora Sphinx moth caterpillar on the woody part of a grape vine on August 20 in Bridgenorth.  Jennie Gulliver

Last evening (Aug. 18) at 6:15 pm, 5 or 6 of us observed about 15 Common Nighthawks swirling around over our farm near Keene. I have seen the odd one here over the years but this sighting was unprecedented . The skies were clear and there was very little wind , thus making it ideal for hawking. Michael Gillespie, David Fife Line, Keene

Great Egret (Ardea alba) (1)
– Reported Aug 17, 2018 16:25 by Ben Taylor
– Laurie Avenue, Ptbo, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47906925
– Comments: “Large white egret. Previously reported.”

Great Egret (Ardea alba) (1)
– Reported Aug 17, 2018 18:05 by Chris Risley
– Peterborough–Television Road pond, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47908850
– Comments: “continuing large white heron in pond”

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (1)
– Reported Aug 17, 2018 08:15 by Iain Rayner
– Peterborough–Millennium Park, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47898454
– Comments: “Large bird on top of Charlotte Towers antenna”

A rarely seen Walking Stick

We are camping (August 17) at Woodland Campsite in Buckhorn. This handsome fellow was on our trailer door this morning. I haven’t seen one of these in years…. Probably because they blend in so well. Cathy Mitchell

In my opinion, this is the best year for Monarchs in the last half dozen.
Michael Gillespie, David Fife Line, Keene

Sightings have been fairly quiet this summer but August is proving much more interesting.  And an update on the House Wren’s nest in the hanging basket.  The couple raised two offspring and the nest was empty by July 23.  One egg was punctured and did not hatch.  The eggs are so tiny.

August 5/6:

An Osprey has found a handy perch on a dead branch across the river and when we first saw it back on June 30 it was being harassed by a couple of Red-Winged Blackbirds, though the Osprey held its ground and is still using the perch occasionally.

August 8:  We discovered a large amount of fresh Otter scat and flattened grass abutting the open underside of our river deck.  Fresh stuff, and the odour was very strong!  We put out the Trail Camera, but so far nothing captured on film.  The scat is now dried out and is full of shell.

We also saw a female Scarlet Tanager spotted eating a Common Whitetail Dragonfly in a spruce close to the house. A Caspian Tern, gull-size with a bright orange/red beak, flew back and forth three times along our stretch of the Indian River, plunging four times into the water with no success, then continued flying down river.  Fascinating to watch!

August 9:  A female Belted Kingfisher dived into the river and emerged with what looked like a small bright orange disc-shaped something which it banged hard several times against a fallen dead tree branch, then returned to its higher perch to continue surveying the river.  I have no idea what the “disc” was.

August 13/14:  Our first migrating Yellow-rumped Warbler looking for insects in a large White Pine.

Had a great sighting today, as well as an audio. Both of these events happened on the Kawartha Golf and Country Club property. I’m not a golfer but often walk their driveway as part of my morning walk.

     The first was a sighting last Tuesday, August 7. As I started up the driveway from Clonsilla, I glanced up the fairway to my left and noticed two kittens playing about 150 yards away. As I stood there another joined them, then another and another and so on. This continued as more came. Some returned then disappeared again making it difficult to count, but I would guess 12 to 15 were there at a time. I mentioned this to a groundskeeper and was told because of the Coyotes there were no cats on the grounds, so he thought they were probably young Coyotes. The problem, however, is that all were light tan or beige in colour so I think they were Red Fox kits.

    The audio happened today, August 15, and sent chills up my spine. While walking up the driveway, I heard a sound of probably a police car using its siren in a short beeping sort of way. No sooner had it stopped when a large pack of Coyotes began to howl. It was quite unnerving. These Coyotes were behind me near the entrance. When it ceased another pack in front of me began howling. It also seemed to be large and now I was in the between the two with a hiking pole as my protection.

    While on the driveway I have seen many singular Coyotes watching me watching them but never a pack and today, there two packs. A good way to begin the day don’t you think!  Don Finigan