The Peninsula Naturalist

A Message From the President

John Potter has held many roles and worn a variety of hats during his involvement with the Peninsula Field Naturalists. As a member of the Executive, John has served as a Director, President and Past President since joining the board 18 years ago.

John and Bob at the Malcolmson Eco-Park native plant sale a couple years ago. Jean Hampson photo.

John's contributions don't stop there. For 12 years, approximately 36 issues, he was the Editor of The Peninsula Naturalist. Part of his duty as Editor included a friendly nudge to ensure the President's Comments appeared in the newsletter. His attention to detail when writing the articles for the guest speakers was impressive. There are some big shoes to fill there. With his wife Mary Potter's assistance, John would put the newsletter articles together, arrange for printing and take care of distribution by postal mail and e-mail.

I have lost count now of the number of jobs John did for the Peninsula Field Naturalists. His recent decision to step down from the Board and as Editor of The Peninsula Naturalist is bittersweet.

John's contributions to the Executive and The Peninsula Naturalist are truly appreciated and on behalf of the Executive and members, I would like to thank him for his hard work and dedication.

Looking forward, I will do my best to provide informative articles from the presentations at our indoor programs and from our outings. For the editing of the newsletter, we have a new Editor. Starting with this issue #249, Lorraine Brown-Joyce will be taking the helm. I and the rest of the contributors to the newsletter look forward to working with Lorraine to advocate, educate and participate in the conservation of natural resources and green spaces in the form of a newsletter.

Bob Highcock, President

In Memory of Emma Carlson 1926-2018

Emma and Cedar provided by her daughter Carla Carlson. (March 2018)

Our club lost one of our most loyal members this October with the sudden passing of Emma Carlson. Emma was an active participant in many of our events and was an advocate in the fight to protect natural spaces by attending meetings, protests and other campaigns. She enjoyed getting outside right until her last days. Emma will be missed at our monthly meetings. She always gave the speaker her full attention and

was ready with a question or two after the talk. She was quick to introduce herself to newcomers and guests at our gatherings and made sure they enjoyed our after meeting snacks. Emma was a faithful attendee at the PFN annual picnic. John and Mary Potter always ensured she had a lift to the venue. Our sincere condolences are extended to Emma's family and many friends. She will be dearly missed.

Birds and Mammals of Algonquin Park by Bob Highcock

Algonquin Moose. Jean Hampson photo.

Tim Arthur is an audio journalist turned naturalist. He has done contract field work for Bird Studies Canada and captures wonderful images of the natural environment. During his first trip to Algonquin, Tim observed his first moose 5 minutes into the park. Since then, Tim has visited the park numerous times over the last ten years and has encountered more than 200 moose, dozens of bears, five wolves and Short-tailed Weasels. During his presentation, Tim gave an audio and visual snapshot of the birds and mammals a visitor to the provincial park can encounter.

Algonquin Provincial Park is approximately 650 feet higher than the surrounding area and is divided into the western uplands and east side. The elevation and latitude of the park create ideal conditions for Boreal species.

Research in the park includes over 55 years of Canada Jay study and 46 years of turtle research. Information has been gathered on tens of thousands of turtles and the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station research was instrumental in ending the hunt of Snapping Turtles in 2017.

Mammals:

There are approximately 2,000 Black Bears in the park. Ability to smell a carcass up to 30 km away, intelligence and being experts at break and enter are just some of the interesting facts about this species of bear. More and more encounters with bears are occurring and can be problematic, more so for the bears. If visitors to the park just used common sense when camping and walking the trails, then an encounter would be a memorable one.

There are between 3,200 and 3,600 moose in Algonquin. These large animals can reach a speed of 56 km/hr.

The Algonquin Wolf is a new taxon created after many years of hybridization. The species is listed as Threatened and there are 100 to 300 wolves in the park. Packs include one Alpha male and one Alpha female and their offspring.

American Marten (Pine Marten) eat small mammals, fruits, plants and insects. The species is vulnerable to predation and trapping and habitat loss is responsible for the population decline.

Other mammals that can be found in the park include Red Fox, River Otter and beavers.

A beautiful Canada Jay. Jean Hampson photo.

Birds:

Most of the Canada Jays (formerly Gray Jay) found in the park have colour bands due to studies. They are most common in Black Spruce or White Spruce/ Balsam forest. Canada Jays are omnivores and will cache food in the winter. Saliva is used to stick food to tree bark. The population has declined from 44 territories in the 1970's to 15 in 2007. The cause of the decline is food spoilage due to climate change.

Birds and Mammals of Algonquin Park cont'd

Male Spruce Grouse. Jean Hampson photo.

The Spruce Grouse are a secretive species that prefer mature closed canopy forests. After mating, the female finds a nest site to raise the young alone. Winter diet consists of spruce and pine needles. During warmer weather grouse feed on plants, insects and snails.

Ruffed Grouse have a wider distribution in the park than Spruce Grouse. They are common year round. Spring diet includes leaves, fruit and insects. Winter diet is buds and catkins, especially Trembling Aspen catkins.

Black-backed Woodpecker live in coniferous or mixed forests and feed on beetle larvae. Nests are new each year and are built in dead conifers at the edge of bogs or clearings.

Boreal Chickadees are more skittish than Black-capped Chickadees and nest in decaying tree stumps. They eat insects, spiders and birch seeds. They are aggressive to owls and can aid in revealing an owl's location at times.

Common Ravens soar high above the Highway 60 corridor and are larger than Red-tailed Hawks. Large stick nests lined with fur and vegetation are located on rocky cliffs. The species is very intelligent.

The Broad-winged Hawk is the most common hawk in Algonquin Park. It is a small hawk often perched on hydro lines. Its diet consists of frogs, toads and rodents.

The call of Common Loon is the sound of the north. A breeding pair can be found on every lake in the park. They arrive in mid-April and are very aggressive in breeding season. Nests are built at the water's edge. Non-territorial birds and failed breeders form large rafts in the late summer.

For winter finches, the number of birds is dependent on seed crops. This is a low yield year for cones and seeds in the park so there should still be activity at the feeders.

Red Crossbills and White-winged Crossbills can be found in a mature coniferous forest. They have two nesting seasons, summer/fall and late winter. There are nine different types of Red Crossbills and each type has a preference for certain seeds.

Pine Grosbeaks are the largest of the winter finches. They can be found in Boreal fir, spruce and pine forests.

Evening Grosbeaks are found in every forest type. Over 100 individuals can occur at the Visitor Centre feeders. The species is listed at #13 of birds at risk of extinction.

Redpolls arrive in years of poor birch and alder crop years.

Pine Siskins are nomadic and roam widely. They prefer coniferous and mixed forest and are attracted to feeders at the Visitor Centre.

There you have it. There are a number of birds and mammals that can be found in Algonquin Provincial Park. Visiting the park can be enjoyed in every season but if you want to observe young animals, a visit in May and June should be planned.

A Day at Morgan’s Point by Bob Highcock

On Sunday, June 17th, Rick Young led PFN members on an outing to Morgan's Point Conservation Area to explore the dunes and forest. Though access to the boardwalk was limited due to fallen tree limbs, our group enjoyed walking on the trails and along the Lake Erie shoreline.

Eastern-Eyed Click Beetle. Jean Hampson photo.

The most interesting observation of the day was an Eastern-Eyed Click Beetle that tried to hitch a ride in Janet Kellam's lunch bag. Other sightings from the day include the following.

Plants: Eastern Cottonwood, White Poplar, Red Oak, Black Walnut, Sugar Maple, Ninebark, American Basswood, Black Raspberry, Multiflora Rose, Silverweed, Prairie Fleabane, Celandine, King Devil

Butterflies: American Copper, Little Wood Satyr, Azure sp.
Dragonflies: Twelve-spotted Skimmer, American Emerald

Birds: Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Ring- billed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Double-crested Cormorant, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Gray Catbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Yellow Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, House Sparrow.

Jaycee Park (Ice Cream Walk) by Jean Hampson

Club members walk along the paved path. Jean Hampson photo.

June 28 was the annual Ice Cream Walk from Jaycee to Rene Park. We looked for birds in the park and in Martindale Pond before heading across the pedestrian bridge to Port Dalhousie. We had great looks at a female Baltimore Oriole feeding her fledgling. We also observed crows flying over the pond that we identified as Fish Crows once we heard their distinctive nasal call. Walking across, we were able to watch the Barn and Cliff Swallows returning to their nests beneath the bridge. Chimney Swifts chittering above were life birds for at least one of our club members! We stopped at Oasis for our delectable ice cream, then as we headed back we were given free Long Johns from Homestead Donuts! Bonus! Our final bird for the evening was an Eastern Kingbird entertaining us as we made our way back towards our cars. It was an enjoyable and delicious evening.

Windmill Point and Area Outing by Bob Highcock

It was a beautiful sunny morning for Rick Young to lead th an outing at Windmill Point on Saturday, July 7. Windmill Point is adjacent to Bertie Bay on Lake Erie and the public access at this spot allowed PFN members to observe flora and fauna along the shoreline. Additional stops along the Lake Erie shoreline included Six Mile Creek in Ridgeway, Crescent Bay at the end of Buffalo Road and Waverly Beach Park.

Kalm's St Johnswort at Windmill Point. Jean Hampson photo

The following are our sightings from the day:

At Windmill Point we saw Ninebark, Gray Dogwood, Swamp Rose, Eastern Cottonwood, Black Walnut, Sugar Maple, Indian Hemp, Kalm's St. Johnswort, Low Calamint, Common Milkweed, Yarrow, Silverweed, Dudley's Rush, American Beach Grass, Mallard, Red-breasted Merganser, Mourning Dove, Chimney Swift, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Double-crested Cormorant, Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, American Robin, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Yellow Warbler, Black Swallowtail, and Monarch.

We had a brief view of a Fowler's Toad before it disappeared into a clump of grass. Rather than disturb the endangered toad further we discussed the markings observed and concluded that it was an Anaxyrus fowleri.

We went on to Six Mile Creek and saw Tall Meadow Rue, Canada Anemone, Spotted Jewelweed, Mayapple, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Purple Flowering Raspberry, Sensitive Fern, Field Horsetail, Swamp Rose, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Warbling Vireo, American Crow, White- breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, American Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Yellow Warbler, and Northern Cardinal.

We then went down the lakeshore to Crescent Bay (Buffalo Road). Our group stopped at the end of Buffalo Road to look for a reported rare species. The Snowy Egret was there! Also, a Great Egret to compare the two birds.

Our next stop was Waverly Beach Park in Fort Erie. There we saw Red-eyed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, American Crow, Chipping Sparrow, and Enchanter’s Nightshade. At the end of this stop, we called it a day and headed back home.

Annual Picnic - July 13^th by Jean Hampson

This year we decided to try something different so we had our picnic on a Friday evening rather than the usual Saturday afternoon. We also switched the venue to Burgoyne Woods for the first time. We were quite pleased with our decisions as it turned out to be a lovely event. We purchased the fixings and club members made sandwiches, rather than buy them pre- made. The two dozen attendees contributed salads, desserts and appetizers. We had just finished our meal and were packing up to leave when a White-tailed Deer ran through our picnic area. Ah, nature!

Club members enjoying the annual picnic on a beautiful July evening. Rick Young photo.

Jones Beach Cleanup by Jean Hampson

Jones Beach, on the shore of Lake Ontario in Port Weller East, is well known to those of us that are interested in birding. I myself have observed some interesting and uncommon migrants here including Whimbrel, Red Knot, American Golden Plover and Trumpeter Swans. So I was more than happy to do my share to help clean the beach along with eight of my fellow club members on July 28th. We collected three bags of mainly plastic waste from the lawn and beach area of the park. If the birds could talk I'm sure they would thank us for doing our small part to help rid their environment of these pollutants. There is so much more to do and I'm trying hard to reduce my impact by reducing my use of plastic, properly disposing of the plastic I do have to use and looking for alternative products. We hope to make this an annual event and would love to have more club members involved. If you know of an area that is in need of a clean up please let us know!

The PFN garbage collection crew. Doug, Barb, Carol, Bob, Jean, John, Marlene, Mary kneeling and Rick Young behind the camera. Thanks to all of you for your help in cleaning up the environment!

A Visit to Ruthven Park NHS by Rick Young

On September 22nd, eight club members spent a beautiful day at Ruthven Park National Historic Site along the banks of the Grand River in Cayuga. This gorgeous property is 1500 acres in size and was owned by five generations of the Thompson family (not related to the newspaper magnate or explorer) from 1845 - 1993. The family contributed greatly to the early development of Canada.

Bladdernut tree fruit. Rick Young photo.

We viewed many interesting plants, trees, birds and fungi.

Some of the birds seen and heard were Wild Turkey, Tennessee Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, American Wigeon, Belted Kingfisher as well as both Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches. We did stop at the bird banding station on the property but it was a very slow day with only a few birds caught.

Dryad’s Saddle fungi. Rick Young photo.

Interesting trees noted were Bladdernut, Hackberry and Bur Oak. The vascular plants we saw were White Snakeroot, Hedge Bindweed, Jerusalem Artichoke and both Wild Cucumber and Bur Cucumber. We also had fine examples of Dryad’s Saddle, Calvatia cyanthiformis and Shaggy Mane fungi.

Jerusalem Artichoke. Rick Young photo.

There are two cemeteries on the property, which we also visited. There is the Thompson Family Cemetery and the Indiana Cemetery, in the former Village of Indiana, where many Irish Catholics are buried. Many of them came over after the War of 1812 and many more came as a result of the 1840’s potato famine in Ireland to seek work on the canals, roads and in the lumber industry. This cemetery was used from 1842 - 1860 when it was abandoned. Lots of interesting history of this area can be learned by visiting Indiana: A Ghost Town of Haldimand County.

Mud Lake Conservation Area by Bob Highcock

A beautiful view of Mud Lake through the trees on a dreary day. Jean Hampson photo.

In the early morning before the PFN outing to Mud Lake, the rain fell heavily. It continued to rain en route to the conservation area located beside the Old Welland Canal in Port Colborne. Upon arrival, the rain stopped and Jean and I planned alternate routes for a hike on one of the trails. Guests Mike and Terri joined us and we walked along the west side of the lake. No walk around the perimeter of the conservation area this year.

A total of 27 bird species were observed. Notables included Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, White-throated Sparrow, Nashville Warbler, Magnolia

Mud Lake Conservation Area cont’d

Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Jean spotted a Wood Duck before it vanished into the reeds.

With the walk shortened this year, the four of us then birded Morgan's Point Conservation Area. The rain overnight dropped pockets of birds in the wooded areas and they flitted quite quickly making it difficult to get on them at times.

A total of 22 species were observed. Notables included American Wigeon, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Thrasher, White- throated Sparrow, Tennessee Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler and Pine Warbler.

Hopefully, there will be no rain for next year's Mud Lake outing but if there is heavy precipitation, a short jump over to Morgan's Point is in order.

Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site by Jean Hampson

OOn October 20th club members spent a lovely morning exploring the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site.

A pair of female wood ducks awakened from their late morning slumber. Jean Hampson photo.

Looking for birds from the boardwalk beside the Large Clay Borrow Pit Pond. Jean Hampson photo.

In Search of the Purple Sandpiper by Barb West

The warmly dressed group looking out into Lake Ontario. Debbie Wright photo.

Saturday November10 was a cold and blustery day when nine intrepid explorers set out to find the elusive Purple Sandpiper in the area of the Port Weller East Pier. Alas, despite our hopes and dreams it managed to elude us once again. However, we did see several other bird species such as a Red-tailed Hawk, Black- capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Belted Kingfisher, Dark-eyed Juncos, Golden-crowned Kinglets and a White- breasted Nuthatch. Among the duck species

Long-tailed Ducks. Debbie Wright photo.

The best bird of the day! Male Harlequin Duck. Mike Kershaw photo.

With Christmas Comes Bird Counts

CBC 2016 Bob Highcock, John Black, Lynn Glover, Noah Cole (visiting from ON Nature) head out to count birds. Jean Hampson photo.

Initiated in 1900 by the National Audubon Society, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is North America’s longest running Citizen Science project. Volunteers conduct a one-day census between December 14th and January 5th of all birds seen and heard within a 24km diameter circle, which stays the same from year to year. The Canadian portion is co-ordinated by Bird Studies Canada, with naturalist organizations or individuals organizing the local counts. New the

Cardinal at a snowy feeder in St Catharines. Jean Hampson photo.

Horned Lark in the snow on 5th Ave, St Catharines. Jean Hampson photo.

2019 Memberships are Due

With the end of 2018 quickly closing in on us, it’s time to remind everyone that our membership year runs from January to December and 2019 memberships will soon be due. We count on our paid memberships to be able to continue to bring you excellent speakers, walks and outings as well as printed brochures and newsletters. Our membership fees remain unchanged and are as follows:

$15 per year Student or Low-income

$25 per year Adult

$35 per year Family (2+ members at the same address)

With your membership, you also receive an electronic copy of The Peninsula Naturalist newsletter three times per year (there are a few printed copies available to those who don’t have access to a computer or email). Please take a minute to make sure we have your correct email address.

New memberships or renewals may be paid for by cash or cheque at the membership desk at one of our indoor meetings or by downloading the membership form from our web page and mailing it in. All the information is on our web page, www.peninsulafieldnats.com.

We look forward to having you join us for more great speakers, outings, helping in the community, fun, learning and friendship in 2019!

At Windmill Point on Lake Erie. Bob, Jean, Barb, Janet, Rick and Lorraine pose around a large fallen tree at on a warm July morning. Debbie Wright photo.

Something For Birders

Best Places to Bird in Ontario is a newbook being released in May 2019 by two brothers, Mike and Ken Burrell, who bothpresently sit on the Ontario Bird Records Committee and are excellent birders. It is part of a series being published by Greystone Books. The book features the top 30 birding destinations in Ontario, giving a birding overview, strategy (site guide), and detailed directions alongside colour maps and photos of target species. The Niagara area is well covered in the book.

Pre-orders are currently being taken until March 30, 2019, with the cost being $20 (20% off the cover price). The copies will be signed by both authors. Although shipping cannot be offered at this price, Kayo Roy has graciously offered to distribute the books to anyone who places an order from the Niagara area. Pre- order is available at http://burrellbirding.ca/best-places-to-bird-in-ontario/. Please let them know in the comments that you are located in Niagara so they can direct your book(s) to Kayo.

Disclaimer: The Editor, Kayo Roy or the Peninsula Field Naturalists Club do not have any affiliation with this publication but just want to let area birders know of its existence.

The Last Word

Iwould like to thank everyone who has taken a few minutes to send me an email or speak to me at an outing or meeting and welcome me as the new editor of The Peninsula Naturalist newsletter. I am excited to bring this newly redesigned newsletter to the membership. I hope you all get as much enjoyment out of it as I did watching it all come together with all the great photos that help to tell the stories.

I would like to join Bob in thanking Mary and John Potter for all the newsletters they have published along with everything they have done for the PFN over the years. I have very big shoes to fill too. Many thanks Mary and John!

If any club members would like to lead a hike, make a presentation at a meeting, write for the newsletter or do something else to support our club, please get in touch with President Bob or myself (for newsletter articles).

Lorraine Brown-Joyce, Editor