20th Annual Petroglyphs Butterfly Count: The compiling of the July 21st butterfly count is finally finished and final results have been submitted to the North America Butterfly Association. A total of 55 species were recorded, slightly above the average for the last few years. The Indian Skipper found in the Park Read more…
Black Bear at Chemong Lake Just a report of a Black Bear on August 1. It was large. I couldn’t get a photo as I wasn’t going to open the door. It came right up to our roadside door as I was standing there and yelling for my husband to Read more…
After a slow start this summer, the number of Giant Swallowtail sightings/reports appears to be increasing. “We have a resident Giant Swallowtail in our garden in Keene. It particularly likes the pink Phlox.” Susan Vance “On August 26, we paddled Read more…
We have a sweet smelling Abelia shrub that is proving to be very popular with the insect population. Visitors this month include our first and so far only Monarch, a Black Swallowtail, a White Admiral, and two hawkmoths, including the Hummingbird Clearwing and the Nessus Sphinx, the latter new to Read more…
On June 14, while sitting in my screened room in Millbrook, this moth plummeted down from the heavens and landed on the table beside me. I have no idea where he came from. Perhaps he was sleeping along the rafter and fell(?) I thought he was dead. After looking at Read more…
When it comes to seeing new species of plants and animals, a certain amount of effort is usually required. This might mean traveling to new locations and walking considerable distances. There is, however, a way to enjoy nature’s diversity that can appeal to even the most sedentary among us. Welcome Read more…
I was lucky to come across this Red-headed Woodpecker on May 21, 2016, at my home on Northey’s Bay Road on the north shore of Stoney Lake. I had never seen one and haven’t seen one since. In August 9, 2016, we also had a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth feeding at Read more…
I have spent some evenings this summer with some of my moth friends of the Noctuid group. Underwings, (genus – Catocala), are a fascinating bunch when one puts out bait repeatedly, night after night, to attract them. Some, like most nocturnal moths, will come to lights at night, but nothing Read more…
I was doing maintenance in the vegetable garden today and found three very large and healthy Tomato Hornworms which will soon pupate and become a Five-spotted Hawkmoth. I placed them on some tomato seedlings that came up in the compost pile as the larvae have a sweet tooth for the Read more…
Here are some sightings of interest from this past week (July 25 – 31, 2016)) at my brother’s cottage on Big Gull Lake, south of Bon Echo Provincial Park. Family group of Cooper’s Hawks. Two or three very vocal juveniles, “whistling” loudly. As big as adults. A covey of 8 Read more…
The Hummingbird Clearwing Moths are back, coming to our phlox flowers the past couple of days. Gwen Forsyth, Lakefield, ON
I saw my first “hummingbird” moths this weekend (three on June 4) nectaring at petunias. One was looking very tattered, but still able to fly and feed… Gwen Forsyth, Lakefield Note: The so-called hummingbird moths are in the Sphingidae family (sphinx moths). Some come to flowers at dusk, where they Read more…
Sighting date: June 1, 2016 Location: Bridgenorth, Ontario This beautiful female Luna moth was on a piece of plywood where there is some construction going on at the NAPA store in Bridgenorth. I took a couple pictures then moved her out of the way so the guys could get to Read more…
The Kawarthas is home to at least 100 species of butterflies, 135 kinds of dragonflies and damselflies and a thousand or more different moths. Learning to identify the more common species is a great way to connect to the natural world around us and get kids interested in nature. Butterflies Read more…
We were on the Incredible Edibles Farm Tour yesterday (July 10, 2015) in Campbellford and came upon this beautiful Luna Moth on the side of the house at the Haute-Goat Farm. The time was about 10:45 a.m. Jill Purcell
I don’t know how rare or common these Hummingbird Clearwing moths are in this area, but I’d never seen or heard of one before. It visited my Monardas at about 5 p.m. on August 12. It was pretty amazing to watch a moth fly and hover like a hummingbird. For Read more…
We saw this Cecropia moth on May 28th at the shed at the Transfer Station …. Quite a stunner, up close. Michael Gillespie, Keene
Although it would be nice to spend the entire winter in a sleeping bag made of silk, that could be very expensive, and of course, we humans cannot enter such a prolonged period of sleep. But what about other creatures? Creatures that can simply “make their own” silk sleeping bags? Read more…