Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) (3) – Reported Aug 23, 2014 09:56 by Donald Sutherland – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.4180879,-78.2587266&ll=44.4180879,-78.2587266 – Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19549575 – Comments: “2 females, 1 molting male, South cell”
Each year around our property on Buckhorn Lake we enjoy watching the Ospreys and their young as they learn how to fish. As we know, most fly above the waters and eventually dive for the fish. This year we have been fortunate to watch a new born and for whatever Read more…
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) – Reported Aug 22, 2014 18:55 by Scott Gibson – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “female” Sora (Porzana carolina) (1) – Reported Aug 22, 2014 18:55 by Scott Gibson – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “observed Read more…
My condo neighbor [Mrs. Betty Mitchell] recently caught this squirrel playing with a stick and throwing the piece of a branch around just like a young puppy would, and, just as happy as one. The playing went on for nearly a full 15-minutes she reports. Gord Young, Peterborough
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) (1) – Reported Aug 22, 2014 18:55 by Scott Gibson – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “adult; in middle of north pond”
Last night on Maple Crescent, I heard my first Snowy Tree Cricket of the summer. It started calling at about 8:30 p.m. Also known as the “thermometer cricket” you can use the cricket’s chirping rate to estimate air temperature. For degrees Celsius, count the number of chirps in 8 seconds Read more…
Choke Cherries. Our Choke Cherry trees have never had berries on them before, and this year they are dripping with them. Smilax. Again we have two Smilax plants growing on the farm, far apart from each other, which is interesting. The one plant is gorgeous this year and heavy with Read more…
I observed a Green Heron on the Otonabee River under the hydro wires near the Peterborough Airport on two separate occasions recently. On August 2nd at approximately 8:30 pm, I watched the bird fly across the river and perch on a low fallen tree limb about 50 feet from where Read more…
On August 11, the same day I saw the Western Kingbird, I was treated to the sight of a young wren, still with the yellow on the edges of its beak, calling persistently for some parental attention I presume. Also there was a Spotted Sandpiper on what I call our Read more…
This picture of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk was taken on August 2nd at my home near Kerry Line and Pigeon Lake about noon. Linda Easton Note from Tim Dyson, a local raptor expert, who made the identification: Interesting in Linda`s photo of the Cooper`s, is that it shows an “August” Read more…
It appears that Common Nighthawks have begun to migrate south. Tonight at 6:50, I counted 38 flying over St. Anne’s school. 20min later I counted 44 flying around stormwater ponds behind Walmart and Evans Dr (suspect the same flock just moving around the north end). Pretty amazing site to see Read more…
On August 9th, I saw what must be a Western Kingbird on our property. I had the bird in my binoculars for quite long enough to get a good description, though just from the front, I thought at first it must be a phoebe – they regularly nest next door Read more…
In early August, I found two very comical-looking Hermit Sphinx Moth caterpillars, Lintneria eremitus, on my basil. Tony Bigg was able to identify it. According to Tony, common foodplants are basil, bee-balm, bugleweed, mints, sage and others in the mint family. Rob Welsh, Stony Lake
We finally had a Monarch show up in our garden on August 17. As of today, local naturalist Tim Dyson has counted a total of 46 Monarchs so far this summer. Tony Bigg, another inveterate butterfly watcher, was up to 61 Monarchs as of this week. He had 14 all Read more…
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) (4) – Reported Aug 18, 2014 15:27 by Bill Crins – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (1) – Reported Aug 18, 2014 15:27 by Bill Crins – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist:
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) (1) – Reported Aug 20, 2014 07:05 by Iain Rayner – Ptbo – Water St., Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Flushed from Water St. side of river. Medium size heron. Grey wings, grey tail, Black Back”
I don’t know how rare or common these Hummingbird Clearwing moths are in this area, but I’d never seen or heard of one before. It visited my Monardas at about 5 p.m. on August 12. It was pretty amazing to watch a moth fly and hover like a hummingbird. For Read more…
Yesterday, we saw and photographed an immature Broad-winged Hawk on a logging road just south of Bancroft. It was not at all afraid of us. Tim Rollwagen, Lakefield
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) (1) – Reported Aug 18, 2014 07:25 by Donald Sutherland – Peterborough–Trent Rotary Rail Trail, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “adult”
My biologist neighbour spotted a beautiful paper nest on our street. It belongs to Bald-faced Hornets. Wikipedia advises observing these very protective creatures from a safe distance! Ian MacDougall, Edmison Drive
(Chroicocephalus philadelphia) (2) – Reported Jul 30, 2014 18:58 by Chris Risley – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “black bill, breeding adult plumage”
I’ve just returned from four days at Big Gull Lake, north of Kaladar. There were far more mosquitoes present than is usual for late July. It appears that Eastern Ontario is having a bad year in general. Below you will find a couple of postings from NatureList Digest, an Eastern Read more…
Between June 2nd and June 12th, I saw 44 Giant Swallowtails between Cordova Mines, Marmora, Campbellford, Havelock, Norwood, and Stoney Lake. Very brief first flight this year, and started quite late, as often (2013 anyway), I will see them fairly regularly during the third and fourth week of May, and Read more…
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (1) – Reported Jul 24, 2014 17:55 by Iain Rayner – Water St. Victoria Park, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.3076967,-78.3185613&ll=44.3076967,-78.3185613 – Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19210780 – Comments: “Seen circling over Victoria Park. Haven’t seen one here for quite a few months. Much much bigger then Merlin which are Read more…
The Merlins around our home and neighbours, on lower Chemong Lake, are at their peak for loud calls – almost too much! So far there appear to be two adults and two juveniles flying around. They are decimating the local small bird population! Click here for some photos of one Read more…
This evening my husband, daughter and I saw an Indigo Bunting along Fallis Line in Millbrook. Never having seen one before, we didn’t know what it was at the time. It was so stunningly beautiful, we stopped the car and just watched until it flew away. Later this evening we Read more…
Gadwall (Anas strepera) (7) – Reported Jul 19, 2014 09:11 by Donald Sutherland – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “pair and female with 4-1/2 grown ducklings, S cell” Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) (3) – Reported Jul 19, 2014 09:11 by Donald Sutherland – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Read more…
I want to share some pictures of a parasitic wasp that I took up near Kinmount. I haven’t been able to identify it, but this animal was about 3-4 cm long and had two ovipositors, each about 10 cm long. When I found it, it was busily probing a hole Read more…
You may be interested in a couple of Cougar sightings my husband and I had recently. We live on an island on Stoney Lake. We park our car near the back of our island which is off of Fire Route 5 stemming from Mount Julian/Viamede Road near Woodview. The first Read more…
I spotted a male Scarlet Tanager at the end of our lane yesterday afternoon (July 13), and watched it for a few minutes in the company of 3 other small birds. I assumed they were his family, but I could only see the undersides of them (beige/buff colour), and my Read more…