Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists Club

MPFN Socially Distanced Walk With Friends Report Sunday

Copeland Forest   –   Sept. 20, 2020

Sora? Ortolan?

The name “Sora” is believed to have come from an Indigenous language. It is one of very few birds that retains an Indigenous term as its common name.
But apparently there are still some people about that call this bird the “ortolan”. I believe this misnomer probably occured late in the 19th and early in the 20th century when market hunters, aware of the European reputation of the real ortolan as a great delicacy, gave the Sora Rail this name to increase its marketability.
I know it’s a bit of a long read but I found this exchange of letters from the Washington Evening Star in 1883 quite amusing. Apparently some members of the public felt the name ortolan referred to what we know of as the Sora while others felt the name more properly applied to the Bobolink or Reed Bird. It’s amazing how passionately they argue about the right name for the wrong bird.

CONCERNING THE “ORTOLAN”
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
It seems odd that in a city containing a national museum and many good libraries that a little water fowl by the name of “water rail” or “sora,” should be so generally called “ortolan”? — a bird that it resembles about as much as a robin does a wren. All the market gunners and all the restaurant keepers fall into this mistake as is shown by the bills of fare.
The Star of to-day, under the caption of “Gunning in the Marshes,” after naming over a number of men who ought to be sportsmen enough to know the names of the game they kill, says: “The majority brought home less than a dozen ortolan, and a few reed birds.” Now, as the ortolan and the reed are one and the same bird, the information is rather uncertain for sportsmen and those who haven’t always lived in a City where “gudgeons” are called smelt.” The small yellow and brown bird known in different sections of the country under the names of ortolan, reed-bird or rice-bird, is a bunting the male of which changes its color in the spring to black and yellow, and then called Bob-o-link (Bob Lincoln.) It feeds as often on the uplands as on the marshes. Many country people sow an acre in millet or buckwheat, and they draw to it by hundreds. A pick up of thirty or forty at a shot is often made over this attraction. Now the “water rail” or “sora” is a solitary bird, and never found away from a river or stream. It, resembles somewhat the snipe, except it has a short bill and is web-footed. Its flight is slow and short. Whence they come and where they go after the first heavy frost is a mystery that future ornithologists will have to rise and explain. Audubon, Wilson and others having failed to do so satisfactorily. I wrote a card last year to one of our locals relative to this popular error, and I hope you will again remind the gunning fraternity that water quails or sora are not ortolans, and reed-birds rice-birds, ortolans and bob-o-links, according to all authorities, are birds of a feather.
“G. T. A.”September 8, 1883. Washington D.C. Evening Star 62(9479): 2.
CONCERNING THE CAROLINA RAIL.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
A communication from “G.T.A.” In last Saturday’s Star, evidently from a gentleman interested in the uniformity of the nomenclature of our birds, is so full of positive error, and tainted with superstition, that a correction of some of his statements will not be out of order. The so-called “Ortolan” is the Carolina Rail (Parzana Carolina), known also by the names of Common Rail and Sora, the latter being the general term applied throughout Maryland and Virginia. It is the most abundant and familiar of our marsh birds during the migrations, and the most ruthlessly hunted by the sportsman. Habitually skulking and hiding rather than seeking safety in open flight is a characteristic of the bird that has prevented its observation even in localities where it occurs in considerable numbers. Its habitat includes the whole of temperate North America, but it is far more abundant in the Atlantic than in the Pacific states. The bird is not web-footed, but is provided with very long toes, which enable it to tread the mazes of the marshes without sinking in the soft mud or vegetation. It travels through the tall reeds with surprising swiftness at low tide and at high tide, when the marshes are submerged, clings to the reeds. Notwithstanding the absence or webbed feet it swims with ease, and never hesitates to navigate in that manner from one clump of reeds to another when occasion requires rather than take wing. The wings are short and rounded, and the flight appears so feeble that many sportsmen persist in doubting its ability to perform extensive migrations, nevertheless such is the fact, as they often board vessels at sea between the southern states and the West India Islands, where many of them pass the winter. Although not truly gregarious, it is far from “a solitary bird,” as is evidenced by their sudden and plentiful arrival and departure. In the migrations favorable winds are taken advantage of. They breed in most of the northern states and British America, laying four or five eggs of a dark drab color, with brownish spots, in a nest rudely constructed of coarse grasses. The young are covered with a blackish down, and, like the quail, are active as soon as out or the shell. “G.T.A.” says, “From whence they come or where they go after the first heavy frost is a mystery that future ornithologists will have to rise and explain.” This is a remnant of the absurd superstitions that prevailed in the minds of the colored people before the war, and even now many can be found on the banks of the Potomac or Patuxent rivers firm in the belief that the rails hibernate in the mud of the marshes or turn into frogs. Wilson records an old man who claimed to have captured a specimen in which the transformation was but half accomplished, and it lived three days — but Wilson didn’t believe the story. The real fact of the case is that the Rail performs its migrations only at night, which is the case with most migrants, and consequently its arrival and departure are seldom observed. Moreover the nature of its feeding grounds and haunts precludes the possibility of its being detected as readily as land birds. Hence many theories have been invented to account for their seemingly inexplicable advent. The same writer has also somewhat mixed up the common names of the Reed Bird, (Dolichonyx Orizyvorous) in the northern states this bird is the familiar Bobolink, in the middle states the Reed Bird, in the southern states the Rice Bird, and in the West India Islands the Butter Bird.
W. F. R.
ARE THE REED BIRD AND ORTOLAN THE SAME BIRD?
To the Editor of The Evening Star:Washington, D. C., Sept. 8, 1883.
Will your correspondent, “G.T.A,” give some of his authorities, to sustain his assertion that the “Reed bird” and “Ortolan” are the same bird? In Coues’ “Birds of the Northwest, p. 178,” is found the following heading: “Dolichonyx oryzivorus, Bobolink; Reed bird; Rice bird.” And on page 538 is found “Porzana Carolina, Carolina rail; Sora; ‘Ortolan,'”. On the last mentioned page the name of Prof. Baird is cited as the authority for the technical name, given as belonging to” the “Ortolan,” and this name, Dr. Coues adds, is adopted by “all late U S. writers.” It looks very much as if “G.T.A.” were the only authority who considers the Reed bird and Ortolan to be identical; but the nearest way to a solution of the question is to ask Prof. Ridgway or Dr. Coues to give the answer.
Hugh M. Smith.September 12, 1883. Washington D.C. Evening Start 62(9482): 2.
THE ORTOLAN QUESTION.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
I am glad to see that “W. F. R.” and Hugh M. Smith, esq., have in The Star of Wednesday further agitated the ortolan question, because I should like the attention of the sporting fraternity drawn to the subject. If Dr. Coues contends that the rail and ortolan are the same, then the District people have some authority for misapplying the word ortolan; but where does Dr. Coues get his authority? For it is not to be supposed that he ventures to make his own classification. As Mr. “S.” doubts the source or my information, and asks for it, I shall presently accommodate him. Wishing to make these remarks as brief as possible, I confine myself closely to the point in question: Can the rail be called ortolan?
Strictly speaking we have no ortolan. Our smaller American brother bears about the same resemblance to it that the English quail does to our partridge, or the English hare to our rabbit. But if the name must be used — and it seems so — then for heaven’s sake let it be applied to a land bird that is nearly identical, and not to a waterfowl totally unlike it.
“Audubon” does not consider the ortolan an American bird; neither does “Swainson.” “Wilson,” page 48., vol. 2: Eurberza, Oryzivora, Le Ortolan de la Caroline, L Agripeum on L Ortolan. “This is the Bob O Link of eastern Pennsylvania and the northern states, and Rice bird and Reed bird of Pennsylvania.” Again, “Supposed by some to be equal to the famous Ortolan of Europe.” Thus classing him with the rice bird, but nowhere with the rail, which he describes as “wild, solitary and shy.” “Wood,” page 481: Ortolan or Garden Bunting. “Jasper,” page 47: The Bob O Link or Rice bird is also known as the American Ortolan. “Gosse,” in his Birds of Jamaica, says: “Butter bird, Ortolan, Rice bird.” Appleton’s American Enc.: “Ortolan, a Bunting.” American Universal Enc.: “Ortolan, a species of Bunting.” Chambers’ Enc.: “Ortolan, a Bunting, &c.” Zell’s Enc.: “Ortolan, a Bunting.” Webster’s Dic.: “Ortolan (Garden) a Singing bird; the Eurberza hortulana.” Worcester’s Dic., under a wood cut of the Rice bird, says it belongs to the family Fringilildae (Finches.)
Here are a few of my authorities (I could give more), not one of whom mentions the Ortolan among the Rails (Rallus). He is in every case spoken of as a Bunting or Fringilla. I come now to the only exception to this rule. Mr. Smith and “W.F.R.” in selecting Dr. Coues for their sole authority are rather unfortunate, as that ornithologist not only contradicts all of hers, but contradicts himself. In several of his works I find. Carolina Rail, Sora, “Ortolan,” (quotation marks not over Ortolan in his “Key to American Birds.”) In his general treatise, page 155, he says: “The name Ortolan applied by some to the Rice bird and by others to the Carolina Rail is a strange misnomer, the Ortolan being a fringilline bird of Europe.”
The Rice bunting is a genus of the family Fringillidae. Audubon shows the slight subdivision when he writes: “The buntings scarcely differ from the finches in any other character than the knob on the palate.” Dr. Coues should not think it strange that some people call the rice bird Ortolan, but it is passing strange for an ornithologist, who furnishes texts books for schools and taxidermists, to call a rail a finch. Mr. H.M. Smith also says: The name of Prof. Baird is cited as the authority for the technical name given as belonging to the ortolan, and this name, Dr. Coues adds, is adopted by all United States writers. Mr. S. should not quote from a scientific work unless he knows how to read it. In this instance he does injury to Prof. B. and all late United States writers. Dr. Coues in writing upon the rail, gives below the names of writers or works he has consulted as references to the reader, among them Prof. B. and C., &c. None of them may have mentioned the ortolan (and I have read many of them that do not), and yet Mr. Smith makes it appear as if Dr. Coues cites Prof. B. and all late United States writers,. &c., as authorities for this name.
September 14, 1883. “G. T. A.”September 19, 1883. Washington D.C. Evening Star 62(9488): 2.
WHERE THE SORA IS FOUND.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
In your issue of September 8, 1883, which has just come to hand, G. T. A. says the sora or rail is “never found away from a river or stream.” I have killed them on the prairies. In Missouri, ten miles from any stream, and a mile or more from water of any kind. I know the bird, as I have shot them on the flats of the Potomac. Again, G. T. A. says, “it resembles a snipe,” about as much as a crow does an eagle. I am afraid G. T. A. is not a sportsman.
B. L. O., Emporia, Missouri.September 22, 1883. Washington D.C. Evening Star 62(9491): 2.
Well, if you got through all that I’ll reward you with a poem about the real ortolan, a European bunting that is considered a rare delicacy.

Nicole Bestard
ORTOLAN
When François Mitterrand, the former president of France, realized that he would soon die of prostate cancer … he squandered a small fortune on a lavish and bizarre meal for himself and thirty friends … The piece-de-resistance was roast ortolan, a tiny songbird that in France is actually illegal to consume. Traditionally, the two-ounce warbler is eaten whole, bones and all, while the diner leans forward over the table with a large napkin draped over his head. The napkin, according to food lore, serves two functions: it traps and concentrates the aroma of the petite dish, and it conceals the shameful exorbitance of the meal … from the eyes of God.

—Mark Morton, from “Ort of the Week,” Gastronomica.com, April 3, 2006
Once inside his mouth, did it bite back, digging
with its beak into the steak-flesh of his tongue
a pin-prick on the palette, a pen-knife sticking
the spongy membranes in the belly of a whale?
Did its head roll around in his mouth before
it was crushed like a doll’s glass slipper
between the molars of a dog?
Did it beat its wings against his throat,
clamoring against the smooth esophageal
lining as it went down?
Did it burn his chest in that moment, a speck
of feather caught within the chambers, thrashing
on the walls like its sparrow cousin, accidentally
flown into the glass door of the sun-deck?
Or did it slide gently, silenced by the strange
thunder of his heart as it passed?
Was it slow-roasted or grilled? Basted with
butter, rosemary, and a little lemon? Or simply
salt and pepper, maybe some olive oil?
Did the bird recognize the oil as it was applied,
perhaps from a tree it had nested in once, sung
a song so beautiful a law had to be passed
to preserve its notes?
Did it come live to the chef’s hands, caged
with its siblings, beaks taped shut so as not
to give away the fruit kept within? Or
were they packed in an egg carton, each bird coiled
and cold in its own private, if temporary, tomb?
Were their necks snapped only hours earlier?
Or were they gassed at the base of the bird-catcher’s
car? Why not boiled fresh and writhing like lobsters
as if song still lingered about their featherless flesh?
The minutiae of the guts, were they kept in or
removed, and who so carefully pried the fuselage
from their bodies, their organs balanced
on a fingernail for sauce?
Days later, did it sing again as it made
its exit from body, now completely consumed
and resurrected?
The surviving songbirds, can they see
the shadow left by the napkin on the diner’s
head; do they cease their singing
when he passes beneath their branch?
And does he care? He who has consumed
such delicate song, does he hear it still?

Socially Distanced Walk with Friends trip report

Sat. Sept. 5, 2020 Ste. Marie Park

Apart from the simple pleasures of socializing with friends in the great outdoors the highlight was seeing some interesting birds. Although I didn’t manage a decent photo I thought it was a treat to see the Scarlet Tanager. Migratory warblers in non-breeding plumage are a mind bending challenge to identify sometimes but seeing them is always exciting. 

 

In addition to the birds, our group also saw:
Midland Painted Turtles

Gem Studded Puffballs

Bristly Sarsaparilla 

A dozen or so Monarchs

A patch of fragrant Creeping Thyme (good catch whomever spotted this!)

Lots of smiling faces enjoying the bright fine day!

 

Here’s a link to a Flickr album with lots of photos of the day.  Just click on the link. 

Ste. Marie Socially Distanced Walk With Friends Flickr Photo Album

 

Thanks to our photographers Ellen Dennig, Mary Rajapakse, Bob Codd and Ken MacDonald

 

Here’s a link to our Ebird checklist from the walk:

 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S73238995

 

 

Our next socially distanced nature walk with friends will likely be next weekend – date, time and place TBA.  Keep an eye on your emails in the next couple of days. 

 

We did see some very rare birds on the walk but we didn’t add them to the checklist as there is a strong suspicion that they were captive birds.  

 

 

August 24 2020

MPFN Walk with Friends Report Sawlog Bay Aug. 24, 2020

On Monday morning Aug. 24, 2020 14 MPFN members and friends and one 4-legged associate member (Piper Codd) gathered at the Sawlog Bay home of MPFN member Mary Deepthie Rajapakse for another one of our Socially Distanced Walks With Friends. We were blessed with good weather, if a little on the warm side, and were all very impressed with Mary’s little bit of paradise. After a tour of her beautiful garden we walked down the Sunset Trail as far as the fen at Seneca Beach.

MPFN member Bob Codd gives his impressions of the walk:

I experienced a similar feeling after our Sawlog outing as I did after our first get together at the Wye Marsh. A refreshed feeling that obviously comes from time spent with friends in nature – and of course Deepthie’s beautiful gardens! Our outings don’t get old and I find myself eagerly looking forward to the next. I’m surprised that they continue to have this impact on me. They’re a bit of normalcy in an unnatural state of living. I didn’t want it to end!

Sue and I love Deepthie’s gardens. I took a lot of those pictures before anyone else had arrived. The Garden Guardians speak to us. We love these quirky garden denizens. Sue has a great many Gargoyles that watch over us constantly. Even portable ones that travel with us. I suspect that there are not many people who enjoyed them in equal measure to the flowers and trees in her yard as we did! It takes more than flowers to make a garden and Deepthie has made a memorable one.

After the garden tour my favourite place was the fen. I had hoped for more butterflies but the wildflowers were in full bloom. Even more so than on our scouting mission. These are mostly wildflowers that I haven’t seen before and here they are, carelessly lying about, pretending that they are nothing special. The cooling breeze off Georgian Bay and the view of the Giant’s Tomb – if one could take their eyes off the flowers – made me want to linger. We will return and explore again – in other seasons – to see what understated magic that fen offers to those who will look for it! And we WILL look!

Thank you Deepthie for making a wonderful experience for us!

Bob and Sue

Here’s a copy of our EBird checklist:

25  Species observed
65 individuals

Observations:

Mallard
Number observed:3

Mourning Dove
Number observed:1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Number observed:2

Ring-billed Gull
Number observed:3

Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Number observed:1

Double-crested Cormorant
Number observed:1

Downy Woodpecker
Number observed:1

Hairy Woodpecker
Number observed:1

Pileated Woodpecker
Number observed:2

Northern Flicker
Number observed:2

Red-eyed Vireo
Number observed:4

Blue Jay
Number observed:4

American Crow
Number observed:4

Black-capped Chickadee
Number observed:8

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Number observed:2

White-breasted Nuthatch
Number observed:2

House Wren
Number observed:3

American Robin
Number observed:4

Cedar Waxwing
Number observed:1

American Goldfinch
Number observed:5

Song Sparrow
Number observed:2

Baltimore Oriole
Number observed:1

Common Grackle
Number observed:4

American Redstart
Number observed:3

2 hr, 7 min
2.73 km

August 20 2020

Report on our Aug. 20 Socially Distanced Nature Walk With Friends at the Thiffault Trail in the Matchedash Wetlands.

14 MPFN members, 1, 4 legged Associate Member (Piper Codd) and a special guest Paula Sheppard, visiting us from Bradford, went for a socially distanced walk in the late afternoon on a bit of an overcast day. We did the full circuit of the trail and saw many interesting things. After our long walk Mother Nature blessed us with a refreshing cooling shower. Here is our Ebird report on the walk compiled by Susan Codd.

23
Species observed
60 individuals

Observations
Trumpeter Swan
Number observed:2

Wood Duck
Number observed:8

Blue-winged Teal
Number observed:3

Mallard
Number observed:7

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Number observed:1

Virginia Rail
Number observed:2

Killdeer
Number observed:2

Ring-billed Gull
Number observed:1

Great Blue Heron
Number observed:3

Green Heron
Number observed:1

Turkey Vulture
Number observed:4

Osprey
Number observed:1

Eastern Phoebe
Number observed:1

Yellow-throated Vireo
Number observed:1

Red-eyed Vireo
Number observed:4

Blue Jay
Number observed:2

Black-capped Chickadee
Number observed:4

Gray Catbird
Number observed:3

Cedar Waxwing
Number observed:2

American Goldfinch
Number observed:2

Song Sparrow
Number observed:3

Swamp Sparrow
Number observed:1

American Redstart
Number observed:2

2 hours 13 minutes 2.77 km Cloudy with showers. Temperature +25° C.

After our walk at Thiffault several members decided, despite the rain, to head over to Lawson Line for a quick look. They were rewarded with the awesome sight of a kettle of over 50 Common Nighthawks migrating south as well as good looks at the many Common Gallinules in this area.

Here’s a link to a Flickr album with photos of the walk. If you click on the individual photos some of them have further comments.
Thiffault Trail Walk Photo Album

We hope to see all of you at Sawlog Bay on Monday August 24.

August 13 2020

Trip Report from Tiny Marsh Walk Thurs. Aug. 13, 2020

MPFN Outing Report from Sat. Aug. 8, 2020 Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre

On Saturday morning Aug. 8, 2020 13 2-legged members of the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists and 2 4-legged associate members (Piper Codd and Gryphon McKeown) had a socially distanced outing at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland.
MPFN member Bob Codd was a big inspiration for getting us back to doing something as a group and keeping everyone’s noses to nature. Here’s Bob’s comments on the adventure:

“I feel refreshed after our group field trip as though something that had been missing had now been restored. I didn’t expect that feeling but clearly spending time with friends in our shared love of nature is a tonic for the soul! Thank you and please pass that sentiment along to all those who joined us.”

I’m sure those who attended share Bob’s feelings. It was great to be back together sharing our love of nature with good friends, even 6 feet apart. My contact tracing app on my phone didn’t go off, so that’s a good thing.

Here’s a copy of our eBird group checklist. Thanks to Susan Codd for compiling. If anyone wants this shared to their personal Ebird account just let us know. Bob Codd is good at that.

32
Species observed
+1 other taxa
113 individuals

Observations:
Trumpeter Swan
Number observed:3
Details:One with wing tag E84

Wood Duck
Number observed:4

Hooded Merganser
Number observed:2

Green Heron
Number observed:2

Turkey Vulture
Number observed:4

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Number observed:1

Downy Woodpecker
Number observed:1

Hairy Woodpecker
Number observed:3

Northern Flicker
Number observed:1

Eastern Wood-Pewee
Number observed:1

Alder Flycatcher
Number observed:1

Willow Flycatcher
Number observed:2

Eastern Phoebe
Number observed:3

Eastern Kingbird
Number observed:1

Red-eyed Vireo
Number observed:1

Blue Jay
Number observed:3

American Crow
Number observed:3

Black-capped Chickadee
Number observed:7

Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Number observed:4

Tree Swallow
Number observed:2

Barn Swallow
Number observed:3

swallow sp.
Number observed:10

House Wren
Number observed:2

Gray Catbird
Number observed:3

American Robin
Number observed:10

Cedar Waxwing
Number observed:12
BREEDING CODE: FY Feeding Young (Confirmed)

American Goldfinch
Number observed:9

Song Sparrow
Number observed:3

Swamp Sparrow
Number observed:1

Red-winged Blackbird
Number observed:5

Common Grackle
Number observed:3

Common Yellowthroat
Number observed:2

Yellow Warbler
Number observed:1

Other highlights of the outing were a Blanding Turtle by the Marsh boardwalk, a pair of Green Herons, Northern Watersnake, and a couple of cute dipnetters who shared some of their findings with us.

Here’s a link to a Flickr album with photos from Bob Codd and Mary Rajapakse of the outing.
Aug. 8 MPFN Wye Marsh Outing Flickr Photo Album

More comments from Bob Codd: “If anyone is curious, my pedometer recorded around 4550 steps and the eBird track was just shy of 2.6 kilometres for the walk.”

So the outing was good for both our mental and physical health.

Does this look like fun to you? Is it in your comfort zone? Why not join us for our next outing at Tiny Marsh.
Our next outing will be at Tiny Marsh on Thursday Aug. 13, 2020 6 PM. Meet at the parking lot at the base of the Trotter (the North/South) dike. Again the goal is approximately a 90 minute to 2 hour walk on the Trotter dike, easy walking. The privies at Tiny Marsh are only for the brave of heart and strong of stomach so best to go before you arrive.

We ask participants in these outings to practice social distancing (stay 2 turkey vultures wingspans apart), wear masks if you like but not required outdoors, and do not take part if you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms. We realize that many of our members are in the high-risk age group so we understand if some members may decide to give these opportunities a pass. But we feel a socially distanced walk in the outdoors is a fairly low risk activity. We are not expecting large groups but if we have a surprising turn out we can always split up into smaller groups.

Those wishing to participate may wish to RSVP to this message so that we can look out for you but last minute arrivals are also welcome. As usual these outings should proceed rain or shine.

After the Aug. 13th outing we’ll see where we go from there.

Let us know if you have any other ideas for possible future outings.

August 1 2020

Our MPFN President Susan Hirst is also very active in Midland’s Community Garden located in Little Lake Park near the volleyball courts. She sends along these stories from the Garden.

The Midland Community Gardens is growing not only veggies and flowers but birds, too. A pair of song sparrows decided one of the raised beds would make a good spot for a wee nest. The bed is left natural and there is lots of plant growth for cover. There were five eggs in total, tiny and brown spotted. About two weeks later there were fluffy hatchlings keeping the parents busy. Another ten days or so and the young birds were in the garden bushes, chirping for food. I’m not sure how many survived as it was hard to see them in the nest once hatched, and we didn’t want to disturb them. Their songs are a lovely addition to the gardens!

While weeding at the Midland Community Gardens, I observed a beautiful black swallowtail butterfly flitting from flower to flower. Stopping to watch it, I was admiring it’s lovely pattern when – whoosh – it was gone! Creeping over to the spot and looking down into the thick mass of wildflowers, I saw a green leopard frog consuming the hapless butterfly. While initially feeling sorry for losing this lovely insect, I quickly realized this was just nature, long in tooth and claw (and tongue!).

Thanks,
Susan Hirst

We’d like to share an interesting article from Birdwatching Magazine concerning a movement afoot to rename a lot of birds.  Over the last two months, we have seen the removal of racist symbols and names in sports, corporate brands, a state flag, and more. Will bird names be next? A group of birders is pushing the American Ornithological Society to change the 150 or so common names of birds in North America that are named after people.

Here’s the link to the article and there are several hyperlinks in the article that will lead you to even more information about this interesting issue.  

https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/birdwatching/racial-justice-new-push-rename-birds/

July 30 2020

July 22 2020

Gypsy Moths Irruption at Awenda

Yesterday July 21st we went to Awenda Park near Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada, looking for Hooded Warblers and Cerulean Warblers (successful).
The Park is undergoing a major irruption of Gypsy Moths. The smaller males are all in flight with many of them dropping dead at your feet (they only live about a week). The larger lighter coloured females who are flightless are covering the bases of many of the trees, most of them sitting near their egg sacs which look like light brown bumps on the bark. I believe you can see a couple of dark brown pupae in the photo as well.

Although quite a sight to see it must be a bit of a bummer for the campers. It was probably even worse during the caterpillar stage when they were pooping their frass all over the place. (The adults don’t eat so I assume there’s no poop) The upside is the birds are loving it. The woods are ringing with the songs of Scarlet Tanagers and Red-eyed Vireos, both major predators of the Gypsy Moth.And I think that’s a male Gypsy Moth that our Hooded Warbler picked up off the forest floor. It’s also been a great year around here to see Cuckoos, both Black-billed and Yellow-billed, who often move into an area when there is an irruption of gypsy moths. 

We were amazed by the effect this irruption has had on the canopy of the forest in Awenda which is normally very dense. It’s not exactly early May conditions before leaf-out, but it’s certainly easier to see many of the birds when the caterpillars have got rid of all the leaves. I don’t think we would have been able to spot the Scarlet Tanager in my photo if the cats hadn’t done their work on the frazzled oak leaves you can see barely hanging to the branches.

The scientific name of the Gypsy Moth is Lymantria dispar dispar. From Wikipedia: “The name is composed of two Latin-derived words. Lymantria means “destroyer”. The word dispar is derived from the Latin for “unequal” and it depicts the differing characteristics between the sexes.” (They look like two different species – the small constantly flying males and the stationary larger females).
The Gypsy Moth is an introduced invasive species and like many of nature’s worst horror stories it was some clever human’s idea of a good idea. Again from Wikipedia: “The gypsy moth was introduced into North America in 1869 from Europeand quickly became an invasive species. Étienne Léopold Trouvelot imported the moths, with the intent of interbreeding gypsy moths with silk worms to develop a silkworm industry. The moths were accidentally released from his residence in Medford, Massachusetts. There are conflicting reports on the resulting actions. One states that despite issuing oral and written warnings of possible consequences, no officials were willing to assist in searching out and destroying the moths. The other notes that he was aware of the risk and there is no direct evidence that he contacted government officials.
As noted in The Gypsy Moth (1896) by Forbush and Fernald, the gypsy moth was considered a nuisance just ten years after their release. The first major outbreak occurred in 1889, and Forbush and Fernald recount the extent of devastation: all the trees being defoliated and caterpillars covering houses and sidewalks and raining down upon residents. At first it was uncertain what species was responsible for the outbreak, but after the caterpillar was identified by entomologist Maria Elizabeth Fernald, an eradication program began in 1890.” One hundred and thirty years later we’re still working on that eradication program.

The alien looking caterpillar in my post isn’t a gypsy moth caterpillar. It’s the caterpillar of the Saddled Prominent Moth. It gets the “Saddled” name from the red mark in the middle of the caterpillar. The saddled prominent is also an important hardwood defoliator that may cause significant damage to the forest resource. Larvae defoliate hardwood stands through the month of July and into early August. Beech and sugar maple are the preferred hosts, but birches and oaks may also be defoliated. It never rains but it pours.
Of course the Gypsy Moth inspired Sir Francis Chichester to sail alone around the world and moved poet Paula Bohince to sing its praises in verse. Though I doubt very few of the Awenda Park campers this year will do likewise.

Gypsy Moths, or Beloved
tremor in the walnut grove,
stand of near emptiness where I once stood,
demolished, hooked
unto a sorrow as the moths
belong now to these branches, the smoke
and burn of twilight,
the dreamers aroused,
unbound from their nest, wings unfurling walnut
tree-patterns, adult colors—
bronze and gray of decay, although
they are newly born.
This is the why and the way
of how I love them: savoring the end-
of-summer’s diminishing hours, unafraid
of the coming dark, enthralled by the applause
of bodies caught like hatchets
in the bark.
~Paula Bohince

July 10 2020

Sharing Time with the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists

In these times when we still cannot get together as a group some MPFN members have some things they’d like to share.

A couple of years back MPFN members Bob and Susan Codd noticed that the loon nests near their cottage in Honey Harbour were being flooded out by the high water of the bay. Bob took it on himself to help out by constructing a floating raft that the birds could use as a nesting platform.

Bob’s friend & neighbour, Robin Working on Loon Raft

Loon platform being secured for the winter in October 2014. It was launched the following spring

On June 25th Bob sent us this message:

Greetings

Our loon raft bore fruit. Hatched this past Saturday the chicks in these photos are 5 or 6 days old.

Wonderfully attentive parents, loons must be specialist hunters to capture fish small enough for hatchlings to consume. Very soon size of prey will be less of an issue.

I’ve long enjoyed the native stories. This is one of my favourites … as are loons!

Cheers
Bob

How the loon got the ring around its neck

Once upon a time there was an old man who was blind. He had a wife who helped him to stay alive. Whenever she sighted game, she would hand him his arrow to moisten the stone point with his saliva – for this old man was possessed of magic powers. Then pointing the arrow in the direction of the game, she would let him release it himself, which he usually did with good effect. One day, they came upon a very fat caribou.

“Moisten the arrow-head with your saliva,” said the woman to her husband, which he did. He shot dead the animal. His wife, who coveted the fat of the caribou and was tired of living with a blind old man, pushed him aside, throwing him to the ground, saying, “That old fellow, what a bad shot he is!”

“But I think I have killed it.” insisted the old man. Yet as he was blind he could not get the game, and while searching for it, he strayed a long distance from his wife who now abandoned him.

As soon as the old man was out of sight, she set to cutting up the animal. At the same time she fried large slices of meat which she ate. What she did not eat on the spot she cut into thin pieces and hung out to dry.

Meanwhile the old man was bewailing his fate. In the course of his aimless wanderings he had reached the shore of a lake. A loon hearing his cries swam towards him, as his kin’s are wont to do even now whenever they hear anybody talking in the forest. “What ails you?” he asked the man.

“Poor wretch that I am, my wife has left me and I am blind,” answered the man.

“I will cure you,” said the loon. “Come over to me and hide your eyes in the down at the back of my neck.” The old man did as he was told, and both the loon and he plunged into the water. When they reappeared on the surface, they found themselves at the opposite end of the lake. “Now can you see?” quivered the loon. “Look at yonder mountain,” he added.

The old man answered, “I can see a little, as if through a mist.”
“Repeat the operation” said the loon. Again the loon dived with him, emerging this time at the original point of departure. “Now can you see?” asked the loon.

“I now see very well,” replied the old man wading ashore. Then to show his gratitude to his benefactor he presented him with his own Dentalium shell necklace, and taking some more Dentalium shells from his quiver, he threw them towards him.

Ever since, the loon wears a white necklace and the shells which landed upon him also produced the white spots we now see on his wings.

Bob says the loons look on his raft as prime real estate and even fight over it every spring.

June 17 2020

MPFN member Josie Kvas has been enjoying some of the nesting birds on her property in Lafontaine.

She shared some of her video with fellow club member Carolynn Fishleigh who passed it along to share with the group.

Here’s Josie: June 17, 2020 – This is the 3rd day of house wren hatchlings… May 27 to June 2 –an egg was added each day to a total of 7… then first 4 hatched overnight Mon. June 15, I think 6 by yesterday but it’s hard to count each body… not sure how many wee house wrens are in the bird house today, if all eggs are hatched yet…. So tiny… both parents so busy and noisy too!

ENJOY!

From Nana Wren Josie

More baby birds in Lafontaine. MPFN member Lyn Barnett passes this photo of baby Robins taken by her friends Anne and David Black at the Lafontaine RV Resort.
Date: June 20, 2020 at 12:37 PM

Subject: Baby Robins at Lafontaine RV Resort

Here is a sure sign that nature is ignoring COVID19 and is carrying on. Dave took this photo at our camp site in Lafontaine Park this morning. Mother Robin was gone to get some food. The nest is just above our picnic table. So cute.

Cheers Anne and Dave

Well since the theme since to be babies, perhaps I should shamelessly share a photo of the latest addition to my life list of grandchildren. This is Mae Alexandra MacDonald Charlebois, born July 5, 2020, 8 lbs 7 oz in Ottawa. We haven’t met her quite yet but we already love her to bits.

We hope you are all enjoying and exploring the updated MPFN website mpfn.xyz (Great work, webmaster Bob Codd). Here’s some other new websites to check out:

The Couchiching Conservancy has a new website. Make sure you bookmark it – lots of great info here. http://couchichingconserv.ca/
The website looks quite a bit different from the old one. To help you find the information you are looking for, we have put together a page on the website that goes over the new updates. Included in this page is also a Website Re-design Tour that shows you how to navigate the new site. http://couchichingconserv.ca/2020/06/14/welcome-to-our-updated-website/

There’s a new website that’s fighting the good fight to preserve the cleanest water in the world.
Water campaign launches

website to take fight online

Water Keeper Erin Archer calls out to all people, “The time is NOW! Honour our Mother Earth by rising up against the threat to our Water; her life blood. This issue affects so many people in Ontario, not just those in North Simcoe where the aquifer with the purest water ever tested is located. The water in our aquifer is at risk of being irrevocably damaged by new and expanded gravel pits. We created this website so that people across the Nation and beyond, can join us online to learn more about this pristine water, our campaign and how they can help.”

The new website saveourwatertiny.wordpress.com explains the science behind the initiative with a straightforward glossary of the key terms. In addition to a gallery of photos, the site lets people know how they can support the campaign. As Anne Ritchie-Nahuis, a neighbour and environmental advocate, noted, “We can’t gather together in person right now, but this new site provides a shared digital platform for all our supporters and the many groups working together to protect our water. There is strength in numbers and we need to join together to save our water.”
Judith Grant, past president of the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations, explains that this campaign is being driven by a diverse group of organizations and individuals sharing a common goal: to protect this extraordinarily pure aquifer from possible degradation. Her organization is a party to an ongoing appeal between the Township of Tiny and the multinational company that owns one of the gravel pits in question. “The Canadian Environmental Law Association took us on as a pro bono client because this issue has far reaching implications for the protection of groundwater in Ontario. As in many rural areas, groundwater used by private wells in Tiny township is not protected by the Clean Water Act. It is appalling to think that the Teedon Pit is using this uniquely pure water to wash gravel.”
Local Indigenous groups know this issue well because they have fought this battle before, back in 2009 when the County of Simcoe proposed establishing a landfill over the same aquifer. Dump Site 41, as it was known, rallied many voices and the public outcry convinced the county to shelve the proposal. Bonnie Pauzé, a neighbour of the gravel pits and a veteran of the 2009 campaign, noted that “This is not a NIMBY issue; we are trying to protect a unique water source for future generations.”
A number of scientists have substantiated the campaign’s concerns. Dr. William Shotyk, from the University of Alberta, told Simcoe County in 2018 that “the quality of the waters in these artesian springs has been documented in international, peer-reviewed scientific journals. In fact, these spring waters have become the ‘gold standard’”. He added that the long-term costs of degrading groundwater resources will outweigh by a considerable margin the short-term gain represented by aggregate extraction.
According to Dr. John Cherry, Emeritus Professor at the University of Guelph and co-author of the leading textbook on groundwater, the literature about groundwater impacts from excessive disturbances generally shows that restoring groundwater to its original quality is extremely difficult or technically/ economically impossible. Therefore, the prevention of adverse impacts is by far the most economically prudent strategy for managing these natural resources.

We are a diverse group of grass roots organizations working to protect our water: FoTTSA, The Council of Canadians, AWARE Simcoe, The Friends of the Waverley Uplands, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, neighbours of the Teedon Pit, and many individuals concerned about damage to the aquifer.

A good friend of the MPFN, astronomer Bill Sherwood has been up early photographing the comet Neowise. Here’s a link to Bill’s blog. http://rhapsodieswiseoldbird.blogspot.com/2020/07/new-wisdom-for-wise-ol-bird.html

And here’s a link that tells you how you can view this wonder of nature. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/comet-neowise-1.5639220

And finally a good friend of the MPFN Anne Delaney shares this video of the amazing Lyre Bird – the Rich Little of the bird world.

The Amazing Lyre Bird sings like a chainsaw

Anyone else got anything to share?

June 12 2020

Eastern Towhee

June 11 2020

Least Bittern

From Allaboutbirds.org: Perhaps surprisingly, tiny Least Bitterns use areas with deeper water than the much larger, longer-legged American Bittern. Least Bitterns can do this because their long, agile toes and curved claws allow them to grasp reeds and hunt small prey while suspended from these precarious over-water perches.

A very rare dark form of Least Bittern, known as “Cory’s Least Bittern,” was once considered a separate species. With a black bill, entirely black back, and rich chestnut cheeks, belly, and wing coverts, this distinctive bird was highly prized by bird “collectors” as soon as it was discovered in Florida in 1885. Cory’s Least Bitterns were seen frequently around the Great Lakes, especially around Toronto, in the late 1800s, before its favored marshes were destroyed. Only 7 or 8 records of this mysterious bird are known worldwide since 1973.

Here’s a bittern poem – Seamus Heaney’s translation of An Bonnan bui, the most famous poem of the 18th century Irish bard Cathal Bui Mac Giolla Ghunna. “Bui” means “yellow” an epithet that was attached to Cathal due to his sallow complexion – perhaps a result of his excessive drinking. In the poem he identifies himself with the Bonnan bui, the yellow bittern.

Yellow bittern, there you are now,
Skin and bone on the frozen shore.
It wasn’t hunger but thirst for a mouthful
That left you foundered and me heartsore.
What odds is it now about Troy’s destruction
With you on the flagstones upside down,
Who never injured or hurt a creature
And preferred bog water to any wine?

Bittern, bittern, your end was awful,
Your perished skull there on the road,
You that would call me every morning
With your gargler’s song as you guzzled mud.
And that’s what’s ahead of your brother Cathal
(You know what they say about me and the stuff)
But they’ve got it wrong and the truth is simple:
A drop would have saved that croaker’s life.

I am saddened, bittern, and broken hearted
To find you in scrags in the rushy tufts,
And the big rats scampering down the rat paths
To wake your carcass and have their fun.
If you could have got word to me in time, bird,
That you were in trouble and craved a sup,
I’d have struck the fetters of those lough waters
And wet your thrapple with the blow I struck.

Your common birds do not concern me,
The blackbird, say, or the thrush or crane,
But the yellow bittern, my heartsome namesake
With my looks and locks, he’s the one I mourn.
Constantly he was drinking, drinking,
And by all accounts I’ve a name for it too,
But every drop I get I’ll sink it
For fear I might get my end from drouth.

The woman I love says to give it up now
Or else I’ll go to an early grave,
But I say no and keep resisting
For taking drink’s what prolongs your days.
You saw for yourself a while ago
What happened to the bird when its throat went dry;
So my friends and neighbours, let it flow:
You’ll be stood no rounds in eternity.

There is a “Yellow Bittern” in India and Asia which is related to our Least Bittern but the Yellow Bittern of Cathal Bui’s poem was probably more like our larger American Bittern. Here’s an article from a March 16 2015 edition of the Irish Examiner written by Dick Warner:

“I’m told that a bittern has been heard booming in north Co Leitrim.
This is interesting because bitterns have been extinct in Ireland for something over a century. However, it’s not unprecedented. Bitterns still breed in a few places in Britain and, as a result of very strict conservation measures, they seem to be holding their own.
In most years one or two make it over here, but it’s normally in winter and there are no recent breeding records. And occasionally a westerly gale blows in an American bittern, a closely related and rather commoner species.
The bittern is a type of heron, smaller than the familiar grey heron, but still a large bird standing about 75cm high. They are brown flecked with yellow, which is excellent camouflage in a bed of winter reeds. They also have a habit, if they’re alarmed, of stretching their necks and pointing their beaks at the sky. This makes them all but invisible in a reed bed. As a result they’re birds that are more often heard than seen.
The male bittern has a quite extraordinary low-pitched booming call. It’s designed to carry great distances across flat wetlands and it sounds as though it’s much more likely to emanate from a bull than a bird.
There is no doubt that at one time they were common, breeding in every county in Ireland. There were two reasons for their decline and eventual extinction. The first was the 1842 Drainage Act. Bitterns need extensive wetlands with reed beds, patches of open shallow water and lots of coarse fish, particularly eels, to feed on. Up to the middle of the 19th century Ireland had more of this type of habitat than most other European countries and bitterns thrived. Then extensive land drainage started to shrink the reed beds.
The second factor was hunting pressure. Gordon D’Arcy documents this in his excellent book Ireland’s Lost Birds. Bitterns were regarded as a great delicacy, fetching a higher price than the larger and meatier grey heron, and were eagerly sought after by amateur and professional wild-fowlers.
Other birds that were driven to extinction here have managed to recolonise, even without human help. The buzzard and the great spotted woodpecker are examples. Could the bittern come back? It’s not impossible. There still is a small amount of suitable habitat left but the population base in Britain is tiny and this is where any colonisers are likely to come from, so it’s not very likely.
A friend of mine has a 19th century stuffed bittern in a glass case in his study. He is a fine singer and one of his party pieces is The Yellow Bittern, Thomas McDonagh’s wonderful English translation of Cathal Buí Mac Ghiolla Ghunna’s ‘An Bonnan Bui’.
It’s the closest most Irish people are likely to get to this iconic bird.”

My favourite story about Cathal Bui:

CATHAL BUÍ, THE PARISH PRIEST AND THE SEVEN CURSES
Posted on April 12, 2018 by CathalBuiFestival

The clergy did not like Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna at all. He was a bad influence in many ways. However, all the young ladies loved him.
Once when it was rumoured that Cathal Buí was visiting a particular area, the parish priest warned people to have nothing to do with him and called down seven curses on anyone who would give him a night’s lodgings.
That evening at nightfall a knock came to the priest’s door. On opening the door the priest saw an old woman who asked him for shelter ‘ar ghrá Dé’. The priest agreed and asked his servant girl to prepare a ‘shakedown’ for the old beggar woman in the kitchen corner.
The priest went to bed and when he arose in the morning the ‘old woman’ was missing. Scrawled on the kitchen wall was a message, which said:
‘Seacht mallacht a thug tú a shagairt a chroí
Ar aon dhuine a bhéarfadh foscadh do Chathal Buí
Tú féin thug tú foscadh do Chathal Buí
Agus thit na seacht mallacht anuas ar do thoigh’
Ie.
‘Seven curses you called down, a shagairt a chroí
On him who’d let in the bad Cathal Buí
Yourself, you took in the bad Cathal Buí
So now the seven curses rebound back on thee’
The priest checked his house and stables and found the following items missing:
1. His horse
2. His saddle
3. His whip
4. His riding boots
5. His riding hat
6. His horse’s bridle
7. His servant girl

(STORY PROVIDED BY SEAMUS O’ HULTACHÁIN)

 MPFN members Bob and Susan Codd were there on Sunday May 31st, trying to see the flock of White Pelicans that had been reported there earlier in the day (no luck for Bob on those birds) when he had an unusual sighting of a weird goose.

 

Here’s Bob on his sighting of an Egyptian Goose!:

This really got me excited when we saw it. Almost dropped my binoculars! In reality it should be considered to be an escape. This is what Birds of North America, (now Birds of the World) has to say… 

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the Egyptian Goose is an exotic species in North America. Their introduction and establishment is not well understood, but the species likely originated from escapees from captive waterfowl collections. The authors of the earliest reports of Egyptian Geese in the wild in North America (Arkhust 1877, Kirkwood 1900) suggested that records were of natural occurrence because birds were exhausted and found on the East Coast. However, these individuals were likely escapees (Baird et al. 1884, American Ornithologists’ Union 1901), as Egyptian Geese were commonly held in captive collections, and many were imported during this time (Phillips 1928).

As an exotic species, there is much concern over the potential economic, ecological, and social impacts that the Egyptian Goose may have in North America. The species is invasive in Europe, where it is considered a high-risk species, and management action is recommended (Gyimesi and Lensink 2010). Even in their native range of Africa, they are considered pests due to their willingness to eat farmer’s crops (Mangnall and Crowe 2001, Mangnall and Crowe 2002) and their prevalence on golf courses (Mackay et al. 2014).

In North America, breeding in the wild was first reported in 1967 in California (Renwick 1968), and by the mid-1980s in Florida (Pranty and Ponzo 2014). There are currently significant populations in states of Florida, Texas, and California (Pranty and Garrett 2011, Pranty and Ponzo 2014, Callaghan and Brooks 2016), with smaller populations occurring in several other states (Smith and James 2012, Chesbro 2015). Little is known about the life history of the Egyptian Goose in North America. Citizen science data were used to study Egyptian Goose behavior, habitat selection, and reproduction (Callaghan and Brooks 2016), while other studies have collected reports of reproduction from local birders in Florida (Pranty and Ponzo 2014). The majority of information in this account relies on studies of life history from Africa, with the assumption that many aspects remain the same in North America. In light of this, formal studies that investigate the ecology of the Egyptian Goose and its impacts on the environment are badly needed in North America.

 

The Codd’s struggled a bit to ID this not commonly seen bird for our area.  They thought at first it might be the juvenile King Eider that had been reported off of nearby Woodland Beach.  Probably an escaped domestic bird which means most birders won’t necessarily add it to their life list but there’s always a chance it could be a bird that’s wandered here from one of the resident populations in the southern states.  

 

As if that weren’t enough, Bob and Susan had another unusual sighting at Tiny Marsh.

You might not find a bird in your field guide that looks exactly like that.  But after some study the Codds accurately pegged it as a first year male American Redstart. 

 

From Allaboutbirds.com:  “Immature male American Redstarts have yellow patches on the sides, wings and tail, with a variable amount of black on face and chest.”  This bird certainly pushes the boundaries with that variable amount of black on the chest.  

 

Mak Soden, Wye Marsh Naturalist, had this advice when it comes to ID’ing some of these immature warblers: 

“Something else I find helpful with ID’ing warblers is a quick check of the tail. In setophaga warblers if the end of the tail looks like it’s been dunked in ink there are only two possible species you are looking at. American Redstart & Magnolia Warbler. Albeit this is certainly a goofy looking redstart and this trick doesn’t quite help us out here. Cool looking bird!”

 

MPFN member Bob Codd shared this photo of leucistic goldfinch that he had at his feeders in Port McNicoll.  Somebody ran out of paint!

What else is everybody seeing out there?

You can join our MPFN Club Facebook page and post your photos there or send them to:

info@mpfn.xyz 

 

Search for Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists group on Facebook or here’s a link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/282987491878860/?ref=bookmarks

May 21 2020

It’s baby Killdeer time in Midland, ON, Canada

From what I could see this pair of Killdeer adults successfully hatched and fledged 2 chicks.

Some notes about baby Killdeer from birdwatching.com:

“Baby killdeer always come out running. They hatch with their eyes open, and as soon as their downy feathers dry, they start scurrying about, following their parents and searching the ground for something to eat.

Newly-hatched killdeer can’t fly, and they need their killdeer parents for protection and guidance, but they are a lot closer to independence than most baby birds.

Seeing fluffy killdeer chicks is one of the pleasures of summer. Although they are lively right away, just-hatched killdeer are like new fawns, a bit tottery and clumsy on their overly-long legs.

Baby birds that hatch with their running shoes on are called precocial. Precocial means “ripened beforehand.” (The word comes from the same Latin source as “precocious.”)

Other precocial birds besides killdeer are chickens, ducks, and quail. None of these precocial babies lies in the nest and gets waited on.

Birds that hatch blind, naked, and helpless are called altricial, which comes from a Greek word meaning “wet nurse.” Robins are altricial, as are blue jays, cardinals and most other birds. The hatchlings lie helplessly in their nests, relying utterly on their parents to bring them food and push it down their throats. It’s two weeks or more before they mature enough to leave the nest, and even after they leave it, their parents are still feeding them.

Precocial birds stay in the egg twice as long as altricial birds, so they have more time to develop. A one-day-old killdeer chick is actually two weeks older than a one-day-old robin nestling. Although adult robins and killdeer are the same size, a killdeer’s egg is twice as big as a robin’s. There’s more nourishment built into the killdeer egg, to sustain the embryo for its longer time in the shell.”

While I watched this Killdeer family the parents ably shooed away several blackbirds and starlings who had the temerity to try to forage in their field. But the real ruckus started when a third adult Killdeer came into the field and was vociferously chased away by Mommy and Daddy Killdeer. I’m not sure if this was a former child who was being told in no uncertain terms that it was time to get out on his own or whether it was a male perhaps looking for a little extra-marital action. It was interesting to me that even though they had just hatched children to look after the Killdeer couple went into their rather gymnastic mating posture as shown in one of my photos. I believe Killdeer in more southern climes will breed throughout the year and have 2 or even 3 clutches. I’m not sure whether there would be time to do that in Ontario before they have to fly south again.

No predators showed up that the Killdeer didn’t feel they could take on and drive away, so there was no need to go into their famous “broken wing” display.

Killdeer by Nick Flynn

You know how it pretends
to have a broken wing to
lure predators away from its
nest, how it staggers just out
of reach . . . if, at this moment,
you’re feeling metaphorical,
nest can be the whatever
inside us that we think needs
protection, the whatever that is
small & hasn’t yet found its
way. Like us it has lived so long
on scraps, on what others have
left behind, it thinks it could live
on air, on words, forever almost,
it thinks it would be better to let
the predator kill it than to turn
its back on that child again,
forgetting that one lives inside
the other.

May 15 2020

Red-necked Grebe

Conceptual Master Plan

Wye Heritage Marina Plan Higlights

ImportantNews!

Hello fellow Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists
We hope you are all keeping safe and well in these unusual times.
This is to inform you that the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists are cancelling their general meeting scheduled to be held at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland on Thursday May 21st 2020. The state of emergency in Ontario has been extended, organized gatherings of more than 5 people are still banned in the province and our venue the Wye Marsh, as a Federal Nature Reserve, is now closed by order of Environment Canada until further notice.
The latest news is that there has been some success in flattening the curve of Covid 19 in Ontario and some things are reopening with appropriate control measures. However at this time it looks unlikely that we will be holding our season ending potluck and AGM at Tiny Marsh on June 18, 2020. Hopefully we can get back to some sort of normal programming in September but we will keep you advised.
Please visit our website https://mpfn.xyz for more news about the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists.
There have been many positive changes in the MTM organization, including a new website
https://www.mtmconservation.org/
and several new board members. But unfortunately the Tiny Marsh Bioblitz scheduled for Sat. June 20, 2020 has been cancelled.
You can purchase an MTM membership using Paypal on the MTM website.

The latest news is that the province will be opening provincial parks and conservation areas next week, some on Monday and some on Friday. Day use only, no facilities, washrooms, etc. open. Free until the end of the month. I’m not sure how this will affect Ste. Marie Park which is administered by Huronia Historical Parks, a provincial organization. The Georgian Bay Islands office is federal but I’m pretty sure the park itself is provincial. The land is owned by the Martyr’s Shrine but the Jesuits gave over the maintenance of the property to HHP several years ago.
It was just about this time last year that you found the Mockingbird in Ste. Marie Park.
Ken MacDonald

Ontario Opening Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves
May 9, 2020

Access for Limited Recreational Activities at Ontario Parks Permitted While Maintaining Physical Distancing

TORONTO — The Ontario government is opening provincial parks and conservation reserves for limited day-use access. The first areas will open on Monday May 11, 2020, with the remaining areas opening on Friday May 15, 2020. At this time, recreational activities will be limited to walking, hiking, biking and birdwatching. Day visitors will also be able to access all parks and conservation reserves for free until the end of the month.

The announcement was made today by Premier Doug Ford, Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

“As we continue to make progress in our fight to stop the spread of COVID-19, we are carefully and cautiously reopening the province, starting with certain businesses and retailers, and now our provincial parks and conservation reserves,” said Premier Ford. “I encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors, but please do so in a responsible way. Practise physical distancing and follow the rules set out by health care officials to stop the spread of this virus.”

On Monday, 520 provincial parks and conservation reserves across the province will open, and the remaining 115 will open on the following Friday for limited day-use activities. At this time, camping and other activities are not permitted at any provincial park or conservation reserve. All buildings and facilities including washrooms, water taps, campgrounds, backcountry campsites, roofed accommodations, playgrounds, and beaches continue to be closed.

“People are eager to enjoy the warmer weather, stretch their legs and reconnect with nature,” said Minister Yurek. “In consultation with our health experts, we’re working to slowly phase-in the opening of Ontario Parks in a measured way to ensure the health and safety of visitors and staff. People should take note that not all amenities will be open and plan accordingly.”

Over the next several weeks, Ontario Parks’ staff will be conducting critical maintenance and other parks start-up procedures, so that more recreational activities and facilities will be available when it is safe to do so.

Before planning your trip, please visit www.ontarioparks.com/park-locator to check the status of your local provincial park.

More Cancellations

The latest info we have is that all parks and recreation areas are now closed until the end of May.  We’re pretty sure that will include the Wye Marsh so we do not have a venue for our May meeting.  It also seems pretty clear that we are not at the point where it is once again safe to gather in groups.  So consider the May meeting cancelled.  The Tiny Marsh Bioblitz that was scheduled for June 20th is also cancelled.  The organizers are trying to come up with some sort of virtual blitz to take its place.  Stay tuned!

We have made this decision based on the recommendations of the local health authorities out of concern for the health of our members, their families and indeed the entire population. Please take care of yourselves and stay tuned for further information about when we can continue our regular program. We still hope that if we start hearing some good news over the next five weeks we may still be able to get together at the Marsh on the 3rd Thursday in April. Fingers crossed. Our participation in the Wye Marsh Sweetwater Harvest that was scheduled for the last weekend of March has also been cancelled. The Wye Marsh is not going forward with this event. If anyone out there needs to stockpile our magic bean soup you can get in touch by replying in the comments. 

New Blogger, Mary Rajapakse (Deepthie) is our Sawlog Bay & Arizona Corespondent.

Read her blog HERE

Ken’s Blog 

April 27 2020

Hello MPFN members. 

How do you like our new club logo above?  Our old logo (the friendly fly-eating frog) was looking a little outdated (and no one could find the original artwork!) so we thought it was time to have something new.  The logo features Trumpeter Swans.  These birds have become the signature species for our area thanks to the successful reintroduction program that started at our own Wye Marsh.  The new logo was made for us by Clare Holden and we also had great help from Paul Forde.  Both Clare and Paul are amazing artists who are members of our sister club Nature Barrie.  Bob Codd, the MPFN member who has been working on our new website, thought we should have a new logo to go with the new website.  And now thanks to Bob’s initiative and with the help of Clare and Paul we have one!

April 2 2020

Hello everyone

This is to inform you that the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists are cancelling their general meeting scheduled to be held at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland on Thursday Apr. 16, 2020.  The state of emergency in Ontario has been extended to Apr 14th,  organized gatherings of more than 5 people are still banned in the province and our venue the Wye Marsh, as a Federal Nature Reserve, is now closed by order of Environment Canada until further notice.  

As for our May 21st meeting, we would like to keep our options open a little while longer.  But we realize prospects for this event do not look good as even if the curve is successfully flattened before then it is likely that restrictions will only be lifted gradually in order to prevent a recurrence of the virus.  We will keep you informed. 

Meanwhile some of our members have things they’d like to share.

Jean Dove took this picture of a Canada Goose with unusual plumage in Penetang’s Rotary Park recently.  She shared it with her friend and fellow MPFN member Mary Rajapakse who is still in self-isolation after her return from Arizona.

Here are Mary’s comments:

“Jean Dove called me a little while ago, and wanted me to send you this very unusual image of a White Canada Goose, she saw at the Penetanguishene Rotary  Park area, yesterday.   We both thought this is most unusual.  Could this be a mutation or a combination of a Swan – Goose mating?  Only DNA can tell, the origin of this ‘Ugly Duckling’ left alone, to trot along  behind every one else.   

Have you seen anything like this?  I have not, among the thousands of Canada Geese flocks over years.  It will be interesting to know, if others in the MPFN club has seen anything like this.   

I am on day 11 of the 14 day Quarantine.  Perhaps I will take a few more days ‘off‘ – putting off going to the grocery store, as I have already started to ‘ration‘ my own food intake, to delay a trip to town!  Enjoyed the rain the past few days, and enjoying the sun today—to do some yard work.  Somehow, there are NO birds on the lake – despite the sunshine.  During the cloudy, foggy days, there were many flocks of Waterfowl – Common Mergs, Golden eyes,  a few mallards, many gulls and even a small flock of  Red breasted Mergs. 

In the meantime, I am enjoying the MPFN Face book page.

I replied to Mary:

We have seen that same leucistic Canada Goose at Rotary Park in the springtime for the last 4 or 5 years.  I believe I also saw it one time at the Wye Marsh.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism  We should probably come up with a name for it.  Hopefully something more original than “Whitey”.  How about “Lecy”?  Although this spring I’ve seen Lucy mostly by herself other springs I have seen her leading a string of other Canadas leading to my suspicion that Leucy is a female.  I’ve never seen the bird with goslings though so perhaps she is infertile.  The other birds may have clued into this and lost interest in her.  Ken.

Peter Cox sends us this photo of birds social distancing in Waubaushene as they queue up for the feeder.  (I’m not sure that they’re following the rule of keeping a Turkey Vulture’s wingspan apart, but perhaps it’s all relative to the size of the individual organism). 

Don Downer and Adrienne Perry send us this: 

Hi fellow naturalists. With having to observe personal distancing, the world of nature is a wonderful outlet. Our bird feeders have been very popular with hordes of common grackles and red-wing blackbirds. But we have been having unusual visitors as well. The photo below was taken under our feeders and  includes a Canada goose, a cottontail rabbit, and a grey squirrel along with a red-winged blackbird and a grackle. They were all getting along fine – setting a good example for us humans!
Hope you are all doing well and keeping safe. Looking forward to when we can get together again.
Meanwhile there is a wonderful world out there for us to explore!
Don Downer and Adrienne Perry 

Stay well everyone till we meet again!

March 29 2020

“I am back in my little nest on the bay at Saw Log Bay !

Arrived in Toronto on 21st March – supposed to be a “rescue flight” as got a seat via a friend who is a travel agent in Toronto, within 2 hrs, while CIBC Rewards Centre was dithering over things for 3 days. I was not going to wait around for CIBC to contact me, which they did after
72 hrs, by then I had my seat confirmed on the same flight as I was supposed to leave on the 31st march. So, I lost 10 days – which is ok.

I spent the night in an airport hotel in Toronto , as there were some health concerns at my son’s home in Mississauga. He did the grocery shopping for me to have his mother cared for, for 3-4 wks.

NO Toilet Paper Hoarding Please – I Save The Trees ….

Airports- Phoenix and Pearson — got their acts together really well, minimising the time the traveller would spend inside the airport. Fast tracking at its best. We arrived at Pearson, 40 min early and had to ‘wait in line’ to disembark, as Pearson was allowing only One plane load of passengers at a time inside the airport – to “keep the distance”. Once the plane load of travellers had cleared Customs/Baggage then the next plane load was allowed out, and things moved real fast to get the travellers out of the airport. Never had it sooo good ever at Customs Immigration etc, during any of my travels out of USA and into Canada, post 9/11.

Corona Respects NO Color – We are ALL the Same …

NO one was helping each other at the Airports — people were strange, 100% to themselves. No one helped me, an elder, 77 yrs old, to pull out one of my bags off
the baggage carousel at Pearson. This business of ‘Caring for the Elders’ — don’t ever believe it …. May be, I perhaps looked like Sweet Seventeen and not Seventy Seven !!!!!

To say the least, the last two days was very stressful before I left AZ and Bird Watching was my source of sanity and comfort, and I took in as much as I could of the Arizona Sun on my head, for which I paid big bucks!

Here’s a link to the MPFN Club Facebook page 

https://www.facebook.com/midlandpenetanguishenefieldnaturalists/ 

Even without a Facebook account you should be able to scroll down the page to find Mary’s many gorgeous bird photos and postings from Arizona.  Here’s a picture of the best bird Mary says she saw on her final day – Air Canada’s big bird rolling into place at the E8 departure gate!

 

Anyone looking for entertainment while they self-isolate would do well to check out the Youtube channel of MPFN members Reid and Margaret Wilson.  These talented musicians have been sharing a song a day as they complete their self-quarantine after their return from wintering down south.  

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=reid+and+margaret+wilson

 

That’s it for now, but let’s not become strangers.  Does anyone else have anything they’d like to share? 

 

 

Make sure it’s a Turkey Vulture and not a Black Vulture.  Big difference!