A Norfolk Naturalist

An amateur Naturalist in Southern Ontario who wants to observe the creatures all around us. For more pictures, follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/norfolknaturalist/ . And please check out my new blog with more nature observations, species profiles and book reviews @   https://norfolknaturalist.ca/

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A New Post is up on my blog, about an amazingly camouflaged Moth, the Maple Looper Moth! https://norfolknaturalist.ca/2023/07/25/8-maple-looper-moth/

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A New Post is up on my blog! It’s about this beautiful Leafhopper I found in my backyard, June 2018.

https://norfolknaturalist.ca/2023/06/24/7-leafhopper-errastunus-ocellaris/

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A New Post is up on my blog at norfolknaturalist.ca! It features some photos taken by one of the lead editors of this book, M. Brock Fenton (and also features research from this book too)! Check it out to learn about Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus). . . . . . . . #bats #bigbrownbat #eptesicusfuscus #batecology #mammalogy #ontariobats #mammalsofinstagram #norfolknature #blognorfolk https://www.instagram.com/p/CoxDik8OT0t/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Last year in August, I went on a night time hike with the Norfolk Field Naturalists and listened in on some hunting flying mammals! Check out my blogpost at norfolknaturalist.ca for more about this experience! . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #bats #batdetector #chiroptera #nighthike #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #norfolkfieldnaturalists #batsofinstagram (at Norfolk County, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnMVAYNuBPt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) in Pinery Provincial Park, December 2018. These birds forage for invertebrates and seeds and will cache seeds (hammering them into the trunks of trees with their beaks). They make their nests inside of tree cavities, either naturally forming or left behind by woodpeckers. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #tuftedtitmouse #baeolophusbicolor #pineryprovincialpark #pinery #birdstagram #winterbirds #birdingdaily (at Pinery Provincial Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmzUQMrJMql/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) in Port Rowan, December 2021. These beautiful birds are my first of 18 photos highlighted over my blogging year (December 2021 to November 2022) in my latest post on norfolknaturalist.ca. Check it out for some amazing creatures I observed over this past year in Norfolk County and some of the things I learned about them. . . . #nature #naturephotography #ontario #ontariobirding #ontarionature #norfolkcountywildlife #norfolkwild #gonorfolk #blognorfolk #blogwriter #scienceblogger #photosnature (at Port Rowan, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmrvpKlpVQp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Merry Christmas from our Backyard Birds! . Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis), Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hiemalis), Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), and Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). All photos taken today, Christmas 2022! . . . . . #nature #backyardbirds #backyardbirdsofinstagram #christmasbirds #christmas2022 #blackcappedchickadee #redbreastednuthatch #darkeyedjunco #mourningdove #downywoodpecker #redbelliedwoodpecker #backyardbirding #birdfeeder #birdingphotography #norfolkcountywildlife #blognorfolk #gonorfolk (at Simcoe, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmmJ0MYOyaD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Great Egret (Ardea alba) in Long Point, September 2022. Check out my latest post at norfolknaturalist.ca! It's my overview of this past blogging year since today marks the 3rd anniversary of my website! . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #blogger #blogversary #norfolkphotographer #norfolkcountyontario #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #ecology #sciencewriting (at Long Point, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CllYW51urkl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) in Long Point, October 2021. Turkey vultures are classic scavengers, hunting down dead animals to eat, but what about more traditional predators? Check out my latest blogpost: Eaters of the Dead, at norfolknaturalist.ca for a slightly Halloween themed topic. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #longpoint #turkeyvulture #cathartesaura #scavengers #carrion #ecology #foodwebs #happyhalloween #birds_adored #birdphotographer (at Long Point, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkX8rWpOc1h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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North American Spur-throated Grasshopper (Melanoplus sp.) in my backyard, September 2018. Grasshoppers in this genus feed on many different kinds of grass and other plants, occasionally feeding on fruits or even tree bark. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #melanoplus #grasshopper #spurthroatedgrasshopper #grasshoppers #orthoptera #naturephotography #macrophotography #entomology #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #backyardgarden #simcoeontario #norfolkcountyca (at Simcoe, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjP4IolO9qq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Transverse-Banded Flower Fly (Eristalis transversa), in my backyard, September 2018. These beautiful flies visit many different kinds of flowers in a variety of habitats, and are important pollinators. Larvae of this species are unknown. . . . For more photos and natural history check out my blog at norfolknaturalist.ca. . . . #nature #ontario #transversebandedflowerfly #eristalis #eristalistransversa #flowerflies #syrphidae #diptera #dipteraofinstagram #macrophotography #blognorfolk #norfolkwild #norfolkphotographer (at Simcoe, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjDBL5kO5O7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Robber Fly (Neoitamus orphne) hunting Carpenter Ant Queen (Camponotus novaeboracensis) in Algonquin Provincial Park, July 2017. This is one of my Top 20 Nature Photos for 2013-2020. I discuss both predator and prey species ecology and natural history in my latest blogpost at norfolknaturalist.ca! . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #robberfly #carpenterant #camponotus #neoitamus #camponotusnovaeboracensis #algonquinprovincialpark #algonquin #campingnature #insects_of_our_world #raw_insects #entomology #predation #predatorprey (at Algonquin Park, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci934apAFSE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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An Ant Queen about to embark on her forst flight from a grass stem in my backyard, September 2018. Many ant species coordinate the departure of their queens and males (the only flighted individuals in an ant colony) with other colonies nearby by reacting to tenperature and rainfall cues. This ant, if successful in mating and finding a location to start a nest, could begin a colony of thousands. . . . . For more nature observations and photos check out my blog at norfolknaturalist.ca. . . . #nature #ontario #ants #antqueen #flyingant #backyardwildlife #macrophotography #antsofinstagram #antscanada #simcoeontario #blognorfolk #backyardnature #insectsworld (at Simcoe, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CixAHMluA3f/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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American Green Winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) in Long Point, March 2022. These beautiful ducks are the smallest species of dabbling duck (Anatinae) in North America. Find out about these little ducks in my blogpost about them at norfolknaturalist.ca! . . . . . #nature #ontario #greenwingedteal #anascarolinensis #teals #ducksofinstagram #ducks #longpointontario #longpointbirds #ontariobirding #naturephotography #duckphotography #blognorfolk #norfolkwild #gonorfolk (at Long Point, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CikGc_yOwnq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Bold Jumper (Phidippus audax) feeding on a Clouded Sulphur Butterfly (Colias philodice), in my Parents' Garden, September 2018. Bold Jumping Spiders are distributed across North and Central America, feeding on basically any insect they can catch. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #boldjumpingspider #boldjumper #phidippus #phidippusaudax #cloudedsulphur #coliasphilodice #jumpingspider #tinypredator #macrophotography #gardenecology #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #ontariospiders (at Norfolk County, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiPgV_quhSj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Hatchling Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) that I moved off of a busy road onto the Lynn Valley Trail the other night. It's generally advised not to relocate turtles but it is advised to move them safely away from vehicle traffic. Mid August to September is when Snapping Turtles generally hatch and begin their journeys to the nearest source of water, so keep your eyes out for them. Upon hatching they are only a few cm long. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #snappingturtle #chelydraserpentina #turtlesofinstagram #turtlesofig #ontarioherps #herpstagram #reptilesofinstagram #reptilesofontario #ontarionature #lynnvalleytrail #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #simcoeontario (at Lynn Valley Walking Trail) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiFooAEgEEm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Due to some sort of error on my part, my blogpost didn't post today and was instead backdated to May of this year... so here's a picture of a juvenile Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to compensate and to tell you that my new post about my Long Point observations in March is now at the top of my blogfeed at norfolknaturalist.ca. Check it out! . . . . . . #nature #ontarionature #baldeagle #juvenilebaldeagle #haliaeetusleucocephalus #blognorfolk #norfolknature #norfolkcounty #norfolkcountyontario #longpointontario (at Long Point, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch5vuzvpQcJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=