We’ve been enjoying a family of Otters that we see from time to time. This year there were five of them who came by fairly often. We’ve seen them swimming, catching fish, diving off the ice into open patches of water, sliding across the ice. Recently I saw one by Read more…
I was walking last Saturday (Jan. 12) and took a picture of a Barred Owl, perched in a cedar. I was in the Bridlewood Park / Harper Park area in Peterborough off of Spillsbury Drive. Location: Bridlewood and Harper parks area Observer: Rob McKinlay
I live in the west end on Kawartha Heights Blvd. Behind our backyard is Kawartha Heights Park.We have our feeders out all the time.We`ve had an abundance of birds this fall: white & red breasted nuthatches, blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, finches, downy woodpeckers, etc. However, since the New Year, the Read more…
Late ice-up kept population high, and diverse, for annual bird count Click here to read column
My friend, Sandy Brack and i watched Otters (rather large) diving into the small streams that are forming through the ice at Gannons Narrows today. When they got out, they shook their heads to get rid of the water, then started munching on the fresh fish just caught. Now, I’m Read more…
On Christmas morning, I saw a Pileated Woodpecker on Manning Ave. We have a little family joke going on about these birds. Before my mother died she had arranged her funeral, and got everything else organized and then sent me a letter saying “now I’m ready to die – on Read more…
Today, I saw roughly 20-25 Common Redpolls and 5 Northern Cardinals 3 males 2 females 3-5 Blue Jays and of course the chicadees come to my feeders today. Location: Bridgenorth Observer: Jeff Keller
Today, after two days of near 10 C temps. there was a Wooly Bear Caterpillar, Pyrrharctia isabella, commuting in my back yard. (The band indicated there would be a mid-January thaw 🙂 That same day an Eastern Chipmunk, not seen since mid-November, was very active in same back yard – Read more…
While out enjoying the mild temps we heard the shrill call of a Belted Kingfisher and then saw him/her flying up and down the wide creek at the edge of our backyard, as they do daily in the summer months. We
Today, a female Northern Cardinal repeatedly attacked her reflection in the window of my truck. She perched on the passenger side mirror then kept flying at her reflection in the mirror. This is something we
Today, I saw a 2nd year Bald Eagle at the Bensfort Road landfill at about 1 p.m. It was perched in a tree to the west of the dumpsters where residents drop off garbage. Location: Bensfort Road landfill Observer: Drew Monkman
On our way to our cottage on Lower Buckhorn Lake on Thursday, just before dark, we were driving on the 401 near Progress Road around Scarborough and a Great Blue Heron flew over the 401. We have never seen one fly over the highway before! Location: the 401 near Progress Read more…
Common Redpolls have taken over our feeder. We have never had them before and now there is a virtual swarm of them numbering over a hundred most days. The other birds are virtualy crowded out, except if they can get to the feeders when the redpolls are away. Location: Adeline Read more…
We had about about 15 American Robins here this morning feeding on the ground under our Austrian Pines. Location: Tindle Bay Road, near Chemong Lake Observer: Dorothy Mulders- Langlois
Today, I had a female Red-bellied Woodpecker dining at the feeder. Location: Bailieboro, near Rice Lake Observer: Marie Adamcryck
A 20-year first was just one of the sightings that delighted Drew’s readers in 2012 Click to view column
Bill Astell passed along several interesting raptor anecdotes today. “Cooper’s Hawks are common in my backyard. I have about 30 acres just north of the zoo and it is well populated with wildlife. I have chickens and one year I found a freshly killed one near the coop so I Read more…
We have had a Northern Flicker coming to our feeder for weeks. It comes to the peanut feeder and also tries to eat sunflower seeds from the wooden feeders, but seems to scatter more than eat. I haven’t seen it on the suet. Location: Young’s Point / Selwyn area Observer: Read more…
A locally rare Northern Mockingbird was seen feeding on wild grape today on Edgewater Blvd across from the Holiday Inn. Location: Edgewater Blvd on Little Lake Observer: Linda Sunderland
Several Pine Grosbeaks were singing their gentle, whistled song this morning along Maple Crescent. One bird came in quite close in response to my playing a recording of the song. Location: Maple Crescent, Peterborough Observer: Drew Monkman
This morning I heard a thump on the window and rushed out to find a hawk barely conscious in the snow. I picked it up and put it in a box to see if it would survive. By this afternoon I had identified it as a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk and Read more…
Readers share their tales and photos from a year of getting very close to nature Click to view column
At about 1:30 today (Wednesday), there were three adult Glaucous Gulls and one 1st or 2nd year Glaucous, as well as a single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull along with lots of Herring Gulls on the ice across from the cemetary at Little Lake. They were best viewed from Edgewater Blvd Read more…
While skiing at Kawartha Golf and Country Club yesterday, I witnessed a city wildlife drama. A hawk (cannot identify) landed on a squirrel nest high in a tree. I could then see a black squirrel flipping and flopping around in the nest. Then, the hawk emerged with the squirrel in Read more…
I had a pair of Red-tailed Hawks in my yard this afternoon. Location: Rogers St., Peterborough Observer: Ivan Bateman
I just had 12 Bohemian Waxwings feeding in the crab apple tree. I have also had 6 American Tree Sparrows for the last few days. Location: Tudor Cres. Peterborough Observer: Sue Paradisis
Having enjoyed a “four pecker” morning ( Pileated, Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied), I was relishing a record-species feeder day. Although this was not to be ( 13 species in total), we did enjoy the presence of seven Northern Cardinals at the feeder at one time. Over my longish career of Read more…
This afternoon, I had a flock of about 16 Pine Grosbeaks in the spruce trees in my yard. Location: Maple Crescent, Peterborough Observer: Drew Monkman
I was too busy to let you know that I had a visit at the suet from a Northern Flicker on Dec. 24th. I also spotted a Cooper’s Hawk twice that day. Today when I went out my door, I noticed feathers blowing on the snow. When I looked over Read more…
Nature Sightings at Gannons Narrows…. Lately, it has been a beehive of activity around here. We have Otters year round – they love my neighbours old boathouse as do the Beavers that have their litters under the old dock boards. With the North Shore across from us now in the Read more…