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An urban naturalist's progress

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Category Archives: nature

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Dendroica: a great tool for learning birdsong

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Van WaffleMay 23, 2014
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Every spring I review my birdsong recognition skills in time to run my route for the annual Breeding Bird Survey sometime around the summer solstice. One great tool for refreshing my memory is Dendroica, a program on NatureInstruct website. It … Continue reading →

Posted in nature | Tagged birding by ear | Leave a reply

Birding by ear: rose-breasted grosbeak

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Van WaffleMay 12, 2014
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Opening the back door this morning, I heard a rose-breasted grosbeak squeak at me from the neighbour’s tree. He sat long enough for a nice look, then flew over our backyard and disappeared in the trees. He didn’t fly far … Continue reading →

Posted in nature | Tagged birding by ear, city birds, rose-breasted grosbeak | 2 Replies

A pressed ash leaf

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Van WaffleNovember 6, 2013
1

This summer I noticed some unexpected trees deep in the woods, high on a ridge near the cottage. Compound leaves like these are typical of ashes and walnuts, but I had never seen either in the area. To add to … Continue reading →

Posted in nature | Tagged black ash, fraxinus, green ash, trees | 1 Reply

Woollybear

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Van WaffleSeptember 25, 2013
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Woollybear caterpillars are a common sight this time of year. Danny and I keep finding them on our walks, which we have been making a daily habit to fend off the fall doldrums. The old gravel roadway, which circles our … Continue reading →

Posted in nature | Tagged insects, isabella tiger moth, woollybear caterpillar | 1 Reply

Autumnal insect music

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Van WaffleSeptember 23, 2013
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Most of the wildflowers are past. All but a few butterflies and dragonflies have disappeared. But as the softening golden light of September draws us to wander through meadow tapestries and glowing woodlands, as long as the weather stays mild, … Continue reading →

Posted in nature | Tagged cicadas, crickets, grasshopers, insect sounds, katydids, orthoptera | Leave a reply

Common wood nymph, Cercyonis pegala

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Van WaffleAugust 7, 2013
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On a Sunday morning photo ramble through the conservation area, I encountered this demure but lovely butterfly. It is Cercyonis pegala, the common wood nymph. Several of them fluttered around the meadow where the main wildflowers in bloom included Queen … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, photography | Tagged butterflies, cercyonis pegala, common wood nymph | Leave a reply

Not so demure lady’s slipper

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Van WaffleJune 26, 2013
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Cypripedium acaule is one of the treasures of our cottage property. This not-so-discrete lady shows her stuff every spring, but usually in early June, a time I choose to stay away because the blackflies are so bad. This only increases … Continue reading →

Posted in nature | Tagged cypripedium acaule, lady's slipper orchid, wildflowers | 3 Replies

Highlights from my 2013 Breeding Bird Survey

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Van WaffleJune 25, 2013
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On Sunday morning I ran my annual route for the international Breeding Bird Survey. It is one of my favourite events of the year. The challenge of getting out of bed at 3:45 am, arriving at the beginning of the … Continue reading →

Posted in nature | Tagged bbs, birding, breeding bird survey, olive-sided flycatcher, wild turkey, winter wren, wood duck | 8 Replies

How to celebrate Summer Solstice

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Van WaffleJune 20, 2013
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The longest day of the year has inspired rituals and celebrations for as long as our ancestors turned their eyes to the sky in wonder. If you go outside at dawn on June 21 it is not hard to believe … Continue reading →

Posted in nature, spirituality | Tagged aerial insectivores, birding, breeding bird survey, citizen scientists, olive-sided flycatcher, summer solstice | 4 Replies

Loss of habitat in Guelph’s west end

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Van WaffleJune 19, 2013
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  This guest post by Mike Lepage is adapted by permission from a recent note to the Wellington County birding email hotline. I took the above photo yesterday.   The Paisley Road/Elmira Road area of Guelph has been under progressive … Continue reading →

Posted in Guelph, nature | Tagged birding, Guelph, habitat, urbanization | Leave a reply

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