Nature Club News for December 2024
by John Dickson
The Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) December presentation will feature a visit to the northwest area of Canada.
Join Visual Artist Audrey Armstrong and Photographer Willy Waterton, as they share their experiences in the wilds of Yukon and Northern British Columbia, exploring the natural wonders and history there by car, boat, foot, air and paddle, during a 3 month overland trip.
This talk is scheduled for 7pm Thursday December 12, at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. Doors open by 6:30pm for a chance to check out the many Ferntastic gift ideas – a Fern Buff, Fern t-shirts and sweaters and the new edition of OSFN’s Ferns Bruce & Grey that will also be available at the meeting next Thursday.
Everyone is welcome, with admission by donation – (free for OSFN Members). The event will also be shared virtually with a Zoom link that is available by email request, in advance, to web@osfn.ca with Yukon on the subject line.
Christmas Bird Counts in Grey Bruce (Information from Norah Toth)
In Canada, Birds Canada oversees Annual Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). Running from Dec 14, 2024 – Jan 5, 2025, the counts contribute to community science and are open to everyone. Community scientists count as many different species and individuals of those species as possible over the course of a single day. The diameter of each count circle is 24-kilometres. The CBCs across Grey-Bruce and their contact person are listed below.
If you find that the various ‘count teams’ have already been filled, you may be able to contribute counts of bird sightings from your backyard and home neighbourhood area too, if you are within the official count area.
Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Owen Sound CBC – Erik Van Den Kieboom –erikkieboom@outlook.com
Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Hanover/Walkerton CBC – Gerard McNaughton – gmcnaughton@wightman.ca
Sunday, December 15, 2024 – Wiarton CBC – Jarmo Jalava – jvjalava@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 – Tobermory CBC – Tanya Markvart – tanya.markvart@pc.gc.ca
Thursday, December 19, 2024 – Kincardine – James Turland –jaturland@gmail.com
Saturday, December 28, 2024 – Meaford CBC – Lynne Richardson – lynnerichardson@rogers.com
Sunday, December 29, 2024 – Pike Bay CBC – Andrew Keaveney – uofgtwitcher@gmail.com
Monday, December 30, 2024 – Cape Chin CBC – Andrew Keaveney – uofgtwitcher@gmail.com
Thursday, January 2, 2025 – Saugeen Shores CBC – Kiah Jasper – kiahjasper@gmail.com
Or visit this link to find a CBC near you. https://naturecounts.ca/apps/cbc/mapviewer.jsp
This late fall and early winter has featured a number of Owl sightings, including the return of snowy owls to our region along with sightings of the amazing short-eared owls that are crepuscular and can be seen hunting in the diminishing light of late afternoon and early evening, with their languid, fluid wing beats, over fields and fences. My first sighting of a barred owl came a few years ago on November 30, as its big outspread wings flew over me at about 4:30pm with just that half hour of light remaining on my last bike ride before the wint’ry weather would be arriving the next day. My ears will be even more alert now for Great Horned Owls that have occasionally been nesting nearby in recent years.
After the first few owl sightings this fall, David Turner shared this sage advice – “It looks like this year will be much better for Snowy Owls than the last couple of years. Look for them around open fields, they also like to hang around wind turbine sites and along shorelines. Always remember not to get to close and don’t stay long.”
Kiah Jasper also added this: “Snowies incoming to southern Ontario!
After two poor winters for Snowy Owls here in Ontario, it’s shaping up to be a good season for them (and other owl species). In the past two weeks there’s been a large influx of sightings across the Northeast, with many birds reported even farther south than the Great Lakes.
Keep an eye on your local shorelines and fields over the coming weeks!”
Owen Sound Young Naturalists
Submitted by Amanda Eriksen:
The November meeting was held at the Kinghurst Nature Reserve. I led a “Winter is Coming” scavenger hunt where we looked for paper printouts of animals that live at Kinghurst. We discussed how they may be getting ready for winter and the strategies animals use (hibernation, brumation, migration, diapause, torpor and adaptation) The kids were great searchers and had great ideas about how creatures survive winter. We were lucky enough to be able to go to the old cottage which is full of information about the property and the plants and animals you can see. The kids all signed the logbook. The highlight, once again, this year was pumping the old well and actually getting water! We had 9 kids out of the 20 children who are registered and I have received a few emails inquiring so there could be some more trickling in. There is no in person meeting in December, but I will email out a backyard birding challenge as well as let families know when the December bird counts are happening in our area.
Marsha Courtney added – “A great outing today with the Young Naturalists. Coordinator Amanda Eriksen hid critter photos out on one of the Kinghurst Reserve trails today and the kids had such fun searching for them. Once found she quizzed the kids on what they thought the critters did over the winter. We learned some new words like Torpor and Brumation. Great fun was had by all.
Thanks to Amanda for another great outing.
To learn more about the Young Naturalists Club, for someone you know, (target age is 7-12), email Amanda Eriksen at youngnaturalistsos@gmail.com
Once again, this is the time for new calendars and locally I have several to recommend, including the Tom Thomson Art Gallery with its 2025 calendar. To learn more contact them by phone at 519-376-1932, or email to ttag@tomthomson.org, or visit them at 840 1st Ave W. They are open Wednesday to Saturday from 12 noon to 4pm.
We also have many outstanding wildlife photographers in the area and here are three who are offering calendars this year.
1) David Turner of the Flesherton Art Gallery and Beaver Valley Birding. I have 2025 Calendars ready now. You can pick them up at Local Colour in Flesherton or email David at fleshertonartgallery@gmail.com or message him on facebook.
2) Kiah Jasper: I’ve decided to sell calendars again this year,
I’ll be printing two sizes of hangable wall calendars:
Small (11.5”x8”) and Large (17”x11”)
To learn more please email gyrkitetours@gmail.com or message me privately on facebook to order
3) Zane Shantz For my 2025 calendars there are 2 separate designs/types:
Ontario Birds 2025 Calendar
(Solely compiled of my bird photographs)
The Bruce Peninsula 2025 Calendar
(Includes photos of landscapes, wildlife, and birds on Bruce)
If you are interested in purchasing one or more, the best way to contact me is through Facebook messaging or by email to zaneshantz@gmail.com.
To close, a Nature quote from ‘What An Owl Knows’ by Jennifer Ackerman: “Owl populations have within them variation, adaptability, and resourcefulness that allow at least some individuals to respond flexibly to environmental change…. It seems to me that owls are showing us how birds can embody intelligence, in their eyes and ears, their cryptic colouring and flight, their memory and hunting skill, their flexibility, nuance, creativity, and discernment.”
