Looking ahead to events in nature in the Kawarthas Although we enjoyed a comfortable summer in the Kawarthas – sunny, not too hot, and no extreme weather – the biggest story for the planet as a whole continues to be Read more…
White-throated Sparrows arrive on schedule: Right on schedule, five White-throated Sparrows arrived in our backyard this morning, the first of the fall. Some years, several dozen are here at the same time. They enjoy the finch mix (millet, nyger, sunflower Read more…
Nighthawk migration: On August 29, Tim Dyson & I counted migrating Common Nighthawks from Back Dam Park near Warsaw from 6-8pm. We tallied 133 birds, with one “flock”comprising at least 48. Quite a sight! Tim has already had several evenings Read more…
Your enthusiasm for nature will be noticed by children A love of nature begins in childhood; every boy and girl is a budding naturalist. This should come as no surprise. Up until the agricultural revolution and, later, the emigration into Read more…
20th Annual Petroglyphs Butterfly Count: The compiling of the July 21st butterfly count is finally finished and final results have been submitted to the North America Butterfly Association. A total of 55 species were recorded, slightly above the average for Read more…
The Kawarthas is home to a fascinating variety of odonates The buzz on our street this summer is not the usual gossip shared by neighbours. Rather, it’s the sound of mosquitoes. June’s warm, wet weather created perfect conditions for mosquito Read more…
July is a great time to get to know these beautiful insects. 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 Read more…
An activist friend told me recently about an email she received doubting the urgency of addressing climate change. The person argued that if climate change was truly a crisis, our elected leaders and governments at all levels would be saying Read more…
Now that summer has officially arrived, I want to look ahead to some of the events in nature that we can expect over the next three months. As for the long-term weather forecast, seasonal temperatures are expected this summer with Read more…
Spring in the Kawarthas is synonymous with a ubiquitous yellow dust that descends upon everything from cars and patio furniture to rivers and lakes. Even the edges of puddles become marked with what looks like yellow chalk. For cottagers, the Read more…
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) (1) – Reported Jul 01, 2019 04:39 by Donald A. Sutherland – Chase Memorial Park, Gannons Narrows, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) (2) – Read more…
Motorists need to slow down and watch out for these increasingly rare travelers. I have always had a special fondness for turtles. As a child, I loved nothing more than catching, feeding and then releasing these ancient reptiles. They were Read more…
Cuckoos eating Eastern Tent Caterpillars: Today, May 31, I came across a pair of Black-billed Cuckoos near Burnt River that were eating tent caterpillars. I was not aware that birds eat these caterpillars. Carl Welbourn, Kawartha Camera Club Read more…
A visit to Point Pelee and Rondeau parks is a celebration of the wonder of spring migration For anyone wanting to see Ontario’s most spectacular birds – Red-headed Woodpeckers, Indigo Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, Red-breasted Grosbeaks, and more than Read more…
Knowing the songs of common birds opens the door to greater enjoyment of the natural world May’s explosion of leaves will soon draw a green veil upon our neighbourhoods and woodlands. As beautiful and welcome as the burst of foliage Read more…
The flowers of our common trees are an under-appreciated element of spring’s beauty A beautiful spectacle unfolds above our heads each spring. The lengthening days and increasing warmth are stirring flower buds that have lain dormant through the long winter Read more…
Despite Ford’s reckless and self-serving attacks on intelligent climate policy, signs of hope remain. Next Monday is Earth Day, an occasion that for me evokes bittersweet emotions. As a teacher, I was involved in organizing numerous Earth Day events to Read more…
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope) (1) – Reported Apr 23, 2019 13:15 by Sarah Bonnett – Mather’s Corners Meltwater Pond, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Previously seen here, Very pink! White forehead, no green in head! Goodbye nemesis Read more…
Against a backdrop of more dire climate change reports, we can still enjoy the arrival of spring Following on the heals of last fall’s International Panel on Climate Change report, which stated that global warming must be limited to 1.5-degrees Read more…
Eastern Coyote: We saw a coyote on Sunday morning, Feb. 10 beside the Westview Village (Lansdowne Street west) pond, on the north side of Harper Park. It had been lying down in the snow nearby, then wandered around the pond Read more…
From finches to cacti, the fingerprints of evolution are everywhere in the Galapagos Over the year leading up to my Galapagos trip, I read just about every available book on the islands. My favourite by far was “The Beak of Read more…
An unforgettable trip to the “laboratory of evolution” and the inspiration of Darwin’s earth-shaking theory The shadowy form appeared out of nowhere in the turquoise water. It made a bee-line towards me, swimming just above the bottom. What is this? Read more…
Large congregation of eagles in Campbellford – This morning, January 29, at Percy Reach on the Trent River south of Campbellford, there were 13 Bald Eagles waiting their turn, while 3 Eastern Coyotes ate deer on the ice. The coyotes Read more…
On November 19th 2018, ERO # 013-4124 was posted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNRF) on the Environmental Registry of Ontario, titled “Proposal to establish a hunting season for double-crested cormorants in Ontario”. Chances are you have not Read more…
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 Read more…
Should we decimate a native bird at a time of unprecedented planet-wide species loss? Doug Ford’s buzz saw assault on Ontario’s environment never stops. It’s now clear that “open for business” really means “open season on the environment”. Since Read more…
Snowy Owl – The Snowy Owls are back in the Lindsay / Little Britain area. The first sighting was two weeks ago. I shot this one yesterday (Nov. 22) on the road between Oakwood & Little Britain. Carl Welbourn, Kawartha Read more…
The average North American child can identify over 300 corporate logos, but only 10 native plants or animals – a telling indictment of our modern disconnection from the natural world. Even though children are born with an innate interest in Read more…
Latest IPCC report warns we have 12 years to limit climate catastrophe “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Monday’s dire International Panel Read more…
Looking ahead to Peterborough and the world of 2038 “The universe is a communion of subjects – not a collection of objects.” Thomas Berry Here is the reality we face, courtesy of the laws of physics. Scientists have calculated how Read more…