Nature Club News for October 2026
by John Dickson
The featured speaker for the October presentation of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) will be Tyler Miller, with ‘Asters, Goldenrods & Fleabanes,’ for which it has been an amazing season. Bruce and Grey counties are home to 45 of these wildflowers, some of which have amazing stories and are unique to this landscape.
***Please Note a Change in Scheduled Speaker***
Jenna McGuire grew up on the north Bruce Peninsula. She left to get a degree in wildlife biology and scientific illustration and returned to work for Parks Canada in Tobermory in ecological research and nature interpretation. Her passion is learning about, teaching and preserving traditional Metis skills and knowledge. As an artist, it is her wish to create art that inspires others and hopefully, captures the Metis spirit.
Jenna has used her illustration and communication skills on signage throughout Bruce Grey. Of particular note to the OSFN are many of the interpretive signs at the Oliphant Fen and at Singing Sands in Bruce Peninsula National Park.
A huge thank you to Jenna who is presenting for Tyler Miller.
Tyler will help you understand the natural history of these neighbours of ours that illuminate autumn and feed many animals. Tyler is a skilled ecologist boasting more than fifteen years of experience, primarily in Bruce and Grey. A natural curiosity drives his desire to explore and understand the intricate connections within wild ecosystems, including alvars. As a leading botanist in the region, during the past five years, Miller updated the Vascular Plant List of Bruce and Grey, and has played a pivotal role as a supporting expert for updating OSFN’s popular Field Guides about Ferns, about Orchids and most recently about Asters, Goldenrods and Fleabanes.
This event is scheduled to take place at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm) Thursday October 15, at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
Admission is by donation (free for OSFN members), and everyone is welcome. More information about the Owen Sound Field Naturalists, including upcoming field trips and raffles, is available at https://owensoundfieldnaturalists.ca/
If you are unable to attend in person, it will also be available on Zoom, and you can register for the Zoom meeting with the link https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/bQWb7jxNTTe0u7tYdL46LA
The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory recently reported the news of its 25th anniversary, and the latest observations of birds and banding details.
However, they also shared the very sad news of the passing of one of its Co-founders, Ted Cheskey, a great naturalist I got to know a little when I first attended the Huron Fringe Birding Festival in 2001. I especially remember the way he demonstrated the bird banding process, and after documenting the banded birds, he then let us use a stethoscope to listen to the rapid (normal) heartbeat of the specimens to be released. He handed them to those in attendance (myself and also some children who were there) and I remember wonderful close encounters with a Cedar Waxwing, and the waxy feel of its red appendages. I also learned first hand that the small hook a Red-eyed Vireo has at the end of its beak is ‘very sharp’ and is well-designed to assist with its hunting operations. There are plans for a Celebration of Life for Ted Cheskey in Spring of 2027. Memorial donations to the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory would be appreciated.
Rare bird sighting – On September 29, my glance was drawn to the backyard where a dozen or so migrating sparrows, after flying all night, dropped by here in Owen Sound for some speedy refuelling. So, I took a quick look, and saw what looked a little like a junco, so I snapped a few photos, before they all scattered. A closer look at the photos revealed that the junco was instead a Gray-cheeked Thrush, (Thanks to Rob Wray for the ID), ‘a bird which prefers higher altitude, and taiga breeding territories, in the far northern parts of the province, and from the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador. Southern Ontario (such as Toronto or Owen Sound) is strictly a migration corridor rather than a breeding territory, where transients are occasionally spotted resting in dense brush – or ‘backyards.’ It was a ‘Lifer’ for me, Flesherton’s David Turner commented: ” A great bird for Grey County, John, let alone your backyard!” Not to be outdone, Bruce County’s Bruce Edmunds also had a sighting of a Gray-cheeked Thrush in downtown Kincardine on September 26, saying ” ‘Tis the time of year for these guys!”
More migration news – Peter Metcalfe reported September 26, “Despite the cooler nights, we still have 3 little brown bats in our bat house. Soon, they’ll be flying off to their winter spots in caves and abandoned mine shafts.”
On October 6, Jan Pugsley was very surprised to see an adult Monarch Butterfly fuelling up on gorgeous goldenrods near Tobermory, the latest she has seen in the fall.
Young Naturalists Coordinator, Amanda Eriksen, shared this: “I had a great time with some very curious and enthusiastic kids at our first Young Naturalist meeting September 27! It was time to check and clean out the Bluebird nesting boxes at the Grey Sauble Conservation Area Arboretum.” The evidence suggested many of the boxes had been used by wrens, flycatchers, mice, and possibly a few bluebirds too. Then, a little hike took them to where – “Of course we had to see how the salmon were doing and to witness their fishery activities. There were some logs there that were perfect for stadium seating and we saw several fish managing the jumps in the river. Next month we will be visiting the Bognor Marsh!” If you are interested email youngnaturalistsos@gmail.com. (it’s part of the family membership and grandparents can bring grandchildren).
Congratulations to wildlife artist Sarah McComb-Turbitt, (also a new OSFN director) who was the recent recipient of two prestigious awards at the Artists for Conservation Festival in Vancouver. Locally, she was a guest for the unveiling of new educational signage for the Echoes of the Marsh project, highlighting the remarkable resilience of turtles and recognizing Bognor Marsh as an important Greenbelt wetland. To keep up with Sarah’s many activities visit https://www.facebook.com/
To close, a Nature quote from Ode to the Saugeen, by Paisley resident, longtime birder and writer Werner Sukstorf, excerpted from Black Bass & Lily Pads – Fishing Tips and Tales from the Saugeen: “I am in love! In love with a river, a river called the Saugeen…A river, enchanting and picturesque, with a personality that demands respect…travelling down the river in a small canoe, just you, the river and nature at its best.”