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 was here (Dec. 29th). Thought you might be interested.   Evan Thomas, Sandalwood Drive, Peterborough

Cooper’s Hawk – January 2019 – Evan Thomas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Eastern Coyote Reports: Someone in our area (Peterborough Golf and Country Club) is reporting sightings of coyotes just about every day. On December 22, one was walking down the middle of Franmor Drive at about 2:00 pm. Our neighbour had her Golden Retriever out at about 10:00 and she noticed two coyotes coming towards the dog. Quick action got the dog inside as she is deaf and old.
More coyotes have been seen searching for rabbits in the middle of our units over the last several weeks – usually in the early mornings. Last night (December 24) one tripped our motion detector at our back porch at about 11:00 pm. Jim Watt

Snowy Owl: Here are some pictures of a Snowy Owl at the Peterborough Airport on December 26 at  about 4:00 PM. Apart from the one “artistic” shot, these images present a hunting sequence. After the kill, we have the gulp (vole’s tail visible if you look closely) and then a satisfied stare-down.  Dennis Vanderspek

Snowy Owl with vole – Dec. 26, 2018 – Ptbo Airport – Dennis Vanderspek

Snowy Owl swallowing vole (tail visible) -Dec. 26, 2018 – Ptbo Airport – Dennis Vanderspek

Snowy Owl – a satisfied stare-down – Dec. 26, 2018 – Ptbo Airport – Dennis Vanderspek

Snowy Owl flying – Dec. 26, 2018 – Ptbo Airport – Dennis Vanderspek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) (1)
– Reported Dec 24, 2018 by Drew Monkman
– Cabot Street, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50988398
– Comments: “Don Frederick of 1224 Cabot St. saw adult male pheasant walk across his yard”

Ring-necked Pheasant – Lindsay – Nov. 2, 2016 – Jeff Keller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coyotes in Peterborough:

  1. There is a nightly serenade, pretty much every night after midnight, coming from the St. Peter’s High School/Medical Drive/Jackson Creek area. I really don’t know how many are in the chorus, but it sounds like a lot. I have a client who drives a cab during the wee hours of the morning, and he reports seeing Coyotes all over town. Folks who still let their cats wander at night should take note. The Coyotes will accomplish what the by-law could not. I will now revise my observation of a “gray, squirrel-eating fox” earlier this year and admit it was likely a Coyote. Larry Love (December 23)

Eastern Coyote on Otonabee River – Tom Northey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. We live near Barnardo Park in Peterborough. Over the past few weeks (early to mid-December), we’ve been hearing coyotes howl at night, and it’s getting louder. We’ll sit on our front porch and listen – the kids think it’s amazing. I suspect they’re in the green corridor between Chemong and Hilliard. People have started parking at the tennis courts there after dark and sitting listening to them. It’s almost like being back in the North. Kennedy Gordon

Coyotes in field on Stewart Line (Randy Therrien)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. On Monday night, December 3, at about 10:30 pm we had a family of six Coyotes make a visit -( Mom, Pop and the 4 full grown kids). They were right up under our bird feeders by our back deck. We are on Franmor drive. We have the TSW Canal on our east side and the 5th hole of the PTBO Golf and Country Club on the north.

This is the first sighting in our area as the TSW waterway usually keeps them on the east side of the Canal where there is lots of bush right up to the University for them to roam. In the past I have seen one or two on the ice along hole #7. With the work being done on the TSW they have created a coffer dam where it narrows down going south towards the Parkhill Swing Bridge, and I am assuming that they have crossed there. We have notified all of our neighbours with pets (no leaving them out on a leash ) an have used Babcock and Robinson who are the property managers for the units along Armour Road that border on the golf course.  Jim Watt, Peterborough

Coyote – Maggie Sharpe – Oct. 2014 – Cave Road

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker (December 17):   For the second day in a row, we’ve had a Red bellied woodpecker at our peanut feeder. Mike Barker, Algonquin Boulevard 

Red-bellied Woodpecker – Lynde Creek, Whitby- Photo by Brian Crangle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) (1)
– Reported Dec 22, 2018 15:10 by Dave Milsom
– Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Comments: “continuing male”

Male Wood Duck – Jeff Keller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) (1)
– Reported Dec 22, 2018 10:40 by Steve Paul
– Peterborough Airport, Fraserville, Ontario, CA (44.236, -78.359), Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50873671
– Media: 1 Photo
– Comments: “Located inside the airport compounds. Very observant of surroundings – had 360 view all around it but did not move the entire time I was watching it. Kept distance and took pictures with zoom.”

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (1)
– Reported Dec 21, 2018 12:45 by Ben Taylor
– Engleburn ave, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50844374
– Comments: “Sitting in a tree at the south end of the island overlooking the mudflat.”

White-tailed Deer: On December 14, from about 8 – 8:45 am, four deer (one small one from this spring and three females/juveniles) were milling around in the field about 80 m south of our house south of Lakefield. At 8:50, all four of them swam the Otonabee (midway between Locks 24 & 25), west to east and came up on County Road 32 before heading into the woods.

I also saw a big eight-point buck in the same field about 1:30 pm on Nov. 19. It swam about a third of the way across the river, then turned around and came back to shore quite close to the house, before  going off into the fields to the west of us. He was very cryptic against the background of a winter foliage of dried goldenrod – the colour of the deer and goldenrod matched almost perfectly! Annamarie Beckel, Lakefield

White-tailed Deer – Stephenie Armstrong – June 1, 2017

White-tailed Deer – Randy Therrien

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) (1)
– Reported Dec 19, 2018 09:40 by Erica Nol
– Division at 5th line, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Comments: “Continuing bird, in Eastern White Cedar at se corner of intersection. Sat on cedar rail fence in woods.”

Carolina Wren – April 2018 – Don Munro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (1)
– Reported Dec 19, 2018 13:45 by Jeff Stewart
– 621 Carveth Drive, Millbrook, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Comments: “Cont. bird, on lower ledge of east side of white Ont. government building”

Common Raven – I see a pair of ravens at least daily west of Omemee, adjacent to the Pigeon River wetlands. Surely they’ve resided here for awhile. The book “The Ravenmaster” by Christopher Skaife
caused me to observe them more closely. I’m intrigued. Kate Arthur
N.B. Yes, ravens have really been increasing in number and distribution south of the Canadian Shield in Ontario over the past decade. I now see them regularly in Peterborough and often hear of reports from the GTA, too. They are breeding south of the Shield as well, including a pair near Omemee. Interesting phenomenon. DM 

Common Raven – Wikimedia

Golden Eagle (left) & Common Raven at Petroglyph Provincial Park. Feeding on deer carcass. (Tim Dyson)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) (1)
– Reported Dec 16, 2018 08:00 by Bill Crins
– Peterborough CBC, Area 4, East City to E. edge, W. of Douro, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Comments: “seen between 9:35 – 9:40; relatively large wren; reddish brown cap, back, wings, tail; strong white supercilium extending almost to nape; relatively long, slightly downcurved beak; buffy coloration on breast, belly and flanks; tail occasionally cocked upwards; bird was silent during observation period; bird was noted by observing movement in vines adjacent to old rail fence; did not respond very readily to spishing, but kept moving along old fence and in viny tangles; extremely skulky; found in NW. corner of junction of Division Rd. and Douro 5th Line, in low area beside driveway (did not see bird go to feeders, but there were feeders in the backyard up the driveway)”

Carolina Wren – April 2018 – Don Munro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) (1)
– Reported Dec 17, 2018 15:35 by Erica Nol
– Airport Rd dead end, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Media: 1 Photo
– Comments: “continuing bird; perched on utility pole at dead end of Airport Rd, east of large Flying Colours building”

Snowy Owl – Lindsay – Dec. 20, 2014 – Tim Corner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) (1)
– Reported Dec 16, 2018 14:40 by Matthew Tobey
– Peterborough–Airport Rd Railroad, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50736266
– Media: 1 Photo
– Comments: “Subadult bird hunting in swamp along railroad tracks just northeast of Brown Ln, less than 50m from nest where 2 GHOW owlets fledged this spring.”

Great Horned Owl – Dec. 23, 2015 – Glen Grills

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) (1)
– Reported Dec 16, 2018 08:10 by Rene Gareau
– Peterborough CBC Area 7, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50747151
– Media: 1 Audio
– Comments: “Responded to playback at Harper Park. Flew in so close to investigate the tape that the bird was visible in midair right in front of us despite the dim predawn light. Audio recorded.”

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Dave Heuft)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) (1)
– Reported Dec 16, 2018 08:10 by Dylan Radcliffe
– Peterborough CBC Area 7, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist:
– Comments: “Mervin Ln. Responded to playback.”

Eastern Screech owl – red phase – 9th Line of Selwyn Twsp – March 11, 2017 – Kathy McCue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barred Owl on Parkhill Road – This morning, Liliana Perez found a Barred Owl on Parkhill Road, about 200 metres east of Brealey Drive. It sat out in the open on a telephone cable and then in a nearby tree for at least 20 minutes. I was able to get several pictures.  Drew Monkman

 

Barred Owl – Parkhill Road – Dec. 14 2018 – Drew Monkman

Barred Owl – Parkhill Road -Dec. 14 2018 – Drew Monkman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (1)
– Reported Dec 13, 2018 14:00 by Ben Taylor
– Peterborough–Millennium Park, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Comments: “Noticed having a meal on top of the SE corner of the MNR North Block.”

Peregrine perched on steel girder – Wikimedia

Peregrine eating Rock Pigeon – Loree Stephens 2 – Jan. 13, 2015 – PRHC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) (1)
– Reported Dec 13, 2018 07:50 by Iain Rayner
– Otonabee River–between Lock 25 and Lakefield, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Comments: “Male, swimming with MALL adjacent to road…continuing I believe.”

Wood Duck – Jeff Keller

Wood Duck in flight – April 2018 – Mike Faught

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowy Owl at Peterborough Airport – We have a visitor at the Peterborough Airport. I photographed it today, December 10.  Carl Welbourn, Kawartha Camera Club

SNOW – Dec. 10 2018 – Ptbo Airport – Carl Welbourn

SNOW 2 – Dec. 10 2018 – Ptbo Airport – Carl Welbourn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barred Owl – I photographed this owl near Peterborough (east part of 4th Line) on December 9 at 4 pm. It was a life bird for me! Trudy Gibson

Snowy Owl – Trudy Gibson – Dec. 9, 2018

 

Snowy Owl near Lindsay –  I have been taking photos of Snowy Owls in the Cunningham’s Corners area, just southeast of Lindsay. Here is one of my pictures from December 8.  Tim Corner

 

Snowy Owl – December 2018 – Lindsay area – Tim Corner

 

Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) (1)
– Reported Dec 08, 2018 08:26 by Iain Rayner
– Otonabee River–between Lock 25 and Lakefield, Peterborough, Ontario
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.4132687,-78.2625462&ll=44.4132687,-78.2625462
Checklist:
– Comments: “Male swimming passively with geese and showing signs of molt. Dark rounded head peaking above eye as opposed to rear of head. Large dark nail. Grey flanks and back although still showing some dark feathers. Took pics that may help”

Greater Scaup (male) photo from Wikimedia

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) (1)
– Reported Dec 08, 2018 09:00 by Peterborough County Birds Database
– 621 Carveth Drive, Millbrook, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50511540
– Comments: “Adult, very large accipiter with long tail, whitish-grey under parts and dark cap / white eyebrow visible, probably female by size, heard jay alarm calls first then goshawk landed near top of large maple by house then headed behind house towards bird feeders.”

Northern Goshawk – Wikimedia

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) (1)
– Reported Nov 30, 2018 07:15 by Donald A. Sutherland
– Peterborough–Trent Rotary Rail Trail, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50314082

Great Horned Owl – Dec. 23, 2015 – Glen Grills

American Coot (Fulica americana) (1)
– Reported Dec 02, 2018 13:13 by Steve Paul
– Peterborough–Auburn Reach Park, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Media: 1 Photo
– Comments: “Continuing bird. Out in water close to shore at south end of park.”

American Coot (Karl Egressy)

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) (1)
– Reported Dec 03, 2018 16:11 by Ryan Campbell
– 115 @ Tapley 1/4 Line, Peterborough, Ontario
Map:
Checklist:
– Media: 3 Photos

Snowy Owl – Nov. 29, 2018 – Lindsay area – Carl Welbourn


Drew Monkman

I am a retired teacher, naturalist and writer with a love for all aspects of the natural world, especially as they relate to seasonal change.