Home - Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists Club

News & Informative updates about the MPFN, the Environment and Local Nature Stories

Our Mission

To study and
appreciate nature.
To protect and preserve wildlife
and the environment.
To stimulate public interest in,
and promote protection
and preservation of nature.

Who we are

The Midland Penetanguishene Field Naturalists Club (MPFNC) is one of the oldest affiliates of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists. The objective of the Club is to promote public awareness of natural history, conservation and the environment. We feature lectures by expert naturalists on a range of fascinating topics at our monthly meetings. We also schedule outings (field trips) and nature study.

We meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month, 7:30 PM at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre No meeting in December, July or August. Our June meeting is held at Tiny Marsh.

For a printable schedule of meetings & events click: 2022 Bookmark_Brochure 001

The MPFNC is involved in many projects in the area including the Christmas Bird Count as well as environmental and wildlife surveys, the Tiny Marsh BioBlitz and the Sweet Water Harvest at the Wye Marsh. The club also supports the Owl Foundation at the Christmas Bird Count Potluck Wrap-up at the Wye Marsh. This year we raised $440 for the Owl Foundation of Vineland through our famous Mystery Gift Not-So-Silent Auction.

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Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists

Our objectives are: (a) To study and appreciate nature (b) To protect and preserve wildlife and the environment (c) To stimulate public interest in, and promote protection and preservation of nature. We are a non-profit organization.

Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists

3 days ago

Our next Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists Outing will be held on Sunday morning Apr. 28, 2024.We'll meet at 10 AM at the P1 Parking area of the Copeland Forest. This is the first parking area north east of Hwy 93 at Martinville. We'll aim for about a 2 hour walk on the trails in the forest. Possible mud but mostly easy walking. There have been lots of new spring bird arrivals every day and some of the spring wildflowers should be peeking out. You can register for this outing by emailing mpfieldnaturalists@gmail.comHope to see you there. ... See MoreSee Less

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Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists

3 days ago

Playing Procyon Peek-a-boo with a Common Raccoon, Procyon lotor, on Apr. 22, 2024 at Tiny Marsh, Elmvale, Ontario Canada. Peek-a-Boo by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)The cunningest thing that a baby can doIs the very first time it plays peek-a-boo;When it hides its pink little face in its hands,And crows, and shows that it understandsWhat nurse, and mamma and papa, too,Mean when they hide and cry, 'Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo.'Oh, what a wonderful thing it is,When they find that baby can play like this;And everyone listens, and thinks it trueThat baby's gurgle means 'Peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo';And over and over the changes are rungOn the marvelous infant who talks so young.I wonder if any one ever knewA baby that never played peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo.'Tis old as the hills are. I believeCain was taught it by Mother Eve;For Cain was an innocent baby, too,And I am sure he played peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo.And the whole world full of the children of men,Have all of them played that game since then.Kings and princes and beggars, too,Everyone has played peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo.Thief and robber and ruffian bold,The crazy tramp and the drunkard old,All have been babies who laughed and knewHow to hide, and play peek-a-boo, peek-a-boo. ... See MoreSee Less

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Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists

4 days ago

Another Nature Story from David Hawke: Suit up for sunny days — and blackfliesOutdoors columnist offers good news, bad news, and tips to repel pesky fliersDavid HawkePhoto caption: Blackfly habitat at Brough's Creek. David HawkeApril is turning into a long succession of soggy days, which I suppose is good for the garden but not for our spring-enthralled selves.However, we are not the only ones waiting impatiently for warm and sunny days. So, too, are the blackflies.Living in paradise as we do around the Great Lakes, there is payment due to balance the good with the bad — and blackflies, mosquitoes, ticks, deer flies, horse flies and yellow jackets each have an assigned part of the summer to keep us mindful that we are not alone.They say it helps to know your enemy; wise words as, soon, each time you leave the safety and comfort of your home, you run the risk of encountering squadrons, battalions and great, huge numbers of blackflies and mosquitoes.Lots of good news/bad news about blackflies.Good news: Only half the population is after you — the females. The girls need a blood meal to gain the protein needed for egg production. However, bad news, resulting from a bit of research, it appears more than half the population is after you as the ratio of males to females is 1:7.Bad news: There are more than 40 species of blackflies in central Ontario. Good news: Only four species bite humans. (The other species are pestering birds.) Bad news: The other species may just content themselves to swarm your eyes, ears and nose, but, hey, not bite.Good news: The male blackflies feed on wildflower nectar and assist with pollination of shrubs such as leatherleaf. Bad news: Blueberries are not high on the list of being pollinated by blackflies. (These flowers are pollinated by solitary bees.) Blackflies and mosquitoes have very different requirements when it comes to finding a place to live and grow. Both require water, but in opposite states. Blackfly larvae attach themselves to rocks in flowing water, thus allowing fresh oxygen to be carried to them as well as any nutrients to feed upon. Mosquito larvae demand absolutely stagnant water and wriggle from bottom to surface to siphon air through the surface tension.Another difference between blackflies and mosquitoes is how they extract the blood from your body. Mosquitoes do so like a hypodermic needle, using a long, hollow, pointy mouthpart to suck out the delicious blood meal. However, blackflies, like their cousins, the deer flies, slash a wound in your tender skin and sponge up the resultant mess.Some people react badly to these bites, while other folks just shrug it off. If I get a blackfly bite, my skin swells up in a sore, itchy lump for two or three days, while my wife just quietly bleeds and cleans herself up with a washcloth. But, ha-ha, the opposite happens with us and mosquitoes: She swells and is miserable whilst I merely swipe them away.Knowing what attracts these bloodsucking, skin-chomping critters will help you devise a way to be just the opposite — unattractive. (How many articles have you ever read where the self-help topic is on ‘Being Unattractive and Loving It?’)In regard to what attracts the females, here are a few nuggets of information: They like dark colours, such as black T-shirts, blue denim, and brown hats. (I guess they think you are a moose.) Therefore, wear pastel colours.Movement is a great way to attract the winged beasties. I laugh (but not out loud) when I see people windmilling the air in an attempt to get rid of a pesky skeeter or two and suddenly find themselves the centre of attention for a whole airborne squadron. So, sit down and relax.Carbon dioxide is a great lure for tiny things with wings. Every breath you take, every droplet of sweat expelled, releases carbon dioxide into the air. And when that delicious aroma hits the olfactory system of a lady blackfly, she turns into a single-minded entity — find blood, find blood now! So, when it comes to outdoor exercise, just don’t sweat it.You can thwart them (a bit) by using an insect repellent, but bear in mind the stuff you’re spraying about is a repellent, not an insecticide. To fog the area around you is not killing a single blackfly or mosquito, and it’s not doing much good to those of us standing downwind who breathe in your over-spray. Just a bit on the areas of exposed skin (or a shot on the collar and hat) will keep them from landing.Citronella wrinkles the nose of a blackfly, as does Vicks VapoRub. Also, I have read swallowing some apple cider vinegar will turn you into a walking, talking blackfly-repelling machine, but I’ve not yet tested that method.I probably should not mention this next repellent, but tobacco smoke works well at keeping blackflies at bay. When I was younger, so much younger than today, and was working as a land surveyor, I smoked cigarettes while standing at the transit with a cloud of blackflies swarming my juicy neck and face.Fortunately, about the same time, I met the lovely young woman who would soon become my wife and she was dead set against smoking. End of story.Blackflies are weak fliers, and a good breeze will send them off course. A couple of resorts I have visited have set up those big square fans on the patios to blow the flies far, far away.So, if you want to avoid ‘the enemy,’ just relax (no sweat), calm down (no movement), wear a great-looking summer shirt (not black) and don’t exhale while out of doors. It’s simple, really, except for that no breathing part. But other than that, get outside and enjoy the season. ... See MoreSee Less

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Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists

5 days ago

Spring Warbler Season has begun in Midland Ontario Canada! Top: Pine Warbler, Setophaga pinus Bottom: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata. Both photographed on Apr. 20th in Midland Ontario Canada. Pine Warbler First Warbler of Spring by Stephen Ingraham4/20Sitting in the blind on a chilly, cloudyApril afternoon, a bird flys in. At firstglance I am thinking female Goldfinchsince we have a lot of them around,and it has that dull yellow color andwing-bars…but then it hops down andcomes toward me through the leaf-litter…not very Goldfinch like. I getthe camera on it and see the palestreaking on the breast and that carpettack black bill. A warbler then, butwhich one? Clearly not one of themore obvious ones, or one I haveseen recently or often at all the pastor I would know it. The indexer in medoes that pinball machine thing whereit rolls down like the ball, bouncing offthe dull yellow Orange-crowned, andthe grayer Tennessee…the brighterPalm and Prairie, looking for a home.It comes to rest, just barely balancedon Pine. But is it? It takes a visit toiBird on my phone to convince me,but, yes it is definitely a Pine. Isn’t itwonderful how the birder’s mind works?But I have to say, at first glance it stilllooks enough like a female Goldfinchso that I am not embarrassed at all.'Tis an early sign of spring,When Kinglets start to sing,But you know that spring has struck,When you hear a *Butter Butt.– Ken Kneidel*”Butter Butt” is another name for a Yellow-rumped Warbler. ... See MoreSee Less

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Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists

5 days ago

On Sunday Apr. 13 2024 the Midland Penetanguishene Field Naturalists participated in the Tiny Marsh Waterfowl Day. You can read MPFN President Bob Codd's report on this outing below. Our next club outing will be Sunday Apr. 28th 10 AM at the Copeland Forest. We'll meet at the Copeland Forest P1 Parking Lot, the first parking lot north east of Hwy 93 at Martinville. There have been lots of new spring bird arrivals every day and some of the spring wildflowers should be peeking out. You can register for this outing by emailing us at mpfieldnaturalists@gmail.comHere's Bob Codd's report on our last outing: Waterfowl Day 2024 was a blast - quite literally. With strong north-westerly winds gusting to more than 70 kilometers per hour and chilly temperatures, it's difficult to grasp that these conditions were actually an improvement over the previous day. White caps speckled the shallow waters of Tiny Marsh and waves lashed the windward flank of Trotter Dyke, sending showers of spray clear across the causeway. With scant shelter available the intrepid participants huddled in the lee of the single vehicle that had transported scopes and cameras to the viewing location. It was the kind of day when sensible people would draw the blinds and go back to bed. It was almost surprising, then, how many braved the elements to enjoy this event. As my wife remarked "you can be sure that those who showed up really wanted to be there." It wasn't the kind of day that any of us would have chosen. I can't ascribe motivation to the other participants. I can only say that I came out of a sense of commitment. As one of the event's organizers and being a member of both sponsoring groups I knew that I was committed to attending no matter what nature threw our way. It's not about me or my personal comfort. It's about trying to provide an experience for members of both the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists and MTM Conservation Association as well as anyone else who cared (or dared) to join us. And what an experience it was! I gain an odd sense of satisfaction from enduring harsh elements and unfavourable conditions although I don't normally seek them out. I get even more satisfaction from sharing nature with people who were obviously excited to see it firsthand and learn more about the birds and wildlife that abound in Tiny Marsh. We'd clearly missed the peak of spring migration. Early, mild weather meant returning waterfowl had mostly moved through our neighborhood weeks earlier than we'd anticipated. There were still lots of ducks, geese, swans, cranes and other birds to be seen and seeing visitors' faces light up when viewing a Wigeon or a Sandhill Crane through a spotter scope was the highlight of my day. It provided an opportunity for another of my favourite things, sharing what we've learned over the years with folks who are eager to hear it. We talked about birds of course but also birding equipment and modern conveniences like digital field guides and bird recognition apps like Cornell's Merlin. We talked about binoculars and scopes and as if to prove how durable modern optical equipment has become, a gust of wind blew over my tripod with scope attached. It survived almost unscathed except for some cosmetic scratches. Despite less than ideal conditions, we still ended up with a respectable species count. I dare say that our total may have been higher if any of us had been willing to venture beyond the meager shelter of our car. We even managed a non-avian sighting courtesy of one of our guests. It was a Bluegill fingerling that the wind had driven ashore and that was struggling to get back into the water. It was spotted by a sharp-eyed young gentleman whose name I've forgotten (sorry, I'm terrible with names) who kindly returned it to the safety of its element. You just know it's windy when fish are being blown out of the marsh waters!As always, we're indebted to my wife Sue for keeping track of our sightings. This task was even more challenging as wind gusts made hearing reports about the various species difficult. The final tally was 24 species of birds plus the already noted Bluegill. That's enough for me to declare Waterfowl Day 2024 a success! Here is a link to our eBird checklist for the event. I'll forgo the customary list of other species. There was only one as far as I know. ebird.org/checklist/S168500365Thanks to everyone who came out to share the morning in the face of gale force winds. I look forward to our next outing, comforted by the belief that the weather can only get better. Thanks Bob Codd President, MPFN ... See MoreSee Less

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Box 393, Midland ON L4R 4L1

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