I thought you might be interested and surprised (as I was) to know that I heard at least one Chorus Frog calling both yesterday afternoon and evening (October 20) from a wet meadow on the 7th Line Smith near our house. We always have quite a few Chorus Frogs calling there in the spring, and I know (and have heard) that Spring Peepers will often call sporadically in the fall when its mild and daylength is similar to that in the spring, however I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Chorus Frog calling in the fall – especially in the 3rd week of October! Obviously the mild weather is triggering them, but it’s a bit concerning when you start seeing/hearing wildlife doing things they shouldn’t be doing at certain times of the year. Another worrisome effect of climate change, I suppose. Carrie Sadowski
Note: Thanks for this, Carrie. Along the lines of the Chorus Frog call, I have never heard so much bird song in October as this year. Robins in our neighborhood have been singing as loudly and energetically as in spring. Usually any fall bird song you hear is only half-hearted and usually not the full song. Up until October 20, the mean temperature for the month has been 14.9 C, a full 7.6 C warmer than the 1971-2000 average of 7.3 C for the month of October. This is a huge difference. As to whether or not the unpreceadented warmth is contributing to the vigorous singing, I don’t know, but it certainly seems like a possibility. October ended up being 5C warmer than average, one of the biggest departures from the norm of any month in the past 11 years! DM
On October 8, I found this dead homing pigeon in Bethany while putting my grandkids on the bus. It had an orange band 23 on 1 leg and yellow with 1c77 cu2003 0s4 on the other. I will report the band and see if I can get any information. Joanne Rowland
Yesterday, October 15, I did what will hopefully be my last turtle rescue run of the year, although with climate change, one never knows. These little Snapping Turtles were dug up the same morning in Renfrew, ON, by mistake – some still coming our of their shells. A taxi driver brought them from Renfrew to meet me in Kaladar. I then delivered them to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) in Peterborough. There were 20 altogether, and yes, that is a loonie in the box with them! Like all newborns, they were so cute! The gal at the OTCC said that in the wild, some would wander off to find their own winter homes, and others would stay in the nest and surface in the spring. Such amazing creatures, and no wonder they have been with us for so very long! Sorry the picture is fuzzy .. but there you have it .. you get the idea of their size and fortitude! Lynda Gadd
After reading your October 15 article about the scattering of seeds, I felt compelled to write you about my recent experience in the back of my garden. I noticed a rather large, green, fan-like shrub, not realizing at the time it was a small Staghorn Sumac. I noticed it because of the stunning and vibrant red/orange color it developed the last few days. It was obviously dropped by a bird or the wind leaving me with an outstanding addition to my neighbor’s breathtaking, multi-colored maple tree in the background. Beverlee Rombouts, Peterborough
I had a bumper crop of American Chestnuts this summer on my property near Kinmount. For the first time ever, all three of my trees produced nuts. I was too late to get any from the two smaller trees, but the largest tree was loaded so I got quite a few from it. I plan to share some with the arborists at Fleming College and I will plant a bunch in the conservation area beside Ireland Drive in Peterborough. Michael Doran
My husband and I sighted a Moose traipsing across a farmers field at about 11am on Thursday (Oct.14th, 2021). The field is just north east of Havelock, just off hwy7, by the site of the Havelock Jamboree grounds/ old driving range. Unfortunately by the time we backed up the car to try to capture a picture, the Moose had disappeared into the bush / trees. I spoke to a lady at the Havelock Foodland, and she said that a Moose was sighted in the same area about 3 yrs ago, so she was excited to hear that it was back It was great to see such a magnificent creature. Hope it stays safe. Lily Goode
A Fisher has been sighted several times recently near our home on Northey Bay on Stoney Lake. A neighbour was able to get pictures. My brother, Tom, also saw it. He told me he had watched it for a couple of minutes while it explored all around the boathouse, cottage, fire pit area and dock. He was really excited. I have seen Fishers twice. Both times they were crossing a back road ahead of my vehicle. Ed Duncan
I noticed something very unusual on the deck railing on October 22 . A young, black Eastern Gray Squirrel was grooming or picking out bugs from the back of a young grey-coloured squirrel. The grey squirrel had his head bent down. This happened more than once. Very odd! Bet Curry, Peterborough
