Today (April 17th) at lunch, Cathy Darevic, Simon Dodsworth and I went in search of the pair of Canvasbacks that had been present at Fothergill Isle since at least April 6th. We were unsuccessful in that search, but while scanning Gannon Narrows from the Gannon Narrows Marina (44.4711, -78.4695) at Read more…
Hermit Thrush, Field Sparrow & Ruby-crowned Kinglet between Nassau Mills and Dafoe Dr., off trail, 7:30 am. Yellow-rumped Warbler (2), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (3), male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ecology Park, noon. Now it is going to all come too fast. Location: Nassau Mills and Ecology Park Observer: Sean Smith
On Sunday afternoon (April 14th) I saw an Osprey sitting on the nesting platform at Young’s Point next to the Hway 28 bridge. Location: Young’s Point Observer: Sheelagh Hysenaj
Walked the woods and along the bay off Thompson Creek (Scollard Drive area) this a.m. Saw 2 Caspian Terns, Bufflehead, Wood Ducks, Kingfisher, Osprey, TV’s, 1 RC Kinglet, 10 GC Kinglets, 1 Field Sparrow, 10 Song Sparrows, Junco, Hairy Woodpecker, WB Nuthatch, 2 YB Sapsuckers, 8 N Flickers, 50 Tree Read more…
Lakefield Park – A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was seen singing in the cedars, and a Greater Yellowlegs was calling from the marsh. A large number of Barn Swallows are now mixed in with the even larger numbers of Tree Swallows flying by the marsh. Forgot to mention that yesterday when we Read more…
Walking my dog by the Lakefield Marsh today I saw a Trumpeter Swan (L97) and heard, then saw, a Sandhill Crane flying over. Lots of ducks are still around. In my yard in Lakefield a Fox Sparrow was under my feeder. The Common Redpolls are still hanging around. Location: Lakefield Read more…
Today Jerry Ball, Bob Prentice and I found a Compton’s Tortoiseshell on Beaver Lake Rd, a Mourning Cloak on Cedarwood Rd, and four more Mourning Cloaks on Pencil Lake Rd. On the birding front we also had a Red-shouldered Hawk on Beaver Lake Rd. Location: Beaver Lake Road area Observer: Read more…
We had a piebald (leucistic) American Robin frequenting our backyard (Ridgewood Court) over a two week period this April. I did see the bird again on Woodglade Avenue around May 10th, but have not seen it since. Observer: Alan Dextrase
This morning Jerry Ball and I heard a singing Field Sparrow from the west end of Zion Line. Yesterday I saw a Sandhill Crane in a field on Oke Rd north of Warsaw. It was feeding close to a flock of Wild Turkeys. Also yesterday I saw four Eastern Phoebes, Read more…
I had the most beautiful Ring-necked Pheasant cock stroll through my backyard and have lunch at my neighbour’s bird feeder. What a magificent bird! My neighbour, Gail, says he has been coming for about two weeks. And no apparent fear – just a majestic strut across the grass and eventually Read more…
I observed a pair of Sandhill Cranes heading for the spot they nested in last year near Gannon’s Narrows. Hope it is a repeat. Location: Gannon’s Narrows Observer: Jim Watt
This evening there were over 200 Northern Leopard Frogs on University Road. Along Birchview Rd just north of Lakefield there where: Blue-spotted Salamander – 76, Yellow-spotted Salamander – 14, Wood Frog – 5, Spring Peeper – 30, Northern Leopard Frog – 2 Location: University Road and Birchview Road Observer: Luke Read more…
A Merlin just drilled a crow in front of our Parks Canada office on Little Lake – almost half a clik away from nest. Our office smokers (3 left) were impressed, or amused by me, I couldn’t tell which! In addition, on Little Lake, last week I saw: Great Black-backed Read more…
We have a leucistic (partially white) Common Grackle that has visited our yard quite a bit for the last week. I’ve attached a picture of it. It is lacking of pigment on its head. A couple years ago we had an albino bird in the neighbourhood – it was completely Read more…
Walking the Rotary Trail on Sunday I had the privilege to see a Pileated woodpecker at a very close range. I was taken by its beautiful red crown and black and white eye markings. This large bird was feeling his oats and acted very comically bouncing around on an old Read more…
Eight intrepid folks, not intimidated by the ominous forecast, were rewarded by reasonable weather and a vanguard of early bird migrants for PFN’s 2013 inaugural edition of the Sunday morning wildlife walks. It being early spring, we stuck mostly with the birds. Flybys at the zoo meeting area included Wood Read more…
In the woods NE of Cavan were two fox sparrows. Nearby fields had lots of mallards, several wood ducks, a couple of black ducks, and one pintail. I heard a kingfisher over the creek and watched a male pileated excavating a nest hole. Location: Cavan Observer: Scott McKinley
On today’s Ontario Field Ornithologists trip the group saw a total of 61 species. We birded the Otonabee River, Lakefield Sewage Lagoons, the Nephton and Petroglyphs area, Burleigh Falls, Young’s Point Road, Orange Corners and Morton Line. Highlights included 15 species of waterfowl, 2 Bald Eagles at the nest on Read more…
This morning there were at least 2 sandhill cranes heard calling along the section of the 9th line of Douro north of Parkhill Rd in the ploughed field. There where also 6 Blue-spotted Salamanders in a flooded ditch on Camp Line Rd and Osprey at Trent fixing the nest. Today Read more…
A nice day to go for a drive! Recent arrivals that I saw include: 3 Eastern Meadowlarks on David Fife Line between Hope Mill Rd and Nelson Rd 1 Eastern Bluebird at the intersection of the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) and Settlers Line (I also had one yesterday at Flynn’s Read more…
I heard a Common Loon in the wee hours of April 1 (no fooling!) and again this morning. Location: Buckhorn Lake Observer: Toni Sinclair
This morning there was a Pied-billed Grebe and 12 Wood ducks in the bay at lock 23. There are also at least 8 Great Blue Herons at the University road wetland. Location: Otonabee River and University Road Wetland Observer: Luke Berg
Gannon Narrows north of Ennismore had many ducks over the 2013 Easter weekend. In the late afternoon on 31 March, I checked the Narrows from two locations – the bridge (not recommended if significant traffic) and from the southernmost shore of Oak Orchard Estates. The strong current through the Narrows Read more…
Bob and I were visiting the Arboretum at The Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, taking advantage of some fantastic warm spring weather. In a muddy patch at the edge of the Marsh Trail, we spotted Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) plants…lots of them, in fact.poking up through the dead and decaying Read more…
I birded from Trent U. to Lakefield today along the Otonabee River. Many ducks. Saw all 3 merganser species, large flocks of Bufflehead and Ring-necked Ducks, Scaup (Greater ?), Common Goldeneyes, Redhead, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Black Duck, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Grackles, and Turkey Vultures. Location: Otonabee River Read more…
Saw first Osprey return to nesting platform just outside keen on Cty. Rd.#2 west of town this morning. Location: Keene Observer: Rick Stankiewicz
We heard two American Woodcock last night at 8:56 pm from the dead end at the southwest end of Jameson Drive (just west of Fisher Dr) in SW Peterborough. After peenting for a minute one flew up and away to the south while another continued peenting. Also heard were Killdeer, Read more…
This morning I was walking my dogs on the and saw 2 wood ducks, 1 eastern phoebe, and two brown-headed cowbirds. Location: 9th line of Douro Observer: Luke Berg
Lots of early spring migrants seen today, including turkey vulture, killdeer, horned lark, winter wren and wood duck. Last evening heard an American woodcock peenting in the field behind my house. Location: Bethany Observer: Kim Clark
JB Jaboor reported to me that he had a Turkey Vulture on Crowley Line yesterday. I had six, myself, today, four in the south of the county and two near Lakefield. One was sitting atop an old barn on Cameron Line south of Hwy 7 – a likely place for Read more…