Cuckoos eating Eastern Tent Caterpillars: Today, May 31, I came across a pair of Black-billed Cuckoos near Burnt River that were eating tent caterpillars. I was not aware that birds eat these caterpillars. Carl Welbourn, Kawartha Camera Club Read more…
A visit to Point Pelee and Rondeau parks is a celebration of the wonder of spring migration For anyone wanting to see Ontario’s most spectacular birds – Red-headed Woodpeckers, Indigo Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, Red-breasted Grosbeaks, and more than Read more…
Knowing the songs of common birds opens the door to greater enjoyment of the natural world May’s explosion of leaves will soon draw a green veil upon our neighbourhoods and woodlands. As beautiful and welcome as the burst of foliage Read more…
The flowers of our common trees are an under-appreciated element of spring’s beauty A beautiful spectacle unfolds above our heads each spring. The lengthening days and increasing warmth are stirring flower buds that have lain dormant through the long winter Read more…
Despite Ford’s reckless and self-serving attacks on intelligent climate policy, signs of hope remain. Next Monday is Earth Day, an occasion that for me evokes bittersweet emotions. As a teacher, I was involved in organizing numerous Earth Day events to Read more…
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope) (1) – Reported Apr 23, 2019 13:15 by Sarah Bonnett – Mather’s Corners Meltwater Pond, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Previously seen here, Very pink! White forehead, no green in head! Goodbye nemesis Read more…
Against a backdrop of more dire climate change reports, we can still enjoy the arrival of spring Following on the heals of last fall’s International Panel on Climate Change report, which stated that global warming must be limited to 1.5-degrees Read more…
Eastern Coyote: We saw a coyote on Sunday morning, Feb. 10 beside the Westview Village (Lansdowne Street west) pond, on the north side of Harper Park. It had been lying down in the snow nearby, then wandered around the pond Read more…
From finches to cacti, the fingerprints of evolution are everywhere in the Galapagos Over the year leading up to my Galapagos trip, I read just about every available book on the islands. My favourite by far was “The Beak of Read more…
An unforgettable trip to the “laboratory of evolution” and the inspiration of Darwin’s earth-shaking theory The shadowy form appeared out of nowhere in the turquoise water. It made a bee-line towards me, swimming just above the bottom. What is this? Read more…
Large congregation of eagles in Campbellford – This morning, January 29, at Percy Reach on the Trent River south of Campbellford, there were 13 Bald Eagles waiting their turn, while 3 Eastern Coyotes ate deer on the ice. The coyotes Read more…
On November 19th 2018, ERO # 013-4124 was posted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNRF) on the Environmental Registry of Ontario, titled “Proposal to establish a hunting season for double-crested cormorants in Ontario”. Chances are you have not Read more…
Cooper’s Hawk: I had a Cooper’s Hawk visiting the neighborhood for a couple of days in the last week of December. Also had a pile of grey feathers (likely a Mourning Dove) in the garden near our feeder at this Read more…
Should we decimate a native bird at a time of unprecedented planet-wide species loss? Doug Ford’s buzz saw assault on Ontario’s environment never stops. It’s now clear that “open for business” really means “open season on the environment”. Since Read more…
Snowy Owl – The Snowy Owls are back in the Lindsay / Little Britain area. The first sighting was two weeks ago. I shot this one yesterday (Nov. 22) on the road between Oakwood & Little Britain. Carl Welbourn, Kawartha Read more…
The average North American child can identify over 300 corporate logos, but only 10 native plants or animals – a telling indictment of our modern disconnection from the natural world. Even though children are born with an innate interest in Read more…
Latest IPCC report warns we have 12 years to limit climate catastrophe “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Monday’s dire International Panel Read more…
Looking ahead to Peterborough and the world of 2038 “The universe is a communion of subjects – not a collection of objects.” Thomas Berry Here is the reality we face, courtesy of the laws of physics. Scientists have calculated how Read more…
Barred Owl (Strix varia) (1) – Reported Oct 28, 2018 07:35 by Tim Haan – 169 Pencil Lake Road, Kinmount, Ontario, CA (44.816, -78.364), Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49525404 Barred Owl (Strix varia) (1) – Reported Oct 28, Read more…
Peterborough Field Naturalists Sunday AM Nature Walk (Sept. 30) Today, a group of us walked along the hydro corridor west of Hetherington Dr. (just south of Woodland) and into the north end of University Heights Park. We enjoyed the abundant Read more…
Additional obstacles to taking action on climate change When Al Gore described climate change as an inconvenient truth, it was a mamoth understatement. In fact, it is more like a perfect storm. As I argued last week, a huge number Read more…
Low turnout at climate rallies highlights the huge disconnect between the evidence for catastrophic climate impacts and a sense of urgency for action Last Saturday, with its sunny skies and cool temperatures, was a beautiful day for a rally. More Read more…
Looking ahead to events in nature after another summer marked by climate change As it was in the summers of both 2016 and 2017, the biggest story of the past three months has been the weather chaos unleashed on planet Read more…
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 Read more…
Another fox in city dining on Gray Squirrels There was a large number of squirrels in our neighbourhood. Then came a large, gray-coloured fox, easily the size of my fifty pound Springer Spaniel. I’d often see it at first light, Read more…
Get up close and personal to nature while reducing your carbon footprint “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best.” Ernest Hemingway Riding a bicycle can be a wonderful way to engage with Read more…
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) (1) – Reported Jul 05, 2018 11:50 by Sheila Collett – engleburn ave, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Sitting on the edge of one of the islands off our back yard for about Read more…
Flocking provides many benefits but questions remain “How early in the year it begins to be late” Henry David Thoreau Nature plays a cruel joke on us in early July. Just as summer is getting started, intimations of autumn can Read more…
We have a peanut feeder in front of the kitchen sink. We have had Hairy, Downy and occasionally a female Pileated visiting the feeder. This past week or so both Downy and Hairy have been bringing their young. Both seem Read more…
This year we’ve had at least four Painted Turtles which all came up late afternoon on June 9th. We covered over three possible nest sites, though one is never sure if eggs have been deposited. One unknown nest excavated in Read more…