May 2 was a beautiful morning for a bird walk. Warm south winds the night before had brought in migrants. Walked the trails at Camp Kawartha with Jacob Rodenburg and Tim Dyson – respecting two metre distancing of course. In Read more…
The pandemic has been an opportunity to enjoy spring migration at some of our great local birding destinations The news that all of Ontario’s parks, both provincial and national, would be closed this spring came as a big disappointment. A Read more…
“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting.” — Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese” From all accounts, nature seems to be doing just fine Read more…
“Welcoming the birds of May” The time that birders have waited for since the lonely, frigid days of winter is now upon us. With May comes the peak of spring migration as long‑distance migrants pour into the Kawarthas from the Read more…
If there is a bright side to the COVID-19 crisis, it is the gift of time that we’ve been given. Why not use it to reconnect with nature and, in the process, celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day? With Read more…
Despite all the chaos and suffering caused by COVID-19, there is much to restore our faith in humanity and brighten our day. In my neighborhood at least, more people are out walking and acknowledging each other with a smile and Read more…
An almanac of spring in the Kawarthas – Published April 10, 2020 At this time of great uncertainty in our lives, the natural world provides something we all need more than ever: predictability. I am talking about the predictability Read more…
The soothing balm you need in this crisis—and it needs you If I may, I would like to begin by asking you a question. Who is there for you right now, during this unprecedented time that we are living? I Read more…
Here’s a shot of an Eastern Screech-owl that I found on Saturday, Feb 29, near Little Britain. Carl Welbourn This Bald Eagle has been at our waterfront on Cameron Street, Peterborough. It had flown over the river and swooped down Read more…
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) (1) – Reported Feb 01, 2020 17:19 by Matthew Tobey – Peterborough Municipal Airport–pond, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.2376419,-78.3566642&ll=44.2376419,-78.3566642 – Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S64024864 – Comments: “Calling from woodlot between Moncrief Line and the airport.” Red Crossbill Read more…
Varied Thrush – On January 1, my son Philippe and I went to see the rare Varied Thrush that is coming regularly to a feeder at the office of the Bark Lake Conference Centre, just west of Gooderham. This species Read more…
Fewer than usual species found on local counts Many people are asking this winter where all the birds are. A friend in Keene told me recently that it’s been years since his feeders have required so little refilling. So, Read more…
We will remember2019 as no less than the year of climate change awakening for Canada and much of the world. We saw unparalleled media coverage, civil disobedience, climate strikers on the streets, and a federal election in which two-thirds of Read more…
This week, I’d like to share more nature sightings from the past year that readers have shared with me. I am always pleased to learn about what people are seeing and to try to answer nature-related questions. To stay abreast Read more…
This week, I’d like to share more nature sightings from the past year that readers have shared with me. I am always pleased to learn about what people are seeing and to try to answer nature-related questions. To stay abreast Read more…
Looking back at extreme fall temperatures and ahead to what nature has in store As is now the pattern with a changing climate, fall weather this year was marked by extreme temperatures. For many days in November, minimum temperatures were Read more…
I would like to thank the many readers who have shared some of their nature sightings and photographs with me over the past year. This week and next, I am presenting a selection of the many anecdotes and observations I’ve Read more…
Looking back at extreme fall temperatures and ahead to what nature has in store As is now the pattern with a changing climate, fall weather this year was marked by extreme temperatures. For many days in November, minimum temperatures were Read more…
Northern Hawk-owl: On December 19, I was able to get this picture of a Northern Hawk-owl near Barrie. Donald Munro Glaucous Gulls: On December 16, I went up to Trent University to Read more…
Book outlines challenges and reasons for hope in addressing climate change In last week’s column, I provided a glimpse of our bleak climatic future as described in “The Uninhabitable Earth”, by American journalist David Wallace-Wells. The book lays out in Read more…
“The Uninhabitable Earth” explains how climate change is much worse than you think “We declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally, that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.” These were the dire Read more…
Lingering blackbirds: A Red-winged Black-bird and a Brown-headed Cowbird were coming to our feeders in late November but seem to have disappeared. A Common Grackle has also been coming. Here is a picture taken December 1 during the snow storm. Read more…
Evergreen forest floor plants are an under-appreciated feature of late fall At first glance, a walk in the November woods seems uneventful, with little of interest to catch our attention. Yet, this is a wonderful time of year to focus Read more…
Seeing winter finches this year may mean a trip to Algonquin Park Some of my favourite backyard birds during fall and spring migration are white-throated and white-crowned sparrows. These migrants arrive each year right on schedule – almost to the Read more…
Leucistic American Robin: This “Hallowe’en ghost robin” was eating berries in our yard. Fred and Marg Forster, Keene (Note: Leucism refers to a lack of normal colour pigments in the feathers. D.M.) Northern Read more…
Still lots to look forward to in the parade of fall colours From May’s gentle pastels and summer’s kaleidoscope of greens to early fall’s dazzling reds and oranges, each time of year has its signature colours. Now, as we move Read more…
Grassland birds and aerial insectivores among the hardest hit When I was a teenager in the 1960s, the Peterborough Field Naturalists made an annual June visit to Harry William’s farm near Millbrook. This was not your average nature outing. You Read more…
The Liberals aren’t perfect, but a Conservative government would be infinitely worse Earlier this summer, I thought I’d made up my mind. I was going to vote Green to send a message that much more aggressive climate action is necessary. Read more…
Shifting dates, species declines, and surprising newcomers tell us climate change has arrived For years we used to drive up to Algonquin Park in early summer to take our daughters to camp. One of the highlights of these trips was Read more…
Council expected to revisit Peterborough’s suspended tree bylaw later this fall I have always loved trees. As a kid I delighted in climbing the sugar maples near our house and seeing how high I could go until terror set in. Read more…