City well on the way to becoming a safer place for wild birds Peterborough Examiner – June 10, 2022 – by Drew Monkman I can trace my life-long fascination with birds to having grown up in a Peterborough neighbourhood with easy access to natural areas like Jackson Creek. Bird-rich greenspace was only a Read more…
Two apps make finding and identifying birds simpler and more enjoyable Peterborough Examiner – May 6, 2022 – by Drew Monkman I’ve been a birder nearly all my life. For nearly all of this time, my equipment was limited to binoculars, field guides, and a spotting scope. However, beyond word of mouth and Read more…
Flocking provides many benefits but questions remain “How early in the year it begins to be late” Henry David Thoreau Nature plays a cruel joke on us in early July. Just as summer is getting started, intimations of autumn can already be seen. One such sign is the formation of Read more…
The nesting families of Merlins we’ve enjoyed at the Little Lake Cemetery has expanded with a nest we saw in spring seeming to be in the yard of a house near Little Lake (if not on Crescent Street, then Ware or a Lock Street backyard). Breeding was successful, but we Read more…
Least Sandpiper (8) Lesser Yellowlegs (3) – Reported Jul 15, 2016 06:20 by Scott Gibson – Peterborough–Fairbairn Street wetland, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Media: Photos
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) (1) – Reported Jul 11, 2016 07:20 by Iain Rayner – Ptbo – Water St., Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Adult perched on snag overhanging river near W end of London St. footbridge. Quite far from my vantage point but with binos I Read more…
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) (1) – Reported Jul 09, 2016 14:07 by Iain Rayner – Bensfort Road Landfill, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Media: 3 Photos – Comments: “Was doing a dump run earlier in the day and briefly thought I saw a Dowitcher flying around chasing KILL Read more…
It has been so interesting over the last few years observing the Osprey along with other parts of nature, and how they are changing as the next generation comes to life. For the last 3 years we have had a young Osprey, which sits on top of our cedar tree Read more…
Cannot believe it! For 3 years in a row, Stanley, my campsite Ring-billed Gull has returned. He comes when called by name, sits with me on my deck when I read a book, and allows no other gulls on my site. Aerial combats are sometime breathtaking. And remember the fishing Read more…
MAY 17, 2016: “After a prior absence of 81 years, this is the second consecutive year that a pair of Piping Plovers has initiated nesting on the Canadian shore of Lake Ontario in the Greater Toronto Area. Yesterday, I confirmed that the female of a pair of Piping Plovers present Read more…
We always have one or two pairs of American Crows around, so nothing special in that. I really don’t know how many constitutes a murder of crows but most unusually this morning (12 June) we had eight on the ground in our grassy riverside area – all very sleek, pristine, Read more…
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) (2) – Reported Jun 29, 2016 09:47 by Donald Sutherland – Jones Quarter Line at Bland Line, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Known location, two-part buzz and three-part buzz”
Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) (1) – Reported Jun 28, 2016 07:51 by Scott Gibson – Peterborough- Jones Quarter Line, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “observed and singing”
Here is a photo of 2 Sandhill Cranes that I photographed on Saturday, June 18. They were on the west side of Northeys Road between the 13th & 14th lines of Selwyn Township, west of Young’s Point. These are the only Sandhill Cranes I have seen in this region Roy Read more…
Sora (Porzana carolina) (1) – Reported Jun 25, 2016 06:31 by Paul Frost – Peterborough–Loggerhead Marsh, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Note: A Great Egret was seen at the marsh about two weeks ago. Reported by Philipa Cobb, who lives nearby.
I recently photographed this Spotted Sandpiper feeding along the southern shore of Wolf Island Provincial Park by Black Duck Bay on Lower Buckhorn Lake. Robin Blake
The Spring 2016 swift watches gave us some really interesting numbers. The peak was on May 17 when Dan Williams saw 123 enter the roost. A Merlin was seen by several people harassing the swifts and keeping them from getting into the roosts. Heavy rain before normal roost time seemed Read more…
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) (1) – Reported Jun 15, 2016 09:10 by Martin Parker – Peterborough–Mervin Line, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “observed. Continuing location”
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) (3) – Reported Jun 01, 2016 20:16 by Iain Rayner – Peterborough–Fairbairn Street wetland, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) (1) – Reported Jun 05, 2016 10:58 by Donald Sutherland – Lang-Hastings Trail–Technology Dr to CR 35, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Read more…
Just an update related to my earlier Whooping Crane sighting. I met a fellow from the MNR who, on Friday May 20, saw a Whooping Crane spiraling above the Beer Store in Peterborough (two weeks to the day after my sighting). His name is Scott Poser. Also there are two Read more…
There is a Common Loon nesting on the Otonabee River, just south of Lakefield and quite close to shore. I’ve seen her there for the last week or so. Jacob Rodenburg, Peterborough
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) (40) – Reported Jun 01, 2016 07:00 by Andrew Jobes – Peterborough – Trent Rowing Club Footbridge, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist:
On May 30th, Al Sippel and I were on Boyd Island, a Kawartha Land Trust property located near Bobcaygeon on Pigeon Lake. We had 2 pure Golden-winged Warblers (seen well) & two other presumed Golden-wings (heard only). Warren Dunlop, Peterborough
May 31, 2016 @ 10 AM Location: Woodland Campsite wetland, Lakehurst, ON A pair of Trumpeter Swans were sighted in the wetlands feeding We usually only see the migratory swans in the fall, so this is a first. One swan had a visible tag – J07. Maybe they have set Read more…
Here are some comments that Bill Snowden, a retired horticulturalist, sent along regarding concern expressed by Rob Tonus about Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drillings in his mountain-ash. Rob’s response to Bill’s comments are included below. When the Yellow-beliied Sapsucker taps mountain-ash, it will sometimes enlarge the holes daily to keep the sap Read more…
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) (1) – Reported May 26, 2016 20:15 by Matthew Tobey – Fleming Forest, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Media: 1 Photo Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) (1) – Reported May 27, 2016 07:47 by Joshua D. Vandermeulen – CA–ON–PETE–Havelock–study site (2015), Peterborough, Ontario – Map: Read more…
I heard and saw the first Bobolinks May 10 and managed some photos more recently. The males perch right on the tip of an apple tree branch to sing. I’ve also included pictures of two cormorants on one of their favourite perches on the river just south of Lakefield near Read more…
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) (1) – Reported May 23, 2016 11:45 by Sue Sauve – Hannah Road, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “seen clearly for about 10 minutes in tree with bird houses and with the ‘steele’ sign”
Redhead (Aythya americana) (6) – Reported May 25, 2016 08:00 by Iain Rayner – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Continuing flock in south cell”
I caught these Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in our oak tree today May 25, 2016. Looks like there’s a pair around. The birds were seen at Gannons Narrows/Pigeon Lake, Ennismore Kingsley Hubbs