Diario del proyecto Otty Lake

This warm weather has really brought out the insects and flowers. We are starting to see fledgling birds and every log in the lake seems to have a turtle on it. We are at 2838 observations for the Otty Lake project so the challenge for the next month is to hit 3000. Get out there and document life along your waterfront. If you are using a cell phone camera you may want to look for a magnifier app. Just this morning a tiny jumping spider landed on my foot and I was able to get a good enough picture for a positive ID.

This year has been a banner year for iNat observations. We are up 510 observations and 129 species from 2021. People around the lake have documented everything from owls to turtles to dragonflies with a good selection of plants and fungi! This week common mergansers are migrating through in large numbers (over 300 in one flock). There were several reports of large numbers of Asian Lady Beetles coming into houses this fall and the beavers have been particularly active on the lake. Thankfully there were not as many Spongy moth sightings. Keep up the great work documenting the seasons on Otty Lake!

The first OLA nature flotilla is on Sat. July 16 from 10-noon at the north end of the lake. This is a great opportunity to learn about iNaturalist and to add observations to the Otty Lake project. We are up to 1080 species so far and have 83 observers. The flotilla would be a perfect time to get out that waterproof camera. Can you take a closeup of water plants to check for invasive species? Can you get a pic of the gull or osprey? Are the sunfish still hanging around on their nests? What about that showy shoreline flower? So bring your camera or pop your cell phone into a waterproof bag and join the other naturalists documenting the incredible diversity of life on our lake.

Looks like we have at least one more snowstorm before the spring weather sets in but we are already seeing signs of the changing season. We had our first grackles visit the deck today and some folks around the lake have noticed a change in birds at their feeders. Finches will be heading north and our migrants should be returning soon. Let’s document the first of the season. Has anyone noticed leaf buds forming? In another month spring ephemerals will be appearing. Who will be the first to hear a loon call or a kingfisher rattle? By documenting these events we can contribute to our knowledge of climate change and note the impacts on Otty Lake.

Postings have slowed down now that we are into the cooler weather but there is still lots to document. We have surpassed 2200 observations of over 1000 species. Some notable ones include an Elephant Water Flea, Zebra Mussels, Fishing Spiders, Common Mergansers and Trumpeter Swans, and fabulous fall fungi. Now is the time to search through your camera roll and post pictures from the summer. As long as you know the date, time and location, you can post historical shots. With the fresh snow it is an excellent time to observe animal tracks. Make sure to include a scale such as a ruler, hand or set of keys in your pictures to make them easier to identify.

Thanks to “charrob” we surpassed 2000 observations and have expanded the list of the plants of Otty Lake. “Jennj” posted trail camera footage of the three little bears and “parasitengona” continues to add new species almost daily, bringing the count to 964. Now is the time to document fall flowers, hatchling turtles and migrating birds. We still need pics of common fish such as perch and rock bass. Can we reach 1000 species this month?

Wow - we are up to 1816 observations and 852 species! Folks are documenting lots of neat invertebrates including crayfish, bristle tails, tree cattle, wasps and dragonflies. Flowers are in bloom and fabulous fungi have appeared with the wet weather.
As we head towards 900 species try to get photos from multiple angles, use a magnifier (check out apps for your cell phone), include something for scale and use the comment section to give additional information. Over time it gets easier as you will learn what features are important for identifying each group.

Consider joining the iNaturalist community in documenting the biodiversity of Ontario by submitting observations on July 1st. A project has been created called “Canada 154 Bioblitz - Ontario” that will collect all observations from the province on Canada Day. So, by contributing sightings to the Otty Lake project on the holiday, you automatically will be adding to the province wide bioblitz. Last year they logged over 26,300 observations more than 4300 species!

We passed 700 species identified in the project when Bruce posted a photo of Common Green Darner dragonfly we saw while we were out in the canoe. Several new folks have joined and they contributed to recording the timing of spring species. Many of the migrants have moved off but we are starting to see young of the year including ducklings and fawns. Let’s keep up the momentum documenting life on the lake as the summer season slowly begins.

This mild weather seems to have jump started encounters with spring species. Folks already have reported wildflowers, garter snakes, beetles, spiders and the return of nesting birds such as tree swallows. What are the signs of the season you look for around the lake? Has anyone seen turtles basking, trees budding, flowers blooming, birds nesting, or fish spawning? Let’s record the first dates for your observations as the season progresses.