| Date | Sighting | Location | Observer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 26, 2011 | Early this afternoon, Sue Prentice & I saw (& photographed) an Ovenbird in the cedars at the north end of the pond in Jackson Park. | Jackson Park, Peterborough | Andrew Jobes |
| Dec. 18, 2011 | The Peterborough CBC was held on Sunday, December 18th in pleasantly warm weather for a change. 27 participants found 57 species, well above average but below our high of 62. New high counts (with previous highs) were: Cooper’s Hawk 6 (5) Ring-billed Gull 306 (284) Red-bellied Woodpecker 7 (2) American Crow 691 (535) American Robin 750 (495) Cedar Waxwing 737 (417) Common Starling 3400 (2553) Dark-eyed Junco 366 (309) Red-winged Blackbird 13 (5) Total Birds 15002 (12477) Records were also equaled for: American Wigeon 1 (only seen once before) Wilson’s Snipe 1 (seen five times before) Eastern Screech Owl 2 Northern Flicker 5 Also of note was a Yellow-rumped Warbler, our first warbler since 1981. Of the finches we had only 2 Purple Finches, one flock of 151 Pine Siskins, and 870 American Goldfinches.. The high numbers were no doubt due to the warmer temperatures this fall and abundant food crop in the area. The weather today was pleasantly clear and calm, but cold (-11 to -4 C.) | Peterborough city and surrounding area | Tony Bigg and others |
| Dec. 18, 2011 | For the third day in a row ( Dec.16,17,18) I have had 5 male Eastern Bluebirds hanging about my orchard. They are all healthy looking, although I'm sure they're a little hungry. One has been spotted at the feeder. | south of County Rd. 2 on David Fife Line. | Michael Gillespie |
| Dec. 18, 2011 | Today, there were 3 Northern Shoveler's - 2 females, 1 male at the Lakefield sewage lagoons. | Lakefield sewage lagoons. | Tim Haan |
| Dec.15, 2011 | Today, along the red trail at the Trent Nature Area on University Road (east side), I saw several flocks of American Robins, totalling at least 40 birds. | Trent Nature Area, University Road | Drew Monkman |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | Today there was a Great Black-backed Gull on Little Lake, just opposite the old Mark Street wharf. | Little Lake | Sean Smith |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | A female Long-tailed Duck was swimming off the north end of the Lakefield Marsh this morning. | Lakefield Marsh | Tony Bigg |
| Dec. 11, 2011 | I saw a Northern Shrike today along the Trans-Canada Trail between Lily Lake and Ackison Road. On Dec. 13, I also saw and heard two American Robins on the same trail but in the sector between Ackison and Lily Lake Road. There is abundant wild grape this year. I also noticed several very large patches of Dog-strangling Vine, especially just east of Lily Lake Rd. | Trans-Canada Trail | Drew Monkman |
| Dec. 10, 2011 | This afternoon, there were at least two Cackling Geese in with nearly 450 Canadas on Little Lake. When first observed the geese were along the southwest side of the lake along the shore and adjacent lawn in the vicinity of the Peterborough Art Gallery. I also counted at least 800 Canada Geese between Little Lake and the mouth of Sawer Creek on the Otonabee River south of Lakefield. | Little Lake, Otonabee R. | Don Sutherland |
| Dec. 8, 2011 | At around 4:30 pm today I saw a Merlin land and sit on top of a telephone pole located on the NE corner of the intersection of Spillsbury and Forster. I was able to get a picture of the bird. | Peterborough | Sherry Hambly |
| Dec.8, 2011 | Today, one male Common Merganser and a pair of Hooded Mergansers were present on Little Lake on the east side of the cemetery. Yesterday, about 75 Bufflehead were at the sewage lagoon in Lakefield. I also had a small flock of Brown Creepers along the Trent to Lakefield rail-trail. Several Common Goldeneye and Hooded Mergansers were noted on the river, as well. | various (see Sighting description) | Drew Monkman |
| Dec. 4, 2011 | Eleven species of gulls were seen on today's Peterborough Field Naturalists trip to the Niagara River. The outing was a great success in fine balmy weather and ideal viewing conditions. 1. Franklin's Gull: one first winter bird on the Roosting Rocks between Adam Beck and the Butterfly Conservatory 2. Little Gull: 1 that flew to Lake Ontario at the fly-past at Niagara-on-the-Lake. 3. Bonaparte's Gull: abundant. 4. Ring-billed Gull: common. 5. Herring Gull: abundant. 6. Thayer's Gull: 1 adult at Adam Beck Overlook. 7. "Kumlien's" Iceland Gull: 2 or 3 adults at Adam Beck overlook. 8. Lesser Black-backed Gull: 9. Glaucous Gull: 1 first winter in the middle of the river at Chippawa. 10. Great Black-backed Gull: many. 11. Black-legged Kittiwake: one first winter flying with Bonaparte's at the Whirlpool OTHER BIRDS Juvenile Pomarine Jaeger seen all day at Adam Beck. 3 female Harlequin Ducks on the wall at Chippawa. 1 Purple Sandpiper on its usual rock right of the barge above the Falls. 3-5 Black Vultures seen at the overlook on the Niagara Parkway below Brock Monument and several seen at Adam Beck. Tufted Titmouse and Red-bellied Woodpecker at feeders in Chippawa and along the Parkway near Queenston. At this latter location, we also had Northern Flicker, White-throated Sparrow, American Robin, and Cedar Waxwing. A wonderful time was had by all! | Niagara River between Chippawa and Niagara-on-the-Lake | PFN members (trip led by Tony Bigg) |
| Dec. 4, 2011 | My husband and I have just watched an Osprey dive and catch a fish here in Warsaw on the Indian River. Although a regular summer visitor we have not seen any since mid-Nov. Then quite unexpectedly one has shown up on the last two days. | Warsaw | Maureen Smith |
| Dec. 3, 2011 | A second winter Glaucous Gull was sitting among Ring-billed Gulls and Herring Gulls on the dock by the Trent Rowing Club on the Otonabee River this morning, very close to the River Road. | Trent University Campus | Tony Bigg |
| Nov. 30, 2011 | Today, I had an immature Snowy Owl in my yard for most of the day. | Lancaster Drive, north of Fowler's Corners, on Chemong Lake | Bob Hancock |
| Nov. 25, 2011 | I found an Eastern Screech Owl on Robinson Road in Ennismore Friday (Nov. 25) night. He appeared to be stunned and unable to get off the road. It actually looked like a piece of garbage in the road but a slight look of feathers caught my eye as I drove by, so I turned around and looked again. Being dark, I could not tell what it was other than some type of bird. I had to wait for several cars to pass before I could run out and get him and 3 of those vehicles drove directly over him! I put him in a cat carrier I just happened to have in my truck and brought him to my sister's house. We checked him over and he seemed fine - both feet worked and his wings were good. He was released behind her house on Cedarvale (very close to where he was found, but safer). It was a great feeling and an awesome sight to see him fly off into the night! I have attached a photo we took before we released him/her Beautiful little bird!! | Robinson Road (Cty Rd 16), Ennismore | Kim Mitchell |
| Nov. 23, 2011 | My wife heard, then saw, 31 Sandhill Cranes flying north over Lakefield around 3:30pm today. I saw a Golden Eagle north of Buckhorn today around 1pm. I was walking the Frank Hemming snowmobile trail (off Mississagua Dam Rd.) in Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park. It was flying low in a southerly direction. Lakefield | Lakefield area | Travis Cameron |
| Nov. 20, 2011 | We have had a Red-bellied Woodpecker at our birdfeeder in the morning all week (Nov. 14 - 20). | Otonabee River South at Cedar Bank Road | Eva McFaul |
| Nov. 18, 2011 | Since early November, and now with snow on the ground, I still hear American Robins singing every morning. (N.B. There appear to still be large numbers of robins around, probably because of abundant wild food in many areas. It is not uncommon for robins to sing sporadically in the fall. However, it is not the full, sustained song of springtime.- D.M.). | Kathy Langlois | |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | Today, a group of four of us birded from Peterborough to Algonquin Park. Some of the highlights included 1 Northern Shrike (Co Rd 19 in Peterborough), 10 Hooded Mergansers and 3 Common Mergansers (Otonabee River), 100+ Buffleheads (Lakefield Sewage Lagoons), 30 Ring-necked Ducks and 1 Red-necked Grebe (Paudash Lake), an unidentified eagle being harrassed by a Common Raven (between Maynooth and Whitney) and 1 Spruce Grouse, 1 Boreal Chickadee, and 20+ White-winged Crossbills (Wolf Howl Pond trail off of Arowhon Road in Algonquin Park). There were small groups of Gray Jays, Evening Grosbeaks, and Golden-crowned Kinglets in a number of locations in the Park including Opeongo Road. We also enjoyed watching the frolics of a group of four River Otters in the first large lake/wetland along Opeongo Road. | various (see Sighting report) | Drew Monkman, Jerry Ball, Mitch Brownstein and Jim Cashmore |
| Nov. 8, 2011 | I saw a Pileated Woodpecker today. behind my condo on Champlain Crescent. | Champlain Crescent, Peterborough | Howard Parson |
| Nov. 6, 2011 | Around midday today, November 6th, I checked Pigeon Lake northeast from the Sandy Point Rd vantage. There were still two Common Loons as well as 4 Red-necked Grebes, 4 Bufflehead, several dozen Ring-billed Gulls and a few Herring Gulls. Don | Pigeon Lake | Don Sutherland |
| Nov. 2, 2011 | Today, three Sandhill Cranes flew over my house, heading in a southerly direction, possibly to the large marsh just south of Omemee. | Omemee | Gavin Hunter |
| Nov. 2, 2011 | I witnessed a unique visitor this morning about 10:30 am from my cabin window and crossing the end of my driveway about 200 feet away from the cabin. It was a very large beige coloured cat with a long tail. It looked too big to be a Bobcat or Canada Lynx and it walked with long strides. I didn’t see any black or dark coloured spots on the cat. I’m wondering if my visitor was possibly a Cougar? My cabin and property is located on the west side of Blackfish Bay which is part of the Kamaniskeg Lake/Madawaska River system. Blackfish Bay is located about half way between Barry’s Bay and Combermere. I understand from friends there have been cougar sightings in the past in the Rockingham area east of Combermere and in the vicinity of Aylen Lake west of Barry’s Bay. The cat appeared to be pre-occupied with a hunt and noise being generated on a building project several hundred feet away from my property didn’t seem to concern it. Earlier in the morning, I had watched two adult deer munch on apples in my back yard close to the driveway cat sighting. Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough with the camera to obtain a photo of the cat through the cabin window. I was reluctant to pursue it on foot for a photo op and instead hopped in the van and went looking but to no avail. (Note: According to Rick Rosatte at Trent/MNR, a cougar specialist, there have been several sightings in the Combermere area over the years.) | Blackfish Bay, between Barry's Bay and Combermere | Dennis Billings |
| Nov. 2, 2011 | I saw an Eastern Comma and a Clouded Sulphur flying in the Robert Johnston EcoForest today. One Hermit Thrush was still present. I also saw four more Clouded Sulphurs on the Base Line to David Fife rail trail. | Robert Johnston EcoForest (185 Douro 5th Line) and Base Line | Tony Bigg |
| Nov. 1, 2011 | I just wanted to report sighting of a Northern Shrike by myself and Brendan Boyd today at around 3:00pm at the Peterborough Airport. It was in the grass just off Runway 27, then flew up to sit on the sign for "D" taxiway. Also, a week or so ago (October 24) we were hiking through fields along River Road (Indian River) and saw a late Blue Headed Vireo. That's all for now. | Peterborough Airport and Indian River | Abby McNaughton and Brendan Boyd |
| Oct. 30, 2011 | Highlights of the Peterborough Field Naturalist Sunday morning outing to the Pigeon Lake area included 6 Common Loon, 2 Hooded Merganser, 1000+ Canada Geese, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Kestrel, 500 Red-winged Blackbirds, and numerous small flocks of American Tree Sparrows. | Pigeon Lake area | PFN |
| Oct. 30, 2011 | I birded several spots this morning, October 30th. The highlights were a juvenile Red-throated Loon at Sandy Point on Pigeon Lake, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker on nearby Elm Lodge Rd. The loon was 250-400m NNW of the north end of Sandy Point Rd at the turnaround and boat launch. The lake was calm and the viewing conditions were good. The bird was preening when first spotted at around 12:10 PM, but then began to dive regularly, moving gradually to the ENE to a distance of about 400m. There were a couple of Common Loons in the general vicinity. After leaving the loon, I turned E on to Elm Lodge Rd and almost immediately noticed a largish woodpecker flying SE across the cattle pasture on the N side of the rd. The bird flew to the line of mature Red Oaks along the fencerow on the N side of the road and as I arrived at the spot were it had landed it could be heard calling. It is a male. To reach these sites, take Peterborough Rd 16 (either N from Ennismore or S from Buckhorn) to Elm Lodge Rd., continue W on Elm Lodge Rd to its junction with Sand Point Rd. The woodpecker was roughly 100m E of this junction. For the loon, turn right (N) and drive 400m to the end of Sandy Point Rd. An American Coot was on the Otonabee River just N of Lock 23 and there were 3 Eastern Bluebirds at the Lakefield Sewage Lagoon. Also at Lakefield SL: 115 Lesser Scaup, 82 Bufflehead, 53 Common Goldeneye, 4 Ring-necked Duck and 3 Greater Scaup. | Pigeon Lake and Lakefield areas | Don Sutherland |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | Today, a Fox Sparrow made a brief appearance in our yard and fed on niger seed scattered on the ground. It was accompanied by three White-throated Sparrows and a half dozen Dark-eyed Juncos. | Maple Crescent, Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | Today, we had a Northern Mockingbird at our feeder. | Lily Lake Road, Peterborough | Gord and Enid Mallory |
| Oct. 24, 2011 | I saw four Trumpeter Swans on the island above Lock 23 on the Otonabee River at 5 pm today. This reminds me that I glimpsed an article in one of the local papers a month or so ago, reporting an injured Trumpeter Swan – I think at the south end of Chemong Lake. The article said that there had been a family with cygnets, Unfortunately our copy of the paper disappeared before I could take any notes from it. Does anyone know anymore about these swans? It is possibly our first record of the Trumpeter Swan nesting in the county. | Otonabee River and Chemong Lake | Tony Bigg |
| Oct. 17, 2011 | For years, a golden eagle makes its way across our property in the fall and in the spring. It was spotted again today. It usually perches on the same dead tree for about an hour or so. I am curious about its possible migration route and I was wondering if there have been any sightings of this wondrous raptor out towards the Peterborough area? | south of Millbrook | Jane Zednik |
| Oct. 9, 2011 | I saw a small group (6) of Rusty Blackbirds on the Baseline to Settlers rail trail this morning. Other birds of interest seen were Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Blue-headed Vireos (3), Eastern Phoebe, Gray Catbird, Green-winged Teal, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Six species of butterly were still around - Cloudy Sulphur (79), Orange Sulphur (1), Viceroy (2), Monarch (1), Eastern-tailed Blue (2), and Pearl Crescent (1). On Thursday, Oct 6th I had four Hermit Thrushes and four Ruffed Grouse in the Robert Johnson Eco-forest. On Friday Oft 7th I had another two Hermit Thrushes and about twenty Pine Siskins alongside the Lakefield Marsh. | see email | Tony Bigg |
| Oct. 9, 2011 | Today I heard a Song Sparrow singing repeatedly along the Trans-Canada trail, west of Jackson Park. On Oct. 8, I had a late Monarch, along with two Merlins (calling repeatedly) at Munroe Island on Stony Lake. | Jackson Park, Peterborough Stony Lake | Drew Monkman |
| Oct. 5, 2011 | The first Dark-eyed Junco of the fall showed up in our yard today. | Maple Crescent, Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| Oct. 5, 2011 | We have been cottaging on Salmon Lake in the Kawarthas for over 50 years . This is the first summer we have not had bats swooping over the lake at sunset. Having spoken to a number of people on the lake, I know the absence is widespread. (Note: There is a bat hibernaculum close to Salmon Lake where white-nose syndrome has been found. D.M.) | Salmon Lake in northern Peterborough County | Mike Scuse |
| Oct. 4, 2011 | Whilst walking my dog today in the Trent Wildlife Sanctuary I saw more birds, except perhaps for large flocks of blackbirds flying over, than I have ever seen there before. The open area, where the swallow nest boxes are, had warblers everywhere, especially along the west and southern sides. I estimated there were over 200 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 50 Palm Warblers. Wherever I looked I could see about ten birds moving. Along the boardwalk along the east of the sanctuary a noisy flock of about 200 White-throated Sparrows moved through the brush and trees. In all, I saw 25 species, including a small flock of 6 Pine Siskins. Returning to Lakefield along River Road I stopped to watch as a flock of about 500 blackbirds, mostly Common Grackles with a few Red-winged Blackbirds, slowly flew low across the road in front of me. | Trent Wildlife Sanctuary, Peterborough | Tony Bigg |
| Oct. 2, 2011 | Large numbers of White-throated Sparrows finally arrived in our yard today, not doubt as a result of the cold front that moved in. There has also been a lot of Turkey Vulture migration this weekend, too, and lots of Golden-crowned Kinglets moving through. | Maple Crescent, Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| Oct. 1, 2011 | Today, at about 4:15 p.m. I was watching a group of 23 Turkey Vultures that were circling quite low in the strong winds, when an odd-looking hawk suddenly joined them. Quickly it was easy to see that it was a first year light morph Swainson`s Hawk, with pointed wing tips, dihedral, and dark flight feathers! I had never seen a Swainson`s in Ontario before, but have seen hundreds of them in the prairies of Canada in the past. They are a casual species in southern Ontario, and are usually seen (if at all), at one of the many autumn hawk watch sites along Lake Erie. | north end of Belmont Lake, south-west of Cordova Mines, township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen | Tim Dyson |
| Sept. 18, 2011 | Today, we saw a Giant Swallowtail as it flew down Preston Road, stopping a couple of times on sapling foliage, before finally flying north of the one-lane bridge and up the river out of site. | Crowe River at Preston Road and Fish Hatchery Road, east of Cordova Mines, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Twsp | Tim Dyson |
| August 28, 2011 | We have had at least one Giant Swallowtail around our place (near Stewart Hall) for at least two weeks. They traverse the west facing edge of our maple bush edge and lite in sunny patches of low shrubs and trees as well as feeding (?) on fragrant white phlox, yellow trumpet vine and red geraniums. cheers | Stewart Hall | Dan and Nancy Mansell |
| August 27, 2011 | At about 7:45 p.m. this evening, we too had a visit from a Giant Swallowtail in our front yard at 51 Maple Crescent in the west end of Peterborough. I saw a second one on August 29 near Lily Lake on the rail-trail. | Maple Crescent, Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| August 16, 2011 | Today, at the boat launch off the far east end of Round Lake Road, I watched a Giant Swallowtail flitting about and occasionally landing on leaves, for about a minute, before it disappeared into a farm field across the road. | Round Lake, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Twsp | Tim Dyson |
| August 7, 2011 | These last few days I have watched as jet-black, 1 and 1/4 inch Great Black Wasps (Sphex pensylvanicus) have been depositing dead or paralysed Praying Mantis into the skimmer box of my pool. So far, they have put more than a dozen mantis in the skimmer, entering by small holes in the lid. Has anyone heard of such a thing before? These wasps usually capture grasshoppers and crickets, sting them, and then lay eggs on the body to feed their larvae. | Ennismore | Ed Hutchison |
| August 4, 2011 | We have six Green Herons roosting in trees behind our property. I've never seen them hang around so much and so visibly. | Peterborough | Brenda Ibey |
| July 27, 2011 | Last night we wandered past our pond and were able to get a good look at three Green Herons. We see them flying over, but not often this close, hopping around in the trees. I think there are one adult and four or five young. The one at least looked kind of gangly! | Television Road, Peterborough | Brenda Ibey |
| July 19, 2011 | On the drive into work this morning 7:30 am spotted three Sandhill Cranes in the field at the corner of Smith 14th concession and Birchbend Rd. near Upper Chemong Lake. | Upper Chemong Lake | Fred Irons |
| June 29, 2011 | We saw another Indigo Bunting this evening while walking the dog along the road directly south of the airport (Moncrief Line). It was sitting on a wire above the bridge, vocalizing its dual-noted song. Sherry Hambly | Moncrief Line | Sherry Hambly |
| June 5, 2011 | I saw a singing male Blue-grey Gnatcatcher on May 10 on River Rd (between Hope Mill Rd and David Fife Line) in Otonabee Township. I haven't seen one this far north before and was wondering if they are regularly seen in the County. (Note: Gnatcatchers are in fact quite rare in Peterborough County. D. Monkman) | Otonabee Township | Brendan Boyd |
| June 5, 2011 | I heard this very different bird call today..never heard it before. It was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It was in my backyard here in Kawartha Hideway, north shore of Buckhorn Lake. Is this a rare sighting? (Note: Yellow-billed Cuckoo is certainly far less common than Black-billed in Peterborough Co. and might even be termed rare. Both species respond possitively to outbreaks of Forest Tent Caterpillar, however, and this year is no exception. There are certainly lots of Black-billeds around and there have been a number of other reports of Yellow-billed. Don Sutherland) | Buckhorn Lake | J. Philpott |
| June 5, 2011 | Today at 7 a.m., there was a Blackpoll Warbler singing in the John Street vicinity in the Avenues area of the downtown. | downtown Peterborough | Don Sutherland |
| June 5, 2011 | Sitting on the deck at the Silver Bean Cafe at Millenium Place in downtown Peterborough this morning, we enjoyed great Fair Trade coffee, along with the calls of Osprey, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Kingbird, Chimney Swift, Barn Swallow, Belted Kingfisher, and Song Sparrow. | Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| June 3, 2011 | Today, as I was arriving at work, there was a Swainson’s Thrush singing from the trees bordering the Otonabee River behind the MNR building. | downtown Peterborough | Don Sutherland |
| June 1 - 3, 2011 | During a three-day stay at Camp Kawartha, I observed the following species of interest: Eastern Towhee, Blackpoll Warbler (late migrant), Magnolia Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Field Sparrow, and Barred Owl. There were also many Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies flying, along with thousands of Common Baskettail dragonflies. Some of the flowers in bloom included Northern Small Yellow Lady's-slipper, Blue-eyed Grass, Pussy-Toes, Wild Columbine, and Balsam Ragwort. | Birchview Road (Clear Lake) | Drew Monkman |
| June 3, 2011 | This evening, a Common Nighthawk flew over a friend's house in the west end of Peterborough. This is the first nighthawk I've seen in Peterborough this year. | Westbrook Drive | Drew Monkman |
| June 2, 2011 | We often walk our dog on the Hooten Road portion of Cavan swamp and this year I have discovered two hairy woodpecker nests along the road - both within 10 to 30 feet of the road - one in a dead aspen, the other in a dead tree (not sure what species it is). I first noticed the nests because of the frantic activity of the parents at both sites when I stopped to take photos of them. Then I heard a chirring sound - babies in the nest, and finally discovered the entry hole to the nests and watched a parent enter with food. I first discovered that baby woodpeckers chirr last year while walking our dog along another favourite spot - Mervin Road near the airport - through the swamp just east of the river - I kept hearing this odd sound whenever we walked by this particular spot, and after some sleuthing, discovered a hairy woodpecker's nest in a dead tree about 10 feet from the road. The nest entry holes in all three are about 2 inches in diameter and are about 10 feet up. | Hooten Road in the Cavan Swamp | Dave and Sherry Hambly |
| June 1, 2011 | I walked a favourite small section of road in Duoro-Dummer Tsp today and counted 227 blooms of Northern Small Yellow Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin), The Showy Lady’s-slipper is in leaf but yet to bloom. | Douro-Dummer Township | Tony Bigg |
| May 27, 2011 | Today, we spotted a Gray Catbird in our backyard, a species we had not seen before. Then on June 2 we several times heard a cry that sounded like a cat meowing very loudly. We didn’t see that one, but concluded it must be a Gray Catbird, as well. | 244 Patricia Crescent, Peterborough | Lowell Lunden |
| May 19, 2011 | Last night Peter Lin and I watched the Chimney Swifts enter their roost in the white brick chimney on the building to the east of WildRock and visibile from the laneway behind their store (just south of Charlotte Street). Starting at around 8 pm the number of swifts flying overhead increased from 5 up to 60 (at 8:35). Then at 8:40, 30 swifts suddenly funnelled into the chimney. More swifts continued to join the swirling flock overhead and kept dropping into the chimney for the next nine minutes. By 8:50 a total of 98 swfits entered for the night. None were left in the sky. Earlier (at 8:13 and 8:36) 3 Chimney Swfits entered other chimneys in the area. We also saw a male Merlin and a Barn Swallow during our watch. Spitting rain was intermittent but didn't seem to bother the swifts. A good viewpoint is from the top floor of the King Street garage. | Peterborough | Chris Risley |
| May 15, 2011 | Yesterday, in our back yard, we had an Eastern Towhee, and then today in the same location, we had a male Black-throated Blue Warbler. | Peterborough | Don Finigan |
| May 15, 2011 | Two Sandhill Cranes were seen this morning at Miller Creek Conservation Area during the PFN Sunday Morning bird walk. The birds were 100 feet straight out from the viewing tower, about two-thirds of the way between the tower and the patch of open water. One of the birds appeared to be sitting on the ground, possibly on a nest. A Sora was calling at the small wetland on the west side of the junction of Country Road 24 and the 5th line of Smith-Ennismore. | Miller Creek Conservation Area, 7th Line of Smith-Ennismore | Drew Monkman |
| May 14, 2011 | I saw the strangest thing last week. Well, strange for the 7th line of Smith. I was driving along about 1km from the Miller Creek CA and had to break for an Otter. He was crossing from a marshy area to the woods. I have lived there and walked my dog on that road for the past 10 years and have never seen an Otter. I would not have thought there was enough water in the marsh let alone the woods. Finally saw an Indigo Bunting on May 14. He came to the feeder twice but I have not seen him since. Also, the first Baltimore Oriole. They never hang around my place but I frequently get them for a few days early in the season. I have orange halves on posts and a fruit feeder to encourage them. | Smith-Ennismore Township | Tara Harrington |
| May 13, 2011 | We have lots of birds coming to our house this spring. I put out oranges on the fence post for orioles and now we have one! We put out our oriole and hummingbird feeders and in about an hour, the oriole and a hummingbird were at the feeders! Here are some regulars: brown-headed cowbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, chipping and song sparrows, white-throated and white-crowned sparrows, goldfinches, chickadees, hairy and downy woodpeckers, northern flickers, nuthatches, purple finches and house finches. We put out black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, safflower, finch mix, niger seed, corn-on-the-cob and suet. They really like this suet. We buy it from the Farmer's Market on Saturdays. They like the peanut one the best. | Indian River | Serena Formenti, Grade Six |
| May 13, 2011 | This morning I saw a Blanding's Turtle along the side of the road. | Buckhorn | Joanne O’Heron |
| May 13, 2011 | I saw my first hatch Canada Geese today at the creek behind Country Style on Cty Rd. #35, south of Hwy#7. There were at least 8 goslings. | County Road 35 | Rick Stankiewicz |
| May 9 to 13, 2011 | Black Tern – flock of 8 over Lakefield Marsh, Tues evening, May 10 Alder Flycatcher – one singing from the willow swamp ½ km N of Trent U along the bike trail, May 12 Wood Thrush – one singing in my yard this morning this morning, May 13 Tennessee Warbler one singing along the bike trail N of Trent on May 11 and another on May 12 (quite early) Northern Parula – one singing along the bike trail just S of Douro 9th Line on May 11 Magnolia Warbler – one singing along the bike trail S of 9th Line on May 11 and 12 Black-throated Blue Warbler – a few along the bike path from Lakefield to Peterborough on May 11 American Redstart – a few on Mon May 9 along the bike path, many more by May 11th Common Yellowthroat – willow swamp N of Trent U on May 12 Bobolink – one at Tamarac Golf Course, Ennismore, Tues evening, May 10 Baltimore Oriole – several along the bike path on May 9 | Lakefield, bike path from Lakefield to Peterborough, Tamarac Golf Course in Ennismore | Colin Jones |
| May 12, 2011 | This morning at Miller Creek Conservation Area, there was a Sandhill Crane which appeared to be on its nest. It is 75-100m from the viewing platform towards the only open water of the stream you can see at "1 o'clock". The camouflage is great - it could easily be overlooked. We also heard Sora, Virginia Rail, and A. Bittern. My wife saw 3 Black Terns at Lakefield Marsh this evening. Yesterday morning (May 11, 2011) I birded Warsaw Caves Conservation area with Ethan Huner. It was a very 'birdy" morning with ~50 species seen including 14 species of warbler. Highlights were 7 Cape May Warbler (4 within one binocular view!), and 2 Bay-breasted Warbler. | Miller Creek, Lakefield Marsh, Warsaw Caves Conservation Area | Travis Cameron |
| May 12, 2011 | This morning, a Yellow-throated Vireo could be heard singing from an adjacent Manitoba Maple. This is a first for the year (and yard) for me. | Peterborough | Don Sutherland |
| May 8, 2011 | Today, I saw a Belted Kingfisher on Young's Point Road. It was on a hydro wire on a section of the road that is essentially waterfront. In the afternoon I had a male Red-Breasted Grosbeak at my feeder. | Young's Point Road and Bridgenorth | Tara Harrington |
| May 8, 2011 | While out herp-atlassing today, I stopped near Gannon Narrows to listen for chorus frogs, which I’d had at this location in previous years but not recently. As I slowed and opened my window I could hear Chorus Frogs calling, but stopped with the window open I could also hear the song of a Blue-winged Warbler. In order to determine that it was a Blue-winged (and not a Golden-winged or one of the hybrids), I walked to edge of the pasture and broadcast Blue-winged song using my ipod and portable speakers. The bird immediately responded, flying to a perch in a hawthorn right beside the road, and was clearly a pure Blue-winged Warbler. Still lots of Chorus Frog choruses and a few of Spring Peeper, particularly north of Hwy 36, but Wood Frogs appear to entirely finished in the southern part of the county. I did hear my first calling Green Frogs and had a single chorus of Pickerel Frog. On Deer Bay Reach Rd. north of Buckhorn Lake I had my first Smooth Greensnake of the year along the grassy road verge. There was still at least one Bohemian Waxwing in the ornamental Prunus at the corner of Pearl and King in downtown Peterborough as of Friday afternoon (May 6th), but I did not see any on the weekend or this morning (May 9th), as I cycled by. Don | Gannon's Narrows | Don Sutherland |
| May 6, 2011 | I saw and heard several Chimney Swifts today at the corner of Hunter and George streets in downtown Peterborough. | downtown Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| May 5, 2011 | Out walking the dogs this morning at Gannon Narrows, I heard flapping and looked up and saw a female Wood Duck hanging on the side of the tree. She seemed to have her foot stuck in the bark on the tree, right beside the cavity which I presume is her nest. I have never seen this situation before. I was not sure haw long she had been stranded there. My 30' ladder was not long enough and would have been too dangerous to operate from so I called Shaun Milne of Shaun Milne Signs who lives just north of Ennismore and asked him to bring out his bucket truck. With the use of the truck and a towel (used to wrap up the duck while we extracted her from her trap) they were able to free her. She sat on the towel for about 30 seconds to catch her breath then flew off none the worse for wear. I don't think that she would have been able to get her leg free by herself and would have died. Nice to have a happy ending to the story. | Gannon's Narrows, Ennismore | Jim Watt |
| May 2, 2011 | During a walk through Jackson Park this morning, Sue and I heard a Wood Thrush & a Black-and-White Warbler singing. | Jackson Park | Andrew Jobes |
| May 2, 2011 | The Louisiana Waterthrush found yesterday by Don Sutherland was still present and singing this morning at the same location on Asphodel 3rd Line about 300m N of County Rd 2. There are also at least two Northern Waterthrush present at the same location and, as Don has already mentioned, the two species were engaging in regular chases. This is a great opportunity to hear (both the song and chip notes) and see the two species side by side. The Louisiana is an extremely well marked bird and in this morning’s dull light, the bright white eye stripe was almost glowing. | Hastings area | Colin Jones |
| May 1, 2011 | Don Sutherland found a singing Louisiana Waterthrush 300 m north of the intersection of Rice Lake Road and Asphodel Third Line. The bird is singing in the wet ash swamp on the west side of the road. He found it around 11 am on May 1 and I went and heard it around 1 pm at the same place. The Third Line is the north-south road that crosses Rice Lake Road where the Indian River crosses. There is a small park and playground on the NW corner at the intersection. Don found the bird at about 10:30, hearing its song through the open window of his car. The bird was singing almost constantly when first found, and engaging in regular chases with a resident male Northern Waterthrush. It could be heard and seen easily from the roadside, so there is no need to wade into the swamp, which is privately owned. | Hastings area | Chris Risley and Don Sutherland |
| April 30, 2011 | I was herp atlassing in the eastern portion of the county and adjacent portions of Hastings County. Lots of bird activity including Great Crested Flycatcher, and single Gray Catbird, Bobolink and American Redstart, the latter which was singing constantly from woods near Marmora Station. Lots of turtles, mostly Midland Painted but a few Blanding's, and frogs, including one 'chorus' (2 individuals) of Pickerel Frog in a grassy pond along the hydro right-of-way paralleling Bannockburn Rd., west of Bannockburn (Hwy 62). | various | Don Sutherland |
| April 30, 2011 | Around Cavan today we saw rusty blackbirds, brown thrasher, rose-breasted grosbeak, eastern towhee, black-throated green warbler, b&w warbler, pine warbler, ovenbird, northern waterthush, eastern wood pewee, great-crested flycatcher, and lots of other stuff. | Cavan | Scott McKinlay |
| April 29, 2011 | On my bike ride home today from Peterborough to Lakefield, there were many large flocks of swallows along the Otonabee River. Most were Tree and Barn Swallows but there were also some Cliff, Northern Rough-winged and Bank Swallows mixed in. Also, there were a few small flocks of Cedar Waxwings. | Lakefield rail-trail | Colin Jones |
| April 29, 2011 | Today, at around noon, I first heard then observed a flock of 38 Bohemian Waxwings in flight over our house on John Street in the Avenues areas of the downtown. The flock was headed south. Yesterday (April 28th) morning there was a Nashville Warbler singing in and/or near our backyard. | John Street, Peterborough | Don Sutherland |
| April 28, 2011 | This evening after the storm, my wife, Diana, pointed out to me the arrival of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak on our feeder. The bird has been around all day today also. | Lakefield | Tony Bigg |
| April 27, 2011 | The Bloodroot in our school naturalized area is in full bloom. | Edmison Heights Public School, Marina Blvd | Drew Monkman |
| April 27, 2011 | Like Colin Jones, Bob Prentice and I also saw/heard Brown Thrasher (Duoro 3rd Line, several), Yellow-rumped Warbler (about thirty by Lakefield Marsh in the campsite, and a few more elsewhere), Black-and-white Warbler (two in the Lakefield campsite) and Field Sparrow (several along Hubble Rd). We also had Eastern Towhee (Lakefield campsite & Hubble Rd), Caspian Tern (Lakefield Marsh), American Bittern (within 5m of the road at Sawyer’s Creek on Duoro 3rd Line), Pine Warbler (several in the north of the county, and last but not least a Northern Mockingbird on Lynch’s Rock Rd. | Lakefield area | Tony Bigg and Bob Prentice |
| April 27, 2011 | Saw a nice little House Wren today just off the north end of the Hiawatha Line near Cty. Rd.#2. | Hiawatha Line | Rick Stankiewicz |
| April 27, 2011 | A male Indigo Bunting has been at our bird feeder for the past two days. | 7 km north of Keene | Tore Buchanan |
| April 27, 2011 | This morning, during my cycle to work from Lakefield to Peterborough along the Rotary Trail the bird activity was very good. Apart from there being more individuals of certain species that have already been reported (e.g. Chipping Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow) I also had the following species that are at least new to me this season. Double-crested Cormorant – one flock of 8 overhead near Trent U. Least Flycather – one singing in my backyard in Lakefield House Wren – a few singing at various locations Brown Thrasher – two along the bike trail S of Trent U. Yellow Warbler – 2 singing between Lakefield and Trent U. Yellow-rumped Warbler – at least 6 singing at various locations Black-and-white Warbler – one singing half-way between Lakefield and Trent U. | Rotary Trail | Colin Jones |
| April 25, 2011 | I was up in the Crystal Lake-Mount Irwin area of the county today. Lots of Yellow-rumped and Pine warblers and Hermit Thrush, several Northern Waterthrush and a single Blue-headed Vireo, all singing. Lots of Chorus, Wood, and Northern Leopard frogs and Spring Peepers calling, though there was still some ice in a number of woodland ponds and snow drifts along shaded roadsides. This morning (April 27th), much to my surprise, there was an male Eastern Towhee giving its ‘drink’ call repeatedly from the top of a large Norway Maple at the intersection of Park and King in the Avenues area of the downtown. While walking our dogs on the Rotary Rail Trail north of Trent University this evening (2000h), we encountered an adult Red-bellied Snake on the trail about 800m north of Trent. | various (see email) | Don Sutherland |
| April 25, 2011 | There were 6 Purple Martins at Tamarac Golf Club, Ennismore, today. | Ennismore | Colin Jones |
| April 25, 2011 | Walking the Bridgenorth trail early this morning I heard two Northern Waterthrushes singing. I also saw a European Hare. I met Emily Pettypiece who had just seen a Sandhill Crane on the same trail. Also along the trail Rusty Blackbirds, White-throated Sparrows, and Winter Wrens were singing, and several Wilson’s Snipe were winnowing overhead. As I was backing out from my house later in the morning a Merlin landed right beside the car carrying a junco in its talons. The presence of the Merlin explains why earlier the birds at my feeder burst into the air resulting in the death of a Fox Sparrow by hitting my window. At Sawyer’s Creek on Duoro 3rd Line a Moorhen was seen swimming and a Purple Finch was singing. I saw a Sandhill Crane just south of Sawyers Creek, and later, another flying high over Cty Rd 44. On Cty Rd 46 just north of the junction with Cty Rd 47, a pair of Virginia Rails responded to a tape by walking out to the roadside. On Sandy Lake Rd I saw a Pine Warbler and a Northern Ribbon Snake. In total I had six sightings of Wild Turkeys with groups ranging from a single bird to thirteen birds. | various (see email) | Tony Bigg |
| April 24, 2011 | In typical April fashion, the backyard bird chorus today was quite impressive, even at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Among the voices were flickers, robins, mourning doves, grackles, goldfinches, siskins, house finches, and juncos. Our coltsfoot and hepatica have been in bloom now for a few days. The flowers on the Red Elderberry are almost open. | Maple Crescent | Drew Monkman |
| April 24, 2011 | The female Red-bellied Woodpecker that I reported on January 17 was joined this past week by a male. They are now a couple and have set up a home in our back woods. I can't wait to see the babies this summer; hopefully they will come to the feeder with their parents. | The Glen [Westview Dr.] near Pigeon Lake | Blair Hamilton |
| April 21, 2011 | Today, I saw my first Barn Swallow sitting on the clothesline. The Coyotes have been very vocal the last couple of nights. | Hastings | Don and Paul Q |
| April 16, 2011 | Tonight, my mom, my dad, and I went to look for salamanders on Camp Line and Birch View roads and we came back with spectacular results. Our total was around 70-80 individuals. There were about 25 spotted salamanders, around 55 blue spotted, and one sadly roadkill eastern newt. The highest concentration was on Birch View road. Camp Line road only had 10 blue spotted salamanders. There were many peepers and leopard frogs. I did get to help about 20 blue spotted salamanders cross the road. There were many peepers and leopard frogs as well. Frog numbers totalled about 10-15 spring peepers, 1 wood frog, l0 leopard frogs, and about 5 green frogs. | Birch View Road and Camp Line on east side of Clear Lake | Luke Berg |
| April 15, 2011 | This morning there was a mixed flock of about 10 Cedar and 8 Bohemian waxwings in my backyard. | Benson Ave, Peterborough | Luke Berg |
| April 13, 2011 | I just saw my first Chipping Sparrow at Lakefield College School. There are also many Winter Wrens at the trent nature area. | Lakefield College School | Luke Berg |
| April 12, 2011 | This evening, in the roadside ditch at the junction of Lakefield Road and Woodland Dr. (just N of Trent Univ.) the Spring Peepers, Chorus Frogs and Wood Frogs were all calling in good numbers. | Lakefield Highway | Colin Jones |
| April 12, 2011 | I was just watching my first Fox Sparrow of the year visiting my feeder here in Warsaw. | Warsaw | Maureen Smith |
| April 12, 2011 | This morning during my dog walk at the Trent University Nature Area (Pensier trail) I saw the following species: Eastern Phoebe, 100+ Tree Swallows, Northern Flickers, 2 calling male Brewers Blackbirds (heard and seen), Yellow-rumped warbler, Golden and Ruby crowned Kinglet, a singing Winter Wren. Luke Berg | Trent University Nature Area | Luke Berg |
| April 12, 2011 | Yesterday afternoon (April 11) on my way home, I saw a NORTHERN REDBELLY SNAKE on the Rotary Trail just N of Trent Univ. This morning (April 12 ), I did a little birding along Old Norwood Road and Division Road and had the following of note: GREEN-WINGED TEAL – a pair in the pond on Old Norwood Rd between Burnham and Drummond Lines AMERICAN KESTREL – three birds in total at various locations WILSON’S SNIPE – two winnowing overhead of the wetland on Division Rd just E of Indian River Line YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER - Old Norwood Rd just E of Drummond Line NORTHERN FLICKER – same location as the sapsucker TREE SWALLOW – several at various locations, including a pair checking out a nesting box along Old Norwood Rd. a little W of Hwy 28 SAVANNAH SPARROW – on singing on Dummer-Asphodel Rd between Carlow Line Rd and Cty Rd 38 SWAMP SPARROW – several singing in the wetland on Division Rd just E of Indian River Line There were also SPRING PEEPERS calling at several spots – I didn’t hear any Chorus Frogs though although it was still pretty cool in the a.m. | various (see email) | Colin Jones |
| April 11, 2011 | Today, while checking out the loons on Little Lake, we saw many swallows flying over the lake. They were quite far away but they looked like Tree Swallows. On April 10, we saw two Wood Ducks in Cavan Swamp on Hooten Road. | Little Lake and Hooten Road | Dave and Sherry Hambly |
| April 11, 2011 | Did a quick drive around Duoro Twp this afternoon and had a Greater Yellowlegs in the Rosmar (Bolton) Farm pond on the 8th line of Duoro and 2 Fox Sparrows on Centre Rd. between the 7th and 8th. It was fun watching a Ruffed Grouse cross the 3rd line in full display. Didn't see the female but she must have been around! I also had Eastern Phoebe in 4 locations. On Saturday night, I went compensated by heard many, many American Woodcock and one Northern Saw-whet Owl was calling near the 3rd line of Douro and Centre Rd. Anne | Douro Township | Anne Anthony |
| April 10, 2011 | Around 11:00 a.m., I watched for about half an hour a Barred Owl catching frogs in our small pond on our property . The owl used a tall deadwood as a perch. A Blue Jay kept close to the owl and when the owl caught its prey, the jay would swoop in on the owl. My daughter went for a jog at about 4 p.m. and came upon a Fisher crossing the road. | 20 minutes north of Buckhorn – County Rd. 507 | Joanne O'Heron |
| April 10, 2011 | Today, while hiking in Millbrook, I observed a Mourning Cloak butterfly. | Millbrook | Don Finigan |
| April 9, 2011 | Today, we observed Eastern Garter Snakes in 2 mating balls just off the eastern part of the longer trail in Burnham Woods. The balls were about 3 m apart, one ball had 6-10 snakes (you try counting them!)the other was smaller, perhaps 4-8 with some moving back and forth between the two. I do'nt know if this is a common sight in the Spring, I've certainly never seen it before. Trish Beales | Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park | Trish Beales |
| April 9, 2011 | With the 14C temperatures today, the clusters of Silver Maple flower buds have opened fully on many trees, giving the trees a hazy appearance. Small numbers of Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins (less than five of each) have been coming to our feeder all week. The male American Goldfinches at the feeder have almost completed their moult from winter to breeding plumage. | Maple Crescent | Drew Monkman |
| April 8, 2011 | During a sketching outing in the schoolyard today, my class found Silver Maple flower buds opening up and the stamens already protruding. We also found one Crocus in full bloom, tiger lillies starting to emerge from the ground, and lots of midges in mating swarms despite 10 C temperatures. It has always amazed me that midges can fly at such cool temperatures, often close to the freezing point. Bohemian Waxwings were flying about, too. | Marina Blvd | Drew Monkman |
| April 8, 2011 | Today, we saw a flock of 20 turkeys in a field on the south side of Pinehill Road north of Fowlers Corners. These turkeys put on quite a show with several of the toms displaying their tails and vivid blue heads. As we were driving by the pond on Sawyers Creek where it comes into the Otonabee, an Osprey swooped down and dove into the pond. As we drove by Trent U a Cooper's Hawk flew across the road and landed in a tree about 50' in. And we saw a Porcupine in a tree to boot at another spot! | various | Dave and Sherry Hambly |
| April 8, 2011 | I spotted a Bald Eagle flying north over Division Road, just south of Douro at the beginning of March. Not sure of the exact date. My wife spotted a Bobcat in our backyard at about 8:30 a.m.on March 28th. That evening there where many vultures in our area. I also spotted the two Sandhill Cranes and the Northern Harrier on March 31 as Maureen Smith did. On April 6th, on Douglas Rd. Warsaw, I spotted what I believe was a Peregrine Falcon in a tree on top of a ridge and today, April 8th, on my way to work, I saw a pair of the falcons flying over a field on the Warsaw Road. | Warsaw | Mark Anderson |
| April 8, 2011 | Along the Parkway Trail at the water retention pond just east of Walmart, I observed 3 male Mallards verbaly harrassing a Red Fox as it patrolled the shore line. The fowll just stayed out of reach of the fox but would move to deeper water when the fox stoped to face them. The fox also flushed a Killdeer.This was about 0730hrs. 15 minutes later again on the same trail between Chemong and Fairbairn I saw hundreds of Bohemian Waxwings. They filled the tops of three trees as they awaited their turn to drink from some melt water. They flew when disturbed by cyclists but on my return about 90 minutes later they were back drinking about 100 metres further down the trail. It was quite a sight and I got lots of pics. with my wifes point and shoot. | Peterborough | Don Finigan |
| April 7, 2011 | On my bike ride home today from Peterborough to Lakefield, I saw two Belted Kingfishers at the Sawyer Creek outlet (Lock 25) along River Rd. Also, I ran into Peter Mills along the Rotary bike trail near Trent U. and he heard a single Chorus Frog calling a few times in the flooded fields just N. of Trent as well as Spring Peepers last night on campus. | Otonabee River and Trent University | Colin Jones and Peter Mills |
| April 7, 2011 | I've seen three Common Loons on Little Lake the past few days. Sometimes they are quite close to shore near the Art Gallery and the parking spots on the south side. It was great fun to watch one of them scare off another one - a bit of hollering and a lot of running by the one scared off. It literally ran along the top of the water for some distance. | Little Lake, Peterborough | Sherry Hambly |
| April 6, 2011 | This morning I saw what must have been close to 300 Bohemian Waxwings perched in trees along Barnardo Ave, near St. Paul Street. | Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| April 6, 2011 | The Red-bellied Woodpecker is at our feeder today. Hope he stays around! Two Pileated Woodpeckers are also regular visitors right now. | Otonabee River South at Cedar Bank Road | Eva McFaul |
| April 4, 2011 | There was an Osprey sitting on its nest on Scriven Line just south of Cty Rd 2 this afternoon. All the other nests (~15), I viewed were empty. | Scriven Line | Anne Anthony |
| April 4, 2011 | I just saw my first Osprey of the year today on my way to school. It was flying downstream towards lock 25 on the Otonabee. | Lakefield | Luke Berg |
| April 3, 2011 | Today, Ethan Huner and I went in search of waterfowl for most of the afternoon. We started at Little Lake where duck numbers were down significantly from days earlier. The usual suspects including Ring-necked, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser and Hooded Merganser were present. We then moved on to Mathers Corners where the flooded field is quickly drying up. A pair of Mallards and Am. Black Ducks were present along with many Ring-billed Gulls. We spoke with a landowner at the end of the road who estimates the number of heron nests in the rookery to the southeast to be 100 - whether the number is this large or not it must be quite large based on the number of herons I have seen flying to and from the area in the past. He had also seen the partial albino Red-tailed Hawk that we saw earlier in the week, however we did not see it today. It is a beautiful bird with almost a complete white back contrasting the red tail. Our last stop was at Serpent Mounds* where we found that most of Rice Lake in that area is free of ice. Duck numbers were in the thousands. Heat waves and a scope duct-taped (oops!) to a tripod made viewing the distant birds difficult. Species seen included Redhead, American Wigeon, Common Loon, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked, Mallard, and American Black Duck. I wouldn't doubt that more time and a functional scope could find additional species. *Note: Serpent Mounds is under construction and posted with No Trespassing signs. Large machinery construction is likely on weekdays. | Little Lake, Mather's Corners, Serpent Mounds | Travis Cameron |
| April 3, 2011 | Today at about 13:30, a small group of 6 Tree Swallows flew north past the Lakefield Sewage Lagoons. The north pond of the lagoons is still frozen, and the south pond is about 2/3 ice-free. Very little was there; 6 Buffleheads and 6 Mallards. | Lakefield Sewage Lagoons on County Road 33 | Bill Crins |
| April 3, 2011 | This morning at Miller's Creek Conservation Area on the 7th Line of Smith-Ennismore, I saw three Sandhill Cranes flying. They were in the cow pasture to the left of the entrance. On Emerald Isle Rd.in Ennismore, I had a female Northern Harrier. | Bridgenorth and Ennismore | Bill Snowden |
| April 2, 2011 | Yesterday Dave and I saw two Sandhill Cranes in a field just south of the Birdsall Wildlife Area (2 pics). We also saw Pintail Ducks at Mather's Corners, along with the species seen by Don Sutherland. We also saw lots of Common Mergansers at several points along the north shore of Rice Lake. We also came across a Turkey Vulture eating a dead animal on the side of the road. When we stopped it flew into a nearby tree just a few feet away and stayed there for a few minutes - unfortunately not long enough for me to get a pic. Last wednesday I saw a Merlin sitting near its nest in a pine tree in Little Lake Cemetery (pic). I also had fun watching a pair of Hooded Mergansers fishing on Little Lake (pics). About a week ago we saw the Red-necked Grebe just above lock 24/25 (pic). About two weeks ago I had the wonderful pleasure of seeing over 3000 Tundra Swans at the Aylmer Wildlife Area (pic). Copy and paste the following link in your browser to see my pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/salal/sets/72157626291454793/ | various | Sherry Hambly |
| April 2, 2011 | Lulled into thinking that it would be more spring-like, today I toured around the eastern side of the county, north to Sandy Lake and south to Hastings, and then along Peterborough Rd 2 to Hwy 28. It was cool and windy and most shrub thicket swamps and marshes were still completely to partially ice-covered. I saw Killdeer and Eastern Bluebird in several places, 4 Great Blue Herons standing on nests in a heronry on the east side of Peterborough Rd 46 southwest of Methuen Lake, and a Red-shouldered Hawk north of Round Lake. I stopped at several marshes and swamps that were ice-free, but heard no frogs except for a single Spring Peeper calling slowly and intermittently from a shallow grassy pond on the Sandy Lake Rd., and saw no Midland Painted Turtles. I saw a single Mourning Cloak on the Sandy Lake Rd. I stopped at Mathers Corners to check the waterfowl in the flooded corn field. There were 17 American Black Ducks, 28 Mallards, 2 Canada Geese and about 40 Ring-billed Gulls. Rice Lake is still ice-covered, but much of the ice is dark and so the lake may start opening up in the next few days. I checked about a dozen Osprey nests, but saw no Ospreys. | various | Don Sutherland |
| March 31, 2011 | On our way home from work at approximately 4:30 p.m. my husband & I spotted 2 Sandhill Cranes feeding in a field just west of Douro 2nd line on the south side of Cty Rd 4. A little bit further towards Warsaw a Northern Harrier was hunting low over the fields on the north side of Cty Rd 4. I love Spring! | Warsaw Road | Maureen Smith |
| March 31, 2011 | This morning, there was a single White-throated Sparrow in my backyard in Lakefield. | Lakefield | Colin Jones |
| March 31, 2011 | This morning I saw the same Wild Turkeys as Tony (March 30) displaying in the corn field at Parkhill Rd and Ackison Rd. There were about three males and six or seven females. The males all had their tail feathers spread out widely. | ||
| March 31, 2011 | At 6:02 a.m. a Common Loon announced his arrival on Buckhorn Lake. It's probably the single one who always arrives first. A Great Blue Heron flew in yesterday, too. Since the ice started breaking up, we've seen several Common and Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads and 2 Ring-necked Ducks. | Buckhorn | Toni Sinclair |
| March 30, 2011 | Taking advantage of the nice weather for a change I walked the rail trail between Villiers Line and Cameron Line. I heard five Ruffed Grouse drumming and one Killdeer flying over. A creek runs alongside the trail for most of the distance. At one point I saw a large dark bird fly across the creek and disappear into the brush on the trail side. My small dog, running ahead of me as usual, got to the spot and looked over the bank. Immediately a drake Wood Duck started thrashing about in the water achieving his wish of scaring the dog away. As the drake flew away the female appeared from nowhere, flew away and then landed, watching. I circled round to the far side of the creek and worked back to the same spot. The female started calling and I could see a hole in the bank no more than two feet above the water level. Would the ducks be nesting in such a spot? In the evening I watched Wild Turkeys lecking in a cornfield on Ackison Road, just south of the Omemee Rail Trail. There were six males displaying and twice as many females. I also listened for American Woodcock at the Trent Wildlife Sanctuary. The first bird started calling at 7:44 pm. | Keene, etc. | Tony Bigg |
| March 30, 2011 | We are on the north shore of Sturgeon Lake. Saw a pair of Bald Eagles in a tree on Muskrat Island all day yesterday (Mar 29,2011). I have never seen Bald Eagles here before. | Sturgeon Lake | Dennis Callan |
| March 28, 2011 | Today, I saw a Northern Harrier fly over a field north of Cty Rd 2 and Cty Rd 35. | Mather's Corners | Rick Stankiewicz |
| March 25, 2011 | Turkey Vultures have been flying low over Aberdeen Ave. at Bethune for the last few days at around 4-6 p.m. Last night there were 22 of them! They have been making a kind of chirping sound. | Aberdeen Ave. | reported to Anria Loubser |
| March 23, 2011 | Both on Monday, the 21st, and this morning, my friend and I spotted three Eastern Bluebirds along the roadside by Six Foot Bay Golf Course (west of Buckhorn). There are some bluebird boxes near there, so I expect they are returning birds. | Buckhorn, Ontario | Toni Sinclair |
| March 22, 2011 | Today 13+ Turkey Vultures circled over Stony Lake. They were very high and gradually moving north. | Boshink Narrows, Stony Lake | Rob Welsh |
| March 20 , 2011 | There was an Osprey sighted near Perrytown north of Port Hope today. | Port Hope | Paul Jones |
| March 20, 2011 | Today, I saw and photographed a pair of Trumpeter Swans on the Otonabee River at Lock 23 (between Lakefield and Trent University). | Otonabee River | Colin Jones |
| March 21, 2011 | |||
| March 18, 2011 | Although they are common, I haven't heard any mention of these new arrivals so I thought some might be interested to know they are around. North of Rice Lake, the fields have had Killdeer in them for the past few days. As well, a Kestrel showed up in Assumption (Old Keene Road) south of Peterborough last week and this morning a male was displaying to a female in the wetland near the railroad tracks on Television Road. There was also a really sad looking Great Blue Heron standing hunched up on the still frozen river/creek that is on Television Road. This afternoon there was a Turkey Vulture soaring over the Trent athletics field. No injured athletes for it though. There are still Pine Siskins on the Trent campus near the athletics building on the west side of the river. There was also an Eastern Meadowlark singing in a field east of the river, north of the new buildings being built. With American Crows busy building nests today, spring is definitely nearing. | various | Ben Walters |
| March 18, 2011 | This week we were "flocked" by Common Redpolls. We have lived here since 2005 and this is the first time we've seen them here. As of last weekend, we also sighted (in our backyard) the first robins, grackles, red winged blackbirds of the season. | Sturgeon Lake | Susan Staniforth |
| March 18, 2011 | A quick check of the pond at Mathers Corners produced very few birds, but there was 1 Northern Pintail, 1 Northern Shoveler and 1 Ring-necked Duck. (best viewed from Drummond Line south of Cty. Rd. 2) The heronry at the south end of Drummond Line had 4 herons on nests and there was a Killdeer calling from the field to the west as I was scoping the herons. | Mathers Corners (west of Keene) | Anne Anthony |
| March 18, 2011 | Driving east on Highway 7 at dawn at the Madoc exit, I saw two Great Blue Herons flying west. What a wonderful sight. | Madoc | Joanne O’Heron |
| March 16, 2011 | The Trumpeter Swans have returned! Very exciting. Let's hope we'll have some babies! | Kent's Bay, Hiawatha | Sharon Simkins |
| March 16, 2011 | This morning behind the house (Westbrook Drive) at 10:50 a.m. Kathy found a flock of about 40 Cedar Waxwings in the tops of the trees. Yesterday Martin observed one Common Grackle at Young's Point, and Kathy had a couple near Fleming Campus. This morning several were in the Westbrook Drive neighbourhood. Robins have been calling for about a week and today there was a flock of 15 American Robins passing through Westbrook Drive. | Westbrook Dr, Peterborough and other locations | Martin and Kathy Parker |
| March 15, 2011 | Tonight I heard a Merlin screaming at the corner of Rogers and Sophia streets in East City, and yes, also I heard Red-winged Blackbirds at the university. | Peterborough | Erica Nol |
| March 15, 2011 | I did not see, but heard, my first Red-winged Blackbird of the season when filling up my bird feeder this morning. I live about 10 kms past Flynn’s Corners on Cty. Rd. 507, north of Buckhorn. | Flynn's Corners (Buckhorn) | Joanne O'Heron |
| March 15, 2011 | Today, my wife spotted our first American Robin of the "spring," sitting on our neighbour's deck railing. | Peterborough | Don Finigan |
| March 13, 2011 | There was a bit of excitement in our front yard this afternoon. All at the same time, we saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a downy and a hairy, a Common Grackle and a flock of goldfinches.. The goldfinches have stayed around our feeder all winter..a first here. A couple of months ago I was astonished to see a young White-tailed Deer on our driveway! Lots of wildlife in this neck of the city. | Algonquin Blvd, Peterborough | Mike Barker |
| March 13, 2011 | We saw a Bald Eagle on our neighbour's property. It was perched in a tree for about a half hour, at about 9:00 am. We live on the east side of Omemee, south side of the road. | Omemee | Trudie Kroon & Bruce Flemons |
| March 12, 2011 | There was an Eastern Screech Owl calling at 8:30 p.m. on Ford Crescent, RR 1, Cavan. | Cavan | Ken Rumble |
| March 11, 2011 | Today, I saw a flock of about 18 Canada Geese flying over the north end of the city. I also saw a Raven in the same location. | Marina Blvd, Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| March 10, 2011 | There were also three Ring-necked Ducks today on the Otonabee River between the campground and the arena in Lakefield. | Lakefield | Colin Jones |
| March 10, 2011 | A pair of Hooded Mergansers were on the Otonabee River between Locks 23 and 24. The Red-necked Grebe was still present at the same location and kept chasing the mergansers when they approached too close. The grebe would dive and surface close to a mergasner then flutter across the water towards the merganser. A male Ring-necked Duck was present on Little Lake yesterday and today. Several American Robins were calling this afternoon along Westbrook Drive. | Lakefield and Peterborough | Martin Parker |
| March 9, 2011 | Around noon today there was an adult Bald Eagle flying around the Trent campus, first near the rec centre field and then north of the bridge. On monday at the Trent Nature Area, the Barred Owl was still hunting the roadside (University Rd.) and there were 15 Bohemian Waxwings at the entrance to the parking lot. (N.B. I saw what was probably the same eagle flying over the Otonabee near Hilliard and Water at noon today, as well. D.M.) | Trent University | Ben Walters |
| March 9, 2011 | I live on Creekwood Dr., off Spillsbury, backing off Harper Woods. As I write this at 10 minutes to 6 on Wed., our neighbourhood is swarming with American Crows, and I mean swarming, even in this storm. There maybe several hundred roosting, facing the wind, flying about and giving one a feel that Alfred Hitchcock my be at work. | Creekwood Drive, Peterborough | Phil McKeating |
| March 5, 2011 | A flock of approximately fifty Common Redpolls visited my feeding stations in the Bethany area this morning. | Bethany, Ontario | Gilles d'Agenais |
| March 5, 2011 | With the rain and mild tempertures today (5C), a small number of Ring-billed Gulls were flying about downtown Peterborough. | downtown Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| March 5, 2011 | A lovely day for ducks, and other water birds! I found Martin Parker’s Red-necked Grebe today on the Otonabee River between Locks 23 and 24, near the old bus barns. Also today the first Hooded Mergansers were above Lock 25. On Thursday the first Buffleheads flew in, also above Lock 25. Yesterday a flock of eight Canada Geese ventured up above the bridge in Lakefield where the Lesser Scaup still holds court. The Pied-billed Grebe was with the Buffleheads and about forty Common Goldeneyes and ten Common Mergansers on Thursday. | Otonabee River near Lakefield | Tony Bigg |
| March 4, 2011 | Today about 11 a.m. at a small pond at a private residence on Deramore Trail, just off Curve Lake Rd close to Buckhorn Rd., a Bald Eagle was diving at a flock of ducks. I watched for about 30 seconds until the eagle moved off into the distance away from the pond. The dducks had flown away. | Curve Lake Road | Joanne O’Heron |
| Feb.28, 2011 | I saw my first Horned Larks of the spring today on Cty Rd 2 just east of Bailieboro. They normally show up in the last week of February somewhere in the county. This year they only just made it. | Bailieboro | Tony Bigg |
| Feb.27, 2011 | At about noon today, there was a winter plumage Red-necked Grebe on the Otonabee River between Locks 22 and 23. The number of Common Goldeneye and Common Mergansers number are increasing on the river especially above and below Lock 26 (Lakefield). | Otonabee River, Lakefield | Martin Parker |
| Feb.22, 2011 | I saw the most amazing thing this morning. At 12:45 today, I was driving north on Towerhill Road, just past the intersection with Milroy Drive, and I caught something out of the corner of my eye. Over the house on the opposite side of the road, at first glance I thought I saw a plane, but then I saw it was not one but two mature Bald Eagles circling at about 100 ft over the houses and the sports fields behind them. I got out of my car and watched them for about 5 minutes, kicking myself for not having my camera with me! | Towerhill Road, Peterborough | John Whitehead |
| Feb. 20, 2011 | Today, at around 4 p.m. I saw 2 swans flying west towards Buckhorn on Lower Buckhorn Lake. I was not able to tell for sure if they were Trumpeter (most likely) or Tundra Swans. | Lower Buckhorn Lake | Rose Mary Rosada |
| Feb.16, 2011 | Today, there were huge numbers of snowfleas on the snow along the trails of the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club. I saw them on both the Beaver and the Trillium. | Haultain, north of Woodview, Ontario | Drew Monkman |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | I saw a small flock of about 10 American Robins yesterday in Jackson Park, happily drinking from an opening in the creek. However, today, when I came home at about noon, there was a huge flock (approx. 50) of Bohemian Waxwings in the maple tree in my backyard. There might have been some cedar waxwings in amongst them but many of them had the reddish patch under their tails which, I believe, is an identifying mark of the bohemian. It was pretty exciting but they didn't stay long, so I'm glad I didn't miss them. | Jackson Park, Peterborough | Joanna Primavesi |
| Feb. 13, 2011 | I have always been hoping to see a Bald Eagle in our area. Today, on our way home from church, there was one on Wallace Point Rd, just before the four corners at Stewart Hall. The eagle picked something up from the roadside and flew into a tree. It was such a thrill for me. I have always wanted to see a bald eagle in the wild. | Wallace Point Road | Eva McFaul |
| Feb. 6, 2011 | This weekend, we had the pleasure of watching a Barred Owl over several hours, just outside our living room window. He had found a rabbit near our compost bin and was enjoying his feast despite our presence and curiosity. It was a real highlight for us to watch him! | Fifth Line, Smith-Ennismore Township | Anne Morawetz |
| Feb.4, 2011 | There was an adult Red-shouldered Hawk in a tree over county road 10 about 100 m south of the 10/7A intersection at Cavan this morning at about 7:30. It was attended by three crows. | Cavan, Ontario | Scott McKinlay |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | Students at King George Public School, who have been studying raptors, were thrilled today to get a great view of an adult Bald Eagle that flew right over the playground. When the kids hollered out, "Hey, there's a Bald Eagle!" their teacher's reaction was "Yah, right." Well, as it turns out, the kids were right. | King George Public School, Armour Road | students at King George Public School |
| Feb.2, 2011 | We have a female red-bellied woodpecker at the suet feeder. She has been here for 3 mornings. Never settles for long. The dozens of blue jays control the area. She shared the 2-sided suet feeder with the hairy so we know they are the same length. | Kawartha Park, Clear Lake | Sandra and Richard Burri |
| February 2, 2011 | We had a Carolina Wren at our feeder on the front veranda at 20 Benson Ave. The bird appeared at 11:20 a.m. (N.B. What is probably the same bird has been frequenting a feeder on Manning Avenue at the home of Barry Kinsey. It has been coming fairly regularly since late fall. D.M.) | Benson Avenue, Peterborough | Luke and Noah Berg |
| Feb.1, 2011 | Today during ski practice at Lakefield College, I saw an immature Bald Eagle circle over the ski track and then fly up river along the Otonabee. | Lakefield, Ontario | Luke Berg |
| Jan.29, 2011 | Thought you would like to know that we saw an absolutely beautiful Bald Eagle this morning. It was flying south over the Otonabee towards Peterborough. We have seen them here before - very exciting! | River Road South, Peterborough | Anne Worrall |
| Jan. 29 , 2011 | Two Northern Cardinals were in full voice this morning, inspired no doubt by the bright sunshine and relatively mild temperatures. Chickadees, too, were singing enthusiastically. | Maple Crescent, Peterborough | Drew Monkman |
| Jan. 23, 2011 | An adult Cooper's Hawk made a kill at the feeder in my yard today. | Farmcrest Ave, Peterborough | Lynn Spencer |
| Jan. 23, 2011 | A lone female Wild Turkey visited our backyard today on the edge of Peterborough. | Champlain Dr, Peterborough | Dawson Bick |
| Jan.21 , 2011 | I just came home from work to find a Northern Goshawk devouring what appears to be a Mallard just at the edge of the river here in Warsaw. Very exciting.. I was able to get a little bit of video footage of it. | Warsaw, Ontario | Maureen Smith |
| Jan.21, 2011 | There were 12-15 Bohemian Waxwings in our backyard at Lock 19 today, plus on the river a Pied-billed Grebe, a Common Goldeneye and 3 Black Ducks with the Mallards. A couple of days ago a Bald Eagle flew over heading North along the river. | Lock 19, Otonabee River, Peterborough | Trish Beales |
| Jan.21, 2011 | I have both a male and female Red-bellied Woodpecker coming to my feeder. Perhaps it augers well for a spring nesting. Co-incidentally, both my brother in Port Hope and my friend in Warkworth, have female Red-bellieds at their feeders, too. | Keene, Ontario | Michael Gillespie |
| Jan.21, 2011 | Yesterday, I was birding with my dad on Amherst Island..Here is a species list: ON THE FERRY: American coot 1, Canada goose 2,Mallard 4, ON THE DRIVE TO OWL WOODS: Sharp-shinned hawk 1, Cooper's hawk ?, American starling 50+, Snow bunting 30, Mourning dove 50+, Rock pigeon 30, White-crowned sparrow 2, House sparrow 15, American kestrel 2, Bald eagle 3, Red-tailed hawk 1, Rough-legged hawk 3 or 4, Trumpeter swan 2, Canada Goose 500+, American tree sparrow 10 OWL WOODS: Black-capped chickadee 50+, Boreal Chickadee 1, Downy woodpecker 1, White-breasted nuthatch 1, Northern cardinal 1, Ring-necked pheasant 2, Barred owl 1 Long-eared owl 3, Northern saw-whet owl 3 There was a Northern hawk owl seen at house #4455. We did not see any Snowy Owls, although some have been seen there this year. | Amherst Island, across from Millhaven, Ontario | Luke Berg |
| Jan.19, 2011 | There is a Northern Cardinal singing (first of the year, for me) this morning (0720h) in our backyard on John Street in the Avenues area of downtown Peterborough. (N.B. I heard a cardinal singing in late December of 2010 on Maple Crescent. Apparently they've been known to sing every month of the year. However, I'd never heard one in December before. D.M.) | John Street, Peterborough | Don Sutherland |
| Jan. 17, 2011 | Last winter, we had a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a male, who stayed all winter and left in the spring. This year we have a female Red-bellied. | The Glen [Westview Dr.] near Pigeon Lake | Blair Hamilton |
| Jan.15, 2011 | I had an adult Cooper's Hawk in the yard today. It perched on our fence and proceeded to pick apart and devour a small bird it had caught. | Montcalm Drive, Peterborough | Margo Hughes |
| Jan.15, 2011 | We, too, have had a Red bellied Woodpecker hanging around here for the last month. | Bethel Road, Emily Township | Doug Lawson |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | A Red Bellied Woodpecker has been frequenting our feeder for a few days. I also saw a Snowy Owl today. This is the 2nd one this winter. Just before Christmas there was a Cormorant in some open water in front of our neighbours home. We watched it one day as it did not look like it was going to make it - appeared not to be able to fly.. The next morning - I missed it - our two resident Bald Eagles and their two young ones made short work of the Cormorant | Gannon's Narrows, Cty Rd 16, next to Gannon's Narrows Conservation property | Jim Watt |
| Jan. 6, 2011 | One afternoon during the Christmas holidays, we noticed a robin-like bird land in the yard. It was about the same size as a robin, with a black head and beak, an orange breast, and a distinctive black V on the chest. It was a Varied Thrush. It drops by at least once a day. This is a very unusual bird to find in this area. (note: several turned up in 2008, as well. D.M.) | Round Lake, north of Havelock | Jacquie Andrew |
| Jan. 3, 2011 | A Bald Eagle was sited at Upper Buckhorn near the Buckhorn Yacht Harbour. The bird was on the ice and very close to open water. It appeared through the binoculars that he was feasting on a fish. Magnificent bird! | Buckhorn Lake | Derry Fairweather |
| Jan.1, 2011 | Over the last week at Little Lake, I've seen 1 Bald Eagle, 1 Glaucous Gull, 1 Greater Black-backed Gull, 30 American Robins, 6 Common Mergansers, and 20 Common Goldeneyes. | Little Lake | Randy Smith |
| Jan.1, 2011 | Terrible weather conditions of incessant rain and thick fog did not deter 22 hardy birders from attending today`s OFO (Ontario Field Ornithologists) trip in the Peterborough area. Despite the weather, there were some good sightings : 30 Bohemian Waxwings close to Lakefield College in Lakefield; 100 + Snow Buntings on a manured field near Stony Lake on County Road 6; 20 Evening Grosbeaks at the Drain house feeders on Co. Rd. 6; 2 flocks of Wild Turkeys; Coopers, Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed hawks, American Kestrel; Pileated, Hairy and Downy woodpeckers; Common Goldeneye and Common Mergansers on the Otonabee River south of Lakefield; American Tree, White-throated and Song sparrows at f eeders on Scollard Drive in Peterborough. Dave Milsom | Lakefield and area | Dave Milson |