The Peterborough Field Naturalists (PFN), led by Paul Elliot, held a Beetles workshop at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre, Trent University. Despite the challenges of a power outage, Paul presented an excellent slide show to help us tell a beetle from other insects and how to identify many of the most common families. We then went outside and used sweep nets, pond nets and other techniques to find beetles. Back in the Environment Centre we used microscopes to help with identification. Of course we all wanted to know exactly which species we had found, but Paul coached us to work on identifying the beetles to family level. Our list for the day included beetles from the following families: Curulionidae, Carabidae, Chrysomelidae, Scarabaeidae, Elateridae, Buprestidae and Meloidae. We also found various other non-beetle invertebrates: springtail, ant, earwig, spider and millipede.

While our intense focus was on beetles, PFN members were also diligent in general observation. Among bird species active nearby the following list was generated: Black-capped Chickadee, House Wren, Song Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Great-crested Flycatcher, American Robin, Blue Jay and Eastern Pheobe. The House Wren had a cavity nest in the posts of a covered structure, while the Eastern Phoebe had a nest at the entrance to the Environment Centre building. An Eastern Milk Snake was found near the House Wren nest. We heard Gray Tree Frogs and saw Green Frogs.
(Photographed June 17, 2016 at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)