Today we were out walking along the Rotary Trail between Parkhill and the London Street footbridge. Six or seven large nest-like webs were visible, hanging from different trees. There must be many more. I do not ever recall seeing these nests along that trail this time of year. I think Read more…
Hummingbird Clearwing Moths are regular visitors at the phlox in our garden. Gwen Forsyth, Lakefield Your column several weeks ago regarding Gypsy Moths really caught our attention. We have a cottage on Jack Lake and recall the infestation back in the 1970s. This past several weeks our cottage there have Read more…
This Imperial Moth is a new one for me. Apparently others in the Stony Lake area have seen them, too. Perhaps that is a coincidence or maybe climate change? Rob Welsh, Dodsworth Island, Stony Lake – July 3 Tim Dyson’s response to Imperial Moth question above: It’s not climate change Read more…
Three different species of hummingbird moths came to our lilacs on June 4th. They included a Nessus Sphinx, a Snowberry Clearwing, and one species I was unable to photograph and identify. Then, on June 17, a Hummingbird Clearwing, showed up in the lilacs, as well. As of July 3, 2020, Read more…
I was down along Nichols Road and County Road 2 on April 1 and saw this Northern Shrike. Carl Welbourn Today, April 1, it was nice to hear four Chorus Frogs calling along the trail near Trent University. Early sign of spring ! Mostly frozen willow shrub wetland with some Read more…
May 2 was a beautiful morning for a bird walk. Warm south winds the night before had brought in migrants. Walked the trails at Camp Kawartha with Jacob Rodenburg and Tim Dyson – respecting two metre distancing of course. In a couple of hours we found 38 species, including some Read more…
Here’s a shot of an Eastern Screech-owl that I found on Saturday, Feb 29, near Little Britain. Carl Welbourn This Bald Eagle has been at our waterfront on Cameron Street, Peterborough. It had flown over the river and swooped down and brought out a huge fish that it dropped on Read more…
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) (1) – Reported Feb 01, 2020 17:19 by Matthew Tobey – Peterborough Municipal Airport–pond, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.2376419,-78.3566642&ll=44.2376419,-78.3566642 – Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S64024864 – Comments: “Calling from woodlot between Moncrief Line and the airport.” Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (10) – Reported Feb 02, 2020 08:15 by Read more…
Varied Thrush – On January 1, my son Philippe and I went to see the rare Varied Thrush that is coming regularly to a feeder at the office of the Bark Lake Conference Centre, just west of Gooderham. This species is native to British Columbia but occasionally wanders into eastern Read more…
Northern Hawk-owl: On December 19, I was able to get this picture of a Northern Hawk-owl near Barrie. Donald Munro Glaucous Gulls: On December 16, I went up to Trent University to see the two juvenile Glaucous Gulls that are hanging out Read more…
Lingering blackbirds: A Red-winged Black-bird and a Brown-headed Cowbird were coming to our feeders in late November but seem to have disappeared. A Common Grackle has also been coming. Here is a picture taken December 1 during the snow storm. Greg Warner, Cherryhill Road, Peterborough My grand daughter, Grace Mackie, Read more…
Leucistic American Robin: This “Hallowe’en ghost robin” was eating berries in our yard. Fred and Marg Forster, Keene (Note: Leucism refers to a lack of normal colour pigments in the feathers. D.M.) Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) (3) – Reported Oct 29, 2019 Read more…
White-throated Sparrows arrive on schedule: Right on schedule, five White-throated Sparrows arrived in our backyard this morning, the first of the fall. Some years, several dozen are here at the same time. They enjoy the finch mix (millet, nyger, sunflower seeds) I scatter on the ground each spring and fall. Read more…
Nighthawk migration: On August 29, Tim Dyson & I counted migrating Common Nighthawks from Back Dam Park near Warsaw from 6-8pm. We tallied 133 birds, with one “flock”comprising at least 48. Quite a sight! Tim has already had several evenings in late August with more than 100 nighthawks. Nighthawks are Read more…
20th Annual Petroglyphs Butterfly Count: The compiling of the July 21st butterfly count is finally finished and final results have been submitted to the North America Butterfly Association. A total of 55 species were recorded, slightly above the average for the last few years. The Indian Skipper found in the Park Read more…
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) (1) – Reported Jul 01, 2019 04:39 by Donald A. Sutherland – Chase Memorial Park, Gannons Narrows, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) (2) – Reported Jun 27, 2019 11:00 by Dave Milsom – Peterborough–Trent Read more…
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 Mute Swan 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 bird, thank you Peterborough for needing me to come visit 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 area and ran back into the forest. I managed to 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 have killed three deer in the last two weeks here. 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 seen this already, as it is not getting a lot 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 time. I managed to get a reasonable photo when it 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 Camera Club 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, 2018 16:25 by Tim Haan – 6152 Ontario 28, Woodview, 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 asters (e.g., New England, Heath, Panicled, Heart-leaved), Zig-Zag Goldenrod, White 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 I was standing there and yelling for my husband to 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, and thrice seen carrying a black-phase Gray Squirrel. The squirrel 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 10 minutes and then flew up into a willow tree 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 to have male and female babies, and the parents are 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 a grassy slope has been raided. And for the first Read more…