WHERE HAVE WE HAVE BEEN TRAVELIN

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN TRAVELING?

Many of our members have stayed in Canada this last summer

BILL AND HELEN MARIE DARKER cruised the Arctic last summer and sent us these photos

Aurora, Ungava Bay	Fireweed	Gneiss

	Arctic willow	Bear on beach waiting for Murre chicks to jump

Arctic willow	Murre, daddy and chick find each other and swim to Labrador	Bear still looking for chicks

Nancy Ironside and Gord Michener attended the Crum Moss Workshop at Tobermory in September.
They collected in the Bruce National Park and the Fathom Five park at Flowerpot Island (all with permission of course). The typical limestone alvar habitat was productive even though the flowering plants, including the endemics lakeside daisy and lake iris were over. The mosses can be collected at any time. The community centre was turned into a laboratory with many microscopes and half the day was spent there in identification. The national and international experts such as Bill Buck of the New York Botanical Garden, Jennifer Doubt and Linda Ley of Canada’s Nature Museum, were all very helpful to the new people. A spikemoss (Selaginella eclipes), which had been named by Bill Buck in 1977 was found (the identification was confirmed by the best expert – Bill Buck) . ( as told by Gord Michener)
	Jennifer Doubt of the Canadian Museum of Nature, is seen standing by the Flowerpot on Flowerpot Island. On the right is a photo of Selaginella eclipes ( not a moss , not a fern, not a flowering plant ).

We head out to collect	On the boat to Flowerpot Island	collecting on an alvar



many people collected enough to fill a pillow case	working in the laboratory	The mosses are carefully recorded and after further study will be saved in the herbarium of the Canadian Museum of Nature. Linda Ley is seen working on the identifications.
Photos by Kieran Shepherd

Sep 22, 2010 Barb and Warren Ryckman visited Balsam Lake in Killarney Provincial Park


These lower photos show La Cloche Range, in Northern Ontario, along the northern shore of Lake Huron . The hills are located in the Canadian Shield, and are composed primarily of white quartzite. They are a significant feature of Killarney Park, often painted by the Group of Seven artists. The centre photo shows a Striped ( Moose) Maple growing from these rocks.

Kevin and Mary Binsted visited Newfoundland this summer ( 2010 ) and sent us these photos

East Coast Trail – LaManche Village	Highway 10 - The Irish Loop - Newfoundland Moose	Baccalieu Trail - Hearts Content – Butterfly ( Swallowtail sp.) on Wild Iris	East Coast Trail -Renews – Wild Iris

East Coast Trail - Read Head Cove	Sea Kayaking at Cape Broyle – exiting sea cave	Inside sea cave	East Coast Trail – Cape Spear – Bake Apple Berry

Ray and Janet Kiff visited their cottage in Manitoulin this summer. We seem to have different flowers each time we go. In the Meldrum Bay area there was the unusual sighting of 4 Blue Jays mobbing 2 young Pileated Woodpeckers. A Rough-Winged Swallow was patrolling the new limestone pier in Meldrum Bay. The Ruby-throated hummingbirds at the Meldrum Bay Inn are so plentiful that they have to refill their 7 feeders daily. It is a thrill to get buzzed by a hummer three feet away during a meal. Nine deer were seen Our cottage is on pavement alvar but it is cool on hot days . Visitors from the club are welcome, although a 4-wheel drive truck is needed for access.


Vesper Sparrow -note the flat head and white outer tail feathers	Upper photo: Kalm's St John-wort Lower photo: Small flowered Gerardia	Upper Photo: Rush Aster Lower photo: Shrubby Cinquefoil	Upper photo: Brook Lobelia Lower photo: Grass of Parnassus

Ron and Sharon Hancock went to Brazil during the winter of 2010
After leaving Rio, they travelled to the Pantanal. These photos are taken in the Pantanal, which they loved. They then left for Manaus, then travelled down the east coast by air and by bus ( and they have lovely photos from these areas). Ron felt sick in Sao Paulo, so they missed the planned southern part of Brazil. He developed spots after returning to Canada- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - a learning experience for the Orillia physicians. 2 weeks after returning Sharon went on a ventilator for 5 1/2 weeks ( Staph septicaemia). But all is well now, to the great relief of all the members of the Orillia Naturalists' Club. Watch the programme to see when they will be presenting more of their photos, on a screen.

Yellow-collared Macaws	Blue and Yellow Macaws	Hyacinth Macaw	Marmoset monkey on top of Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio	Rufescent Tiger-heron


Jabiru Stork	Bare faced Chachalaca	Capybara	Ringed kingfisher	Greater Rhea

Chestnut-eared Aracari	Guira Cuckoo	Red-legged Seriema	Tarantula	Spots of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Walter and Heather spent several months in Florida this winter, and he has sent us these photos. ( 2010 )

He tells us that these photos were taken near Lake Kissimmee at a fishing camp in Florida. There were bald eagles galore, and we were treated to sightings of crested caracaras. The meadowlark was singing its heart out, and posed for a moment. Whooping cranes seem to hangout where cattle are being fed, so they move around a bit. There are breeding pairs in Florida now. They are the biggest birds I have seen in Florida.

Ray and Janet Kiff sent us these photos from Florida, and reported ( 2010)
"We visited the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge today. It is about two miles south of the Kennedy Space Centre. Finally, we had some good sunlight and warmth. The Skimmers were on the beach near us; The Gnatcatcher was seen at the Eldora Hammock about 10 miles north within the Canaveral National Seashore property. "

White Ibis	Eastern Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	American White Pelicans in V flyover formation

Roseate Spoonbills	Snowy Egret	Northern Shoveller -breeding male and female

Black Skimmers - on strike?

Leonore Wianko spent a week in Providentiales ( Turks and Caicos) and found 36 life birds

Wasp mimicking Day flying moth-Ctenuchid (Empyreuma hero)	Rock iguana	Reddish egret

Flamingo and Black-necked Stilts	Mangroves	Flamingo

Ron Reid and Janet Grand spent July travelling around Newfoundland. ( 2009 )

Janet shows off her hair in a breezy seaside meadow near St. Andrew on the west coast.	Just some of the steps leading to a spectacular view from one of the four corners of the Earth, according to the Flat Earth Society, on Fogo Island	A roadside nesting colony of Arctic terns at the mouth of the Codroy valley.

Twillingate harbour had the largest icebergs seen in many years.	Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows. Another limestone barrens specialist, known as River Beautyeven though there are no rivers for miles on this dry landscape.	A yellow-bellied flycatcher that has just been banded - the most common flycatcher in Newfoundland.

Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows. A Black Swallowtail feeding on one of the showiest of the limestone barrens plants - Elegant Milkvetch.	Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows. This tiny willow uses masses of fluffy seed heads to disperse by the wind.	Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve near L'Anse Aux Meadows is a great example of limestone barrens, with Shrubby Cinquefoil and many other specialized flowers.

Gord Michener and Jim Watt, were among a group of 4, who travelled to Iceland in June. ( 2009 )

There were many spectacular falls, home to salmon runs. The rivers of Iceland are the last good refuge of Atlantic Salmon	This geyser, among many, is more regular than " Old Faithful ( in Yellowstone).	Generating electricity from the ground. All the hills are still hot, so there is no vegetation on the hills

A fern at a falls - probably a type of Woodsia.	White Mountain Avens	Moss Campion with heather and crowberry
The plants are often similiar to ours in the north, although there are also European plants.

Heather and Walter Ewing were in Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in June 2009. Walt ran in the half marathon there, as a member of Team Diabetes Canada. Easter Island is a lesson for all people, as to what happens to land when there is overpopulation and abuse of the resources. What was formerly an island covered by trees is now pasture to horses and cattle. The flora and fauna that were unique have disappeared since Polynesians settled the island around 300 CE. The people of Rapa Nui (about 4,000 live there) depend a great deal on imports for almost all of their needs. Tourism to Rapa Nui is expanding, as people go to see the monumental sculptures and stone altars found around the island. Rapa Nui is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The enormous stone figures, known as Moai continure to fascinate people throughout the world. Rapa Nui is the most remote inhabited island in the world. Pitcairn Island is the nearest landfall. Heather and Walt Ewing are former members of our club, and have moved back to Orillia. They will participate in the shoulder seasons, since they, like so many of our members, winter in the south.


Heather in front of an Ahu with several Moai.	Common Diuca Finch in Rapa Nui

Moai on an Ahu (altar) by the Ocean	Rapa Nui was formed by volcanoes. The two larger craters have small lakes with reeds similar to those in Lake Titicaca.	Walt by two Moai. The red hat shows that the funerary person represented was particularly well-to-do.

Gord and Sandy Michener visited Brazil, near Rio, in March, for a family wedding. They also took time to hike a difficult forest trail, which ended at a waterfall. More of their photos of Brazil will be shown at members' night , May 6th.


	Dorothy and Donald Macdonald spent 10 days in Florida, and sent us this photo of Sanderlings on Bonita Beach. Donald M called them Sandpipers. They are not really Sanderlings Final decision: WILLETS : note the heavy beak, and the fact that they are wading up to their knees.

Ray and Janet Kiff are spending the winter in Victoria. They sent us this report and these photos.
"We watched the mist netting and banding of 2 migrating Rufous Hummingbirds under the supervision of Master Bird Bander J Cam Finlay with the work being done by sub-permitee Dave Lynn under the auspices of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). Cam has banded almost 20,000 humming birds here in Victoria and at 7 spots in B.C."

Securing the flannel collar.	Caliper measurement.	Pinning collar	Weighing on scale


Antarctic shag	Kelp Gull with chick	Cape Petrels	Black-browed Albatross with chick
		Margo Holt and Leonore Wianko spent most of January in Antarctica, visiting Argentina , Falkland Islands, South Georgia, among others, and the continent of Antarctica. They saw 8 Species of penguins, Leonore found 130 lifers on the trip.
Adelie Penguin with 2 chicks	Gentoo Penguin standing on Margo's boots		King Penguins