Saturday, June 12, 2010 ;      Field trip to Raven’s Lake;   Hosted by Dale Leadbeater,
 a wetland evaluator and botanist.

WARBLER WALK WITH RON REED   SATURDAY, MAY 22/10

We were led to the Fawcett Nature Reserve by Ron.

This gave us a mix of  swamp, Muskoka Rocks,
 sandy areas, and  mixed forests.  Although we have
visited the area under the hydro line in the spring, to
 see the skunk cabbage, we did not realize there were
 other sites, nearby, for the skunk cabbage. This can
be recognized at this time of year by large leaves
 that look somewhat like rhubarb.
The weather was pleasant, although it became hot near
 11 am. The bugs were- surprisingly - not a problem.

Ron's expertise, both as a leader and as a naturalist ( and birder)
 were very evident.
He has  another site ready for next year's warbler walk,

 

We saw, or heard, 40 species of birds, including 9 warblers.
 Because the leaves have matured so early this year, good views
 were hard to find. So  it is surprising that such good photos of the
2 Vireos were obtained.

Ron showed us this albino form of the Mocassin Flower
 ( Stemless Ladies Slipper)- Cypridium acaule,  The
 internet tells us that the albino form is rare in Muskoka ( but
 we are not told where else it is found).

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo

Eastern Kingbird

Photos by Donald Macdonald, Ray Kiff, and Nancy Ironside

Pot luck and AGM at Swanmore Hall, May 5/10

Choosing your food is a serious business

It is hard to smile with your mouth full.
 

photos by Ray Kiff

Watching the rain through the window at the lakeside setting, while we enjoyed the spring Pot Luck could not have been more pleasant.
The food seemed better than usual, but maybe I was able to enjoy the food better this year, since I didn't have to run the slide show ( Thanks Barb Ryckman.).
The slide presenters were: Donald Macdonald ( esp owls), Adam Thomson ( esp dragonflies ), Ray Kiff (  a tribute to Ron and Sharon  and the Hermitage),
 Ellen Dennig ( a trip on the Tiny Trail), and Sarah Street ( esp about Stink Pot Turtles).

The following slate of officers and Directors was proposed and accepted:

April Evening Walk  # 4,  April 26,  2010, with Muriel

Sunny , clear ski,  cool wind  and dropping temperature.   I can't believe we
 have had four beautiful evenings for the  evening walks this year. This
 must be a record.
The marshy area between James St. and Woodland  has the constant
 calling and displaying of the Red-winged Black Birds and along the
 streams the  Kingfisher checking out the fish in the creek. Tiny fish
  were   jumping and as the sun caught the motion we saw all the
sparkles on the water. On the way back we noticed fish jumping
 over the rocks  where the water flowed through a culvert under
 the trail. (Too dark to identify )
We were treated to great beds of Trout Lily Blooms  and then Marsh Marigolds
 on every mound amidst the little ponds of water.
The Coltsfoot blooms are breathing their last   for this year,  one patch was
quite beautiful with  its pure white heads .
We saw one Muskrat , a few Mallard Ducks , and One Canada Goose nesting
 on the top of an old Beaver House . The Spring Peepers  and finally the
 American Toads were calling in the large wet area.
The pair of Osprey are back and nesting on Woodland Drive. All along the trail
 we heard Song Sparrows and  Mourning Doves .
 This is a good time of year to try to identify the spring plants
 as they begin to grow , before the flowers appear.What a wonderful outdoor
classroom we have. 
 Check out the Rock Elm. They seem to be dying along the trail.
I understand the Woodcock are nesting . Watch your feet.

Muriel and Wendy checking out the fish

Marsh marigolds struggling in the drying wetlands

SPRING WALK #3- April 19, 2010, with Muriel.

Past President, President, Vice President
 and Treasurer, deciding whether to pay for parking.

Omer Mick, sitting on a beautiful old knarled cedar.

Weather , sunny , cool and lovely.    We had a great turn out for a prowl through Bass Lake Provincial Park. 

SPRING  WALK   # 2-  April  12 , 2010, with Muriel.

Calm night -   6 degrees celcius and dropping- sunny until sunset and then cloudy. 

We walked from Wainman Line to Purbrook  Swamp area   on the Uhthoff  Trail.

The pond near the  beginning was  much quieter than it had been in the heat of the day.
However by dark the Chorus frogs and Spring Peepers were active again. Further  along
 we had a few reluctant snores from a Leopard Frog in the creek. 

 It was nice to hear the Eastern Meadow Lark  singing its delicate song and see its spring
 finery in the sunlight as it sat on a fence post. Mostly we heard the Robins, Red-winged
 Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, Canada Geese in flight. There was a definite call of a
 woodpecker but we couldn't decide which one. We could work on that. Maybe????

It was a lovely night for a walk .......but,  not a bzzt  from a Woodcock.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

The Orillia Naturalists’ mystery speaker this month was James Kamstra, who spoke on the topic of “How Insects Cope with Winter”.
 

James has a B.Sc. in Biology and Environmental Science from Trent University and a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University.
 He presently works full time as an ecologist / environmental consultant for the engineering firm, AECOM, based in Markham.
 He conducts biological inventories and environmental impact studies of development on flora and fauna. He also sits on the Committee
 on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario.

Insects like people have a variety of coping strategies. A few examples sited by James are:

The Monarch Butterfly MIGRATES long distances traveling all the way down to the mountains of Mexico. The Painted Lady
 Butterfly and some dragon flies also migrate.

Ants and June Beetles will BURROW deep into the ground to get below the frost line. Carpenter Ants and Wood Boring
 Beetles BORE into the core of wood.

Some insects like the praying mantis larvae spend the winter inside EGG CASES. The walls act as Styrofoam insulation.

Other insects such as the honey bee spend the winter in the hive HUDDLED together in a mass. They create their own
 microclimate in the hive by fluttering their wings. However, not all survive.

Many aquatic insects, the Dragon Fly nymph being an example, over winter UNDER THE WATER, sometimes being
active and other times burrowing into the mud.

The Golden Rod Gall Fly ensures that it arrives at the right time to deposit its egg directly into the stem of a growing
goldenrod. The plant reacts to the egg under the surface of its stem by growing around the egg and this GROWTH protects
 and feeds the larvae inside.

Then there are the hearty COLD TOLERANT Snow Fleas that you see on the snow banks. They are busy eating the
 bacteria in the snow.

With our early spring we may see insects earlier e.g. Black Flies, but they should be finished sooner. Fingers crossed.!

Perhaps you can identify with a species of insects or try a different coping strategy next year.

Those interested in delving deeper in to the insect world James Kamstra highly recommends Steve Marshall’s Insect
Diversity book.

                                          Prepared by: Sara Street and Ann Kennett

Spring is Singing----April 5, 2010
Muriel Sinclair's walk

Temperature: 12 degrees celsius, breezy and sunny.

The ice went out of both lakes Simcoe and Couchiching  on the week-end. Snow is gone

We checked out Mulley  Point Road to see how many Osprey had returned to the nests on the way to
 Bayshore Village;

Four pair at this time. Chorus Frogs were in full song  and lesser were the Spring Peepers and
 Wood frogs. The difference was mainly location. Some of the Peeper ponds are very loud.

At the end of Muley Point Road we were treated to some wonderful views of Green-winged Teal
 ( about 6 pair) , blue -winged Teal ,  and Mallard ducks, as well as 2 Common Snipe performing 
 and calling. The walk through McRae Provincial Park  gave us a whisper of Woodcock.( Maybe
 next week we'll find more)

The boardwalk was a little tippy as is usual in the spring. The spring flowers were beginning to
 peek through the old leaves. Our intrepid little group had a workout on the return trail along
the lake, crawling over and under and around trees and trying to avoid falling in the lake. 
 Well done! 

 When we reached the beach area we were treated to a starry night with a great sighting
 of Venus and Mercury in the western sky. This week and next are good times to see
 Mercury. I think most people would have liked a little longer to star gaze ....but it was
 time to head home. Then there was a big old Porcupine settling down in the branches
of a tree. I'll bet he has never seen so many camera flashes.( Most of us forgot our
 flashlights....including the leader) Shame!!! 

Our list for the evening------
Chorus Frogs,   Spring Peepers, Wood frogs,
Common Snipe,  American Woodcock
Osprey,
Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Mallards,
 Red-winged Blackbirds, Crows, Robins, Blue Jay, Mourning Doves,
Coltsfoot in bloom, Trout Lily, Virginia Waterleaf, Leeks sprouting
Porcupine.

 Report by Muriel S , Osprey photo by Ray Kiff

Stewart Nutt speaks to us on March 3/10 about Piping Plovers

 

Stewart Nutt, the coordinator of the Piping Plover protection team at Sauble Beach, spoke to the Orillia Naturalists’ Club
 on Wednesday March 3^rd, at Swanmore Hall. He had wonderful slides, including a short video of the Piping Plover chick’s
 antics. The bird is only half the size of a killdeer, but in the same family.

There are 3 populations of Piping Plovers, one in the east coast, one in the west, and a small population around the Great Lakes.
 All are considered endangered.  They were common birds years ago. Because they nest  on a sandy beach, their habitat has
 been destroyed by beach users – for example there might be 60,000 people come to Sauble Beach on a weekend.

 

The Great Lakes population has been monitored and protected in Michigan, but no nests had been found in Ontario for 35 years.

 

Three years ago several nests were found on Sauble Beach and Oliphant on Lake Huron, and one nest at Wasaga Beach
 on Georgian Bay.( The Wasaga Beach bird was found and identified by a 13 year old boy, walking with his mother. )
 Suddenly the bird watching and local communities were responsible for caring for their beach habitat, protecting
 the nests from human interference, from dogs and from natural predators. 

 

There has been tremendous support. One hundred and thirty one  “Guardians” (volunteers) monitor the sites near
 Sauble Beach, in four-hour shifts, from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 pm daily, from the birds’ arrival in mid April, until they
 leave in August. As well there have been support from local police, from Conservation Officers, from nearby
 cottagers and visitors and campers. Eagle Optics from Guelph donated two spotting scopes and binocular
s to the project. Because of this intense monitoring many new behaviour patterns have been seen and recorded
 (some of which were very funny, as told by Stew).

 

We all await the fourth season. (Some of our club members have volunteered to monitor at Wasaga Beach in the past.)

 

 

Saturday Feb 20,2010, Mary Mick
 led our group on a hike to the Hope-Smith property : 250+ acres donated to the \Couchiching Conservancy.
 The weather was spring like. The trails ( with bridges!) were well packed , so snow shoes were not necessary.
 Identifying trees without leaves and early budding shrubs was challenging, but we enjoyed the challenge.
Is this a butternut tree?
 

Photos by Louise Jackson

February3, 2010 Mark Bisset: The Couchiching Conservancy  and the next five years.

     When Ron Reid and Janet Grand moved to Orillia (Washago) we, as naturalists did not realize how lucky we were.  Ron Reid went on to start the Couchiching Conservancy, one of the first and most successful of Land Trusts in Ontario.  10 years later, when he announced his retirement, most of us were devastated, and afraid he could not be replaced. His replacement, Mark Bisset  (former editor of the Packet and Times) spoke to the Orillia Naturalists’ Club, on February 3^rd, about his vision for the next 5 years.  Changes are difficult but Mark has his own style and strengths. We were reassured that the Couchiching Conservancy, to which so many of us have given time and money, will continue as a success. The Conservancy has a reputation for getting things done and for being innovative – Mark’s goals too.

The Conservancy protects land in the Couchiching watershed area and a major part of the protection has occurred on the Carden plain. For example, there are 350 head of cattle on the Cameron and Windmill Ranches, and this is considered vital to maintain the habitat for the Loggerhead Shrike and the rare alvar plants.  26 thousand feet of fencing are already in place, at these ranches, and 12 thousand more feet are expected. They have built water troughs for the cattle –one pump run by a traditional windmill, and one is solar powered .The problems of cattle ranching are unusual problems for the director of a Nature Trust. In the next 2 years the Conservancy hopes to expand into Ramara Township. In October 2010 a 300-acre property in the ANSI ( area of natural and scientific interest) north of Alvar Road will be acquired. The goal is 20 thousand acres by 2013.

Volunteering is an important part of the management of these properties –clean up crews at Elliot Woods, efforts to deal with invasive species such as garlic mustard and dog strangling vine, are all part of the Conservancy` mandate. Recently a Conservation Easement has been put in place at Mark William’s property on the Oro Moraine. The ATV trails and ruts in the large property in northern Severn Township are an ongoing and so far unsolved problem.

At present they have 9234 acres protected, which includes 33 properties owned by the Couchiching Conservancy, including 7 conservation easements, and 11 properties managed in partnership with Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Parks, and Ontario Heritage Trusts.

            Mark is good at forming partnerships with other groups such as the Community Foundation Stewardship Endowment; he hopes to take a leadership role in managing the Copeland Forest; he hopes to develop a Nature for Kids group in partnership with the schools and the CBC (especially involving the teens who need 40 hours of volunteer work). His goal is to stimulate public interest and engagement in conservation. We think he will do a good job.

Saturday, January16/10 we went snowshoeing at Ellen Dennig's  near the Vasey Road
 

We hiked through their beautiful forest, with many varieties of trees,
some old and some young. We saw many animal tracks and found a
 fox's hole, and a deer bed .

We then enjoyed our lunch in the welcoming home of Ellen and Kenlis.
Their picture window overlooks the Sturgeon River Valley.

January 6/10 - monthly meeting with David J. Hawke: "Spring Things"
 

Popular local naturalist, Dave is shown here, at the first meeting of the ONC for 2010,  flanked by his mother and father
 -Gwen and John Hawke, and his father-in-law Matthew Valk
 

In January it seems our thoughts gently turn to thoughts of spring.  The daylight hours begin to grow longer and somehow the world seems
 just a little brighter.  Even though we generally think signs of spring happen as the snow begins to retreat, the reality is, as David Hawke
 explained through a series of pictures, the signs are already upon us in January.  The great horned owls are mating.  We expect to see little
owlets by March.  In early February the tiny horned larks will be seen on the gravel shoulders of the local roads.  The chipmunk may pop
 out from time to time on a warm sunny day to check things out and go back for yet another nap.  Phenology!  That’s a big word that means
 when one event changes, it affects many others.  We see it all the time with biological phenomenon and climatic conditions.  If you are interested
 in why “spring” arrives on the calendar when it does, try checking your Greek mythology, particularly Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter.

  It was a relaxing, and beautiful presentation, and made us sorry that there are still a couple more months to go until we can enjoy spring. In the mean time,
 the next meeting will feature Mark Bisset's vision for the next 5 years for the |Couchiching Conservancy.
 

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT    DECEMBER 19, 2009
 

Team 1 looking out over Lake Simcoe - Photo by Walt Ewing
 

On a beautiful sunny Saturday, (December 19,) the Orillia Naturalists’ Club members and friends were out doing the annual Xmas Bird count. Forty-four people in all escaped the Xmas turmoil to enjoy nature and to see what birds we could find. The circle that we sampled is 25 kilometres in diameter, centered in Bass Lake. Forty-nine species were recorded. As well as the 9 groups in cars, there were several feeder watchers, who called in their bird counts, and these records enhanced our observations. We enjoyed the help of the Yukoners, who pitched in and enjoyed the fun.

There were few surprises, but it seems that all is well. The total species count and the total numbers were similar to other years. This year there were very few winter finches – only 1 pine siskin and 7 Purple finches (which were seen the day prior to the count), no Redpolls, no Crossbills, no Evening Grosbeaks.  There were 8 species where only 1 bird was observed.

There are 2 feeders with Red-bellied Woodpeckers, for a local 25-year high of 3 birds. 3 Red-necked Grebes were a highlight for the open water, and the dump produced 2 Iceland Gulls, and 13 Glaucous Gulls – white gulls that come south in small numbers, in the winter. 44 Trumpeter Swans at the narrows indicate the success of the Wye Marsh introduction programme.  House sparrows appear to be on a decline and only 12 were observed (all downtown in Orillia). In 1987, 472 were seen.

We finished the day with a potluck and species tally at Swanmore Hall.

SPECIES LIST FOR 2009-12-21 

RED-NECKED GREBE 3
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT 3
TRUMPETER SWAN 46
CANADA GOOSE 31
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK 31
MALLARD 274
GREATER SCAUP1
BUFFLEHEAD 19
COMMON GOLDENEYE 269
COMMON MERGANSER 22
DUCK SP. 36
BALD EAGLE1
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 1
COOPER'S 1
NORTHERN GOSHAWK 4
RED-TAILED HAWK 10
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 1
RUFFED GROUSE 2
WILD TURKEY 450
RING-BILLED GULL 29
HERRING GULL 1523
ICELAND GULL 2
GLAUCOUS GULL 13
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL 37
GULL SP 48
ROCK PIGEON 311
MOURNING DOVE 247
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 3
DOWNY WOODPECKER 32
HAIRY WOODPECKER 26
PILEATED WOODPECKER 3
NORTHERN SHRIKE 2
BLUE JAY 239
AMERICAN CROW 147
COMMON RAVEN 15BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE 825
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 16
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 52
BROWN CREEPER 2
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET 2
EUROPEAN STARLING 931
BOHEMIAN WAXWING COUNT W 62
NORTHERN CARDINAL 21
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW 50
DARK-EYED JUNCO 43
SNOW BUNTING 30
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 1
COMMON GRACKLE 1
PURPLE FINCH COUNT WEEK 7
HOUSE FINCH 34
PINE SISKIN 1
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 339
HOUSE SPARROW 12

2 past presidents ( Joan Rosebush and Gord Michener) with Dave Ireland

 After the meeting, many people discussed the topics presented .

Dave Ireland, Curator of Conservation Programs at the Toronto Zoo, provided a fascinating look behind the scenes
 for the Orillia Naturalists’ Club on November 4th.

His knowledge of reptiles and amphibians helped to create wetland habitats at the zoo. Frog habits were studied with
 tiny implanted transponders. Red-eyed tree frogs from Costa Rica lay eggs on trees over water. Not even a tornado
shakes them loose. But when a snake approaches, the eggs drop into the water to escape!

Endangered lion-tailed macaque monkeys from India like warm climate. Winter heating is a problem. But the zoo is using
geo-thermal heat by drilling 250 feet underground and pumping up heat to melt the snow and allow the monkeys to frolic
 outdoors at a comfortable 13C.

Green roofs substantially reduce heating and air conditioning costs. When it is 28C outside, the temperature on a green
 roof is 27C. The temperature on a regular roof is 56C! The Toronto Zoo plans to be carbon neutral by 2020 and the green roofs help.

The Toronto Zoo is also involved in road ecology, helping to plan for road systems preserving   pathways
 for wildlife as much as possible.

100 million cell phones are discarded in North America each year. Another project of the Toronto Zoo is the Eco-Cell project.
 Cell phone manufacture requires a metallic ore called “Coltan” mined in eastern areas of the Congo – prime gorilla and
elephant habitat. Eco-Cell is a cell phone recycling and fundraising organization that works with 160 US and Canadian
 zoos and NGO’s. 100% of all cell phones is diverted from landfills. The City of Orillia waste recycling department is pleased
 with any diversion from the local site. The Orillia Naturalists’ Club will have boxes for drop-off of old phones at The Bird House
 Nature Company, Lakehead University, the Couchiching Conservancy and Wye Marsh. The phones will go to the Green Team
 at the Toronto Zoo to raise funds for gorilla conservation. For more information see www.torontozoo.ca/conservation .

Queen Elizabeth 2 Park - Victoria Bridge trip with Donald Macdonald and Kristen Field          October 25/09
 

Large white pine , partially encircled by Gord Michener

Ragged Rapids, a major portage for the canoeists on the Black River

The group, learning about the new QE2 Park

We walked in the floating bog, with the Tamaracks and  cotton grass

Buttonbush

Nut of Beaked Hazel

Victoria Bridge
 

A cranberry, surrounded by Sphagnum, in the bog

photos by Ray Kiff, Donald Macdonald and Margo Holt
 

Hardy Lake trip with Ellen Dennig        October 17/09
 

Ellen finally got a beautiful day for her hike to Hardy Lake, and it is a beautiful area. When we arrived there were no cars in the parking lot, so we had the trail
to ourselves.  When we left in the afternoon there were 17 cars -others had realized what a beautiful day it was for a walk. We passed ponds with ducks; the
 Lake had 2 fishing loons. We walked on the shield rocks, and passed large erratics.  The Rock tripe ( a lichen of the Genus Umbilicaria) was spectacular.
 Some tried to identify plants in seed, others just enjoyed the huge Hemlock forests.       Thanks Ellen.

Photos by Walter Ewing and Ellen Dennig
 

COLONIAL BIRD EXPERT SPEAKS TO NATURALISTS       October 7/09
 

Chip Weseloh speaking to Murray Stephens after
 the meeting, at Swanmore Hall, our new meeting site.

Immature Double-crested Cormorant at the Narrows.
 ( Photo by Donald Macdonald)

Janet Grand and Brennan Ackert discuss the
 report with Chip

Ray Kiff (Orillia Naturalists' Club),  Neil Gray (Carden Field Naturalists), Phyllis Tremblay (Brereton Field Naturalists), Sid Hadlington (Midland Field Naturalists)

The Orillia Naturalists’ Club joined naturalists from Carden and Midland in Barrie for a joint meeting of all clubs. It was a chance to renew friendships
 and learn of outings and projects planned by the four groups.

Alex Mills (who has a PhD in Ornithology from U of T) captured our interest with theories and studies relating to the decline of some birds in
Ontario and eastern Canada. The birds of interest are aerial insectivores – birds that eat flying insects. Included this group are swallows,
purple martins, whip-poor-wills and chimney swifts.

The fall in populations started in mid 1980s. Greatest declines are seen in Ontario and in birds that migrate to more southerly regions.

             The problems facing birds include:    

·         habitat destruction (but these birds have several types of habitat)

·         alien invasives (but there do not seem to be any)

·         overexploitation (some are killed chemically in South America to protect crops)

·         migration mortality

·         unknown environmental disruption

Environment changes could include climate change. Maybe the insects hatch at the wrong time to feed nestlings. Acid rain can change
the insect population. Acid rain has more effect in northern areas due to the geology. Calcium washes out of the rock and “aquatic
 osteoporosis” happens. Creatures with shells decrease in numbers. Then there is less food and calcium that birds need to lay healthy eggs.

The theories are several and are being studied extensively.

front cover

an example of one of the pages

Ray Kiff, Nancy Ironside and Pat Woodford are seen making the book donation to  the librarians - Kim Valle and Chris Tomasini
 at Lakehead University, Orillia Campus.

The Orillia Naturalists’ Club is donating nature books to the Lakehead University library, Orillia campus.
The book committee has chosen books that are well illustrated, up-to-date, and appropriate to our area –primarily eastern Canada.
People in Orillia might be interested in the books we have chosen to see if they have them
or would like to add them to their personal library.

The titles are as follows:

The ROM field guide to amphibians and reptiles of Ontario (2002) by Ross Douglas MacCulloch 

The Sibley Guide to bird life and behaviour (2001) illustrated by David Allen Sibley 

The butterflies of Canada (reprinted 2001) by Ross A. Layberry 

Caterpillars of Eastern North America: a guide to identification and natural history (2005) by David L. Wagner 

Insects: their natural history and diversity: with a photographic guide to insects of eastern North America (2006) by Stephen A. Marshall 

Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada (1999) by George L. Barron 

Trees of Ontario, including tall shrubs (2001) by Linda J. Kershaw 

The ROM field guide to wildflowers of Ontario (2004) by Timothy Dickinson…[et al] 

Last year, the Orillia Naturalists’ Club donated the Atlas of the breeding birds of Ontario (2001 – 2005) editors Michael D Cadman…[et al]

 

 

Geranium maculatum

Wood lily

Hairy beard-tongue

Narrow-leaved New Jersey Tea

Showy orchis in Peter's Woods

How big is this oak?

Relaxing in Peter's Woods

Walking through Peter's Woods

June  15/09

The requirements for a great field trip are good weather, interesting destination and  enthusiastic participants
 and programme interpreters. We had it all  with  our trip to the Alderville first Nation Black Oak
Savanna and Tall Grass Prairie,  and to Peter's Woods.

The Alderville Black Oak Savanna is the largest remnant of an endangered ecosystem found in central Ontario. It is part of what is known by the native Ojibway people as the “Lake of the Burning Plains”. In the oral tradition it was the vast fires on the south side of the lake that caused a reflection making the lake look like it was burning, on fire. In 2000 Rick Beaver began the process of expanding a healthy remnant of Black Oak Savanna and Tall Grass Prairie to   adjacent old fields. Since then constant hard work is gradually restoring the land. It is only when talking to the staff and volunteers that one really understands the progress that has been made. The hours of  seed taking, planting, prescribed burning and research that happens all year long is both  exhausting  and rewarding. Some of us had seen the prairie last September , when the  grasses were very tall. We  saw a very different picture at this time of year. Peter's Woods ( also known as Settler's Woods) is also south of Rice Lake and is  one of the most mature deciduous woodlands in southern Ontario.  As Patience Strong said, " If you stand very still in the heart of the woods, you will hear many wonderful things".  There was an awesome silence...... interspersed with bird songs, majestic trees and rare finds like Showy Orchis in bloom.

This report was submitted by Muriel Sinclair, who is one of our best leaders/interpreters.

The photos are from Adam Thomson and Donald Macdonald.

The Eastern Bluebird is one of the loveliest birds we have. They have an azure
 blue head and body with a contrasting orange breast.(
 Bluebirds were endangered at one time but they have made a comeback
 due to placing nesting boxes along trails that provide safe nesting spots
for their young. There are two trails in this area, one along the Old Barrie
Road from the 14^th to the 5th, the other along the Bass Lake Road from
the 14^th to the 10^th concession. This is part of the Citizen Science
 provided by the Orillia Naturalists’ Club  volunteer members. This Club
has charitable donation status that enables it to provide the nesting
 boxes that are constructed by the First Hawkestone Scout Group.
 With this arrangement of donations, volunteers, Scouts  working
together  these box nestings produce about 100 young Bluebirds each year.
On Saturday June 13/09, Leonore Wianko took us along her bluebird trail,
 and we saw that her boxes are being used by Bluebirds, House Wrens ,
Tree Swallows and Robins.

4 of the 5 members who finished the trip

Ground cover - lichens, and mosses in fruit

Potentilla tridentata - a VERY rare plant in our area
Photo by Ray Kiff

Naturalists who want to enjoy the spring have several options – Rain, Blackflies, Wind  (so you can’t hear the birds)
 and excessive Heat. Gord Michener seems to choose rain – since it has really rained on the last 3 trips that he has led.

Originally a trip to Victoria Bridge/Queen Elizabeth Park was planned, and scouted. A last minute scout showed the
road washed out, and the washout was being patrolled by a bear (to the great enjoyment of Donald Macdonald who
 took numerous excellent photos of the bear).

The trip to Torrance Barrens includes a lovely drive up the Southwood Road (dry), then a 3 km hike around a lake
 and bog.. 11 people made the trip to the Barrens, 5 wet people finished the hike. There was no hail, no lightning,
no wind, no blackflies, no excessive heat.

We immediately found the specialty plant of the Barrens _ Potentilla tridentata, which is usually found much further
 north. Leather leaf was in full showy bloom. The sedges and grasses were in flower. Birds included  Rufous-sided
 Towhees, White crowned Sparrows, Chipping sparrows, Yellow-rumped and Yellow warblers The ground cover
 of lichens  (mainly Cladinas) and mosses were particularly lush, because of the rain, and there was a beautiful misty
mood to the excursion.

Three-toothed cinquefoil Potentilla tridentata well south of its arctic alpine range 
Poverty grass Danthonia spicata with its distinctive curled leaves from last year 
Spike moss Selaginella rupestris moss like on the rock with 4 ranked leaves 
Rice grass Oryzopsis asperifolia at first blush it looked like The rare Bartonia but clearly was the mesic woodland grass coming into flower 
Sweet fern Comtonia peregrina 
Sweet gale Myrica gale in the same wet habit as leatherleaf. 
Leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata this heath family shrub was in flower at the water's edge. The scientific name means " ground laurel with an outer calyx" 
Yellow screw stem Bartonia virginica this rare gentain has been found in the barrens but we did not see it. It is parasitic on mycorrhizal fungi i.e. it is mycotrophic. 
The red sphagnums S. capillifolium and S. papillosum were evident 
Water willow Decodon verticillatus this loosestrife family quasi shrub had not yet emerged 
Juneberry Amelanchier alnifolia was in flower 
Blueberry Vaccinium spp. ? were also in flower waiting for the blackflies to pollinate 
Red oak Quercus rubra was starting to bud 

Thanks to Gord Michener who made the best of a tough day.

POT LUCK and AGM: May 6/2009-
 

 We had a successful and well attended Pot Luck at the beautiful Langman Sanctuary.
 The executive all agreed to stand for another year (and there were no nominations from the floor).

Anyone interested in participating on the Programme  Committee is welcome at the home
 of Ray Kiff, at 7:30 pm,  May 27. Any suggestions should be sent to Ray.

9 members had photos for the slide show, mostly all in different formats, from many places
 in the globe, as well as local nature photos.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the slide  show,
 except Nancy, who found the technology too challenging

Cover

An example of one of the pages

Margo Holt, one of our own, has published a book:" Alvar specialty plants of Central Ontario - a guide to specialty shrubs,
wildflowers, grasses and sedges found on the Alvars ( limestone rock barrens) of the Carden Plain, Bruce Peninsula, and Manitoulin Island ".
This book is to be used  in conjunction with such wildflowers guides as Peterson and Newcomb, but it  features 53  specialty plants,
found only in these inhospitable  environments. There are beautiful photos of the plants in flower, and also, often, in seed as well.
 Photos of many of these plants cannot be found  in any other publication, and certainly not available in this form of grouping.
Many of our club member have accompanied Margo during her studies, and are acknowledged in the book,
including Dorothy  Hadlington, who died, sadly, without seeing the book.

This book is available at the Bird House, and at many events that you may be attending. 
 For those from out of town who might be reading this, copies can be obtained from the
Couchiching Conservancy, Box 704, Orillia, ON L3V 6K7; 705-326-1620  ; e mail: gayle@couchichingconservancy.ca.
Cost is $16.95 + $3.00 shipping.
This book has been published with the help of the Couchiching Conservancy ( and other grants).
All profits are for the Couchiching Conservancy.

Mon.  April 27    Evening walk 

A lovely night to end our April walks. It was warm, a little breezy and we had sun for awhile,
then an overcast  sky.Our thanks to  Greg and Tassie for allowing us to prowl on their property.
The American Toads ,  Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs  were singing . The male
 Red-winged Blackbirds were strutting their stuff  in the wetland grasses as the females
 sat in the trees nearby. We saw a Meadow Lark,  and heard a Common Snipe  over the
 horse paddock. A pair of Bufflehead flew over heading for a spot to spend the night
I suppose.

It is such a treat to sit on the grassy knoll and listen to the night sounds begin over
 the wetland. On the way back to the cars the dry grass seemed to be alive with
movement and the call of Spring Peepers, a short distance from the pond

Photo of the ladies on a bench, enjoying Greg's pond

Mon. April 20     Evening Walk

What changeable  weather!  It was barely above freezing,  with light  rain and a high wind.
The Osprey are back on the nest,   and mating, on Woodland Dr. A short walk west on the rail trail took us to the bridge over the stream.
 A number of suckers were moving in the shallows.There was no sign of the female Red -winged Blackbirds yet but a great many males making their
 presence known. Canada Geese, Mallards and a few Robins seemed to be the total bird count for the night, and not a peep or a croak from the frogs.
 On Friday there had been a mating frenzy with the Leopard frogs at the Coral Cove pond.

Webmasters note: she didn't even cancel this walk, but no one took photos, they were too cold, and wet..

Evening Walk  - April 13, 2009

A pleasant cool night does attract  participation . ( 14 people)

This was a prowl to have a look at the Carthew Bay Nature reserve, from both the lake side and the Oro-Medonte recreational trail side. The McCulloch family donated this 9 hectare natural property to the Couchiching Conservancy in 2002. It will remain in its natural state , as a sanctuary, to be enjoyed by both wildlife and people, for generations to come. There is a mix of hardwood forest ,meadow, wetland and example of old boulder beach. We saw a large flock of male Red-winged Blackbirds keeping watch over the marsh.  The usual calls and flights of Canada Geese and some Mallard  and Wood ducks in the large pond by the trail seemed to be the tally of noticeable bird life. However the loud calls of Spring Peepers told us' Spring' really had come at last.

There are obviously Beaver at work,  but we didn't see one. From the size of the trees he is attacking it could be that he was having a very long sleep.

As dark approach we heard the faint  "peent" call of the Woodcock on the ground

Thanks to Ray Kiff and Donald Macdonald for photos.

Monday April  6-

            Yesterday it was spring!

            To-day we have our first walk for the season  and we have 20 cm. of snow, high winds and  the temperature is well
 below freezing. April is such and interesting month.

            Since the snowplows had been at work we felt it was safe to park  near The Hammock  on the east side of the
 lake and walk the rail trail back toward the Narrows. Even when the weather seems to be against an evening walk
 there is always something to see. Needless to say there were no frogs calling( even though they had been
calling a week before)

            As we walked along we saw the odd Chickadee , Blue Jay, and a flock of Starlings. What was really unusual
were the large flocks of Robins, with a special note that most of them were feeding on the fruit clusters of the
sumac. As we approached the old railway bridge we found it almost impossible to look north to check out
 the rough waters for ducks. We did see what was possibly a Pied Billed Grebe . Canada Geese are always
visible and noisy. It seemed wise to return to the shelter of the trees and head back. The snow may not be
 welcome at  this time but it did give an incredible beauty to the landscape, with all kinds of designs , both
 delicate and  interesting. The wetlands  that had flooded with the rain were now  grey with ice. 

April 1ST/09 JANINE MCLEOD : VERNAL POOLS

MARCH 4/09 AL SINCLAIR:  WILD ORCHIDS OF ONTARIO

        Sid and Dot Hadlington, and  Margo Holt  are chatting with Joan and Al Sinclair at the break. Alex Mills is drinking coffee.
 

Saturday February 21/09

To our surprise
( Nature Club outings have been notorious
 for crummy weather)
 we had beautiful weather for
a ski/snowshoe outing to the Hermitage,
led by Mary Elizabeth Mick. Skiing through
two cedar swamps was a bit challenging for
the inexperienced, since branches and trees
had fallen earlier this winter.
 We enjoyed hot drinks in  Hancock's cabin 
as a reward for exercising.

Photo by Donald Macdonald

Dr Ted Cormode with Ron Hancock, Omer and Mary E. Mick and Ron Reid as they discuss the artifacts that Ted has brought with him from Baffin.

Iqaluit: This falls reverses when the tide comes in.

Dog team in fan shaped harness

Purple Saxifrage

Dr Ted Cormode, spoke to the Orillia Naturalists’ Club on February 3^rd. He is well known to many Orillians, since he came to Orillia in 1974, as our first paediatrician. He has recently worked part time in Baffin Island for 7 years.

He showed us the villages of Baffin Island, such as Iqaluit, Pangnirtung,  Broughton Island, Pond Inlet, Cape Dorset, Iglulik, and others.   Buildings are brought in ready for assembly and built above ground. Efforts to have a central water and sewage system have failed, so the water is brought by truck, and the sewage removed by truck, with fail-safe separate connections, so the two trucks cannot be mixed up.

His beautiful photos demonstrated the stark beauty of the north; the ice, the water, the icebergs, the rolling hills; landscapes never obscured by trees. (Dog teams are harnessed in fans, rather than pairs, as they are here in the south, since the trails are not limited by trees. ). Some areas have 30-foot tides, which may cause waterfalls to reverse. Photos showed rocks covered with a dark lichen, but are these rocks are white near the water’s edge, since the lichen cannot grow on the rock which would be covered with seawater with high tide.

 He explained the survival strategies of plants in the Arctic – they grow close to the ground, they may germinate over 2 years, and they may have furry leaves to protect them from the cold. However they do manage to show beautiful flowers for very short periods in the summer. He also had photos of pods of  "bowhead" whales, a baleen whale of the Right Whale species - a non migratory species- as they crossed the straights north of Pond Inlet. Polar bears are a fact of life, and must be taken seriously.

However, his true passion is the Inuit.  He discussed their problems as a result of their history and the government policies of the past. He discussed their coping strategies  and their failures as they try to adjust to modern technologies and loss of their traditional way of life. Many of his photos showed his love for the children, and there were many human-interest stories.

Although the meeting was longer than usual, no one wanted to go home. They wanted to see the artefacts that he had brought with him, the books that he recommended, and to just continue talking.

January meeting:

 Graham Gibson Jr, standing with Adam
 Thomson
and Pat Woodford,
behind a portion of the audience

The first 2009  meeting of the Orillia Naturalists’ Club was held January 7^th – another snowy meeting day.
Graham Gibson Jr., the director of the Pelee Island Bird Observatory was our speaker. He is well known to Pat and Jim Woodford, who have volunteered at the Bird Banding station there for several years.

 Graham told us that father started him into birding in the ‘70s, when it was not such a popular hobby  as now, and his interest has continued. As an adult, he volunteered and worked at Pelee Island, Thunder Cape Bird Observatory (Thunder Bay), and Rocky Point in Vancouver Island. With this experience and knowledge he opened up a new bird banding and migration monitoring station at the tip of Pelee Island., in 2003. They are now in their 6th year, and have 4 paid employees. Pelee Island is situated in the western third of Lake Erie, and is the most southerly-inhabited landmass in Canada, and the largest island in the Pelee Island archipelago ( 4000 ha). It is 10 miles from Point Pelee and can be reached by ferry. Pelee Island was originally a large swamp, but was drained in 1880.

Graham considers that standardized procedures are essential in order to compare and interpret data. They have a daily 90 minute walk, and they mist net, ( to catch birds for banding) at Fish Point – the southern end of Pelee Island. Last year they worked for 76 consecutive days in the spring, and 107 consecutive days in the fall (August 1^st to Nov 15^th ). They are committed to long term monitoring, and are part of a Canadian Migration Monitoring Network , with 25 members. 2300 birds of 103 species have been banded from 2003-2005. There is a very low recovery rate of banded birds, and only 62 recaptures of banded birds.

As well as the banding efforts, the group has been studying the breeding birds, with some emphasis on species at risk, such as Yellow-breasted Chat, Acadian Flycatcher and Least Bittern (studied in the Marsh Monitoring programme). They have also studied Northern Saw-whet Owls. This involves mist netting at night, and have they  found these owls to be a species that is relatively common, although not well known.

There is also an educational element, both for school children and for the training of volunteers. Volunteers are welcome, and this can be arranged, at the appropriate time, by contacting Pelee Island Bird Observatory.

Those who braved the roads were rewarded by a sense of learning about the most recent areas of bird research.

 On the Christmas Bird Count, Margo Holt saw and photographed these Wild Turkeys, huddled in the cold, waiting for the train.

Please see the report of the Gray Jay talk given by Dan Strickland, for  a clarification/ correction that he sent to us.

Kristen Field, Nancy Green and Sharon Hancock  look over the shoulder of Beth Clare as she prepares to give her  presentation

On Wednesday November 4^th, Beth Clare, a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph, spoke to the
                                        Orillia Naturalists’ Club about The Barcode of Life.

There are about 1.7 million species of life on earth, known and named, but it is estimated that there are actually 10 –100 million species; so only a very small proportion of the biodiversity of the world is known.  It would take 10,000 taxonomists, working 600 years to get names on all the species (many of which would be extinct by then).  For example, the Royal Ontario Museum has 6 floors of herbarium specimens.  They have records telling where and how and when a specimen was collected. All these specimens need to have their DNA recorded.

The scientists have picked a small area of DNA from a standard gene region, and this is called DNA barcoding. This is analogous (but more elaborate) to how retail products are tagged in supermarkets to allow their quick identification. Every species of fish and every plant has its own DNA In April 2004 an international Consortium of the Barcode of Life was formed, with active memberships of 40 countries, led by the University of Guelph. They aim to have 10 million species with 10 examples for each species.  While a barcode is something similar to the black lines that get scanned in the checkout of the grocery store, it actually represents the 657 positions of the in the small stretch of the double helix that have been selected to study and to develop the Tree of Life. The University of Guelph has a robot that can sequence 2000 species/ day, which is stored on a computer for future comparisons. They have concentrated on species of economic importance, so far.

Beth Clare’s actual research involves bats. They have collected guano from bats, and studied the DNA of the insects that are excreted. They have found 130 species of insects, including spiders, which are eaten by bats - some of the insects were not even known to exist in that area previously. Unfortunately 27 of the insects encountered could not be identified, because the database is still incomplete.

The members of the Naturalists’ Club were excited to hear about the possibilities that this opens up in the scientific world, and were pleased with the international cooperation that has been achieved.

The Orillia Naturalists' Club donated 3 books to the Orillia Public Library
 in memory of Marion and Bill Cattley, founding members of our club.
The books were on display at the meeting.

The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Park, was
written by Colin Jones, who spoke to us at one
of our meetings last year. It is
 available, at the Algonquin Park Bookstore, or by
ordering from the Friends of Algonquin Park.

The Spiders of the North Woods, and Caterpillars
 of Eastern North America are available for
 purchase at the Birdhouse Nature Company.
 People who have become interested in Spiders and
Caterpillars, as a result of these two books,
often photograph their find, and then compare
 their digital  photo to the photos in the book. 

October 25/08 -Nature walk by the shore, in the woods, and past picturesque ponds at Hardy Lake Provincial Park -
led by Ellen Dennig

The dismal forecast didn't deter three hardy members from enjoying the unique and scenic wilderness of Hardy Lake in the Muskokas,
 as they moseyed along the rugged shoreline, on a well marked trail, through forests of pine and hemlock, past huge boulders
  and rock ridges left over from the ice age, and gazed out on small groups of ducks lingering on the beaver ponds and wetlands,
interspersed throughout the trail -  all to the frequent chorus of blue jays and other sounds of nature.

Rock tripe (a lichen -Umbilicaria)  on a granite boulder

Ellen Dennig and Kristen Field

Buffleheads

October 5/08: A visit to the HopeSmith Property , led by Ron Reid.
.  This is a recently acquired property near the Cooper's Falls Road. It borders a small river, is on the Precambrian Shield, and has recently cut trails. The trails are flagged, but if  you tend to get lost with a profusion of trail ribbons, be sure to take a compass.

Scleroderma, similiar to
 a puffball, but not

Red-back Salamander

Leocobryum glaucum , a moss that
looks inviting for a cushion, but retains water

Maidenhair fern

Photos by Ron Reid and Rick Brown

WED OCT 1/08 : FIRST MEETING OF THE NATURALISTS' CLUB SINCE THE SPRING: SPEAKER DAN STRICKLAND
 

Dan Strickland is holding copies of the Raven, Joan Rosebush is admiring his t-shirt, and Wendy Hutchings is looking at the camera. 
The photo of the right shows Dan Strickland explaining a point to Wendy and Al Hutchings, Margo Holt, Donald macDonald and Pat Woodford.

Dan Strickland, who had been the chief naturalist for Algonquin Park from 1970-2000, spoke to us about “ The Impossible Bird of the Boreal Forest”. Because of winter survival techniques, he considers the Gray Jay a contender for the eighth wonder of the world. The Gray Jay’s alternate name is whisky-jack – not because it drinks whiskey, but rather a derivation of a native name for this bird.
     Dan had studied this one species for over 40 years, primarily in Algonquin Park, which is the southern edge of their range. He sought to answer the questions about why a bird would choose to nest in the harsh winter, starting their nest in mid February, and only ceasing in the midst of a fierce blizzard. Most birds nest in the summer when the insect population is high, which makes it easy to feed their young. However, many summer nesting birds lose their fledglings to raptors and other predators.
     Gray Jays are able to survive winter nesting because of their food storage techniques. Dan first considered what food sustains their winter survival. Gray Jays are found with spruce trees, throughout their North American range. Spruce bark forms scales, like shingles, so the bird can store food collected all through the summer under the shingle. Studies showed that food stored under Black Spruce bark lost only 25% of its weight over the summer, while food stored under maple bark (a tree which Gray Jays do not use) would lose 90% of its weight under similar conditions.
     Because the Algonquin Park researchers band the nestlings, they are able to study their territorial habits, the survival of the dominant nestling, and decreases in occupancy rate of territories - by 35% in recent years. He thinks that warmer temperatures due to climate change decrease the value of the stored food. As a result of this the Gray Jays may move farther north, and eventually become rare in Algonquin Park.
     His presented questions to us, and then demonstrated how he solved the questions by research.

Dan is the editor of “ The Raven”, the newsletter of Algonquin Park, and he brought sets of these newsletters, which will be available at our next meeting.

 DAN SENT US THIS CORRECTION:

The last sentence of the 2nd paragraph suggests that Gray Jays don't  nest in the summer because they would lose their fledglings to 
raptors but the real reason, I suggest, is that by nesting in the  summer (or actually late spring) they would not be able to store as 
much food as they can by nesting early. Without cramming their  territory full of stored food, they would have to migrate and that 
would subject them to the dangers of migration. By nesting early,  they can maximize the food stored on their territory, stay at home 
all winter, and survive to breed many more times than they could if  they migrated (and therefore, on average, died much earlier).

The danger of raptors in summer is probably the reason why Gray Jays  die at a much greater rate in summer than in winter but it has 
nothing to do with why they nest early. After all, whether they nest  early or late they are still going to be in the same place in the 
summer and subject to the same dangers.
 

Tour of the Alderville Black Oak Savanna  and Tall Grass Prairie of  Alderville First Nation......Sat. Sept. 27. The tour
was led by the Natural Heritage co-ordinator, Janine MacLeod.

Photos by Donald MacDonald

RAY KIFF AND FRIENDS : Photos and report by Ray Kiff

Summary of Nesting results for Orillia Naturalist Club re Eastern Bluebird (EABL) Nesting Box Trails 2007 & 2008

1. History-

Nesting box trails for Eastern Bluebirds (EABLs) have helped revive the Bluebird population so they are no longer endangered. Various people have been instrumental in promoting EABLs in this area.

   Bill Zufelt showed me where Bluebirds were located in 1983 and my first EABL nestlings appeared on our farm after boxes were erected.

   Brian Flemming had already started a trail along roads in Oro Township along the Old Barrie Road and Bass Lake road in 1976;

   Ken Thomson at Geneva Park YMCA Conference Centre obtained a CWIP (Canadian Wildlife Improvement Grant) in 1986 which provided funds so 140 nesting boxes could be built to be made for EABLs,Wrens and Wood Duck boxes.

    Gord Luker (deceased April 2008) joined me by taking over the Bass Lake Road trail in 1988.

    Leanore Wiancko has managed that Bass Lake Trail since 2005. There are many active trails in Ramara Township, and Muskoka, Bracebridge especially with Bob Burton’s trails, An Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society (OEBLS) as well as a North American Bluebird Society (NABS) have been established.

2. Boy Scouts/Cubs/Beavers Nesting  Box Building.

        The Orillia Naturalist Club has donated funds to the 1st Hawkestone Scouting Group yearly since 2004 and, and again over the 2007-08 winter. Our own Club member Warren Ryckman is a parent, Scout Leader and Master Carpenter who supervises the Scouts box building activities. A wide range of box types suitable for Hawks, Owls, Ducks & song birds are constructed, but none specifically for mice. Maintaining these nesting boxes has definitely improved the local EABL count.

3. Nesting Results for Leanore's Bass Lake Trail-EABLs & TRES;

2007; 47 EABLs fledged, 38 TRES, 5 House Wrens(HOWR)         

2008; 38 EABLs fledged, 27 TRES, 7 House Wrens and 4 Robins. Mice invaded 5 boxes. 

For the first time, Eastern Bluebirds had a nest beside the Sewage Lagoons at Big Cedar Estates. It would have made Gord Luker happy.

In Leanore’s own backyard ,within Orillia City limits, she had 16 fledglings, viz.4 Chickadees, 4 Robins and 8 House Wrens.

4. Nesting Results for Ray's Barrie Road trail(from 14th to 5th concession)      2007, 53 Eastern Bluebirds(EABLs) fledged in 12 boxes with 15 broods(2 double broods).The trail has 51 boxes.    66 eggs/1 white egg/

        72 Tree Swallows(TRES) fledged from 23 broods/6 sterile eggs/16 dead

         3 Wrens(HOWR)

         8 mouse nests

2008,46 Bluebirds, 34 Tree Swallows. Surprises at cleanout time were 9 mice nests, red biting ants and the usual earwigs.

5. Statistics;

      2007 was one of our best seasons with no minus five Centigrade cold spells in April or May and continuous warm summer weather.2008 had few casualties with few sudden cold spells. Our main predator is the House Wren who will attack the nest occupants, stir up the nest and peck the eggs.

     The Eastern Bluebird has shown an 8% annual increase from 1981 to 2005. Tree Swallows have shown a 2.1% annual decrease between 1981 & 2005 which is consistent with decreases of other aerial insectivores.

The Audubon Christmas Bird count has been showing increasing Bluebird counts in the Niagara area. St Thomas showed the highest Bluebird count in 2007. Owen Sound is the farthest North a Bluebird has been seen with the CBC in Ontario.

On June 28,2008, Colleen Cooney showed us her  beautiful orchid- laden bog on Church Line South, in Matchedash
District of Severn Township. 13 of the "toughies" from the Naturalists' Club met her there. She knew we wouldn't cancel
 " because we were naturalists". Pat Woodford gave us a fern identification walk as we went to the bog. Golden
 Chanterelle mushrooms were abundant, but the highlight was the pink bog - full of Calopogon and Rose Pogonia
 Orchids - too numerous to even estimate the numbers.