Sightings

A leucistic female cardinal has been around our house all spring.  I finally got a photo of her at the feeder today. (N.B. Leucism is a general term for the patches of white on a bird’s body resulting from defects in pigment cell differentiation. This often results in patches of Read more…

This afternoon I walked the Trans-Canada Trail from the foot path that goes up the steep hill to the bottom of Wallis Drive, past the  blue bridge (near the pumping station entrance point on Parkhill Road at Ravenwood) to about 100 metres west of the orange bridge at Lily Lake. Read more…

  A Black-crowned Night-Heron was perched on the dead top branches of a tree right beside the river, just north of the “Greenhouse on the River” garden centre on River Road (County Road 32). It seemed like it was fishing,  although it did not move even when we got out of Read more…

Yesterday, me and two friends birded Wylie Road on the Carden Alvar, just north of Kirkfield. It is well worth a trip at this time of year, especially for the opportunities to get great photographs of species such as bluebirds.  In addition to the numerous bluebirds one Loggerhead Shrike (at Read more…

Today I saw my first Monarch Butterfly of 2013. It was flying over a meadow off of Sharpe Line, just east of Bethany. Observer: Drew Monkman

  Last night I went to look for Eastern Whip-poor-wills just outside Warsaw. At the bridge on Rock St in Warsaw there was a Red-shouldered Hawk calling in the dark. Two km down Centre Road (in Douro-Dummer) there were four Eastern Whip-poor-wills calling from the large field opposite the two Read more…

This afternoon I walked the Trans-Canada Trail from the blue bridge (near the pumping station entrance point on Parkhill Road at Ravenwood) almost to Ackison Road. A great number of wildflowers are in bloom right now. Although most are non-native, it’s still impressive. FLOWERS IN BLOOM White: Canada Anemone (abundant), Read more…

I am writing because I realized the other morning that I have not heard one of my favorite sounds this spring, the flute-like call of the Wood Thrush  in our woods. It has been part of our spring/summer experience for as long as I can recall since we moved here Read more…

  My wife, Nancy, caught this scene on the morning of June 9 as she was picking flowers in our meadow garden at our cottage on Mississagua Lake. Observer: John Ronson, Mississauga Lake (Note: This is a Goldenrod Crab Spider – Misumena vatia.  It  is commonly found hunting in goldenrod Read more…

These Red Fox cubs have been providing entertainment for some Ennismore residents this spring.  Four were around for some time, while the 5th one just showed up on June 9th. The pictures were taken by a trail camera. Red Foxes usually have three to six cubs. Drew Monkman

Bald Eagles are nesting across from St. Peter’s on-the-Rock church near Collin’s Island on Stony Lake. The pictures were taken by Jeff Jones the week of June 3rd and by Rob Welsh on June 12.  From the Jone’s photo, there appear to be two eaglets in the nest. According to Read more…

Last Friday was the first day that I noticed any Snapping Turtles  laying eggs with just one showing up.  Today, there were up to at least 5 in my front and backyard area and they showed up late (mid-morning) and some are still out there now (7 pm) I have Read more…

While driving in the University Road area on Sunday around 5:30 pm, we saw a Great Egret fly overhead.  We have not seen one before so this was exciting for us!  We also noticed the wetland off University Road is drying out – what caused this? (drained by Douro-Dummer Township Read more…

This little Gray Treefrog was on my deck in a broken clay pot this morning. He is only about one inch long. What a cute little thing! Observer: Kim Mitchell, Ennismore

I thought I heard an American Redstart in our lane this morning (May 29th) after walking my son to the bus.  I pished and for the first time it worked!  He flew right down to within 10 feet of me and sang right to me.  He was beautiful!  Thanks for the Read more…

This afternoon I walked the Trans-Canada Trail from the blue bridge (near the pumping station entrance point on Parkhill Road at Ravenwood) to Ackison Road. A great number of shrubs are in bloom right now – almost all with white flowers –  especially from the bridge at Lily Lake to Read more…

Today on Nichol’s Cove Road I had four Golden-winged Warblers. Three were males all singing the typical Golden-winged song and the forth was a female associating with one of the males. The Brewster’s Warbler that I saw last week was also still present and singing the typical Blue-winged Song but Read more…

I came across these two moths in my dogwood bush tonight (in Peterborough suburbs).  Some Internet searches  helped me identify them  as Cecropia moths. They are quite large and were motionless for a long time…I’m no expert but I believe they were mating. Closer inspection of my dogwood bush shows Read more…

Browning of the tips of the leaves on Eastern White Cedars is once again very noticeable  in the Kawarthas.  According to Taylor Scarr, provincial forest entomologist at MNR, the “browning” is the result of coincident attack by several of the cedar leafminers – tiny, native caterpillars (larvae) which eventually become Read more…

I saw my first Canadian Tiger Swallowtail of the year today. I also read a report that two Giant Swallowtail butterflies have already been seen in Eastern Ontario (Ted Mosquin). Observer: Drew Monkman

I saw the first fireflies of the year last night. Observer: Kim Clark – Bethany

The University Road Wetland continues to get shallower producing more shorebird habitat. This evening, in with the Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plovers, and Spotted Sandpipers, there were at least 1 White-rumped Sandpiper and the highlight of the evening, a female Wilson’s Phalarope (Photos taken). Also, there was a Green Read more…

While cutting my lawn this evening I found a large Blanding’s Turtle walking across the lawn to get to my neighbours on Hazel Crescent (off Campbelltown Road) OSM Twp.  Got some nice pictures.  Huge shell at almost 11” long. It was a beautiful specimen! Never seen one around my place Read more…

This evening, a Polyphemus moth appeared on our livingroom window. We live on County Road 6, Lakefield. I was able to get a picture of it. Observer: Sabine Overink (Note: This is one of the giant silkworm moths. It is native to Ontario but seldomly seen.  The top side of the Read more…

Source: eBirds A Peregrine Falcon was seen at 7:30 this morning on Water Street. “It flew by… a really big stocky falcon with pointed wings…banked, reversed direction and landed on the George Street United Church spire at McDonnel and Water St… we got out our binos and the bright yellow Read more…

This morning, while walking my dogs at the Harold Town Conservation Area (Old Norwood Road, east of Peterborough), the highlights were: Purple Finch carrying food possibly (nesting?), Alder Flycatcher calling, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher heard and photographed, 4 Bobolinks and 9 Field Sparrows. Observer: Luke Berg

The Peterborough Field Naturalists were well represented in this year’s Carden Challenge, a birding and biodiversity competition in the Carden Alvar, northwest of Lindsay.  It is also a major fund-raiser for the Couchiching Conservancy, a land trust.  Over $22,000 was raided this year. PFN member Kathy Parker was part of Read more…

Diane Ferguson saw a rare Varied Thrush early this evening at her Jack Lake cottage. The location of the cottage is Con. 16, Lot  11, North Kawartha , Fire Route 896, # 142.  Diane is a birder. (Note: The Varied Thrush is native to western Canada and only rarely turns Read more…

We live in Cottesloe (Webster Road and 4th Line Dummer) and two days ago our neighbour called to say there was an unusual snake in her garden. She is not a snake person so I went over to find a brown snake. It was quite thick in the main body Read more…