I heard that the Gray Jay is going to be Canada’s national bird. So, in honor of the designation, I photographed these two today in my yard today and fed them bacon as a Canadian gesture! Marie Windover, 2167 Cty Read more…
In her recent Environmental Protection Report entitled “Small Steps Forward”, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Dianne Saxe, called upon the government to put words into action to monitor biodiversity, combat wildlife declines, control invasive species, and follow through on better Read more…
We live in Peterborough, just west of Wallis drive. Since about mid-August, starting just at dusk, we hear cricket-like sounds coming from the trees in our neighborhood. The frequency of the sound is about that of a cricket, but is Read more…
Do you know what this is? An egg mass or two? It was attached to a synthetic yellow rope floating beside our dock on Crab Lake. I took the photo on September 11 with a bit of cloud reflection. Ken Read more…
I saw a mature Bald Eagle last night, September 10, flying over our cottage. It was just above the trees so very close. I’m on the north shore of Stoney Lake, near Viamede Resort. It’s the first one I’ve seen Read more…
Thought I would forward these photos to you. The first photo was taken of Stanley, “my” tame Ring-billed Gull, in July. The obvious red eyes and red gape. His head is pure white. The second photo was taken Aug 15. Read more…
On August 25, there were about 3 Blue Jays here at the bird bath. I had time to get a few shots of one who, unlike the others, was pretty bare of feathers on the neck and sides of its 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 Read more…
I came across this Northern Water Snake in my kayak on lower Buckhorn Lake on July 26.
We were so excited to hear a Whip-poor-will calling June 6, at about 10:50pm. Thirty-five years ago, when we first moved to 1120 Rock Road near Warsaw, they were very plentiful and would keep you up for hours with their Read more…
The photo was taken back in June, 2016, by Daryll Ferriss in Ardbeg, which is close to Parry Sound. He managed to pick up the pair and had great difficulty in getting the dragonfly to let go of the hummingbird. Read more…
Nature is replete with beautiful vistas, vibrant colors, intriguing species, poetic moments and always the unexpected. It is wonderful to be able to capture some of these discoveries on paper and to reflect more deeply on the experience. Journaling is Read more…
Yesterday, November 4, around 4 pm, a flock of Sandhill Cranes flew over Lakefield. They flew from the south and seemed to be heading NW. We estimate over 30 birds. They were followed by a small flock of about 10 Read more…
Big changes in the landscape will soon be a reality in the Kawarthas as extensive growth is looming on the horizon. For many, there is a fear that our region could easily lose its “nearby nature” character and become another Read more…
On October 26, while raising a dock for a client on Quarry Bay on the north shore of Stoney Lake at early dusk, I paused a moment when I thought I heard Sandhill Cranes. A few seconds later, I could Read more…
Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) (1) – Reported Oct 30, 2016 09:00 by Kim Clark – Highway 2, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) (2) – Reported Oct 26, 2016 07:29 by Mark D. Read – *Douro Read more…
We found this Spotted Salamander on the road last Sunday at Catchacoma Lake. The hand in the glove is a friend from Bogota, Colombia, who ended up staying at our cottage through means both circuitous and fortuitous. He loved our Read more…
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) (1) – Reported Oct 31, 2016 10:45 by Iain Rayner – Ptbo – Trent Lakes Municipal Office, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Media: 2 Photos – Comments: “Adult circling pretty low overhead. Loosely associating Read more…
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) (1) CONFIRMED – Reported Nov 02, 2016 12:00 by Matthew Garvin – PTBO – Edgewater road and Railway, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Media: 1 Photo – Comments: “Robin size bird but slimmer with Read more…
The American Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is in full bloom now (Oct. 25) at my home in Ennismore. Foliage has turned yellow but has not dropped. Bill Snowden
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (1) – Reported Oct 27, 2016 13:40 by Chris Risley – Downtown, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.3033988,-78.3186717&ll=44.3033988,-78.3186717 – Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32255249 – Comments: “large raptor, sideburns visible; perched on provincial logo on west side of provincial government Read more…
Once again this fall, I’ve been kept busy meeting the food demands of the hordes of birds that have descended upon my yard and feeders. At least two dozen white-throated sparrows have been gorging themselves on the millet finch mix Read more…
In October, our attention is drawn to leaves like at no other time of year. They never cease to astound us with their blazing colours and wonderful, spicy smell as we rake them into piles. For the rest of the Read more…
I had a female Eastern Towhee rustling around in the leaves this morning in my backyard. That brings the total number of bird species I have seen in my yard to 60! Sue Paradisis, Tudor Crescent
Just to let you know, I’ve seen our first Dark-eyed Junco today (October 9), and yesterday, our first Purple Finch. And the sunflower seeds are being devoured at an alarming rate by the Black-capped Chickadees, and both the Red-breasted and Read more…
I am looking for your opinion on some bird behaviour in our yard that we are finding quite amusing. We have a large flock of ducks that we feed on our shoreline in the hopes of giving them a safe haven Read more…
Walking through the woods and fields of the Kawarthas in early October when the landscape is ablaze with colour is a fall tradition for many local residents. Not only do you feel closer to friends and family, but there is Read more…
I came across this little Eastern Milksnake on a dirt road at Gannons Narrows on Pigeon Lake at about 1:30 pm October 2. It is only 6-7 inches long and was stretched out. The dog walked over it and I Read more…
For many years the city American Crows roosted near the Kawartha Golf and Country Club grounds. Recently I noticed a lot of crow calling (before the sun is up) coming from the north of my location at Fairbairn and Raymond Read more…
I came across this flock of Rusty Blackbirds at about 4 PM on October 4 on the Trans Canada Trail (Jackson Creek section). They were flying around the marsh west of Lily Lake in a flock of about twenty similarly-sized Read more…