The Peninsula Naturalist

A Message From the President

Least Bitten at the Outlet Collection Ponds. © Jean Hampson

A s we get older, time seems to fly by at a brisk pace, and 2020 was no different. It is hard to believe it has now been a year since government measures were put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. Though there were some constraints, I still managed to get out and enjoy nature.

On a personal note, getting out was more important after the death of my father in July. My dad and mom took my brothers and me out for weekly hikes to various spots in Niagara when I was a child. A time when you did not encounter many others while walking along a trail or in a park. My dad instilled my interest in the natural world, and it brought me great comfort during the weeks that followed his death. The Least Bittern observation at the Outlet Collection Ponds less than a week after his passing certainly filled me with positive vibes.

Knowing how nature positively affects our mental health, it is essential to continue organizing PFN outings. Aswedidinthefallof 2020, the executive and I will schedule events following the current guidelines. Losing a few fellow PFN members last year made it challenging, and a walk through the woods certainly provided the much-needed serenity.

Getting out in nature is essential for peace of mind, and I can say without a doubt that my dad would approve.

Bob Highcock, President

New Life Members by Jean Hampson and Bob Highcock

Suprise! Mary and John at our annual picnic. © Jean Hampson

M ary and John Potter have been awarded a Peninsula Field Naturalists Life Membership. The Potters have been members of our club for over twenty years and in that time have held many positions and contributed in many ways. John served on the PFN Board as Director, President and Past President for eighteen years, and he was also the editor/publisher of the club's newsletter for 36 issues with Mary as his assistant. Mary has been making the coffee and organizing the treats for our social gatherings after our meetings.

In addition to arranging for speakers during his tenure as President, John also gave memorable presentations to the © Jean Hampson club, including his talk about Owls of Southern Ontario and his trip with Mary to the Yukon. Without fail, John would always have a corny dad joke when thanking the speaker for their presentation to the club.

Club walks with them are always instructive and fun. Mary cheerfully helped with identification, and John thoughtfully explained his decision. One of our favourite outings was the Maple Syrup Walk in Short Hills Provincial Park, where John would point out several species of trees along the trail, followed by a delicious pancake breakfast.

In Memory of Our Members We’ve Lost

Lynn Glover by Bob Highcock

Lynn at various club events. © Bob Highcock

O n April 3, 2020, PFN member Lynn Glover passed away. Lynn was active in the club and a former member of the attended outings and meetings regularly and participated in many bird counts throughout the year. You could find Lynn at Malcolmson Eco- Park but not just for birding, she also enjoyed watching the Welland Canal ships as they approached Lock 1.

Lynn, Jean, and I would stop for lunch during bird counts and discuss politics, nature, and many other topics over a bowl of hot wonton soup, but the hot and sour soup was Lynn’s favourite. The next time we take a break from counting birds, I’ll order a bowl of hot and sour soup and fondly remember Lynn’s admiration for nature.

Don Heatherton by Janet Damude and Marlene Sanders

Don in mid-discussion with Marlene. Highcock © Bob Highcock

O n October 3, 2020, we lost one of our long-time members. Don Heatherton was always the first to arrive at meetings and outings. He was a quiet, unassuming man sitting at the side of the room waiting for the meeting to start. He took care of the members' name tags, quietly walking around the room gathering the tags from slowpokes that hadn't put theirs in the box after the presentation, then took them home to put them alphabetically on the board he made for the club.

He was very knowledgeable and had an extensive library about native plants, trees, birds, gardening, history and antiques. As an avid reader, he supported the Endowment & Trust's Honor Program at tne St. Catharines Public Library. Don had all of the answers to anyone's local history questions.

His big, older home and large yard that sloped to the Twelve Mile Creek on Martindale Road in St. Catharines was a history and nature lovers' dream. He took great pride in showing off his lot of native trees and plants, and he had an extensive collection of antiques.

Don was a member of the Empire State Antique Truck Association and Historical Society of Canada. During his younger days, Don enjoyed his job as a long-distance trucker, and it seemed that there was never a place mentioned in North America that he had not visited. It was terrific that he supported the Saturday Breakfast Program for the needy at his St George's Anglican Church in St. Catharines.

When we can again gather for meetings, there will be a void where this kind, helpful man used to be.

Mick Young —Jan 19, 1934 – Aug 11, 2020 by Carol Horvat

Rick and Carol on a club outing. © Rick Young collection.

M y first memory of Rick was many years ago when I came to the Dufferin Islands outing on a cold February afternoon. It was my first time joining the Niagara Falls Nature Club. Rick and his wife Dora introduced themselves and walked with me, pointing out and identifying every plant, bird and waterfowl that we saw. For some reason, American Black Duck stands out for waterfowl and Eastern Skunk Cabbage for plants in my mind. They made me feel so welcome. I now lead that walk.

As most of you know, Rick was very knowledgeable about plants as well as birds. Much of what I know today, I learned from Rick. He was a special friend to me. After Dora passed away, we took many trips and outings together, from weekends at Red Bay to many trips a year to Long Point. We would go to the Selkirk area looking for Long-eared Qwls, visiting Jim Smith at the Rock Point Bird Banding Station and later to Jim and Gerda’s home.

Doug and I miss him a lot, as I’m sure many of you do too.

Harold Holtam

H arold was a friendly, helpful man and an avid birder.

Barb Simpson

B Barb was the PFN President in 1980-1981 and particularly liked the early morning outings.

Fall into Zoom by Jean Hampson & Bob Highcock

O n September 28, 2020, our first foray into Zoom meetings was kicked off by Peter Thoem with his presentation An Old Bird Book, which was rescheduled from March when we went into lockdown.

Old bird book. © Peter Thoem

Many years ago, Peter purchased a box of miscellaneous books at an estate auction. The contents included 1906 field guides by Chester A Reed: Bird Guide-Land Birds East of the Rockies and Bird Guide-Water and Game Birds East of the Rockies. The guides contain many handwritten notes on sightings, abundance and occurrence dates, most between 1905 and 1940 and we travelled back in time for a birder's eye view of the observed species at that time. For example, Red-bellied Woodpecker was noted as a "rare summer resid." When walking through the woods now, birders will hear and see this species often throughout the year. The illustrations and comments discussed made for a very enjoyable presentation.

At Peter's request, his honorarium was donated to The Owl Foundation. Peter's own birding sightings and notes can be found at http://www.mybirdoftheday.ca

F or the October 26 meeting, Renée Bisson from the NPCA talked about the oldest and finest Sugar Maple tree in Canada, the Comfort Maple. And yes, it is the very same tree featured on the PFN logo.

Comfort Maple Fast Facts:

• In June 2000, the Comfort Maple was designated a heritage tree under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Comfort Maple. © Bob Highcock
• In 1975, the Ontario Forestry Association estimated the tree to be 400- 500 years old.
• It is located in North Pelham on land purchased by the Comfort family in 1816 and then entrusted to the NPCA.
• To donate or buya pen made from wood gathered in the Comfort Maple's upkeep, go to www.niagaraconservationfoundation.com .

Owen with a Chameleon Gecko. © Owen Bjorgen

O wen Bjorgan treated us to a virtual tour of tropical North Queensland for the November 2020 virtual meeting. Owen's tales, images and videos from where the world's oldest tropical rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef were enthralling. He travelled to a remote area that is not as well known to tourists as other areas of Australia. He encountered venomous snakes, exciting insects, colourful fish and a giant Cassowary wandering through their camp.

To see complete video documentation of Owen’s adventure in northeast Australia, visit his YouTube link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tVbjqc79kk

Youth Programming at the RBG by Mary-Lou Davidson

J anuary 25 was the first Zoom meeting of 2021 and Jackson Hudecki was the perfect choice for a speaker. His enthusiasm and optimism were \contagious and just what we needed.

Born and raised in Hamilton, now a father of two, he still resides there. He graduated from Sir Fleming College and, in 2015, started a new position with the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) as a Special Programs Coordinator.

Jackson provided a few interesting facts about the RBG and some beautiful photos that made you yearning to go birding there. In 1919, the Hamilton Bird Protection Society (now the Hamilton Naturalists' Club) secured the Cootes Paradise Marsh ecosystem's south shore. In 1926 the City of Hamilton bought Burlington Heights for a beautification project, including the 5.5-acre gravel pit. In 1927, the City of Hamilton purchased the south shore of Cootes Paradise Marsh for a new botanical garden, university campus, and development protection. In 1930 King George V approved the name "Royal Botanical Gardens" applied to the south shore of Cootes only. In 1932 Rock Garden opened to the public, and later that year, Rock Garden and Burlington Heights were included in the RBG. Through the provincial Act of 1941, the RBG was incorporated, and T. B. McQuesten was the board's head. The latest update to the act took place in 1989. The four pillars of the RBG are conservation, education, horticulture and science.

The RBG and the Hamilton Naturalists' Club partnered to have a nature-oriented club for kids and youth in the Golden Horseshoe. It was strictly outdoor exploration and education and only for children from 6 to 13. Jackson noted that up until grade 4, the children were excited about anything to do with nature. Then he observed that by grade 5, the children became a lot more quieter, and the idea of being enthused with nature was nerdy. By grade 9, he said there was a definite split. He is encouraged that youth are starting to see younger role models such as Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. What is needed is some rock stars to give nature lovers a big thumbs up.

Jackson with one of the youth groups. © Jackson Hudecki

Seeing a gap in the program offerings for teenagers led to creating the Young Environmental Science (YES) Alliance. It had a 3-tiered approach consisting of active and outdoors, meeting professionals and experts and guiding them towards post-secondary education in the Environmental sector. Jackson made a point of saying he was never aware that there were careers available in the Environmental sector when he was in high school and trying to decide on a career path. He wasn't shy to say that one of the best motivators was free food! Some of the pilot year activities included wetland studies, removing invasive species, a behind-the-scenes tour of RBG, reptile exhibits, hikes, night hikes, tree identification, bird box clean-outs, native tree planting and canoe exploration. The students had a great deal of input and designed their t-shirts.

Jackson was getting a glimpse into the minds of "some" of the youth. He found them busy yet aware. They're young and learning; they're smart. They're worried yet encouraged. They have potential. They know what's at stake. They're ready for anything. "I want to keep giving them a platform." Two focus groups were conducted. One with the YES Alliance and the creation of HHYPE - Hamilton and Halton Youth Promoting the Environment, and the other was a call to youth where the participants were seated in groups and had the opportunity to voice their opinions and be heard.

With COVID- 19, the meetings continued by Zoom. The youths were encouraged to read, study, do backyard birding and observation, music, baking etc. The advice was to be patient with everyone, including themselves, give each other space, feel their emotions, and find the positive. The feedback was that their time in nature was fulfilling and getting them through this.

Jackson's final thoughts for the evening were to point out that we are role models and mentors. Do the things you like, to show younger generations what excitement looks like. Be an example of who to look up to. Be authentic. He further asks, "What can you provide for youth in your life, in your world? Talk to them! Ask them what they want to do and then do it!" As nature enthusiasts, we have all had that one person , maybe a teacher or parent, who planted the seeds for our love of nature. Jackson has sparked young people's curiosity, resulting in them becoming aware and intrigued and protective of our natural environment. They will go on to educate and inspire the next generation.

It was a real treat and inspiration to listen to Jackson and feel his positive energy. Perhaps he could start a mandatory boot camp for some of our politicians!

Come Walk With Us by Jean Hampson and Bob Highcock

O n February 22, 2021, Sonya Richmond and Sean Morton spoke to the PFN about their initiative Come Walk With Us. They left their jobs, sold their house and dedicated their time to walk across Canada on The Great Trail. Their walk along the 24,000 km long trail is still in progress, and even with the complications of COVID-19, they still hope to complete it by the fall of 2022. Their inspiration to start Come Walk With Us came from feeling disconnected from nature and spending too much time on social media. Sonya and Sean hope to raise awareness of the importance of protecting birds and their habitat across Canada while they hike The Great Trail.

© Sonya Richmond and Sean Morton

Sonya and Sean started their walk on June 1, 2019, in Cape Spear, Newfoundland, and their presentation was mainly about the maritime leg of their journey. They spent 49 days walking the trail in Newfoundland, viewing incredible icebergs, many seabirds, shorebirds and songbirds. Stopping points included St. John’s, Big Gull Pond, Gambo, Gander, Gros Morne and the Codroy Estuary Important Bird Area (IBA).

Leaving Newfoundland behind, Sonya and Sean crossed the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the Blue Puttees ferry to continue their walk in Nova Scotia. While in the province of Nova Scotia, they hiked the Cabot Trail, visited National Historic Sites, one National Park and 2 UNESCO sites, recorded 92 bird species and visited three IBAs. Sonya and Sean spent a total of 52 days walking on Cape Breton Island and mainland Nova Scotia.

After another ferry crossing, they started their walk at Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, the third province in their journey. The Great Trail on PEI is how the trail had been envisioned, a more accommodating trail with shade and rest areas.

After crossing the Confederation Bridge, they started their walk through New Brunswick. Sites and stops included Sackville, the Marshes Trail, Moncton, Bay of Fundy, Riverfront Trail, Dobson Trail, Fundy National Park and Edmundston.

Travelling through Quebec was a shorter journey, ending on November 11 in Riviere- du-Loup. The 2019 portion covered 3,000 km of The Great Trail. In the spring of 2020, the restrictions and guidelines due to COVID-19 had Sonya and Sean continue their walk through the province of Ontario. The remaining section in the province of Quebec would have to wait.

For the remaining provinces, we will have to follow Sonya and Sean along in 2021 and 2022 at https://www.comewalkwithus.online/

Outing to Mountain Locks Park by Jean Hampson

The group walks along the trail. © Jean Hampson

2 020 started well; the PFN had a lovely brochure printed up – full of outings and interesting events to attend. As the date for our walk at Mountain Locks Park approached, we heard rumblings of cancellations and postponements of events due to the new threat of COVID-19. Fortunately, we could have an outing on March 14, 2020, and at least get together one more time before we faced restrictions. Even so, we remained vigilant to keep physically distant and not share items.

Ten of us met at Glendale Avenue to walk along the Merritt Trail, following the old second Welland Canal route. We admired the stonework of the old locks and the Lock Tenders houses still standing on Bradley Street.

Lock Tender’s home on Bradley Street. © Jean Hampson

Eighteen species of birds, including three woodpecker species (Hairy, Downy and Red-bellied), Cooper’s and Red-tailed Hawks and an active and vocal Carolina Wren were identified. A pedestrian bridge across the waterway led us to the Bruce Trail. We followed it back along the other side of the canal through a sunny meadow, a great place to find butterflies on a warm sunny day in the summer. We were happy to get the outing in. As the weekend ended, the pandemic was declared, shutdowns began, and most of our planned events on our carefully scheduled brochure were cancelled.

We look forward to having another walk at this location when we can meet once again.

Old lock of the second Welland Canal along the walk © Jean Hampson

In Search of the Purple Sandpiper by Jean Hampson and Bob Highcock

Looking out into Lake Ontario on a beautiful November day. © Jean Hampson

T he last PFN pop-up outing of 2020, on November 8, looked promising. There were several Purple Sandpiper observations reported on eBird Canada in the days before we walked on the Port Weller east pier. The statistics were good, and the weather was even better. Sun and 20°C are always welcome in November.

Eight participants walked the path on the bay side of the pier to reach the red and white beacon at the end of the spit. Though we spent over three hours hiking and viewing some good birds, the Purple Sandpiper was once again not found.

While following the prescribed health guidelines, we identified 33 species of birds. Notables included Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Surf Scoter, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon, Cooper’s Hawk, Merlin, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Carolina Wren and 6 Common Redpolls.

Undeterred by the absence of Purple Sandpiper, this outing remains a favourite year to year, and we look forward to our 2021 search.

First Outings after the First Lockdown by Marlene Sanders

An old wagon wheel along the trail © Jean Hampson

I t felt so good to be with members of the nature club again! There is nothing like getting out in nature with friends and other naturalists. At the time, we were restricted to 25 people in an outdoor gathering. Ten members went for a lovely walk on September 26 along the Gerry Berkhout Trail in Fenwick. Bob & Jean, Doug & Carol, Janet, Barb, Loretta, Don, Debbie, and I enjoyed the fall colours and perfect weather.

Helianthus sp. © Jean Hampson

The 2-hour outing started at the Cream Street entrance and ended at Poth Road. There were not many birds to see or hear, the highlight being a Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). Still, no one seemed to mind. Plant highlights were American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), Bouncing-bet (Saponaria officinalis), and a massive patch of Scouring Rush (Equisetum hyemale).

Having to wear masks during an outing was new to us, but we wanted to keep each other safe. The trail was a little busy with runners, cyclists, walkers, and even two horseback riders. I do not know if we have come across horses on our past outings before.

Dekay’s Brown Snake. © Jean Hampson

Only two of the naturalists had been on the trail before this outing, so everyone enjoyed the new location for us to explore.

On October 24, we started at the Poth Road entrance for a 2 1⁄2 hour walk to Effingham Road. This time there were eleven naturalists, Bob & Jean, Doug & Carol, Janet, Loretta, Bev, Don, Debbie, Ken and I. We didn’t have the ideal weather that we had on September 26, but it was nice to get out with fellow naturalists again. We heard Eastern Bluebirds, got our binoculars on a BrownCreeper, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and many White-Throated Sparrows. Some of thehikers had the good fortune to see a Northern Harrier.

Let’s hope we can get back to hiking together this spring.

Fall colours starting to show. © Jean Hampson

Birds on the Niagara 2021 by Doug Gillard

O ver Valentine's Day weekend, the Birds on the Niagara Festival was held. This year with the COVID pandemic continuing, BON21 was a virtual event, with thirteen programs presented. BON21 is the only International Bird Festival in North America.

Birds on the Niagara focused on raising awareness of conservation and conservation needs in the International Niagara River Corridor with a sharp focus on birds, the Globally Significant Important Bird Area, the Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance, the Niagara Greenway, and the American and Canadian shores and adjacent lands and waters.

We spent the weekend watching all the programs. They all were fascinating and informative. They covered a variety of topics, from identifying gulls todesigning bird-friendly and biophilic cities. Aprogram on bettering your skills at photographing birds and Tifft Nature Preserve's program called "Virtual Winter Backyard Birds" were geared towards new birders learning to ID birds

FLAP gave a very informative program on preventing bird window collisions with many ways to treat your windows at home.

We watched every program and even watched the keynote speaker twice. J. Drew Lanham's talk "Coloring the Conservation Conversation" was excellent and well worth watching a second time.

I hope everyone tuned in to watch BON21. If you were not able to see the presentations live, they are available to watch at http://www.birdsontheniagara.org/bon21-presentations.html

St Catharines CBC by Jean Hampson & Bob Highcock

F ollowing Birds Canada COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, The Peninsula Field Naturalists held their Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 20, 2020. Counters experienced relatively mild temperatures of 3 - 4°C, but some sections experienced rain all day while others had no rain at all.

New high counts were recorded for Cackling Goose (2), Pileated Woodpecker (3), Common Raven (7), Carolina Wren (51) and Common Redpoll (377). Fish Crow (2) and Red Crossbill (1) were a new record for the SC CBC.

For this year's count, we had 39 participants. John Black, Sam Brockington, Paul Chapman, Sue Chapman, Paula Clark, Emily Cornfield, Rachael Cornfield, Trevor Cornfield, Rob Dobos, Philip Downey, Chris Escott, Jean Hampson, Shirley Harrison, Bob Highcock, Shannon Hingston, Myra Kennedy, Mike Kershaw, Terri Kershaw, Nabil Khairallah, Nabila Khairallah, Laurie King, Olivia King, Kara Kristjanson, Debbie Loveridge, Catherine Manschot, Bill Rapley, Melad Razzouk, Judy Robins, Marlene Sanders, Karin Schneider, Gord Sisler, Bill Smith, Ken Smith, Nancy Smith, Roy Sorgenfrei, John Stevens, Katherine Stoltz, Sally Tasane, and Tom Thomas.

Thank you to all the participants who assisted with the count. Many thanks to Sharon Wilson and Carla Carlson for allowing access to their properties during the count.

Nature Quiz #2 by Marlene Sanders

1. Which owl sounds like it says, "Who cooks for you?"
2. Which caterpillar looks like it sticks its tongue out when it feels threatened?
3. What is the full moon in February called?
4. What are the names of two walking trail systems in Pelham?
5. What trail in Wainfleet is named after a former mayor?
6. What species of owl had less than five known pairs in Ontario in 2010, and what is thought to be this species' demise?
7. Which organization is working to restore and preserve cold water habitat for Brook trout in the Twelve Mile Creek?
8. Which butterflies have punctuation names?
9. What is the most southern point of Ontario?
10. Which Maple tree is considered invasive?

The answers can be found on the back page.

Club members still searching for the Purple Sandpiper at Lake Ontario Nov 8, 2020. © Mary-Lou Davidson

Nature Quiz #2 Answers

© Blair Dudeck | Macaulay Library
Barred Owl

The Giant Swallowtail caterpillar has an organ that extracts as a defence mechanism.
 

© Sadaf Syed, CC BY 2.0
Snow Moon because February is typically the coldest and snowiest part of winter. North American tribes also called it the Hunger Moon.
 
Steve Bauer Trail, Gerry Berkhout Trail
Gord Harry Conservation Trail
 

© Matt Davis | Macaulay Library
Barn Owl. The loss and degradation of grasslands and tallgrass prairie ecosystems that provided hunting grounds.
 

© Ian Smith
Trout Unlimited Canada, Niagara Chapter
 

© C. Lux Hayes CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Question Mark and Comma butterflies are named for the tiny markings on their wings that resemble punctuation.
 

© Archer7282 CC BY-SA 3.0
Middle Island is an uninhabited island in Lake Erie that is 18.5 hectares (45 acres) and lies 150 metres (164 yards) from the US boundary. It is the southernmost point of land in Canada.
 

© Public domain
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) trees because it spreads aggressively.