The Naturalist DURHAM REGION FIELD NATURALISTS

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The NaturalistDURHAM REGION FIELD NATURALISTS
November 2005
Conservation through Education Volume
51 Issue 5
PRESIDENTS MESSAGEFour times a day I drive past
two high schools onmy way to work and home
again. Other than the interesting things high
schoolers wear to school I really notice the
amount of garbage that is lying around the
neighbourhood. Is it my imagination oris there
more garbage blowing in the wind thanthere used
to be? Diane and I have traveled to many places
in the world and typically, the poorerthe
country the more garbage there is strewn
about.Even a supposed paradise like the island
of Bali has piles of garbage lying in the gutters
and ditches everywhere. Many Caribbean islands
are no better. The most pristine place we found
was in Antarctica, where there was very little
and what was found was picked up by the guides
and our fellow travelers. Have you ever looked
around you at a 401 exit when you are stopped at
the exit ramp light? Isnt it enough to make you
angry? Toronto used to be known as Toronto the
Clean, well the instant the city cut back on
overnight garbage cleanup it began to look like
some of the Third World countries. Much of this
garbage originates at fast food restaurants.
Many of us have learned to accept excessive
packaging, most of which ends up in the garbage
and a lot of which seems to be blowing in the
wind. Many of us do our duty and dispose of our
garbage in the proper manner. But those who
dont for whatever reason make our cities look
terrible. When I was young there were
antilittering campaigns that actually worked. I
cannot believe that our public schools cant do
something to lessen the amount of garbage that is
tossed around the schoolyards. Just like
smoking, we need to make littering unacceptable.
Garbage is not just unsightly it can also be
dangerous to animals who mistake it for food and
become sick and die. Garbage can also release
toxins that degrade the natural environment.
But it is not just litter that should concern
us. It is the amount of garbage that each of us
produces that has to be disposed of in some way.
We have too many politicians who are afraid to
take the bull by the horns, like many other
countries in the world have done, and force us to
really start to follow the 3 Rs. I actually
have neighbours who never put out a recycle bin!
In the late 70s the Ontario Government put
together a group whose job was to come up with a
sound garbage plan for Ontario. Well now almost
30 years later we are no further ahead than we
were then. Instead of doing something about our
garbage we

• WHATS INSIDE
• Presidents Message
• Upcoming Outings
• Past Outings
• ON Meeting Summary
• Trip to Belize
• The Mighty Nematode
• Merlin Nesting!
• Think Conservation
• Bird Counts
• Upcoming Meeting
• All meetings commence at 730 p.m. Come a little
  early to enjoy conversa-tion and refreshments
  (lug-a-mug) at the Oshawa Public Library,
  Northview Branch, Beatrice at Ritson. Meetings
  are the last Monday of each month except
  June-August and December.
• Monday, November 28
• Earle and Fran KeatleyQueen Charlotte Islands
• Bucket Raffle!
• Monday, January 30, 2006

Editor Dianne Pazaratz, Phone [phone],
e-mail dpazaratz_at_sympatico.ca. Comments and
articles welcome!
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DRAGONFLY OUTING Sunday, August 7, 2005 It was
a real summer scorcher of a day, but the
dragonflies didnt seem to mind at all. James
Kamstra welcomed a group of 24 enthusiasts from
both the Durham Region Field Naturalists and the
Pickering Naturalists. We met at 1000 a.m. at
the parking lot for the Darlington Generating
Station pond. James started off with a brief
introduction to the six groups of dragonflies and
the three groups of damselflies, collectively
known as odonates. He also discussed current
guidebooks and catching techniques. Any odonates
that we caught were identified and then promptly
released. After sharing extra nets and insect
containers, we set off. The dragonflies present
were species of skimmers and darners. Skimmers
belong to a very large family, and are usually
easier to identify because they rest on
convenient perches often near the water, but
sometimes farther away. Binoculars come in handy
for spotting them. Most numerous were the
Twelve-spotted Skimmers, with perhaps 50
individuals darting about over the surface of the
pond. We also had excellent looks at Black
Saddlebags, Widow Skimmers, Eastern Pond-hawks,
and Blue Dashers. Perhaps themost striking
species of the day wasthe male Calico Pennant,
with its striking red body and dark spots on the
wings. Meadowhawks are a group of common to
abundant skimmers that are smaller and more
terrestrial. Adult males are typically red, and
females as well as immature males are yellow.
Older females of several species become dull red.
Many individual meadowhawks are difficult or
impossible to identify with certainty, even if
you are looking at them in the hand with a
magnifier. Almost all of the ones that we saw
well were Yellow-legged Meadowhawks. There were
also a couple of White-faced Meadowhawks.
Incidentally, if you dont have a hand lens, you
can still get a close up view by reversing your
binoculars. Other dragonflies at the pond
belonged to the darner family. Many darners are
large odonates that spend much of their time in
flight, often at some height. They move
remarkably fast and are extremely wary, making
them difficult to catch. If you do happen to see
one sitting still, it will be instantly
recognizable because darners hang vertically,
head up, rather than perching. Some of the
darners and other odonates were seen flying in
tandem, with the male holding onto the females
head.

• PRESIDENTS MESSAGE (Contd)export much of it to
  Michigan and there are no plans to change that.
  Well what if the border closed tomorrow, what
  would we do? It is time we as conservationists
  started to lobby our governments to get serious
  about not only our litter problem but how much
  garbage we produce and how we dispose of it. I
  challenge each of you to really look around you
  and reduce the amount of garbage you produce and
  get active in the community to force others to do
  so too our environment depends on it.
  - Otto Peter
• UPCOMING OUTINGSSunday, December 18
• 51st Oshawa Christmas Bird Count
• There are two ways that you can take part in a
  Christmas bird count The first is to join one of
  the teams that will be spending the day
  inventorying all of the birds in their territory.
  The second way is to count the birds at your
  feeder and report the numbers at the end of the
  day.
• There will be a sign up sheet for feeder watchers
  and regular counters at the November 28th DRFN
  meeting. Dress warmly. Wrap-up get-together at
  Otto and Diane Peters. If you would like more
  information contact Rayfield Pye at (905)
  436-7998 or raypye_at_interlinks.net
• The Minden Christmas Bird Count will be on
  Saturday, December 17. For more information
  contact Dennis Barry at [phone].
• Saturday, January 21, 845 a.m.Annual Pegg
  Feeder Outing Pot-Luck Lunch
• Organised by Judy Bryson. Meet at Mount Zion
  United Church to drop off food. Drive north on
  Westney Road past Hwy. 7 to Concession 8 and turn
  right (east).  Address is 3000 Concession 8 just
  east of Salem road. 900 departure to tour
  feeders. Lunch around noon at Mount Zion United
  Church. Dress warmly!

Many thanks once again to WELCOME FEEDS 116
King St. W., Bowmanville, for donating two bags
of Premium Wild Birdseed Mix to our Bucket
Raffle. Visit their store in the Vanstone Mill.
[phone]

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The Common Green Darners at the pond were
readily identifiable, with their bright green
thorax and the blue abdomen of the males. Little
is known about their migration, but large numbers
can be seen moving south in the fall. We also saw
mosaic darners zipping about. The species of
mosaic darners are very similar, with prominent
diagonal stripes of blue and green on the thorax.
You need a close look in the hand to distinguish
them. All of the ones that we caught were
Lance-tipped Darners. Damselflies are generally
much smaller than dragonflies. At rest, they hold
their wings above the body, instead of straight
out, like dragonflies. In the pond damsel family,
the wings are held together above the back.
Probably the most common of these in our area is
the Eastern Forktail. The males have a green and
black thorax, a black abdomen, and a bright blue
tail-light. There were also several blue
Familiar Bluets. In the spreadwing family, the
wings are held partially open. The most common of
these was the Spotted Spreadwing. As the name
implies, they have distinctive spots, found on
the underside of the abdomen. After James caught
one and showed it to everyone, Carolyn King and I
counted 39 of them. The group also saw several
Common Spreadwings. In all, the group saw
fourteen species of odonates by the end of the
hike at 1230 p.m. We found an additional two
species of damselflies afterwards at the pond
Northern Bluet and Lyre-tipped Spread-wing. With
the warm weather and all of those keen pairs of
eyes, the group spotted eight species of
butterflies. These ranged from tiny Least
Skippers to large Monarchs. Most numerous were
the delicate Eastern-tailed Blues, with a tally
of 35 individuals. This is also a good birding
location, with sightings of shorebirds (Solitary
Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs), marsh birds
(Green Heron, Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned
Night-Heron) and songbirds (Baltimore Oriole and
Cedar Waxwings). If you would like to learn more
about local insects, please contact either
Carolyn or me for information about the Toronto
Entomologists Association, or visit the website
at www.ontarioinsects.org. The club meets
regularly in Toronto, and has outings to look at
odonates, butterflies, moths, other insects, and
related groups, such as spiders. There are a
number of butterfly counts and several odonate
counts held across the province each year.
Locally, there are two counts in Durham Region
and two in Toronto. Beginners are always
welcome, and are paired with experienced
observers. - Steve LaForest
ONTARIO NATURE REGIONAL MEETING SUMMARY
10/22/05 Satu Pernanen, our Ontario Nature
Represen-tative, and Dianne Pazaratz attended
this informative meeting, hosted by the
Peterborough Field Naturalists at the Trent
University campus on River Road in
Peterborough. Andrea Smith, our Regional
Co-ordinator, brought the group up to date on
ONs Greenway Strategy. The government
Greenbelt Plan for the Golden Horseshoe protects
1.8 million acres of land. While this is a good
start, there is a loophole developers can hop
over the protected land. This is of great
concern to people living north and east of the
protected area. Ontario Natures Greenway
Strategy would go further, providing more natural
corridors, additional protected rural land, and
covering a larger area. They recommend incentives
for landowners to provide forest protection,
buffers around waterways, etc. on their lands.
Ontario Nature will work with communities,
conservation groups, farmers, municipalities, and
the provincial government. ON wants the Nature
Network groups (thats us) to get involved with
our municipal governments on this issue. Andrea
reviewed a presentation they have drafted to help
us speak to this issue. A Greenway Broadsheet
is also available which provides all the
information. ON is already working with two
communities and two naturalist groups. Four
million additional people are expected in
Southern Ontario by 2035! We need to plan for
their accommodation in a meaningful way. If we
continue to do what were doing, what kind of
environment will we have in the future? Did you
know that its the current residents who pay for
new development? We need to influence public
values e.g. more and bigger isnt better. We
need to think of nature first land use
planning. Steve Hounsell, ON President,
provided a Board update. Caroline Schultz starts
as the new Executive Director on October 24, and
ON is looking forward to her leadership. There is
also a new Director of Conservation and Science
Wendy Francis. After a quick lunch, we walked
on the university grounds. We climbed Lady Eaton
Drumlin and saw the beautiful Fall view of the
Otonabee River and the campus. We headed back on
an old rail-trail that had been converted to a
pleasant walking trail. The walk was
invigorating, as the weather was very cool and
somewhat damp.


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Each group provided an update on activities since
the last meeting. Groups in the Rouge Valley area
are still fighting the big pipe, a large
sanitary sewer already partially built beneath
streets in Markham, Stouffville and Richmond
Hill. They contend that York Region is removing
up to 30,000 litres of water per minute from
groundwater aquifers. It is feared that wells and
streams will go dry, while most of the precious
groundwater will be dumped into the sanitary
sewer. The Big Pipe is designed to accommodate
35 more years of urban sprawl in York Region.
Alternative measures are suggested. They asked
attendees to write letters to political
contacts. One group expressed concern over the
cost to purchase a data projector, which many
presenters are now requesting. The suggestion was
made to share the cost with another group(s) who
would use the equipment on a different night.
This could also apply to a sound system,
etc. Richmond Hill Naturalists have teamed with
the City to provide a package to new home owners
on how to naturalize their yard the City
provides some shrubs and trees. It was
interesting to note that the Mycological Society
has had to limit their forays in some areas, as
the stewards of those areas are uncomfortable
with the fact that they do pick some mushrooms
for study. Apparently, York Region Forest is
being picked to death by semi-commercial
people (not Mycological Society of course) who
come in and pick everything. There was
discussion on how to attract new members. Some
suggestions were provide interesting programs,
ensure you have a good sound system so people can
hear, have presentations related to the outings
that are coming up, have a variety of
presentations and outings (not just birding),
have causes and commitments (e.g. Peters Woods,
Alderville savannah restoration for Willow
Beach), praise volunteers a lot, have a good
meeting place, have a website, on the website let
people know they are welcome to come to a meeting
as a guest, have good media coverage, have an
active Board and active volunteers. Andrea Smith
provided the Conservation and Science Update.
Documents the provincial government is working on
to protect habitat include a new Provincial
Policy Statement, the Places to Grow Act and the
Greenbelt Act and Plan. ONs Linda Pim is on the
Greenbelt Committee.
A group is conducting Campaign Lake Simcoe to
reverse the deteriorating water quality and to
combat development leap-frogging into Simcoe
County. More information is available on the ON
website (www.ontarionature.org). ON is also
involved in Pickerings proposal to dissolve
agricultural easements. October 31 Update from
Andrea Smith The provincial government
introduced new legislation to restore the
Pickering easements and to solidify the in
perpetuity nature of conservation easements
across Ontario. This is a huge victory for land
protection in Ontario! ON will be sending out an
Action Alert regarding Dufferin Aggregates
proposal to expand the Milton Quarry by 83
hectares on the Niagara Escarpment. In Northern
Ontario, ON is putting together a protected areas
toolkit for First Nations. They are also involved
in many projects on Nature Reserves and with
Volunteers for Nature. On October 25 the new
Parks and Conservation Reserves Act received
first reading in the Ontario Legislature, laying
the groundwork for a brighter future for natural
spaces in Ontario by focusing on ecological
integrity as the underlying principle guiding the
management of Ontario Parks. ON is disappointed,
however, that logging will still be allowed in
Algonquin Park, and will continue to work on this
issue. The Nature Network (ONs member clubs
such as ours) is celebrating its 75th Anniversary
in 2006. Doors Open to Ontario Nature will
feature 75 community events that highlight the
diversity, strength and commitment of Ontario
Natures member groups. Some groups have already
posted their plans on the ON website. In 2006
there will be a new Conservation Award Youth
Essay Challenge. The 75th Annual Conference will
be June 2-5, hosted by Kitchener-Waterloo
Naturalists Bill Lishman will be a guest
speaker. Check out the Give the Gift that Gives
Back program on the website give enough ON
memberships as gifts and DRFNs group membership
fee will be waived for 2006! ON provides a Junior
Naturalist Manual to help clubs in setting up a
junior naturalist group. It contains twelve
ready-to-go activities. ON and Magnotta Wines
have partnered to support nature for every
bottle of certain wines sold through Magnottas
online store, the winery will donate 1.50 to
Ontario Nature. - Dianne Pazaratz
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TAKE A TRIP TO BELIZE  For some reason, Diane
and I have always wanted to go to Belize. Maybe
it is the exotic name, maybe the call of the
coral reefs and jungles. Whatever the reason
Diane and I and nine other intrepid explorers
spent 13 days in Belize with a 2-day side trip to
Guatemala. Our group was an eclectic mix
of experienced birders and naturalists and novice
adventure travelers, some who wanted to scuba
dive and a couple who just wanted to get off the
beaten path and see some unique sights. One of
our goals was to spend time in the jungle looking
for jaguars. Parts of Belize where we were going
have the highest density of jaguars in the New
World. We spent two nights in the
Jaguar Preserve in the Cockscomb basin at a
jaguar research station in very spartan
conditions (no electricity and only cold running
water) in a beautiful dense forest setting. We
also spent two nights at Chan Chich, a 5 star
enclave in a 125,000-acre forest preserve. Did
we see a jaguar? Yes we did, but only in the
Belize City Zoo. We did however see evidence of
the big cats footprints in soft mud where a
jaguar had chased a tapir, some fresh scat on a
trail deep in the forest and evidence that a tree
trunk had been used as a scratching post. A
smaller cat, a jaguarondi, was spotted crossing
the highway near Caracol, by two members of our
group, while the rest of us were intently
scanning the forest edge for birds. Another goal
of our group was to spend time on the coral
reefs. Did you know that Belize has the second
longest coastal barrier reef in the world at over
400 kilometers in length? Our first visit to
the reef was at Placentia in the south at
Laughing Bird Cay, a small coral island 20
kilometers from land surrounded by beautiful
aquamarine waters filled with colourful corals
and flashing tropical fish. When not snorkeling
with the lemon sharks and barracuda we sat on the
white coral beach and watched the brown pelicans
dive suicidally head first into the shallows
looking for lunch, and listening to the
Laughing Gulls for which the cay is named. Our
second exposure to the reef was at Caye Caulker a
3x1 kilometer white coral sand island surrounded
by beautiful tropical green seas. Here we were
able to swim with nurse sharks and northern
stingrays and again see the rainbow-hued reef
corals and fish along with moray eels. Ras Creek
our boat captain on one of our cruises fished for
our lunch and dove down for a Queen conch. He
pulled out a small stove and cooked up a
yellow-tailed snapper in coconut milk and curry
and made up a tasty fresh conch ceviche. On the
way around the island he caught a large sea horse
in a glass jar for all of us to have a close-up
look and pointed out many others in the shallow
water. As we came around a point of land we came
across a large saltwater crocodile swallowing a
large ctenosaur lizard. As we watched, the
lizards tail slowly disappeared down the
crocs gullet. I guess what they say is right,
eat or be eaten. Rass small leaky top-heavy
boat may not be the Queen Mary II but he sure
does know how to put on an excellent snorkeling
and sight seeing cruise. If you ever go to Caye
Caulker make sure you dont miss his tour.

One of the surprises of the trip was the
Mayan ruins at Caracol and
Tikal (in Guatemala).
Our guides told us about their history and
their social and recreational life and we
were able to view the huge ruins
that have been reclaimed from the jungle. One of
the most
fascinating facts about the ruins is that
they are not just one layer. It
turns out that the Maya would add another layer
of stone on top of
an old layer at regular 20 to 50
year periods. Some ruins we saw
had 5 layers that
could be seen. All of the reclaimed ruins had
been
totally overgrown with jungle it was only by
accident that they were
rediscovered. At Caracol
they had left the forest on the backsides
of some of the pyramids that allowed us to
see how it looked when first built
and also how it looked covered in jungle. The
ruins at Tikal are the size of
Manhattan and only a tiny fraction has been
restored. It was an eerie feeling
climbing to the top of the pyramid
of the Lost World to see the
sunset. The top was probably used to
sacrifice humans in the dim past. The climb
down was very
daunting since each step was 15-18 high but only
8 wide that
meant we had a very dangerous steep 75-degree
descent.
Mayan Ruin at Tikal
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Of course, one of the reasons we were in Belize
was the amazing bird life. Belize, a very small
country, has over 550 species on its official
list. Because of the great locations and the
excellent local guides, we saw 255 of them. Some
of my favorites were surprises like the Black
hawk-eagle placidly sitting in a tree as we
exited a forest trail, or the Orange-breasted
falcon that was nesting in a small niche 150 feet
high in Mayan ruin. On our last day at Crooked
Tree we were told there was a Northern Lapwing at
the end of the lagoon, a bird not even on the
Belize checklist. Another treat was finally
seeing an Agami Heron exactly where it should be
seen skulking in the shadows under the
overhanging trees along a stream bank. Again,
being in the right place at the right time
offered me the opportunity to see a Royal
Flycatcher, a bird I have wanted to see for a
long time. We were getting ready for supper and
as usual I was ready first so I just wandered off
behind our room to a maintenance area and there
was the flycatcher hawking insects over the
parking lot. It even landed and raised its
beautiful crest only steps away from me. Chan
Chich was memorable for more than one thing.
There we had a local guide who could actually
tell you what bird had flown away merely by
listening to the sound of its wings. Many times
he identified birds by their flight and then
found them in the dense underbrush using his
amazing eyesight. Of course, after years of
guiding in the reserve, he knew where birds
habituated. I was looking for one bird in
particular - a Tody Motmot - and asked if he
could find it for me. Within minutes he took us
all to a beautiful perched bird. He also took us
to a fabulous spot along the stream bank where
birds came to bathe all day long. As we sat
quietly, a procession of birds walked or flew out
of the forest and splashed about in the stream.
It was fascinating to watch a White-necked
Jacobin (hummingbird) hover over the stream with
its tail fanned out and then dip repeatedly into
the water showering the area with glinting prisms
of water droplets. My only regret was that we
couldnt stay longer. The great thing about this
spot was that you could observe the birds for
long periods of time at close range. All in all,
Belize certainly lived up to our expectations,
from trekking throughdense forest, floating down
a stream in an inner tube or canoe, snorkeling
on coral reefs, climbing ancient ruins or just
vegging on the beach. Each ofus got what we went
for. Catherine Evans at Tours of Exploration
certainlyput together a wonderful itinerary.

- Otto Peter
Bare-throated tiger heron
WHY WE NEED OUR WOODLANDS Woodlands perform a
number of important ecological functions. They
provide oxygen for animals to breathe, food for
animals to eat, and shelter for animals from the
weather and predators. The soil and moisture
conditions found within woodlands create suitable
habitat for many species of plants and animals
that cannot survive elsewhere. Woodland trees
moderate climate by releasing water from their
leaves, absorbing large amounts of carbon
dioxide, and providing shade. Trees also absorb
rainwater, thereby reducing soil erosion, runoff
and flooding. Woodlands allow water to filter
down into the ground to refill the underground
aquifers that provide Ontarians with drinking
water. Woodlands provide us with many economic
benefits as well, including timber, pulp and
paper products, maple syrup and mushrooms.
Woodlands offer countless educational, research
and recreational opportunities. Undisturbed
woodlands also serve as economical benchmarks for
how woodland ecosystems are meant to
function. Finally, woodlands have enormous
spiritual and aesthetic value. They provide a
peaceful balance in our busy, modern lives. We
marvel at the diversity of plants and animals
found within them. Old-growth forests in
particular can provide a spiritual link to the
past. They are an integral part of our heritage
and remind us of what our natural areas can
become given time and protection.
-from ON Nature flyer on Significant Woodlands,
2005
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WHATS NEW AT THICKSONS WOODS AND
MEADOW? Thicksons Woods Land Trust is selling
tickets for an exciting Art Raffle, with the draw
to be held at a Garden Party at the Inverlynn
Estate in Whitby on June 11, 2006. You dont have
to be there to win, but it will be a fun-filled
party! Please buy your ticket for a chance to win
one of five framed pieces of art, generously
donated by celebrated artists like the Eastern
Bluebird original by Marc Barrie or a lovely
landscape original by Diana Bellerby. Support
Thicksons Woods in paying off the Meadow
mortgage. Are you willing to sell a book or two
of tickets? Please contact Judy Bryson at (905)
576-0492. And dont forget to hold May 6 in your
2006 calendar for the next Pancake Breakfast!
Cant you taste that maple syrup already? The
Fall Festival will be September 16.
WINGS OF PARADISE AND ARBORETUM OUTING, OCTOBER
30 Fine fall weather helped to make our outing
successful. Our first stop was at the Wings of
Paradise Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge. We
strolled through rooms filled with displays of
insects from around the world. Entry into the
butterfly conservatory set our minds back to
trips to Central and South America as we felt the
warmth and humidity. The butterflies were very
easy to see and photograph as they wafted around,
fed at sugary platforms or rested on tropical
plants. Visitors to the tropics see many
butterflies but the conservatory concentrates
them to allow you to get wonderful views in
perfect lighting conditions. Personnel were
on-hand to explain how they receive the insects
from around the world on a frequent basis. They
also explained the butterflies life cycle that
culminates with the emergence from their
chrysalis and taking wing. The Arboretum at the
University of Guelph was a short drive away. Ten
kilometers of trails cover the 165 hectares that
the arboretum occupies. After lunch in a peaceful
garden setting, we followed the Ivey Trail
through a wide of variety of interesting tree and
shrub specimens. The Gosling Wildlife Gardens at
the end of this trail offer ideas for urban
gardeners who would like to naturalize their
property. This was where we saw most of the
Arboretums wildlife, so the benefits were clear.
Low maintenance, natural beauty and coexistence
with nature make this garden option more popular
each year. The Conservatory and Arboretum are
open all year round so take a drive when you have
the time. The butterflies will make you recall
those lazy, hazy days of summer. The Arboretums
changing vistas throughout the seasons deserve to
be experienced often. - Don Docherty
The Mighty Nematode...
"If all the matter in the universe except
nematodes were swept away, our world would still
be recognizable, and if, as disembodied spirits,
we could then investigate it, we should find its
mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes, and
oceans represented by a film of nematodes. The
location of towns would be decipherable, since
for every massing of human beings there would be
a corresponding massing of certain nematodes.
Trees would still stand in ghostly rows
representing our streets and highways. The
location of the various plants and animals would
still be decipherable, and had we sufficient
knowledge, in many cases even their species could
be determined by an examination of their
erstwhile nematode parasites. - Nathan Cobb
(world's first nematologist), 1914. Reprinted
from Nature Canada, Vol 34 2
- Photo by Lois Gillette
8
Part One of this article is reprinted from the
Toronto Ornithological Club September 2005
Newsletter. Part Two will appear in our January
newsletter. FIRST DOCUMENTED NEST RECORD OF
MERLIN IN THE GREATER TORONTO AREA
- Bruce F. Aikins As a
participant in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas
project for the past 5 years, I have concentrated
primarily on atlas square 17PJ79 that covers a
portion of Lake Scugog and surrounding territory
where our home happens to be located. It is a
very productive square with over 100 species
confirmed as breeding locally. However, there
are always some new and unexpected surprises. In
the early spring of 2004, I was checking local
woodlots for used nests of crows and raptors in
order to mentally catalogue them to check later
in the season for re-use. While exiting a
woodlot near our home, I heard an unusual call
for this area and following the sound to its
source, discovered a male Merlin in a maple tree
on the edge of the bush staring down at me. It
seemed completely unconcerned about my proximity
and we stayed in position eyeing each other for
some time. In fact, it was I that broke off the
encounter to continue on home. It was only after
getting home that I began to wonder if there was
any possibility of it remaining for the breeding
season. I had heard about them nesting in and
around the Peterborough area for the past few
years but nothing closer. However, since
Peterborough was unusual in that it is well south
of the Merlins traditional territory, there
might be a possibility. Over the next week and a
half, I went back on several occasions to the
same area and found the bird present and with
each visit, my optimism rose. However, one day
it was gone and I concluded that it had moved on
north having been unsuccessful in attracting a
female to its chosen local woodlot. Close but no
cigar . that was it! On April 9th this year, I
was pleasantly surprised to hear and see a male
Merlin in the exact same locale as the previous
year. Since Merlins are almost never seen
locally, I concluded (correctly or incorrectly)
that this bird was probably the same one as was
present in 2004. I wondered if the outcome would
be the same. Along with some friends, I go out
for a morning walk along the side roads each day
and from April 9th to the first few days of May,
I heard and/or saw the male almost every day. It
was usually perched in a mature birch tree with a
dead section near the top consisting of stubs and
no small branches. It happened to be within 50
feet of a tall mature white pine with a large old
American Crow nest near the very top. I got a
good feeling that the male had chosen this spot
and was hoping for a passing female to agree that
this was a good location as well. In other
words, it was in the birches because the crows
nest was nearby. On May 4th, for the first time
I saw and heard the male andalso, now, a female
flying from tree to tree calling out to each
other. Neither one seemed to be following the
other one they just seemed to be moving in
unison about 75 feetapart. Needless to say, it
was an exhilarating moment andif someone had
been nearby, I am sure that there would have
been high-fives. The question then became
whetherthe female would want to continue up
north with or withoutthe male or whether she was
pleased enough with his choice of locale that
they would remain together locally.
Fortunately, I was not disappointed. Up to and
including May 10th, every day I saw both birds
on separate limbs inthe same birch. On one
occasion, I did not see nor hear either of them
and began to think that they had moved on but
within a few minutes, they both flew back from
withinthe woodlot to their favourite perching
tree, calling all the while.
Photo courtesy of Winnie Poon
9
On May 11th, I saw only the male there was no
sign of the female giving rise to what seemed to
be only two possibilities. The first was that
the female had lost patience and moved on or she
was sitting on eggs. To make matters worse, I
could not even confirm her presence locally over
a period of several days. If she was on a nest, I
felt that there was a very strong possibility
that the old crow nest nearby was a natural but
it was so high up and broad and solid that I
could not see if anything was in or on it
climbing the tree was impractical. Also, if I
moved away from the nest far enough to improve
the viewing angle then I ended up too far away to
see anything even with binoculars or a scope.
However, the continuing presence of the male was
a positive sign. This went on for 3 or 4 days
and I decided to see if I could stir things up a
bit by playing a Merlin recording. It worked on
the male - he responded but there was no sign or
sound of the female so it continued to be a
waiting game. On the positive side, the male was
highly territorial and would take after crows,
nipping at them from behind whenever they came
near the white pine. Normally, he would chase
them about a quarter mile before returning to the
birch. Finally, about 915 in the morning of May
15th, the female flew from the top of the pine to
the birch but there was no sign of the male.
Presumably, he was off hunting or had replaced
her on the clutch prior to me seeing her fly. I
continued on home. At about 930, my wife and
her morning-walk friends saw and heard both the
male and female in a maple beside the road
calling back and forth to each other. She
returned home and told me and I went back to the
nest area and got there in time to see the male
in the birch and the female fly up to the nest in
the white pine, settle in and remain there.
Finally, successfrom an Atlas perspective I
could code Merlin as a Confirmed Breeder with the
code AE, Adults Entering or Leaving Nest Sites.
This was a first for Durham Region and in fact,
it turns out that it was a first for the Greater
Toronto Area (GTA) as well. Having confirmed
their status, I backed off on the frequency of
visits. I reported the find to the Atlas project
and in turn, discussions were held with Glenn
Coady. From the dates in my log, projections
were made assuming ongoing success for the
Merlins. The predictions were that the eggs
would begin hatching on June 11th or- 2 days and
the young would leave the nest on July 9th or- 2
days. It became a further waiting game.
Membership Application Form MEMBERSHIPS ARE DUE!
RENEW YOURS NOW! You dont need to complete this
form if you just pay Diane Peter, Membership
Co-ordinator, at the meeting. Please check the
appropriate area to indicate membership type. For
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family members. Individual (20) _____ Senior
single (20) _____ Senior Couple (22)
_____ Student (15) _____ Family (25) _____
of People _____ Life Member (200) _____ Kindly
complete all sections of this information form in
order that we can update our address telephone
records. Name Address City/Town Postal
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year is September to June. Memberships not
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Membership fees may be paid by cash or cheque at
the DRFN Genera Meeting, or a cheque may be
mailed, payable to Durham Region Field
Naturalists, Box 54031, 8 King St. E., Oshawa
ON, L1H 1A9 Do not send cash by mail. Revenue
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10
Durham Region Bird Records, August-September
2005 American Coot 9 families August 13
R Pye Second Marsh Bald Eagle 1
August 5 J McKnight
Lynde Marsh Bald Eagle 1
August 24 J McKnight Oshawa
Creek Dark-eyed Junco 2 August
24 D Pazaratz Oshawa Kentucky
Warbler 1 August 29 D
Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Least Bittern 1
August 14 R Pye
Second Marsh Osprey 4 August
19 D Mudd Westside Marsh Ruddy
Duck 2 families August 14 R Pye
Second Marsh Blue Jay 5043
September 18 R Pye Cranberry
Marsh Broad-winged Hawk 1859 September 17 M
Williamson Heber Down CA Cackling Goose 1
September 29 D Lockrey Cranberry
Marsh Common Raven 1 September 23
D Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Great Egret 1
September 1 O Peter
Second Marsh Great Egret 9
September 9 D Lockrey Cranberry
Marsh Great Egret 8 September 15
E Beagan Corner Marsh Hudsonian Godwit 1
September 19 M Bain Nonquon
Lagoons Lapland Longspur 1 September 3
M Bain Nonquon Lagoons Pine
Siskin 1 September 3 D Mudd
Orono Ring-necked Pheasant 8 September 25
D Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Sandhill Crane 11
September 3 D Ruch
Oshawa Stilt Sandpiper 5
September 4 F Jerome Hydro
Marsh Western Sandpiper 1 September 15
J Iron Frenchmans Bay
BITS AND PIECES About the Ivory Billed
WoodpeckerThe Ivory-billed woodpecker flourished
in old-growth forests in the great river
drainages of the Southern U.S. A subspecies also
lived in Cuba. But after the Civil War, logging,
which continued into the 20th century, shrunk
this habitat from 24 million acres of pristine
swamp forest to 4.4 million scattered acres of
second-growth forest. As the birds became rare,
they also were hunted by collectors which further
decimated the species. Sixty years after its last
confirmed sighting, it was rediscovered in Cache
River National Wildlife Refuge, part of eastern
Arkansas Big Woods. The name refers to the
ivory-white colour of its bill, which actually is
made of bone covered by keratin. The scientific
name, Campephilus principalis, which means chief
lover of caterpillars, is actually a misnomer as
this bird lives mostly on the large larvae of
wood-boring beetles.
- from USA Today, November 10, 2005
About the Turkey VultureCarrion of
all kinds makes up its diet live animals are
hardly ever eatenthe
noble Turkey Vulture has relatively good table
manners usually one bird feeds at a time, while
the others stand quietly nearby. An extremely
well-developed immune system provides protection
against most diseases that are undoubtedly found
residing in vulture dinners. Indeed, deadly
pathogens are killed outright in the vultures
digestive system, providing a very good
sanitation service for the environment. They
defend themselves by regurgitatingfood. Nothing
worse than a TV dinner!
- from BirdWatch
Canada, Fall 2005, 33 About Bamboo Did you
know that bamboo is now being sold as flooring
material? Bamboo is environmentally sustainable
and completely renewable. Bamboo is not a tree
but a fast-growing grass, so harvesting it is
rather like cutting your lawn it doesnt destroy
the plant, merely makes it shorter and healthier.
Some is grown in China, in small,
government-controlled forests. The cost of bamboo
flooring is roughly the cost of maple flooring.
- from greenliving, Autumn Winter 2005