Dave Ellis: June Photography Recap
/Dave Ellis is an Omemee-area wildlife photographer. PTBOCanada often features his work in our Good Morning PTBO posts, where a single shot captures a moment of time in nature.
Peterborough Blogs
May Photo Recap with Dave Ellis
/Local wildlife photographer Dave Ellis shares his captures from the month of May; featuring many different environments and species of wildlife all over Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
PTBOCanada often features his work in our ‘Good Morning PTBO’ posts, which you can find on our social media accounts.
City of Peterborough Participating in Upcoming City Nature Challenge
/The City of Peterborough has joined the City Nature Challenge (CNC), a global bioblitz competition to record nature sightings within Peterborough municipal boundaries from April 28 to May 1.
photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.
Tracking nature observations is valuable to help understand the biodiversity of local species and assists in identifying population changes over time. Many wildlife populations are at risk of declining with habitat loss being the most significant hazard impacting Ontario species.
On Saturday, April 29, an in-person bio-blitz is scheduled at Jackson Park (610 Parkhill Rd.) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The City is partnering with the Peterborough Field Naturalists to lead the Jackson Park bio-blitz. Specific wildlife-themed searches will occur, including bird, plants, mushrooms and insect counts.
To aid in recording wildlife observations during the bio-blitz, the iNaturalist app will be used to upload sightings of species spotted through the use of a unique Peterborough project event page. In addition, any nature observations recorded from April 28 to May 1 in Peterborough are eligible for the CNC competition and can be posted to the Peterborough iNaturalist page.
“The City Nature Challenge is citizen science in action. I invite residents to join us on April 29 for the BioBlitz. This event is a great opportunity for residents to connect with each other and with nature at Jackson Park, a well-loved urban park that is home to many forms of wildlife. Information gathered during the BioBlitz will support scientific research and contribute to our understanding of how climate change impacts biodiversity,” said Councillor Joy Lachica, Chair of the City’s Environment and Climate Change portfolio.
All observations will be verified by volunteers to confirm the correct species identification uploaded to iNaturalist. The CNC will tally the total confirmed observations from participating communities world-wide and announce the winners for the most sightings per community’s population size and area. A detailed schedule of the event will be posted online.
To learn more about how to participate, visit Peterborough City Nature Challenge web page.
Dave Ellis 2023 Kawartha Lakes Wildlife Calendars For Sale
/Start the year off right by purchasing a 2023 Kawartha Lakes Wildlife calendar, featuring special photographs of local wildlife by Omemee-based photographer Dave Ellis.
Photo by Samantha Bianco.
The calendars are made by a local printing company with heavy weight paper and high quality photo printing. Each photo is 11 x 8.5 inches so the calendar measures 11 x 17 inches when hanging. It is bound in the middle with a spiral coil.
Him and his wife, Astrid, designed the calendars and the pictures they contain.
“We started early this year so that the calendars will be available in time for Christmas. They make a very nice, reasonably priced Christmas gift that you can enjoy all year,” says Ellis.
Ellis notes that the costs to produce and deliver the calendars went up, “just like everything else has this year,” but wanted to keep the calendars affordable as a gift or personal purchase, so they are not raising their price. Calendars will continue selling for $25 per calendar including delivery in the local area, just like years prior.
If you’re interested in ordering send an email to wildlife@eastlink.ca and Ellis will send you the information needed to purchase a calendar.
“I really enjoy sharing my photos of our local wildlife with all of you and I look forward to meeting you when we deliver the calendars,” continues Ellis. “We hope you like the calendars and thank you for your support.”
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Dave Ellis 2023 Kawartha Lakes Wildlife Calendars For Sale
/Start the year off right by purchasing a 2023 Kawartha Lakes Wildlife calendar, featuring special photographs of local wildlife by Omemee-based photographer Dave Ellis.
The calendars are made by a local printing company with heavy weight paper and high quality photo printing. Each photo is 11 x 8.5 inches so the calendar measures 11 x 17 inches when hanging. It is bound in the middle with a spiral coil.
Him and his wife, Astrid, designed the calendars and the pictures they contain.
“We started early this year so that the calendars will be available in time for Christmas. They make a very nice, reasonably priced Christmas gift that you can enjoy all year,” says Ellis.
Ellis notes that the costs to produce and deliver the calendars went up, “just like everything else has this year,” but wanted to keep the calendars affordable as a gift or personal purchase, so they are not raising their price. Calendars will continue selling for $25 per calendar including delivery in the local area, just like years prior.
If you are interested to see a preview of the calendars, please send an email to wildlife@eastlink.ca and Ellis will send you the information needed to order a calendar.
“I really enjoy sharing my photos of our local wildlife with all of you and I look forward to meeting you when we deliver the calendars,” continues Ellis. “We hope you like the calendars and thank you for your support.”
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.
Peterborough Zoo Offering Guided Tours This Summer
/Beginning July 2, the Riverview Park and Zoo will offer pre-booked guided tours of the zoo area announced in a press release on Friday.
Riverview Park and Zoo is the only accredited zoo in Canada with free admission. File Photo.
Like the admission, tours of the zoo are free however donations are strongly encouraged. Families of up to 10 people will be accommodated and booking will be available starting Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. A link will become available on their tour page for bookings at that time.
“We are so excited to welcome guests back for oneway guided treks of the zoo this summer,” said Cathy Mitchell, Program Supervisor. “We are ramping up, hiring staff, training volunteers, putting up barriers to the exhibits and adding more sanitizer stations.”
Riverview Park and Zoo has been operating in Peterborough since 1933. File Photo.
Several zoo amenities remain closed until further notice such as the splash pad, gift shop, snack bar, train ride and picnic shelters. The playground, disc golf course, park areas and park trails remain open for use.
Mitchell urges families to continue social distancing with other patrons and animals as the latter are vulnerable to the virus.
“As we have eight species of animals who are susceptible to COVID-19, we are asking all visitors do their part to protect these animals and remain at a two-metre distance from the animal exhibits at all times while on tours,” she said.
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A Peterborough Family Saved A Baby Beaver In The Kawarthas & We're Not Crying, You're Crying
/It’s not often that you get to rescue one of Canada’s national wildlife treasures but on Sunday (June 7th), that’s exactly what Stony Lake island cottager Tracy Turner and her family did—saving a baby beaver (aka “beaver kit”) that was in despair.
Photo by Tracy Turner of baby beaver she rescued
“It was so sweet and happy to see me,” Turner, who resides in Peterborough, writes in a Facebook post that has garnered grateful comments from across Canada.
“It was stuck in a pool of water between two rocks at the side of the island. For the past two or three days I kept hearing what sounded like a cat meow. Today, I went and checked it out. I dislodged a stick that was blocking his way out and he went right into my hands and onto my paddle board. Just dropped it off to the Kawartha Wildlife Centre. They think he/she is around 2 or 3 weeks old and left the den when its parents didn’t come for him. ❤️ We miss our little friend already.”
Photo by Tracy Turner of baby beaver she rescued
“Just reading some of the comments on Facebook, I’m so overwhelmed by the positive response and how happy this has made people,” Turner tells PTBOCanada, elaborating on how the rescue went down to us:
”When I heard the cries while out on my paddle board, I cautiously moved closer to the rock face of our island. I looked around, trying to find the source of the cry but also not wanting to disrupt a nest or something like that. Then I noticed a rock that sat away from the shore a bit and very slowly peered into the pool of water behind it. I saw this furry little head and he seemed so happy to see me, scrambling and crying and trying to get to me.
A branch had fallen and was lodged where he was trying to get out. As soon as I moved it, he climbed out of there so fast! I had long gardening gloves on that my stepdaughter Molly brought me because I didn’t want to get bit but he was just so small he wanted to be cared for. I picked him up with my paddle and he sat on my board with me, letting me put my hands around him. Molly bravely got in the cold lake water and pushed us to the dock where Matt, my husband, had a towel waiting. He was happy to be snuggled up.”
What the baby beaver was transported in during the ride to Kawartha Wildlife Centre (photo by Tracy Turner)
Turner says that Kawartha Wildlife Centre team in Ennismore was simply amazing to deal with.
“Matt emailed the Kawartha Wildlife Centre in Ennismore. They responded almost immediately and I was overjoyed that they would take him. I was worried about having to keep the baby overnight with us as we were all worried that he had been without food for at least a few days that we knew of or maybe longer.”
The baby was transported by boat and then car to the wildlife centre. “The little beaver did not like the boat ride over to the marina from the island so we went slow,” Turner tells PTBOCanada. “But the whole car ride in to town he got all curled up in the towel and slept. Imagine how tired he must have been. The women at Kawartha Wildlife Centre were so amazing with him and knew exactly what to do. He made such an impact on our family and I’m just so grateful to everyone who helped us.”
Thom Luloff, Chair of the Kawartha Wildlife Centre’s Board of Directors
At the Kawartha Wildlife Centre, the dedicated Wildlife Care Team of staff and volunteers provided care around the clock. The beaver was stabilized after several days of dehydration and exposure to the elements.
Photo by Tracy Turner
And more good news: Kawartha Wildlife Centre shared our Facebook post on the beaver kit with the update that the baby has been transported to Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Rosseau, Ontario, where they have another beaver kit, so they’ll be able to grow up together.
”Most mammals leave the safety of mom’s protection after a few months, but beavers need to stay in care for two years before they’re ready to find their own pond,” Kawartha Wildlife Centre adds in the post.
(As for the beaver’s gender, Kawartha Wildlife Centre tells us “we actually aren't sure. They have internal reproductive organs so the test is a little invasive for them.”)
You can watch video of the baby beaver here that Tracy’s husband Matt captured…
Make someone’s day and share this inspiring post…
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That Moment When Rescued Eggs Start To Hatch At Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre
/Many of the injured female turtles that come in to Ontario Turtle Conversation Centre in Peterborough are gravid (with eggs) so the team there is always on the watch for them.
They also harvest deceased females' eggs, incubate them and when hatched, return the young turtles to their mother's home wetland. Pictured below on July 13th are OTCC's Margaret and Amanda who are busy planting eggs that were collected that morning.
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Toward the end of July is always exciting for the team at OTCC, as that's when many eggs start to hatch. Indeed, according to their Facebook page post OTCC has admitted 685 turtles to date, collected over 3,200 eggs and their admitted turtles continue to lay eggs on a daily basis.
Here are some of those eggs hatching the other day...
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Everytime you rescue an injured turtle—even one that is severely injured—and bring it to OTCC, imagine this: You might well be saving many turtle lives all at once.
For more info on OTCC, click here.
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A 31 Pound Male Snapping Turtle That We'll Call Chill Was Saved From Ice After Coming Out Of Hibernation Early
/On February 28th, Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre staff had to act quickly when responding to a call from a homeowner in the Selwyn area near Peterborough.
A turtle—we'll call him Chill—had apparently emerged from hibernation early, likely because of the warm weather. When OTCC got to the shoreline, they could see that the back end of the turtle was out of the water, while his head and forelimbs were submerged through a hole in the ice.
It almost looked like an elephant head was emerging from the ice...
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
With a coldsnap expected, this 31-pound turtle would certainly not survive much longer without swift action. Staff assessed the situation and decided to attempt a rescue.
Here is a staff member making the rescue...
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Chill was removed from the ice and transported safely to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.
Here he is chilling out back at OTCC headquarters in Peterborough...
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
On Friday, OTCC gave an update to the public about Chill on their Facebook page, along with these pictures below. They say he has been receiving daily treatments and recuperating well.
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Picture via OTCC Facebook page
Chill will be ready for release in the area they found the big guy once the weather is consistently nice. These turtles can live up to 100 years old, so this old guy—"He has been walking the earth for a long, long time," OTCC says on their Facebook page. "His shell is worn, and he has many scars from different times that have all healed"—now can count some more good years ahead of him.
If you would like to make a donation that will go towards the care of this turtle and others like him, visit the OTCC website here. And never attempt to rescue a turtle on the ice—contact OTCC at 705.741.5000.
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When An Owl Hit His Car Sunday Night, A Peterborough Man Put It In His Car & Took It To Vet
/Karl Lawson—aka "Kawartha Karl"—felt a thud on Sunday night (January 21st) driving home to Peterborough from Lakefield. Turns it was an owl which obviously had its bell rung hitting Karl's car.
Crash The Owl
