Sightings
Locally-uncommon Ruddy Duck at Lakefield Sewage Lagoons
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) (1) – Reported May 22, 2016 08:55 by Colin Jones – Lakefield–Sewage Lagoons, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: – Checklist: – Comments: “Continuing bird”
Sightings
A great morning of birding
On the morning of May 17 on roads west of Highway 7A, there were abundant Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, two Brown Thrashers, Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Kingbirds, Tree Swallows, and several Baltimore Orioles together in a shrub. Enid Mallory
Sightings
Wood Ducks in Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park
On April 29, I came across 10 Wood Ducks in Mark S Burnham Provincial Park. Eight flew off but two remained for a few moments, and I was able to get a picture. Carl Welbourn Note: Wood Ducks nest in the park in tree cavities, sometimes 50 feet or more Read more…
Sightings
Probable Whooping Crane sighting at Curve Lake First Nation
On Friday, May 6, I was watching a Turkey Vulture circling overhead at Curve Lake, when a large, bright white bird with black wing tips and long legs flew past it, heading west. The black was definitely limited to the primary feathers. There was no black in the secondaries, which Read more…
Sightings
Spectacular Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, just in from Central America, once again turning up at local feeders
I was happy to see two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in my backyard in Peterborough this morning…May 5, 2016 ~ 0800 a.m. Trudy Gibson Note: I had a male grosbeak on May 5, too, at about 6 PM. They love black oil sunflower seed. D.M.
Columns
Birding Adventures in Boquete, Panama: Part Two
You cannot go far in Boquete without noticing the bird activity. Rufous-collared Sparrows, House Wrens and Clay-coloured Robins pour out their songs from gardens and rooftops; pairs of Blue-gray Tanagers fly in unison from tree to tree; Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds buzz about at spectacular Hibiscus and Bougainvillea bushes; Blue-crowned Motmots glean Read more…
Columns
Birding Adventures in Boquete, Panama: Part One
We heard the quetzals before we saw them. Their resonant yelping call notes emanated from high up in the ancient trees bordering the trail. At first, I only got frustrating glimpses of the iridescent green back and throat. The small flock was moving about in the thick foliage and feeding Read more…
Columns
Winter Finch Forecast: Learn who’s coming for dinner at your feeder this winter
Late September through to the end of October is usually the busiest time of year at my backyard feeders. This year is no exception. At least two dozen White-throated Sparrows, along with lesser numbers of White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Blue Jays, House Finches, American Goldfinches, Northern Cardinals and Black-capped Chickadees Read more…
Columns
Nomads from the North – expect small numbers of Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls this winter
At the rate I’ve been going through sunflower seed this fall, a second mortgage is looking like a distinct possibility. The dozen or so Purple Finches that have been with us since mid-September have been particularly voracious eaters. However, I’m not complaining. Although these attractive birds show up at our Read more…
Columns
Adventures in Nova Scotia: Up close with a pair of Humpbacked Whales during a wonderful exploration of the Annapolis Valley
I didn’t know whether to simply stare in awe or risk missing part of the show by attempting to get the perfect picture. Swimming alongside our whale-watching boat were two enormous Humpback Whales, a 40-50 foot female and her only slightly smaller calf. The two cetaceans moved gently up and Read more…
Columns
A Spring Pilgrimage – Looking for birds on a journey to Lake Erie country
There are few better places to enjoy the beauty of a southern Ontario spring than the woodland trails of Rondeau Provincial Park. Winding through Carolinian forests blanketed with ferns and spring wildflowers, the trails routinely provide close-up views of some of our most spectacular birds. This year, the honours Read more…
Columns
Watching woodcock: Many area residents don’t know this amazing bird even exists
With monikers such as pop-eyed shot dodger, bogsucker, sky dancer and timberdoodle, the American Woodcock may have the most evocative nicknames of any bird. This game specie’s real claim to fame, however, is its spring courtship flight, in which males fly high overhead on twittering wings before returning sharply to Read more…
Columns
Ontario’s Important Bird Areas – Protecting our heritage of birds
The spectacle of bird migration that occurs twice each year in Canada has few equals anywhere on Earth. Billions of birds leave Canada every autumn for locations to the south, only to return the following spring and once again announce the change of season. Many of these migrating birds depend Read more…
CLIMATE CHANGE COLUMNS
This Winter of Extremes – local birders are noticing uncommon waterfowl turning up
By just about any measure, we have had a crazy winter, and not just in eastern North America. With near-record drought in California, unprecedented floods in England and unparalleled warmth in Alaska, it has been a winter of frightening extremes. Dr. Jennifer Francis, a climatologist at Rutgers University in New Read more…
Columns
Science in Your Own Backyard (Great Backyard Bird Count & Citizen Science)
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