We’re wondering what has happened to the pair of Baltimore orioles and hummingbirds that we were providing food for and have suddenly disappeared. Both bird species arrived at our home on the lake in Bridgenorth on or about May 15 as usual. Since then we have kept sugar water in Read more…
The Kawarthas is home to close to 100 species of butterflies. Peterborough Examiner – June 30, 2023 – by Drew Monkman My special affection for butterflies began as a classroom teacher. Each September, I would collect monarch caterpillars for my students to raise. They would watch and document each stage of metamorphosis with Read more…
Make a habit of asking why species look and behave the way they do As much as we delight in nature’s beauty, there’s an equally wondrous dimension to every species that usually goes unappreciated: the evolution story behind what we’re looking at. From an organism’s appearance to the way Read more…
Local butterfly count tallies 53 species but number of individuals is low Peterborough Examiner – July 30, 2022 – by Drew Monkman Viceroy, pearly-eye, white admiral, hobomok, and American lady. No, this is not a list of famous race horses but rather the names of five of the 105 species of butterflies that 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…
For anyone paying attention, the biggest story of the past summer has been the fury unleashed by planet Earth as a result of climate change. As Clive Hunter, an Australian public intellectual, said on CBC Radio’s Ideas recently, “What we’re now confronted with is a wakened, angry, raging beast.” The Read more…
Monarch sightings in the Kawarthas have been far more numerous this summer than in the recent past. For example, Tim Dyson has had 353 sightings in the Warsaw/Stoney Lake area as of today. Like many people, I have at least one in the garden almost every time I look out. Read more…
Here’s a picture of a stink bug ? sucking the life out of a monarch caterpillar, taken in mid-August. The photos are extracted from an image sequence shot from video camera. Yesterday, I went on a monarch caterpillar hunt with my two nephews. First we found another dead caterpillar, all Read more…
The Monarch I’ve been monitoring emerged from its chrysalis on September 18. It is the only one I have been able to find. The other caterpillars I was watching disappeared. My parents have sightings of at least a couple other Monarchs. Sean McMullen Warsaw Note: A Monarch visited our garden Read more…
Looking back at the summer of 2016, two words come immediately come to mind: drought and heat. August was a whopping 3.7 C warmer than the 1971-2000 average, while as of this week, September is about 3 C above normal temperatures. As for precipitation, July only saw one-third of normal Read more…
I had two Monarchs in our garden on August 26. They were attracted to our Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) and Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia). I’ve also seen several north of Peterborough in recent days. A number of reports of Monarch caterpillars around Warsaw were reported to me, too. Don Davis will once Read more…
I have some news that I think is important. On Friday night (August 19) we were driving home from some friends’ place over at the 5th line of Selwyn near the Lakefield Highway, and coming back we saw at least ten bats flying above the road over the km or Read more…
Finally some Monarchs (3) have been noted on the property and there are three larvae on the Swamp Milkweed. Some eggs are also noted. Bill Snowden, Ennismore More Monarchs have been seen in recent days, and even some migration in the Toronto area. In one large flowered garden in east Read more…
The MonarchWatch blog can be viewed here. http://monarchwatch.org/blog/ As most of you know, the summer of 2015 produced a strong migration and a relatively large overwintering population (4.01 hectares). To place this population growth in context, let’s review the last several years. The population declined following each of the three Read more…
I just wanted to let you know that I saw 2 Monarchs yesterday at Kawartha Trails Resort, just south of Peterborough. They were visiting the milkweed along the edge of the Otonabee River. Catherine Paradisis Note: I have seen no Monarchs in Peterborough County since mid-June when I saw just Read more…
I have not seen a Giant Swallowtail this year at all. Although I haven’t kept count of Monarchs this year, I did see my first one on May 29th – my earliest ever – and my second on June 2nd. The first was near Warsaw, and the other, near Stoney Read more…
Today, June 15, I saw my first Monarch butterfly of the year. It was flying in a field at the corner of County Road 46 and Round Lake Road, north of Havelock. Drew Monkman
This Viceroy landed on my lawn mower today, June 9. At first I thought it was a Monarch, but I then noticed the black, horizontal line on the hind wings. Ulrike Kullik, Havelock
For years, my wife and I have wanted to explore California’s legendary Highway 1, which runs along the Pacific coast. It is one of the world’s most scenic drives. Our anticipation was therefore at a peak when we took the storied highway out of San Francisco on a two-day trip Read more…
Seeing exciting new plants and animals often requires effort – maybe rising at dawn and setting off on a long hike or driving for hours to some far-flung destination. Getting easy, close-up looks at iconic species right in the heart of a metropolis is therefore quite a treat. Such was Read more…
At 10:30 am on Sept. 19, we had 100 or so Monarchs congregating (roosting) in trees in our front yard at our farm on Chemong Road. I’ve never seen one on our farm before. My husband had gone down our laneway and drove through the swarm, and called me from Read more…
I received a telephone call from a property owner near Presqu’ile Provincial Park, who reported that in her fairly large alfalfa/cover field, which was cut early and now has lots of blooming plants, she has seen “hundreds” of monarchs this week. 142 monarchs reported yesterday at Detroit River Hawk Watch. 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…
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…
With the thoughts of seeing a good flight of migrating raptors tomorrow soaring through my mind, I sat out on the porch with my second coffee of the day, (Friday September 5th). It was 11:45 am, and the humid air was cooled some by strong breezes, so a nice balance Read more…
My husband and I took these photos of Monarchs on Monday, Sept. 8. We live about 10 min west of Keene. The Monarchs certainly seems to enjoy goldenrod. Cynthia Tyson
The northwest winds this past weekend provided a welcome tailwind and therefore led to a big flight of southbound Monarch butterflies. Tim Dyson had a HUGE one-day Monarch total with 48 seen on Saturday (Sept. 6). His 2014 Monarch total now stands at 140. I counted at least 10 Monarchs Read more…
When I left the house yesterday, (September 3rd), and headed out to work near Norwood and then on to Stoney Lake later, I had seen a total of 59 Monarchs during this 2014 season. When I returned home at dusk last night, that total had grown to 83, (including 7 Read more…
Here at our home near Lanark, there has been another banner year for the Giant Swallowtail. It’s been almost a repeat of the season of 2013. The first generation emerged in early June and ended in mid-June, feeding mainly on Dame’s Rocket and the orange hawkweed. The second generation started Read more…