For years we’ve enjoyed numerous chickadees, winter and summer along with goldfinches and others. This year, both are literally non-existent. Nor did I see the usual spring showing of White-throated and White-crowned sparrows. We still get cardinals, jays, a few woodpeckers, including the Pileated, and the occasional nuthatch, along with Read more
I walked the Trans-Canada Trail again yesterday from the Wallis Dr. entrance path to Ackison Road. Saw several Chalk-fronted Skimmers and Ebony Jewelwings. Ox-eye Daisies, Wild roses (species?) are in bloom and Common Milkweed is close to blooming. A lot of insect activity on the daisies. Heard two Northern Waterthrush Read more
I had my first Monarch of the year today, June 7, at about 12 noon. It was flying over a field on the north side of Round Lake Road, about 1 km east of County Road 46. Round Lake Road is located about six kilometres north of Havelock. Rick Stankiewicz Read more
While doing volunteer work for the Kawartha Land Trust today (June 7), west of Pontypool, I saw a Silver-bordered Fritillary, a couple of duskywings, a Little Wood Satyr, a Common Ringlet and a Question Mark. Michael Gillespie, Keene On Friday June 5th Colin Jones and I saw a fresh Giant Read more
Here’s some action in our backyard. We have a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches nesting in the bluebird box…very interesting to watch the courtship displays and how they react to other animals. Beautiful Canadian Tiger Swallowtails, too. Mike Barker, Algonquin Blvd
We just had a visitor. It’s the first White-tailed Deer we’ve seen from the house since we moved in last October. So excited! Chris Parker, Otonabee-South Monaghan Township
Here is a picture of a four-petalled White Trillium taken at our cottage on Paudash Lake. It is the only one I have ever seen. How rare are they? Audrey Moore Note: These trilliums are quite rare. It is only the second one I’ve heard of in Peterborough County. That Read more
Don Blizzard, a long-time hunter, angler and general outdoorsman, reports that Elk are moving south from the Bancroft area into the north Kawarthas. There have been sightings, for example, along Pencil Creek Road , in Galway-Cavendish-Harvey Twsp. Apparently, a cow Elk was recently hit and killed by a car, too. Read more
On May 30th, on my way to Stoney Lake, I saw my first Giant Swallowtail of the season as it flew across the road in front of me on County Rd #46 between Round Lake Rd, and Church Rd north of Havelock. Seems to be right on time for first Read more
On May 30th, about 4:30 pm, our first Painted Turtle laid her eggs in the sandy soil on the side of our driveway. She arrived about 3:30 in the pouring rain and made two attempts to dig a hole in the large gravelled turning circle, but the surface covering proved Read more
Last evening (May 30th) I saw two good sized Snapping Turtles up from the Otonabee River into our neighbourhood (Hazel Cres., OSM Twp.) First of the season and a bit early, as usually it’s the first week of June before we see them out and about. Rick Stankiewicz, Keene
6 May 2015 | Author: Chip Taylor, Director, Monarch Watch If there were such a thing as Monarch Futures* on the market right now, I’d buy all I could. The immediate future for monarchs looks bright – there is a good chance the population will increase this year. Last year Read more
Location: Woodland Camp Site – Upper Buckhorn Lake Date: May 27, 2015 Time: 10:15 AM A pair of Sandhill Cranes were grazing in front of my camper this AM. I scrambled to grab my camera…but the sun was not in the right spot for a great shot. This is the Read more
As previously posted, there were two Canada Geese families grazing out the back of our property adjacent to the Indian River on Sunday, May 17th. One pair had three goslings, the other had eight. We also had another brief sighting of a family with several young the next morning at Read more
Whimbrel (American) (Numenius phaeopus) (14) – Reported May 26, 2015 16:12 by Luke Berg – Mt Julian Viamede Rd (boat launch), Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “County lifer! Continuing birds found this morning. Exact count. Birds were standing on small rock island far offshore. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) Read more
There was a large increase in the number of butterfly species today (May 26). Jerry Ball and I walked the Trans-Canada Trail from County Rd 38 to Blezard Line and saw 21 species as follows; Clouded Sulphur 43, Silvery Blue 69, Red Admiral 6, Dreamy Duskywing 5, Northern Spring Azure Read more
This afternoon, I walked the Trans-Canada Trail between Jackson Park and Lily Lake. I was surprised by the amount of frost damage. Worst hit were the Virginia Creeper, Wild Grape, Sensitive Fern, Hay-scented Fern and ash trees. Many of these species showed quite a bit of dead foliage and, in Read more
I had heard that there were two American White Pelicans spending time on Sturgeon Lake, north of Lindsay, so my daughter, Emma, and I spent a few hours looking for them on Saturday, May 23. We put the canoe in at Ken Reid Conservation Area and the pelicans were about Read more
I was just north of Minden today (May 22), taking a couple of orphaned squirrels to the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary, and came across a very large Black Bear. I believe it was a male but that is just a guess. He was pretty chunky for this time of year. I Read more
Dunlins, Semipalmated Plover & Short-billed Dowitcher – Reported May 22, 2015 20:30 by Basil Conlin – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “dowitcher in reeds on right side of south cell, foraging with dunlins” Least Sandpipers – Reported May 22, 2015 08:00 by Erica Nol – Read more
Our latest sighting involves the ever present Canada Geese, but it was their behaviour that I thought was interesting. On the afternoon of May 17th, we had two Canada Geese families grazing in our riverside “meadow”. One pair had just three goslings, but then a second pair came up with Read more
I had an interesting Beaver sighting when one came through East City in Peterborough this morning (May 18) ~9:15 AM. I saw it in Curtis Creek in the area of Euclid Avenue and Trent Street. It was heading upstream. At one point, it noticed me, slapped its tail and headed Read more
With the heat and humidity in recent days, we saw the first fireflies of the season last night (May 18). More than we have seen in the last number of years. Jim Watt, Gannon Narrows (Note: Fireflies, in my experience, do not usually emerge until well into June. D.M.) At Read more
Here are a couple of photos of one of the most docile and cooperative subjects I’ve ever had to deal with! They were taken about a week ago (May 6th) and I’ve only just got round to identifying it as Eutrapela clemataria (6966), Curved-toothed Geometer. We found it on the Read more
Today, May 16, I saw two tiny Painted Turtles (hatchlings) on the Trans-Canada Trail east of the bridge at Lily Lake in the west end of Peterborough. Sophie Monkman Note: Baby Painted Turtles hatch out of eggs in the fall but don’t actually emerge fromj the ground until the following Read more
I thought I would let you know that a Whip-poor-will was reported to me on May 6th on the east side of Gold Lake. The lady heard it at 3:00 am, and had not heard one for years. Suitable Whip-poor-will habitat was possibly created by the wind storms of recent Read more
Interesting story….. My sister Judy and I both feed our local crows and both of us have had “gifts” brought in to us by our crows and left in the crow dish. At first we thought it was just an oddity…..but now we realize it was a thank you for Read more
I took these pics in Cavan Township on May 15, 2015, on my way to the dump. They were on Hutchison Drive, which is just west of the Cavan Transfer Station on Syer Line (8th). The pair of Sandhill Cranes were looking at the Coyote as he finally showed himself, Read more
Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia) (1) – Reported May 15, 2015 09:00 by Martin Parker – Miller Creek Wetland (Miller Creek CA, in part), Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “singing constantly when we arrive” Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia) (1) – Reported May 15, 2015 08:00 by Matthew Garvin Read more
A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a male Indigo Bunting visited my feeder on Thursday, May 7th. I was able to take some photos. Nice to see new species! The same day, I also had Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinches, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, White-crowned Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows coming. Cindy Bartoli, Peterborough