The Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) present Members’ Night, 6:30 to 9pm, Thursday, March 9, at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. This popular annual event features several speakers with a variety of Nature topics to share.
Audrey Armstrong of the OSFN Publications Committee is delighted to announce that “You are invited to arrive early and join us for the Book Launch and Sale of Vascular Plant List Bruce & Grey, 5th Edition, from 6:30 to 7pm. During this time you will have the opportunity to purchase (cash or cheque) copies of the book at the early bird price of $20.00. When the OSFN club meeting starts at 7pm we will have a brief presentation by the compiler, Tyler Miller, who will talk about the process of revising the Vascular Plant List Bruce & Grey, including his detailed dataset for the Vascular Plant List Bruce & Grey: Compendium version.”
The 5th edition of the Vascular Plant List Bruce & Grey is a keystone publication of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists. If you want to sustain wildlife with native plants, this book will give you all the native plants, shrubs and trees for Bruce & Grey. It is an essential reference for naturalists, botanists, life science inventory specialists, land use planners, resource management agencies, and consultants who are working within Bruce and Grey Counties.
Popular hike leader and presenter, David Morris calls his remarks “What’s Up, Buttercup”. It will be a quick look at the diversity of buttercup species that can be found in this area, and some tips as to how to tell them apart. Meg Dean will present a display of Nature mementos from around North America, and Rob Wray will offer “A multi-genre photographic tour of Grey/Bruce’s natural environment, by a beginner photographer.”
The evening will also feature a second launch – of ticket sales for OSFN’s 8th annual Celebrate Earth Day Keynote Speaker event featuring Lenore Keeshig, aboard the Chi Cheemaun at 2pm Sunday April 23, and sponsored by Caframo.
Renowned storyteller, poet, author and naturalist Lenore Keeshig’s presentation is entitled “Good of the Earth” and in Lenore’s words: “In celebration of Earth Day, I want to share through stories, my understanding of Anishinaabe relationship to the land beginning with the name we call ourselves and where we come from. These stories will highlight various facets of Anishinaabe connection to the land and water, from a barren landscape to the food we eat and where we stand today in this era of Truth and Reconciliation.”
John Dickson will have the first available tickets (limited seating, still only $5. each, cash please) for this special event, for sale to those in attendance.
In addition to being LIVE at the Bayshore, OSFN also plans to offer this March 9th event as a zoom webinar. To request a ZOOM LINK please send an email, in advance, to web@osfn.ca with Members in the subject line
To learn more about OSFN, Young Naturalists, upcoming Speakers and Field Trips, etc., please visit www.osfn.ca
Wild Turkeys on a prowl under the glorious sunshine…Grey Road 25. (Photo by Fely Clarke February 21)
Congratulations to the Huron Fringe Birding Festival, on their 25th anniversary season, May 26 – 29 and June 1 – 4, 2023. celebrating birds, birding and nature! The Festival is based out of beautiful MacGregor Point Provincial Park, where events explore the rich niches of the Park, and also venture throughout the ‘Huron Fringe’ of land along Lake Huron’s shore, up the bountiful Bruce Peninsula, and to many significant natural areas of Bruce and Grey Counties.
The Festival offers an incredible 90+ events over two 4-day weekends in late May and early June! This time of year captures both the end of migration and the beginning of the nesting season, ensuring an abundance of birds. Morning, afternoon, all-day and evening events are offered daily. You can choose to attend one, some, or pick a full-Festival package! All events are led by top local, provincial and global tour leaders.
Whether your interest is strictly ‘for the birds’, or if you wish to delve into botany, photography, geology, cultural history and more, you will be sure to find interesting, informative and fun events. But sign up early as many events fill within the first few days of registration. This is one popular Festival!
I recommend you visit the website at https://huronfringebirdingfestival.ca and check out this year’s lineup so that you can select your preferred items when the HFBF registration opens March 17 at 6am.
Photo of Pine Grosbeak by William Gray – March 1, near Ben Allen
On March 4, at 11am, Grey County Master Gardeners are offering Seminar 2 of their free 2023 Eco-Responsible Gardener Seminar Series, via zoom. Entitled “The Best Plants for Ontario Food Forests”, it will feature Ben Caesar, owner of Fiddlehead Nursery in Kimberley, Ontario, as he identifies some of the easy to care for trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials that provide sustainable crop harvesting. “We will go on a virtual tour with Ben as he shows us his ever-expanding demonstration garden of the best plants for edible and beautiful landscapes. Learn how to grow a sustainable food source while helping the environment!” To learn more and to register please visit www.greycountymastergardeners.com
OSFN’s Young Naturalists (YN) Coordinator, Jody Johnson Pettit, compiled this report on their recent activities: Seven children and their caregivers attended the Owen Sound Young Naturalists hike from the Pottawatomi Memorial Forest to Jones Falls and back on Sunday, February 26. We played several rounds of owl and mouse – a predator/prey game, looked in crevices, examined tracks in the snow, ferns, moss, fungi, marveled at the escarpment and the power of the waterfall. The next meeting of the YN is scheduled for Sunday, March 26 at the Georgian Bay School for the Arts. We will be creating several nature inspired arts and crafts.
Photo by Jody Johnson PettitPhoto by Jody Johnson Pettit
Quite a few people in this area have been rewarded for their nocturnal efforts and adventures in recent weeks witnessing, first hand, many fabulous Natural (some might say Supernatural) sightings of Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis as well as unusual juxtapositions of celestial bodies in our night skies. And, in the Mediterranean, the powerful forces of Nature have recently contributed to rough seas, resulting in the destruction and sinking of sea-going vessels along with passengers and crew members, in the area of Calabria, Italy.
Lord and Lady of the Valley…(North of Kimberley, February 18 Photo by Ingrid Remkins)
To close, I have apropos Nature phenomena quotes from two sources – first from Peter Nichols’ Ruffo of Calabria, which I just happened to be reading when I heard Calabria mentioned in the news. “Often I dream that I am out riding in the mountains…It is beautiful country… The air is a soft champagne from which the cork has just that moment flown away; the breeze light, the chestnut forests a rich green marked with the cream of the blossoms.” and later “In my dreams it is all one, the prelude and the catastrophe; the relentless hot wind…followed by torrential rain and the subterranean roaring. Then the great rents in the surface of the earth…the earthquake had split the Ancient city apart…”
Secondly, from OSFN’s Earth Day Keynote Speaker of 2022, Hap Wilson, in his Dance of the Deadmen – As Jack Hornby in his nightmare dreams of the Great War was seeing “men falling, flailing, getting up again in a strange macabre dance … the dance of the deadmen” and Edgar wakes him with “Come down to the river! …The northern lights, remember, the dance of the dead Jack, they’re incredible. You can get a dandy look at them from the river” …”they walked to the centre of the frozen Thelon River…looking up into the heavens to watch the spirits dance.”
Owen Sound Field Naturalists Creates Updated Nature Guides!
The 5th edition of the Vascular Plant List Bruce & Grey is a keystone publication of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists. It is an essential reference for naturalists, botanists, life science inventory specialists, land use planners, resource management agencies and consultants who are working within Bruce and Grey Counties. The OSFN contracted Tyler Miller, Field Ecologist to digitize, revise the list and update our 5th edition. It includes 1611 taxa (species, subspecies and hybrids) for 131 families, which are listed including all locally and provincially rare plants found in the counties. This new release is designed in spiral bound print format, PDF and – for the serious botanist – a fully annotated digital compendium with dataset. All three versions will be available this spring through www.owensoundfieldnaturalists.ca
Kiah Jasper, Ontario’s new Champion Birder, will be the featured guest speaker at the Owen Sound Field Naturalists’ (OSFN) monthly Indoor Meeting, for his “2022 Big Year”. This popular gathering is also an opportunity to share your recent wildlife and Nature “Sightings”.
OSFN and I first became aware of Kiah, when he introduced himself in an email I received in January 2017, as “a 14 year old Wildlife Photographer from the Bruce”. He indicated that he had “enjoyed birding since he was young.”
Since that time Kiah has been connected to a community of helpful experts, and has become one himself, leading outings for the Bruce Birding Club, as the Compiler for the Saugeen Shores Christmas Bird Count (CBC), and he recently joined the board of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) sharing his research and suggestions on tricky ID challenges in essays and articles.
In January of 2022 he set out to challenge the Ontario Birding “Big Year” record. Using such apps as eBird and his well-developed communication skills, he has documented this journey with updates along the way, complemented by his superb photography, as he chased a new record, with several other competitors never far behind.
Here is your chance to see and hear Kiah Jasper’s story of this monumental accomplishment, first hand, at the Bayshore Community Centre, 7pm February 9.
Everyone is welcome to attend in person, and admission is free or by donation.
However, OSFN also plans to offer the presentation as a hybrid, via Zoom as well. A zoom link is emailed to OSFN club members. Others who are interested may request a zoom link, in advance, by emailing web@osfn.ca with Kiah in the subject line.
For more details about OSFN (a registered charity) on this event, the Young Naturalists Club, Nature publications, field trips and more, please visit www.osfn.ca
This just in from the Publications Committee of the OSFN:
The 5th edition of the Vascular Plant List Bruce & Grey is a keystone publication of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists. If you want to sustain wildlife with native plants, this book will give you all the native plants, shrubs and trees for Bruce & Grey. It is an essential reference for naturalists, botanists, life science inventory specialists, land use planners, resource management agencies, and consultants who are working within Bruce and Grey Counties. The OSFN approached and contracted Tyler Miller, Field Ecologist to digitize and revise the list; over the past two years he has totally updated our 5th Edition. It includes 1611 taxa (species, subspecies and hybrids) for 131 families, which are listed including all locally and provincially rare plants found in the counties. If you have an old copy of the Vascular Plant List, you will definitely want to order this new release; available in spiral bound print format, PDF and for the serious botanist, the Vascular Plant List Bruce & Grey: Compendium – a fully annotated digital version with dataset. All three versions will be available this spring through owensoundfieldnaturalists.ca
We, the Publications Committee of the OSFN, will have a table and sign up sheet for advance orders at this February 9th meeting.
The Bluewater Association for Lifelong Learning (BALL) still has two more lectures, (only on Zoom), in its “acclaimed” current series – Climate Crisis: Perspectives, Insights, and Solutions. 10am February 9, A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency with Seth Klein, a columnist Canada’s National Observer and adjunct professor with Simon Fraser University. 10am February16, So Global Warming is Real, Now What Are We Going To Do About It? with Timothy Dixon, a professor at the University of South Florida (USF), who studies earthquakes, subsidence, flooding and the Greenland Ice Sheet; and Jaqueline Dixon also of SFU, who studies Earth’s deep CO2 and water cycles that provide CO2 to the atmosphere.
When the snow began to return in later January, I was able to find enough to ski some wilderness areas where I observed beaver, lots of crows, a few ravens, hawks, and woodpeckers, including one Pileated. Now that we are into February, I am confident that we will see plenty of sunshine, with clear skies, higher than usual barometric pressure, and temperatures often cooler than last month. This is the February weather pattern I began to notice here about four decades ago.
One of our favourite birds to catch a glimpse of this time of year is a Golden eagle and we’ve had a couple of good opportunities so far this year. This one was the most accommodating but I was still having a tough time getting a good focus as it cruised overhead. This photo is cropped as it was farther up than it appears.
(Photos taken this year in Bruce County and submitted by Bob Taylor and Anne-Marie Benedict)Photo by Jody Johnson Pettit January 29
Jody Johnson Pettit, coordinator of OSFN’s Young Naturalists Club shared this report –
The snow was deep, and the wind was cold, but 15 members of the Owen Sound Young Naturalists Club, along with their parents, were troopers to search for fossils on Sunday, January 29th at the Fossil Glen Nature Reserve. Several in the group wore snowshoes to help blaze the trail. It was also an opportunity for a few of the children to try out snowshoes for the first time. The group spotted red squirrel tracks in the snow, rock formations, and halysite fossils.
(Halysites fossil in central image) Photo by Jody Johnson Pettit January 29 Classic cardinal pose in the snowy cedar on an overcast morning.
A message from Jim Penner of the Bruce Grey Woodland Association suggests that you – Mark Your Calendars: The 2023 Woodlot Conference will return to an in-person format. The date is Saturday March 25th at the Elmwood Community Centre. The following is the tentative Agenda:
9:00 – 9:30 Registration 9:30 – 9:40 Opening remarks and administration 9:40 – 10:25 Willet’s Woods Rehabilitation – John Willet – LindsayTownship. 10:25 – 11:10 Moths – Brian Robin – OS Field Naturalist. 11:10 – 11:55 Forest Health – MNRF specialist or CFIA specialist 11:55 – 12:05 Draws 12:05 – 1:15 Lunch and view exhibits 1:15 – 1:20 Award of Merit Presentation – Bruce Grey Woodlands Association 1:20 – 1:30 Draws 1:30 – 2:15 Grading Standing Timber – Joe Allen. 2:15 – 3:00 Why Your Neighbour Gets More for Their Harvested Woodlot – Terry Schwann. 3:00 – 3:10 Evaluation and details of Sunday tour.
Registration fees are $30 if you pre-register and $40 at the door. To pre-register please email your name and email address to: Info@gbwc.blog If you are registering other attendees please provide their info as well.
And the resident Bald Eagle was back on its perch today hoping for a fish. The open water in the river is keeping it around. This one appears to be a female, from the structure of the skull and beak. Allenford January 29 Text and Photo by Les Anderson
Congratulations are in order for another young Bruce County Birder! Over the past couple of years I occasionally heard the name Zane Shantz, in local birding circumstances, and one day recently I met him, with his binoculars and camera, on the trail near Ben Allen. When I opened up my Birds Canada 2023 Calendar, seeing in each month specially selected photos sent by their supporters, it was a pleasant surprise indeed to see Zane Shantz, 16, listed with the April photo with his comments that “Black-billed Cuckoos are very secretive birds, and are quite challenging to photograph. Over the years I have failed to get the perfect shot of one, but at last during spring migration of 2022, I succeeded! The bird was hardly aware of my presence, and just sat comfortably on this branch in my backyard for a few seconds, allowing me to capture this photo!”
To close, a Nature quote from Robert Graves, a prolific poet and author, from his early memoir Goodbye to All That, writing in 1929 about the hills above Harlech, in north Wales – “This country (and I know no country like it) seemed to be independent of formal nature. One hardly noticed the passage of the seasons there; the wind always blew across the stunted grass, the black streams ran cold and clear, over black stones. The mountain sheep were wild and free…and, when in repose easily mistaken for the lichen-covered granite boulders strewn everywhere… We saw hardly any birds, bar an occasional buzzard, and curlews wheeling in the distance.”
Eastern Bluebirds at Ben Allen February 1. Photos by William Gray
The Owen Sound Field Naturalists Club (OSFN) is kicking off its series of Winter 2023 Talks with Springtime Wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains, and guest speaker Walter Muma. While early Spring still has Ontario in its grip, the Great Smoky Mountains put on a spectacular display of wildflowers during the latter part of April. Many species found there are familiar to us while others will be new to Ontario naturalists. Join Walter Muma as he shows us the many varieties of wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This event is scheduled for 7pm Thursday January 12, at the Bayshore Community Centre. Everyone is welcome, and admission is free or by donation. OSFN also plans to offer this as a hybrid event sent via zoom to a virtual audience too. Typically the zoom link is emailed to OSFN members, and is available upon request to interested members of the community, upon receipt of an email, in advance, to web@osfn.ca with Walter in the subject line. For more information about this event and OSFN, please visit www.osfn.ca
Walter is an avid, experienced field botanist who focusses much of his botany explorations on Grey and Bruce counties, and from Newfoundland to Lake Superior and down into the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. His outdoor interests, which he has pursued since his teenage years, include tracking and wilderness survival, hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and just generally “wandering the wild areas”.
He is the curator of the Ontario Wildflowers website, as well as the Ontario Trees, Ontario Ferns, and Ontario Grasses websites, which are “go to” sites for parks staff, environmental consultants and others who are in the business of identifying wildflowers and other plants in the field. In addition to these sites, he has created many other websites relating to survival, tracking, and the outdoors.
In his work life he is a busy self-employed accounting software consultant, custom software developer, and accountant.
Walter and his wife Julie reside in Grey County on their 100 acre natural and farmland property.
The local annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) have all been held, and here is a sampling from the count results:
Tobermory – December 14 – Tyler Miller, Compiler
From sunrise to sunset on December 14, 2022, 33 volunteers searched over 300km of the Northern Bruce Peninsula, including throughout Bruce Peninsula National Park, trying to spot as many birds as possible. This was the 50 th time that local birding enthusiasts have taken to the landscape for the Tobermory Christmas Bird Count. The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running, most widespread bird census in the Western Hemisphere. The first count took place at 25 locations in 1900, and today, there are more than 50,000 citizens participating at over 2,000 count areas. The data collected helps scientists describe multi-continent patterns in bird ecology and has been used in hundreds of conservation and climate-based scientific papers. The benefits of participating in the bird count are social, too! The annual count builds comradery, community and inspires seasoned and novice birders alike to cultivate a love for birds and birding!
This year’s participants in Tobermory’s Christmas Bird Count saw a total of 1187 individual birds representing 47 different species. On average, 40 species of birds have been spotted over the past 50 years, but the total number of birds seen was down this year. On average, over 1600 individual birds are usually spotted in the area’s Christmas Bird Count. Some of the notable statistics from the 2022 count include:
a new high record of 41 Canada Geese and 6 American Black Ducks were counted;
the lowest number of Black-capped Chickadees since 1978 were counted; and
Trumpeter or Tundra Swan, Green-wing Teal, and Merlin were all spotted, each for only the second time in Tobermory’s Christmas Bird Count history.
Parks Canada is pleased to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count as the results gathered from this year’s survey will be used to help ensure the protection of this region’s natural heritage. The count was also an opportunity to celebrate the diversity and beauty of the region’s natural protected spaces with fellow birders, and to invite new birders into Bruce Peninsula National Park.
Kincardine – December 15 – James Turland, Compiler
Hi all; Because of bad weather on Kincardine’s count day only a few participants were out. They did manage to find 50 species. Along with the species found during count week that’s an impressive 64 species. Thanks so much to all who helped out and hoping for a better weather day next year. Cheers James.
Group of ducks mostly Redheaded ducks sleeping away at Bayshore. January 2, 2023 (Photo by Fely Clarke)
Neyaashiinigmiing – December 17
The twelfth annual Neyaashiinigmiing (Cape Croker) Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 17, 2022. The day began with snow flurries and mainly cloudy skies, with sunny breaks later in the morning and through the afternoon. Winds were southwesterly, ranging from 13 to 25 kph. Temperatures hovered around -1.0°C all day. The waters of Georgian Bay and streams were open, but non-flowing inland waters were ice-covered. There was at least 10-15 cm of snow on the ground, with some of it having freshly fallen the previous night.
Fourteen participants tallied a total of 37 species, below the average of 39.7. The 769 individual birds counted was well below the average of 1,027. Ruby-crowned Kinglet was a new species for count day. Otherwise there were no big surprises, but 69 Bohemian Waxwings, 3 Evening Grosbeaks and a Pine Grosbeak were nice finds.
There were no high counts, but low counts were recorded for Long-tailed Duck (2, average 12), Ruffed Grouse (1, average 8), Blue Jay 2 (average 49), Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 (average 9). Notable misses were Red-bellied Woodpecker and Pileated Woodpecker (each missed on only one previous count). Winter finches were limited to the Evening and Pine Grosbeaks.
Chi Miigwetch to Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation community for hosting this always special birding event. Compilers – Jarmo Jalava and Miptoon (Anthony Chegahno)
Owen Sound December 17 Erik van Den Kieboom, Compiler:
The 2022-2023 Christmas Bird Count marked the 52nd year of the Owen Sound count. On December 17th, 45 participants tallied 10165 individuals of 69 species. The total number of individuals was down slightly compared to last year; however, the species count was higher. The weather proved to be admirable throughout the day, with no precipitation of any kind and temperatures hovering between -2 and 0 degrees Celsius.
Some highlights from this year’s count included the first Blue-winged Teal and Brown Thrasher for the count, as well as Rusty Blackbird, Pied-billed grebe, American Coot, and Common Grackle to name a few. Additionally, several rare species were recorded during the week of the count but not on count day, including Harlequin Duck, Grey Catbird, and Mountain Bluebird. The large Sandhill Crane flock found last year returned this year, totaling 652 individuals. For the sixth count in a row, a male Barrow’s Goldeneye was spotted in Owen Sound harbour. This rare duck has become quite the regular visitor!
This year, six species were counted in higher numbers than ever before: Canada Goose (2,608), Redhead (20), American Coot (5), Rock Pigeon (946), Common Raven (58), and Bohemian Waxwing (695). This has been an excellent winter for Bohemian Waxwings, with the previous high being 185! A few species were seen in lower numbers than is typically expected, including Bufflehead (9), Ruffed Grouse (3), and Snow Bunting (47). Oddly enough, no owls were found this year.
There has been a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings feasting on wild grape and buckthorn near my home. These are just a few…(North of Kimberley) (Photos by Ingrid Remkins)
There has been a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings feasting on wild grape and buckthorn near my home. These are just a few…(North of Kimberley) (Photos by Ingrid Remkins)
Wiarton – December 18 – Jarmo Jalava, Compiler
The 48th Wiarton Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, December 18, 2022 (it was actually the 51th anniversary of the count, but three years were missed).
Temperatures ranged from between -1°C at 7:00 a.m. to 1°C at 5:00 p.m. under overcast to mainly cloudy skies. Light to moderate (9-15 kph) westerly breezes made inland birding pleasant, but winds were stronger at exposed areas along the Lake Huron shore. The waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron were open, as were faster-flowing creeks and rivers, but most interior waterbodies were ice-covered, as were some near-shore areas of sheltered bays of Lake Huron. Up to 15 cm of snow covered the ground in most areas.
Twenty-five participants and three feeder watchers tallied 62 (+1 count week) species, well above the long-term and 10-year averages of 50 and 53 species, respectively, but just shy of the record of 63 set in 1997.
The total of 6,090 individual birds was also much higher than the previous overall (3,431) and 10-year (4,185) averages and the third highest total overall (the all-time high was 6,283 in 1997).
One new species, Eastern Bluebird, was recorded. This raises the overall count day total to 131 species (plus 6 additional count week species). Other good finds this year included Merlin (3rd count), Green-winged Teal (2nd count), Ring-necked Duck (9th on count day and the first since 2001), and a count-week Red-winged Blackbird (5th count).
Record high numbers were recorded for:
Canada Goose (1,556, previous high 1,329 in 2021; for the first 18 years of this CBC, the high count was 33 birds, and pre-1995 this species was not recorded annually);
Mute Swan (62, previous high 23 in 2021);
Green-winged Teal (3, previously just 1);
Bald Eagle (25, previous 21);
American Crow (407, previous 257);
Bohemian Waxwing (347, previous 326).
Other relatively high counts included Trumpeter Swan 16 (record 17), Ring-necked Duck 4 (record 5), Great Black-backed Gull 12 (first double-digit total since 1994, when 22 were observed), Pine Grosbeak 44 (first double-digit total since 2007) and Evening Grosbeak 99 (highest count since 1995 for this far-from-annual species).
Aside from no Common Redpolls, there were no particularly notable low counts.
Winter finches were limited to Pine Siskin (16), Pine Grosbeak (42), Evening Grosbeak (99) and Purple Finch (2), and American Goldfinches were at feeders in moderate numbers.
Thanks to all the volunteers for your efforts! Jarmo Jalava
Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Owen Sound January 8 (Photos by Carol L. Edwards-Harrison)
Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Owen Sound January 8 (Photos by Carol L. Edwards-Harrison)
Meaford – December 28 – Lynne Richardson, Compiler
Hello Meaford CBCer’s, Here is a quick draft summary of our Meaford Christmas Bird Count:
The 52nd annual Meaford Count was held on Wednesday December 28th under somewhat favourable conditions! After a rather intense winter storm over three days a few days prior to the Count the weather cleared, temperatures warmed up and snow melted down somewhat for Count Day.
The combined efforts of our 28 field observers resulted in the third highest total – 55 species – in the 52 years of the Count! This total continues the trend of the past 10 years of finding over 50 species in the Meaford circle. Prior to that, the long-term average was 46 species. The top three totals have been in 2021 (61), 2020 (59), and 2012 (58).
Total individuals at 4724 birds were slightly over the past-count average.
Two new species were added to the 52-year cumulative total for this count – Ruddy Duck (yay Team 5) and Winter Wren (yay Team2)! This addition brings the all-time cumulative total to 126 species. A total of seven new Highs were recorded this year. which is higher than usual for new high counts. You’ll see on the attached tally sheet the new highs and the previous highs for these six species: Hooded Merganser, Horned Grebe, Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Robin, Bohemian Waxwing, Purple Finch and White-throated Sparrow.
Eastern Bluebirds made an appearance again this year, continuing their trend of the last few years of overwintering in this area (5 of the past six years). These results, along with time & travel data will be posted on the Birds Canada Christmas Bird Count website. It was a good count. Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again, and happy, birdy, New Year to all! Lynne Richardson, Compiler
Pike Bay December 29, and Cape Chin December 30 – Andrew Keaveney
Good evening friends, I have for you the final results for both of the 2022 season central Bruce Peninsula CBCs.This completes the 9th Pike Bay CBC and the 7th Cape Chin CBC. This season we had a combined 62 species including count week species which is wonderful when you consider it is winter! The combined count day and count week Pike Bay CBC total of 61 species ties last year’s record, though the count day tally of 55 species is a bit shy of last year’s record of 57. A few more observers would surely have increased our count day totals for both counts. This and other peninsula CBCs provide a wealth of valuable bird presence and abundance data for a time of year when few observations are being recorded and fewer visitors are making the trip up.
I’ll try to touch upon the count results here. Two large concentrations of Bald Eagles (9 and ~14) were a delight for 2 groups and resulted in a huge number of records this year, almost tripling our previous high. Both groups were on the Huron islands. Brown Creepers continue to be a difficult species to detect on these counts, with none this season. To be clear… they are here… they are just quiet and stealthy. Both Snowy Owl and Snow Bunting numbers seem to be depressed this season. Raptors in general were mostly absent with no Rough-legged Hawks recorded.
Bohemian Waxwings
Five new species were recorded on the Pike Bay CBC which is rather astounding given we added several last season too. This year we had a Great Horned Owl during count week and we FINALLY added Barred Owl to the overall count total thanks to the keen eyes of Area 2 participant Miptoon who recorded it in Area 4… hmmm. Haha. Our excellent Area 2 observers (Miptoon and Jarmo) also got eyes on a Hermit Thrush, perhaps overdue as it is a scarce winter straggler in southern Ontario.
I think the greatest story of the day comes from the By The Bay store in Pike Bay when owner Sarah Carson got her camera to ask me about some birds she’d been seeing at the feeders that they tried to identify themselves. The first was a Red-bellied Woodpecker and well done on the identification. The second was more of a mystery and they were assuming it was another plumage of the Red-bellied Woodpecker. It was in fact a handsome juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker. The photos were taken in November so I didn’t get too excited, but she then let it slip that both birds were still coming to the feeders regularly. As if! Well we watched for a while with no results. We then went off to scan Lake Huron and I decided to coming back through for a second shot early afternoon. Jackpot! The bird spent the whole time in a large tree across from the back picnic table feeder. Lots of photos were taken and 5 of us eventually got on it.
Juvenile Red-Headed Woodpecker
Two Northern Shrikes recorded on the Cape Chin CBC was the only species that was absent on the Pike Bay CBC. The Snowy Owl present the day before across from the Tru Food Cafe was playing hide-and-seek on count day and nowhere to be found! Several participants frequented the By The Bay store and Tru Food Cafe and nothing but good things could be said about the food and service.
It is a pleasure putting together these counts each season. It is a surprising amount of work though so I appreciate your patience. Best to all in 2023 and I hope to see you out for next season’s CBCs.
Andrew Keaveney
On January 4th, 31 field observers and 4 feeder watchers went out around the Southampton area to participate in the annual Saugeen Shores Christmas Bird Count. It was a dreary sort of day, rainy and foggy throughout with temperatures ranging from 1C to 5C. Some inland water was frozen, however the majority of Lake Huron remained open for count day.
Despite this, birders still managed to see 53 species. This is exactly average compared to the historical average of 53, but considerably below the all time high of 66.
An ALL TIME HIGH was recorded for total individual birds, with a whopping 18,427. This is over 6,000 higher than the previous high count.
The highlight species of the 2022 count were Tufted Titmouse (2nd count record), Cackling Goose (3rd count record), Northern Flicker (4th count record) White-throated Sparrow (3rd count record)
All time high counts were recorded for the following species:
Cackling Goose (5, previous 2)
Greater Scaup (51, previous 40)
Snow Bunting (10,152!!, previous 4,090)
Bohemian Waxwing (237, previous 154)
Low counts were noted for numerous waterfowl and Ruffed Grouse (1), also raptor numbers in general were quite low this season. This trend has been seen all across Bruce County, and is likely due to a crash in rodent populations.
The poor weather conditions on count day can likely be blamed for making us miss Golden-crowned Kinglet and Brown Creeper completely, something that hasn’t happened in a number of years. It was also a very poor day for finches, Pine Grosbeak and Evening Grosbeak were missed completely, and only 1 Purple Finch and 1 Common Redpoll were recorded.
3 Count week birds were recorded, Common Grackle, Belted Kingfisher and Red-headed Woodpecker.
Thanks to all the participants!
Kiah Jasper, Compiler
Chillaxing Male Cardinal in our backyard (Photo by Fely Clarke January 2, Owen Sound·)
While we wait and wonder what weather is in store for us, some of our neighbours have wildflowers showing new growth.
I have been seeing flying insects outside near Woodland areas and some summer birds appear to be staying with us for the winter.
So the question David Turner, of Beaver Valley Birding, says he is being asked all the time is: “Where are the Snowy Owls this year?”. His answer: “Well, there was a collapse in the Lemming population last year, so the Snowy Owls population didn’t do too well. That means that there aren’t many down this way for this winter.”
“Look up, Rusty, way up” Curious Red Fox watching a bird up in a tree. (Photo by Pat Gillies, January 3)
To close, a Nature quote about Claude Monet, from Mad Enchantment – Claude Monet and the Painting of The Water Lilies, by Ross King: Monet loved birds and animals, even leaving the windows of his dining room open so the sparrows could help themselves to bread crumbs from the table. Japanese chickens, a gift from Clemenceau, ranged freely through the gardens and even in the studio, where the master fed them from his own hand.
Sarah McComb-Turbitt, was born in Chatsworth and her love for Nature, the ocean, and painting began at a young age.
Now an accomplished scientist and visual artist, she will be the Owen Sound Field Naturalists’ ( OSFN) featured presenter of “Catching Penguins and Diving into the Icy Cold, plus Wildlife Art for Conservation”, at 7pm Thursday December 8, at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
She will share her research into individual variations in the winter foraging behaviours of Gentoo Penguins, while she camped beside the penguin colony in the Falkland Islands.
Having developed her skills as a wildlife photographer out on the ocean, earned a degree in marine biology, and a certificate in animal behaviour she combines her Science and Artistry to share the stories of the species she has studied so closely.
Now an accomplished scientist and a busy visual artist too, Sarah McComb-Turbitt received her initial training at OSCVI here in Owen Sound. She excelled as an art student with her teacher Jim Sebesta in high school, and at University she majored in the natural sciences to work in the Nature field.
Having recently returned to Owen Sound, she has been concentrating more on her Art career. This has included the installation of an amazing and beautiful mural in downtown Wiarton, and this past summer she was also on the conference committee for the Society for Marine Mammalogy https://www.smmconference.org where she coordinated the art exhibit, the online auction and also presented research on pilot whales.
Sarah is also a Signature Member of Artists for Conservation, based in Vancouver where her painting was selected for the front cover of their 2023 Environmental Calendar, which is still available – for more info please visit https://www.artistsforconservation.org/
This is a family and children friendly event and everyone is welcome to attend, at the Bayshore, 7pm Thursday December 8, and admission is free or by donation. OSFN also plans to offer the presentation on zoom, and a zoom link can be requested by emailing web@osfn.ca with Penguin in the subject line.
The Young Naturalists are a hearty bunch to head out for a hike in rain! It was quite the adventure that ended with smiles and a few wet feet. November 27 near Woodford.
Photo by Jody Johnson Pettit
Annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs)
This year, Christmas Bird Counts are scheduled between December 14, 2022 and January 5, 2023. The CBC is North America’s longest running Citizen Science project. Volunteers record and submit sightings which contribute to an understanding of population trends and bird distribution. Become a Citizen Scientist by getting involved! Here are many of the local CBC’s with the dates, and contact details for the Compilers for you to consider: Wednesday, December 14, 2022 – Tobermory – Tyler Miller – Tyler.miller@pc.gc.ca Thursday, December 15, 2022 – Kincardine – James Turland – jaturland@gmail.com Saturday, December 17, 2022- Owen Sound – Erik Van Den Kieboom – erikkieboom@outlook.com Saturday, December 17, 2022 – Hanover/Walkerton – Gerard McNaughton – gmcnaughton@wightman.ca Sunday, December 18, 2022 – Wiarton – Jarmo Jalava – jvjalava@gmail.com Wednesday, December 28, 2022 – Meaford – Lynne Richardson – lynnerichardson@rogers.com Thursday, December 29, 2022 – Pike Bay – Andrew Keaveney – uofgtwitcher@gmail.com Friday, December 30, 2022 – Cape Chin – Andrew Keaveney – uofgtwitcher@gmail.com Wednesday, January 4, 2023 – Saugeen Shores – Kiah Jasper – kiahjasper@gmail.com
Thank you to Norah Toth for compiling and sharing this information.
Photo of Beaver near Benallen by William Gray November 28
Each year at this time, I usually purchase a few “extra nice” Calendars, with local connections, for myself and for gifting. This year there are at least three of these I will be considering, that especially feature Nature and Art too. 2023 Calendars. They are:
The Tom Thomson Art Gallery’s fundraising calendar this year features much loved works sponsored and selected from the Collection. Always a winner! Visit them at Tom Thomson Art Gallery 840 1st Avenue West, Owen Sound or Phone: 519-376-1932
As mentioned above Sarah McComb-Turbitt is also a Signature Member of Artists for Conservation, based in Vancouver where her painting was selected for the front cover of their 2023 Environmental Calendar, which is still available – for more info please visit https://www.artistsforconservation.org/
The exquisite bird photography by David Turner of Local Colour/Flesherton Art Gallery and Beaver Valley Birding – Calendars are available for pick-up (or can be shipped) at Flesherton Art Gallery 20 Collingwood Street Flesherton, Ontario N0C1E0 Tel. 519-924-3560
Cardinal photo by David TurnerPhoto by David Turner
To close, a Nature quote from Welcome to Owen Sound, Fern Capital of Ontario, by Nelson Maher (1933-2005). Green and graceful, ferns embody a charm that is also universal. The lush symmetry of their arching fronds draws many a weary city-dweller back to woodlands, escarpments and streams, even if the tired traveller is unable totell one fern from another. And ferns are somehow the emblem of a shady forest, a symbol of its cool solitude and repose, inspiring a poetical turn of mind in even the most prosaic of us.
Bald Eagle – November 29, near Tara Photo by Margaret Wolf
The Owen Sound Field Naturalists club (OSFN) is pleased to present its November monthly meeting featuring Steve Ritchie, a popular local radio host on CFOS, and a well known musician, with Love At First Light:
Small-town radio, a telescope, and a mid-life discovery of backyard astronomy.
Ritchie will speak about his fascination with the night sky, which is not a new interest; when he was nine years old his Grade 4 teacher asked him to teach a series of astronomy lessons to the class. But Covid, lockdowns and being the host of a buy-and-sell radio show converged to drop a Meade Lightbridge 12 in his lap in the winter of 2021. You’ll hear about aperture, Deep Sky, the magnification myth, his zero interest in astrophotography, and how seeing with his own eyes is, for him, an experience that cements a personal, physical connection to the cosmos.
And you will hear a 62-year-old man’s inner 9-year-old convey the sheer delight of discovery that happens every time he looks through his telescope. If weather permits, Steve will bring his Telescope outside and invite audience members to view the night sky which should include an almost full moon.
This event will take place in the Bay Room at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre starting at 7pm, Thursday November 10. Admission is free or by donation and everyone is welcome. OSFN memberships may be purchased or renewed in the lobby from 6:30 to 7pm.OSFN also plans to offer this event as a webinar via zoom. If you would like to participate virtually, you may request a zoom link by emailing web@osfn.ca with Steve in the subject line.
On November 2, Lynne Richardson and Shirley Harrison led a tour
in the Thornbury to Collingwood area for twenty members of the Bruce Birding Club, and were rewarded with terrific sightings, as Fred Jazvac reports here: “November is considered waterfowl season, and while large bird numbers failed to show, the number of individual species of waterfowl seen was quite impressive – 18 species in total. Also, considering that the fall southern migration is almost over, and wintering birds have only shown up in small numbers; we did see an impressive total number of bird species – 38. Not bad, eh! The highlight of the day was a distant Peregrine Falcon who sat out for us, then proceeded to capture a bird of disputed identity, and ate it in an empty Osprey stand. It was one of those moments when nature showed you how things work in the real world.”
Grey Roots Museum and Archives is once again presenting its Fall Lecture Series, at 1pm on Tuesdays, and the final two talks have themes that include Nature and Science. Lectures are included with admission. Members enjoy free admission. Complimentary refreshments following each talk. Visit www.greyroots.com to learn more.
November 15 – Join David Holah for “How Green is Green Energy? Our hopes of moving away from fossil fuels lies with the increased use of green energy (solar and wind) and the production of batteries for electric cars. Success will largely be dependent on a few metals of which most people have never heard and which come with a significant environmental cost.”
November 22 – Join David Holah for the final talk of the 2022 Fall Lecture Series, on Nuclear Waste, with a simple review of the science associated with nuclear reactors leading to an understanding of the nature of the byproducts and the options for their use/disposal.
The OSFN and its Young Naturalist Club had a great turnout on October 30, as Rosemary (Rosie) Martin led an Aquatic Invertebrate Identification (ID) workshop at Harrison Park beside, and in, the Sydenham river. Similar to the one she offered last November, it was a carefully crafted event complete with microscope, and charts of invertebrate ID field marks and specifics. After a careful teaching lesson on how to acquire samples from the water, the youngsters on hand enthusiastically followed Martin’s example, dipping and retrieving specimens for identification and comparison, before they were safely returned to their river habitat.
Young Naturalists with Rosie Martin – October 30 in Harrison Park (photo by Marsha Courtney)\
The Young Naturalists meet next on Sunday, November 27 for a Hidden Pond Nature Reserve hike, in the Woodford area. For more information about the Young Naturalists Club, and other activities of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists, please visit www.osfn.ca
I continue to see the occasional butterfly and a few bees on wildflower blooms, and like others, have discovered a few bird nests which had been hidden until the past week or two. I have also been hearing and seeong more woodpeckers than usual. Many backyard feeders have been visited recently by boisterous and colourful flocks of Evening Grosbeaks as they cruise throughout the region.
Evening Grosbeaks photo by Marilyn Ohler November 3, Southampton
Bo Penny of the Beaver Valley had a marvellous treat – “What a surprise! Seven snapping turtles hatched today. I’ve never seen them hatch this late (November 4). We had a bunch that hatched in September from the same nest so I was very surprised to see little black heads poking out of the gravel.”
(Photo by Bo Penny)
The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory (BPBO) has wrapped up its banding and monitoring operations for 2022, and has set some records along the way, as shared by Stéphane Menu: “This more than remarkable season didn’t end in a whisper but with more remarkable sightings and banding. On October 27, while watching a distant bird on the bay through the scope, white ghosts appeared on the hazy horizon. Flapping strongly, the large pure white birds could only be swans, Tundra Swans – only the fourth observation of Tundra Swans at Cabot Head over 21 years:
There were more surprises: on October 28, we banded a beautiful adult male Northern Parula. Later the same day, on the very last net round, a flashy yellow big bird was waiting for us in a net: An adult male Evening Grosbeak! Its namesake bill was something to behold and… avoid, with not much success. This species had never been banded before at Cabot Head: it tends to fly high and stay high in the canopy. It was such a remarkable bird to band.
On the last day of monitoring, October 31, the banding total was a solid 17 birds, bringing the fall season total to a stratospheric 2925 birds banded, almost 450 birds more than the previous record of 2476 birds in fall. A small flock of 17 Evening Grosbeaks was flying around but no amount of incantations brought them down into our nets. An eerie whinnying was appropriate on that Halloween evening: there are no ghosts in my world and the call came from an aptly-named Eastern Screech Owl.”
To close, a Nature quote from a northern Africa setting in Flight of the Phoenix, by Elleston Trevor: “With the coming of the full moon they saw the mirage. Used to the desert, they knew that a mirage is never seen after sundown, but when the full moon rose the mirage was there. It was a sandstorm, yet there was no breath of wind.”
Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) present: A Scientist Visits the Holy Land
Dan Ostler, our intrepid cruise ship lecturer, ventures forth into the Holy Land and considers the stories we all know so well through the eyes of a scientist. Correlating known History with Earth Science, the Volcanic History of the Mediterranean, a little Cultural Anthropology, and the cultures of the Egyptians and Minoans and Romans (not to mention the Philistines) some rather surprising findings emerge. From the plagues of Moses to the parting of the Red Sea to the abrupt vanishing of the Minoan civilization to Joshua and the Walls of Jericho, the stories become even more fascinating when viewed from the perspective of a scientist.
Dan Ostler has also received recognition as a favourite lecturer on International Cruise Ships. OSFN is grateful to Dan for filling in once again on short notice for the scheduled speaker, who is unable to attend due to feeling under the weather.
Date: October 13, 2022 Time: 7 pm Location: Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, Owen Sound
Admission is free, or by donation. For our club members, and the public, who are not comfortable in larger groups or have to travel great distances to join us, we are continuing to offer a ZOOM option.
If interested, you may request a zoom link by emailing web@osfn.ca with “med” in the subject line.
It is also the best time to purchase and/or renew an OSFN membership. To learn about the upcoming speakers, the many guided field trips, the Young Naturalists, support opportunities and more, please visit www.osfn.ca
Just in on Monday evening October 10:
Local birding phenom, and popular leader for OSFN and the Bruce Birding Club (BBC), Kiah Jasper has broken the previous record, with more than two months remaining in 2022. From Kiah’s Blog
“New Ontario Big Year record!!!!!?? After going hard for 283 days this year, this evening I broke the Ontario Big Year record with a Tropical Kingbird in Windsor!!! ??? This came hot on the heels after my last new addition, a Magnificent Frigatebird yesterday at Lighthouse Cove in Chatham-Kent.
I guessed that my record breaker would be a Purple Sandpiper, since there had been a few around recently and it’s the most common species I have left. Needless to say I was surprised and very excited when my phone buzzed today with the news that a Tropical Kingbird was found by Eddy Beaubien in Windsor this morning. Oh the suspense!! Two hours later we squeezed up to the stakeout, where a crowd of birders were gathered looking up at a nearby treeline. Sure enough, a yellowish kingbird was sitting atop a tall, leafless tree. Success!!!! Our timing turned out to be great too, because just after we walked up the bird called after being silent for the whole day, confirming it was a Tropical Kingbird! (and not the very similar Couch’s Kingbird). Now on to 350 and beyond!! ? Still over 2 months left and I have a few “easy birds” remaining… let’s see what happens
Tropical Kingbird, in Windsor October 10 – photo by Kiah Jasper – record breaking sighting.
NEW PROJECT: TRANSFORM THE LAWN Grey County with NeighbourWoods North is launching the first phase of naturalizing the property of the Administration building. The community is invited to join in a morning of tree planting, celebrating trees & local climate action, and learning about a right relationship with the land. The first year of the plan for the Administration property includes the planting of approximately 20 trees, two pollinator gardens, and exploring a future rain garden. Council approved the plan at a meeting earlier this year. The event will take place October 15th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Grey County head office located at 595 9th Avenue East in Owen Sound. Volunteers are invited to come out and support the planting of approximately 20 young trees while learning about Grey County’s Climate Change Action Plan, Going Green in Grey, and ways to stay involved locally. The event will open with an Indigenous teaching on the importance of stewardship and connection with the land, our local environment, and each other. Master Gardeners, who assisted in the design, will be present along with NeighbourWoods North and Owen Sound Field Naturalists. Light refreshments will be available for all who attend. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required through Grey-Tree-Planting.eventbrite.ca (link is external). Parking is available behind the County building at the east end of 6th Street.
“Nature-based solutions are key to Grey County’s Climate Change Action Plan, Going Green in Grey,” said Grey County Warden Selwyn ‘Buck’ Hicks. “The re-naturalization of this property is a small but symbolic step forward in Grey County’s commitment to climate action and meeting our greenhouse gas net-zero community target by 2050. If you’re passionate about climate action, I encourage you and your family to join us on October 15.”
The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory Station Scientist Stephane Menu, is continuing to document the birds at Cabot Head, as indicated in this excerpt from his blog: Busy, busy, busy!
After a seemingly long stretch of five days of overcast conditions, clear skies and bright sun returned on September 29 and have been with us ever since. The return of good weather brought a lot – and I mean, A LOT – of birds at Cabot Head and they were not shy about flying into our nets. The most abundant species captured was Golden-crowned Kinglets, notably with a cool 100 birds on October 4. A lot of Dark-eyed Juncos have been captured during the past few days as well, alongside a few White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows. Hermit Thrushes have started their migration in earnest, reflected in good captures since September 30, notably with 7 birds on October 4.
The first Fox Sparrow of the season was banded on October 1. On that day, we also captured a loud and sharp-billed young female Pileated Woodpecker! (see pics on Facebook and Instagram)
It was a busy and fun and exciting week!
Coming soon: The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory cordially invites you to “Flock Together for their 20th Anniversary GALA Fundraising Celebration”, Oct. 29th,2022 Visit their website at www.bpbo.ca (Doors open @ 5pm to music of Mad Robin) at
On September 25, the first OSFN Young Naturalist’s program of the year kicked off with an excursion at the Arboretum of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority. On the agenda was registration and the cleaning out of nest boxes in the meadows by the GSCA administrative offices. The small group of kids proved to be enthusiastic sleuths and took the time to carefully examine each nest box and its contents. They found nesting evidence of several different birds including wrens and tree swallows, based on construction materials and techniques. They learned that wrens build big, messy nests of twigs while swallow nests are typically made with grasses, pine needles, moss and other organic material. Both these species of birds like to build nests in open woodland rarely more than 100 feet from woody vegetation and avoid heavily wooded nest sites where it’s hard to see predators coming.
The kids found a number of feathers in the nests including several Blue Jay feathers. The gold & black on one tail feather showed it was from a Baltimore Oriole. Other feathers were trickier to identify, and we could only guess which birds they were from; possibly warblers and a breast feather from a Ruffed Grouse.
As the nest boxes were emptied of their contents, other residents such as wasps and spiders were discovered too. A preying mantis cocoon was found in the long grasses. The Young Nats were also captivated with the beautiful symmetry found on the inside of milkweed pods and they marvelled at how neatly the seeds were stacked together.
The afternoon ended with a quick walk through the Arboretum woods over to the river to look for salmon moving upstream to spawn. Several salmon were spotted resting in the shallows waiting to jump further up the rapids while a few, very fast ones, raced by upstream. A few dead salmon were found by the bridge including a large one covered with hundreds of maggots doing a fine job at recycling the fish back into earth! All in all, it was a good afternoon. For the keeners among us, here is a site that helps identify bird feathers. https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/resultSearch.php
The Young Naturalists (YN) meet next on Sunday October 30 from 2pm to 4pm in Harrison Park for a workshop on Aquatic Invertebrates, led by Rosie Martin. The YN Club is mainly for ages 7 to 12, although 5 and 6 year olds are welcome if accompanied by an adult to supervise them. To learn more and to pre-register please visit www.osfn.ca and click on the Young Naturalists heading on the left column for a sign up form and waiver, plus a year-at-a-glance poster of activities planned for the rest of the 2022-2023 season.
James White sent this information about the Bruce Grey Woodland Association which has monthly events for its members – this month includes a forest inventory marking workshop and a BBQ. The events are for BGWA members.
Here is the link to anyone interested in joining the BGWA and pre-registering for either or both events.
I have noted that many in the area are getting outside and seeing snakes, turtles, forest fungi, and a variety of botanical specimens, some of which are also very colourful. I am still seeing butterflies – a Viceroy just last week, and once more we seem to have quite a few praying mantis in our yard.
Here is a red belly snake I found under a rock at Kemble Rock today. I seldom see them when I am out, so a good sighting for me. It was actually between 2 flat rocks. (Photo by Bob Knapp)
To close, Nature quotes from In Spite of Myself, A Memoir, by Christopher Plummer who, as a young lad in Montreal visited an island where “there was a bridge where we could stare down at the giant lily pads that carpeted the black water…and inlets through which we would paddle our canoe and watch the bitterns stand on one leg or listen to the long sad chorale of the frogs…” and impressing his ornithologist family and friends, he discovered one day “on top of a spruce which was bent over from the weight of it, an enormous bird with strange claws the likes of which I’d never seen….the experts identified it as an Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker – probably the first ever to be seen in our part of the world. Thank God and Mister Audubon.”
The Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) present the first featured speaker of their new season, Rosemary Martin, starting at 7pm this Thursday September 8. Sidelined by the still present Covid virus, her presentation will be offered only on Zoom. Entitled Winter Survival in the Insect World, it deals with these questions: Have you ever wondered how dragonflies and other insects survive the winter? What impact will climate change have on these important ecological communities? Drill through the ice with Rosemary to discover the active ecosystem found below the ice. She will highlight under-ice video footage captured in a beaver pond in Georgian Bluffs.
Rosemary “Rosie” Martin is a senior PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto, Mississauga. Her work focuses on how aquatic insects overwinter and how the under-ice physical conditions determine who survives, who stays active, who eats whom, and how that all plays into food web and community structure in subsequent seasons. In November of 2021, she led an exciting workshop for OSFN, in Harrison Park, to learn tips on how to identify aquatic insects like (larval) dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, caddisflies; had tables set up with microscopes for those attending and explained some differences between organisms living in lentic and lotic habitats. It is now planned that Rosie will repeat this popular event on October 30.
In years past she was a camper and then counsellor at the local YMCA/Rotary Camp Presqu’ile and attributes her love for the outdoors and interest in ecology to cross country skiing along the Bruce Trail, exploring the gardens at Keppel Croft, and summer days spent on the shores of Georgian Bay catching frogs and flipping rocks for crayfish. As mentioned above this presentation will only be available on Zoom. If interested, you may request a zoom link by emailing web@osfn.ca with “insects” in the subject line. It is also the best time to purchase and/or renew an OSFN membership. To learn about the upcoming speakers, the many guided field trips, the Young Naturalists, support opportunities and more, please visit www.osfn.ca
Gorgeous Great Blue Heron and friends at Harrison Park August 19, by Fely Clarke
Two decades ago, I joined the fledgling Bruce Birding Club (BBC) which offered a birding tour on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from September to June, (and still does). I really enjoyed occasionally taking a Wednesday off work to carpool and convoy with these friendly folks to see the many warblers, shorebirds, songbirds, owls, hawks, eagles and more with endless opportunities to learn and even get some photos of them. I was also introduced to many interesting birding hot spots of which I had not been aware. Congratulations to the BBC, for when I asked Coordinator Fred Jazvac, for some history of the club he confirmed that yes:
“The Bruce Birding Club started in the fall of 2002. We have exactly 199 people on our mailing list, of which there are about 50 who take part in the hikes. The rest enjoy the photos and the information. With my teaching background I like to teach about how to ID birds. There are no fees to join the BBC and our hike leaders choose where we are going on their Wednesdays and whether we are going to brown bag it or eat in a restaurant. Someone asked Judy Wyatt what credentials you need to join the BBC and she said to join, the one thing you needed was you had to be nice. Most of our participants are retired. If one came out with us, came consistently, it would take about 2 years to be an above average birder. The birds are seasonal and with each season we get new birds, contrasting with birds leaving. We get the May season when the migration is concentrated, and on the way back the reverse migration will last about 5 months. Right now it is shorebird season as they have bred and are heading south. Some of these shorebirds started leaving for the south in June. The fall will bring in northern birds who will winter here, especially if seed crops fail in the north. In the winter we get arctic birds like the Rough-legged Hawk who hunt visually and you can’t do that in 24 hours of night. They have no problem with the cold of our winter. When the days get longer, they will head to the far north. We learn from each other. The hike leading is easy since we have so many knowledgeable birders amongst us and many eyes find many birds, which takes the onus right off the leader. We have developed many outstanding birders, including Kiah Jasper who joined us at about age 14. He now ranks with the top birders in the province. He was homeschooled and could attend our hikes. He is currently on a path to set a new record for the most birds seen in a year in Ontario and has already surpassed the previous record holder’s totals for this time of year.”
If this birding club is of interest to you, please contact Fred at fredjazvac@gmail.com
September 1, Georgian Bluffs, American Goldfinch feeding young – photo by William Gray.
Congratulations also to the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory, for its first 20 years of operation. I enjoy reading the weekly blogs of Station Scientist Stéphane Menu: “It is becoming more and more clear that we have a Red-breasted Nuthatch irruption in the making this fall. With already 74 birds banded (notably 10 birds on August 30), it is more Red-breasted Nuthatches banded than 14 of the past 20 fall seasons, and September has just begun.” I have been hearing Red-breasted Nuthatches quite often too. Also on their website, at www.bpbo.ca I discovered a terrific little video (created by TVO) with Menu describing and demonstrating the monitoring and banding process. Check it out!
Also celebrating a milestone this year is the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, (EBC) with a 25th Year Celebration Day planned for September 17th between 12 Noon and 3pm beginning at Bluewater Outdoor Education Centre, west of Wiarton, then over at the new Orlowski Nature Preserve for hiking, Nature ID, survival skills and more. To learn more or just to offer congratulations email Bob Barnett at rbarnett@escarpment.ca
Monarch being released after tagging (Photo by Dan Ostler)
OSFN’s Dan Ostler kindly sent me this report, and photos too, of a recent event – “The much anticipated Monarch Butterfly Tagging Workshop at Isaac Lake September 3, exceeded expectation in all respects and was a great success on a number of levels. The weather was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold, participants of both the human (34) and Monarch species (96 tagged) turned out in strong numbers, and, most importantly, the youngsters had a great experience, far better than some cold video game. I’m sure a number of future naturalists were created that very afternoon. Our thanks to Audrey Armstrong and Willy Waterton for hosting this perfect tagging event, and Brian Robin for helping along with the tagging (those are his hands in the picture).”
Monarch being tagged (Photo by Dan Ostler)
To close, I have a Nature quote that includes the Hart’s Tongue Fern, a species that is rare in North America, but very common in our region and featured in OSFN’s logo, created by esteemed local artist and naturalist, George McLean. From Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave, Merlin discovers it thus: “In the face of the rock was a cave…with oak and rowan, whose branches overhung the cave with shadow…and only a few feet from the archway was the spring….Through the clear water I could see every pebble, every grain of sand at the bottom of the basin. Hart’s-tongue fern grew above it and there was moss at the lip, and below it green, moist grass.”
More than any other season, Summer is the time to see and enjoy Butterflies – and Moths too. Starting with Butterflies, here is a comprehensive report from Park Interpreter Cate Crawford-Thompson -“On Saturday, July 16th, 2022, MacGregor Point Provincial Park held its annual North American Butterfly Association Count, bringing together community members to participate in the survey and raise awareness for butterfly conservation. The event occurred during the morning and afternoon of the 16th and covered a large section of Bruce Country, including MacGregor Point Provincial Park, Inverhuron Provincial Park, and the greater Saugeen Shores area. This year’s count saw a relatively average number of butterflies, with a total count of 1969 individuals observed and 37 species recorded. Some of the highlights of our 2022 count included Baltimore Checkerspots, a Red Spotted Purple, and a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell. In addition to these finds, we also observed close to 150 monarch butterflies–a significant increase from last year’s count. A huge thanks goes out to the many volunteers without whom this event would not be possible. Their continued interest and support in the butterfly count allow us to run this event year after year, helping us gain valuable insight into our local butterfly populations and raise awareness for the importance of butterfly conservation in Ontario.”
Now switching to Moths, the Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN), on July 19, and for the third consecutive summer, held a Moth Night, led by Alan Macnaughton, a Vice-President of the Toronto Entomologists Association. Here is part of a message from him after the event, which was held, for the second year, at Grey Sauble Conservation’s (GSCA) Inglis Falls Arboretum area. Alan also conducted a second Moth Night on his own, on July 20.
There were no especially notable moth observations this year from the point of view of the community of people interested in moths (although that may change as experts look over my observations). However, there were several moth species which I personally had not seen in at least 15 years, and so it was particularly exciting for me. These were particularly large and showy moths that are of wide interest among naturalists: Elm Sphinx, Great Ash Sphinx and Laurel Sphinx. I enjoyed myself greatly and I hope it will be possible to do this event again next year.”
I can confirm that Alan has accepted OSFN’s invitation to give a Moth Talk, in June 2023, and to hopefully lead a Moth Night then too.
Small eyed Sphinx Moth (phot by Marsha Courtney)
Hibou Conservation Area was all abuzz as the Friends of Hibou and GSCA staff partnered to offer the very successful “Free Family Fun Day”, on August 7, allowing visitors to stop, look, listen and learn what Hibou has to offer. As Marie Knapp shared “The use of Explore Passports accounted for close to 250 participants, plus the many beach goers who were there. The snakes were a real hit, and every station provided very interesting learning for visitors of all ages. We were very grateful for the sponsors as well as the donors of draw prizes.”
Dr. Brendan Mulroy, President of OSFN and liaison with NeighbourWoods North recently shared this planning update on the Healing Path at the Owen Sound Hospital. The target for beginning the excavation for the first section of the Healing Path is the end of August or early September although weather will also be a factor. Phase 1 starts at the west entrance of 16th Avenue East and heads south to the intersection at 8th Street East, then east to the first entrance on 8th Street East. Some describe this as the helicopter pad portion. The Healing Path is a 3 season (spring, summer, fall) trail system that will cater to hospital employees, patients and visitors who would like a gentle walk in a park setting. The Owen Sound Hospital sees over 100,000 patient visits per year from across the Grey Bruce region, and employs approximately 1100 staff and physicians.
The goal is to create a path that can be accessible for all, including those with mobility challenges. So unlike the more informal mulch trails in the forest area, the Healing Path will have a firm and stable top layer of stone dust. The trail will be 1.7 metres (5’6″) wide. This section will have 4 resting areas which are called pods. Each pod has a theme. Two themes have been selected to date – a Native Plant pod, and one incorporating the Marine/Veteran Heritage of the hospital and area.
Now, back to Butterflies: I always enjoy seeing them, and along with a few monarchs every week, this year the highlights so far have been a wonderful yellow and black Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) flying alongside while I was cycling south of Chesley last month, and two Lifers – an exquisite Zebra Swallowtail ( Protographium marcellus) at a flower garden, and a gorgeous Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) beside my vegetable garden.
The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC), 25 this year, will be hosting a Monarch Butterfly tagging event on Friday, August 26th starting at 11am at Dorcas Bay on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula. For further details and to get the exact location, please contact Liv Callo at liv@escarpment.ca if you would like to participate in this event.
With Monarch Butterflies still the focus, OSFN’s Audrey Amstrong is leading a Monarch Tagging Workshop on Saturday September 3, (rain date September 4) from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and once again this family friendly event will take place at the Isaac Lake Boat Launch just north of Wiarton. “How is it that monarch butterflies migrate 4,000 km to a place they’ve never been before? Why do we still need Citizen Scientists to assist in a North American monarch tagging initiative? How can they fly with a tiny “license plate” stuck to one wing? And how can you help monarchs in our Grey/Bruce area? These questions and your questions will be addressed in the afternoon tagging workshop. We hope to net and tag monarchs to send off to Mexico, so wear your running shoes and bring your insect nets (some will be provided).” To register and for further details, please email Audrey at: sweetwateraudrey@gmail.com or visit www.osfn.ca
To close, Nature quotes from Summer World, a Season of Bounty, by Bernd Heinrich – “We humans cannot change into any radically different body colour, body shape or behaviour…However, the genes of a butterfly are the same as those in a caterpillar. The difference is which are turned on or off, and when… The possibility of individual caterpillars to generate amazingly different forms makes me appreciate what is possible in the debate over nature versus nurture.” and “Summer nights belong to the moths and fireflies.”
In early June, several people asked me “What is going on with the Scotch Pines?” I started to look too, and found them very much bare of needles, and not very green looking either. Victoria Fewster, a Forest Health Biologist, at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre, in Sault Ste. Marie, Natural Resources Canada, checked into it for me and reported: “I have heard back from the provincial forest health coordinator about this problem. It sounds like they have been hit quite hard this year with a disease called brown spot needle blight.” Some details about it are here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/brown-spot-needle-blight
In summary, Scots (Pinus sylvestris) and Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) are most commonly affected, but all pine species are susceptible to the infection, which kills foliage and slows growth. It is most damaging on low branches and small trees.The disease seldom kills trees but can cause significant defoliation on 2- and 3-year-old needles with current year needles also being infected in severe disease years. In appearance, branches look bare from accelerated 2nd and 3rd year needle losses, with only tufts of current year needles remaining, and damage is first noticeable in the lower branches.
Victoria added “I also thought I’d let you know that we do a Forest Health Review One Day Conference in October, and a half day with Forests Ontario during their AGM in February. Keep an eye out for those events as the province will do an overview of what they found in forest health surveys this year.”
On June 9, Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) held its AGM, preceded by a potluck dinner – a tradition renewed this year after two years of the pandemic. Club President Pam Kinchen presided over the meeting, with all reports being accepted and adopted into the minutes. After thanking the board of directors and supporting volunteers, the transition took place to the new OSFN President, Brendan Mulroy, who has also worked closely with the NeighbourWoods North component of the club.
The club then presented its Community Conservation Award to Beth Anne Currie, citing her tremendous legacy as a presenter, field trip leader and Director for Owen Sound Field Naturalists; a Land Steward for Bruce Trail Conservancy; Rankin Resource Group Director; and her dedication to field work and documentation for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas and Grassland Birds Studies, a Director for the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy; Past Chair, The Sustainability Project; and Chair, Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory – a true champion for Nature!
Beth Anne Currie with Andrea Gress. Beth Anne is also holding an award memento of the OSFN logo Hart’s Tongue Fern (made by potter/artist Kate McLaren) Photo by Marsha Courtney
A second Community Conservation Award was then presented to Willy Waterton and Audrey Armstrong, in recognition of their numerous and significant contributions, including Willy’s career (and in retirement) in photojournalism with the aim to inspire commitment to protect our natural world, and Audrey’s work with the Monarch Tagging Network, connecting hundreds of children to the wonders of nature, as well as their current project to update the Orchids of Bruce and Grey with new photographs and documentation, providing a magnificent example of conservation and caring and the enjoyment of continuing to learn.
President Pam Kinchen with Willy and Audrey Photo by Marsha Courtney
Andrea Gress of Bird Studies Canada then rounded out the evening with a lively presentation entitled “Our Piping Plovers: Where are they at, and how are they doing?” which included a comprehensive update on their status around the Great Lakes.
The Osprey and one baby, but 2 were seen. Photo by Marsha Courtney
In late June, the Young Naturalist Club wrapped up their season with “A fun day of adventure for the last hike of the year. It has been a great year organizing all of the hikes for the fantastic Young Nats families. See you in September!” and by Marsha Courtney “A big shout out to Jody Johnson Pettit for a fun packed Young Naturalist program. Today the group visited the Petrel Point Nature Reserve, the Grandy-Salter Tract trail, as well as the Oliphant Fen with a trek out to view the Osprey and her babies. Amanda Eriksen provided insight into Fens and bug eating plants and also showed us the Jewelweed amongst the Poison Ivy which, it turns out, is for relief from Poison Ivy. Thanks to both for a great hike and to Jody for the great season.”
Scaly Ink Cap Coprinopsis variegata – Not to be eaten. Again our little eagle eyes found these in the bush. Photo by Marsha Courtney
The Friends of Hibou have been busy trimming trails, and repairing boardwalks, in preparation for summertime visitors and for a Free Family Fun Day on August 7. In their Summer 2022 newsletter Krista McKee writes – With summer here, we are searching for things to do, places to see and adventures to experience. Hibou Conservation Area is one of these interesting and fun filled areas to explore that is just a few minutes away from Owen Sound.
A group of hardworking volunteers and two GSC staff met on June 28th to remove 80 old pieces of boardwalk and replace them with new, sturdy boards. Photo by Don Sankey
Did you know that on Sunday August 7th the parking fee will be waived at Hibou for the “Free Family Fun Day”. This activity-filled day will allow us to stop, look, listen and learn what Hibou has to offer. Upon your arrival, you will be given an Explore Passport that you bring to each activity in the park. ? There are so many things to visit starting with trees, see the instruments they use to measure a tree’s width and height. ? How many marsh monsters live in our water – water spiders, mosquito larva, dragonflies and more – see how big they are under a microscope? These monsters are how we determine the health of our lakes, rivers and streams. ? Fossils that tell us what was here before us. See the interesting creatures that were caught in sand and slowly turned into rock,” and so much more. Be sure to put this on your calendar for August 7, and then visit friendsofhibou.com too.
Indigo Bunting July 8, by William Gray at Skinner’s Marsh
The U of Guelph Arboretum June newsletter outlines the many free and interesting nature learning workshops scheduled for July, that include animal rehabilitation of baby songbirds, opossums, squirrels and chipmunks, as well as tree identification and more. Some of these are offered Live, and also virtually on zoom and recorded for visiting later. A terrific opportunity to enlighten the nature enthusiasts you know! Visit https://arboretum.uoguelph.ca/educationandevents/enewsletter
July 2 near Meaford Red-headed Woodpecker Photo by Nigel EvesJuly 9 near Meaford Ruby-throated Hummingbird Photo by Nigel Eves
To close, Nature quotes from U of Guelph’s Portico Alumni magazine, by Dr. Roberta Bondar, astronaut, acclaimed nature photographer and environmental activist, whose view from orbit allowed her to get “a more holistic and compassionate view of Earth as a planet and what we need to maintain our existence as a life form.” and ” I see the natural world in peril because of what we do….We need to take some responsibility in trying to lessen the impact that we have as a life form on these wonderful natural systems.”
