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TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTNumber 529 February 2005

Inside

Common Evening—primrose— Toronto Native -

field drawing by

Mary Cumming

‘WRY UI’.MiNcIULY ILJ N 3 I(

Astronomy 19,20Birds 8,9,13,14,17,22,24Coming events 25Fishes 14,23

Trees 22TFN - Board nominations 19donations 7fee increase 6

Geology 2Invertebrates 10—11,13,14,14,19,22,23Issues 5,17,20,21,23Mammals 7,14,17,22,23Mushrooms 6,12,15,16Plants 1,12,18Slime moulds 9,16

meetings 2newsletter submissions 18outings 3-4President’s report 5publications 26

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‘TN 529 — 3

TEN OUTINGSREMEMBER: Children and visitors are welcome on all outings but please, NO PETS!To get to outings on time, check 1]’C routes and schedules by calling 416-393-4636.Check the weather by calling 416-661-0123 so you will know what to wear on outingswhich go rain or shine.

Tuesday ASHBRIDGE’S BAY - winter birdsFebruary 1

1O•30Leader: Marg Catto

amMeet at the southwest corner of Lake Shore Blvd. East and

Coxwell Ave. Morning only. Bring binoculars.

Saturday NORTH YORK CENTRAL LIBRARY - nature arts

Feb. 5 Leader: Anne Byzko

10:30 am Meet in the food court near the library entrance (the lower

level of the North York Centre).

Bring what you ne for hotograptiy, sketching or einting, ar1 anything you

wish to shc the grcxp when crre TmDrning’ s work after lunch.

February 6 TFN MEETING

Wednesday UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO BOTANY GREENHOUSES - tour

Feb. 9 Leader: Bruce Hall

1 pm Meet on the 5th floor (penthouse) of the Earth Sciences Centre,

33 Willcoc]cs St. Take elevator near entrance on Wilicocks St.

Saturday WEST LAKESHORE PARKS - nature walk

Feb. 12 Leader: Boris Mather

10:30 am Meet at the southwest corner of Royal York Rd. and Lake Shore

Blvd. West. Bring lunch, binoculars and warm clothing.

Walk will end in early afternoon.

Thursday TORONTO ISLANDS - winter birds

$ferry Feb. 17 Leader: Ann Gray

tickets 10 am Meet at the ferry docks at the foot of Bay St. We will take

the ferry to Wards Island. Bring lunch and binoculars.

Sunday BELT LINE - urtan ecolcxy

Feb. 20 Leader: Roger Powley

2 pm Meet at the Eglinton West subway station.

This is a joint outing with the North Toronto Green Carrrunity.

•TFN events are conducted by unpaid volunteers.

•Theclu.b assumes no responsibility for injuries

sustained by anyone participating in our activities.

•Children are welcome at all TFN events, but must be

accompanied by an adult.

TFN 529 - 4

FEBRUARY OUTINGS (cont’)

PROSPECT CEMETERY - heritage walkLeader: Pleasance CrawfordMeet at the cemetery entrance on the north side of St.Ave. West, just west of LanSdOwne Ave.

C

White field down below

wearing a pink chiffon sash?

. . .but it’s the snow-fence.

Haiku by Diana Banville

Crescent Town, Feb. 13, 2000

(

Tuesday

Feb. 22

1 pm

Sunday

Feb. 27

1 pm

BLIION FLP,TS — nature walkLeader: Merle HayesMeet at the southeast corner of Eglinton Ave. West and Jane St.

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TFN 529 - 5

PRESIDENT’S REPORTAs an all-seasons landscape photographer, I look forward to the first snowsof winter. It certainly was a white Christmas, almost too much snow tooclose to Christmas day itself. With the recent rains, this white Christmasis just a fading memory. What’s left is now the all-too-familiar drabnessof near snowless land and cityscapes. I hope I don’t have to wait untillate fall of 2005 for more snow.

The annual reports of publicly traded companies and crown corporations etc.are not my preferred reading. There was one recent exception. It was the2002-2003 annual report of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO)who is an independent officer of the legislative assembly. The ECO reportsannually to the legislative assembly on the Ontario government’s compliancewith the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR); ie., how ministers exerciseddiscretion when carrying out their responsibilities during the year inrelation to the EBR. This EBR gives the people of Ontario the right toparticipate in ministry decisions that effect the environment. The EBRhelps make the ministries accountable for their environmental decisionsand ensures that these decisions are made in accordance with the goals toprotect, conserve, and restore the natural environment for. present andfuture generations. Although this 200+ page annual report is essentiallyabout compliance, it also provides a very good overview of significantregional and provincial environmental issues. These are some of theissues covered -- aggregate use in road construction, sewage treatmentplant effluents, biodiversity, air emissions/anti-smog actions, SmartGrowth, waste diversion, biomedical waste, water management planning forwaterpower, cormorant controls, Nutrient Management Act, Safe DrinkingWater Act, and Sustainable Water and Sewage Act. To keep abreast of currentenvironmental issues, I strongly recommend the 2003-2004 annual reportwhich will be published late this year.

Robin Powell

WHO WAS THE FIRST LITERARY BIRD-WATCHER ?

Answer - Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, as quoted by William

Shakespeare in Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2, lines 287 and 288 -

“when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a

handsaw”

Hamlet.wps submitted by Boris Mather

TFN 529 — 6

0FEE INCREASE FINALE

In previous months I have set out our costs of operation and the valueyou receive for your membership. Now I will deal with our currentfinancial position.

We do have a surplus position. That has built up over the years fromtwo sources. The first, and most obvious, is from cash donations frommembers. The second is from the donation of time by members, whichresulted in lower expenses.

In both cases, the donations were made to the organization and not tosubsidize the fees of other members. As a result, the surplus willnot be used to provide cheaper memberships.

The surplus, or a portion of it, will be used when the time comes topurchase further nature reserve lands.

At its September 14, 2004 meeting, your Board of Directors approved a

V new fee schedule of $30.00 for students and senior singles, $40.00 forsingles and senior family and $50.00 for family, effective July 1, 2005.

At the March 2005 Meeting, in a Special General Meeting called for thatpurpose, the membership will be asked to approve that increase. If youhave read these articles, you will know why it is needed. Be there.

Aarne Juhola 0Secretary—Treasurer

C

TFN 529 - 7

MORE ABOUT MONEY

Periodically TFN is asked about the validity of other organizations requestingdonations. These are usually unsolicited requests (sent by professionalfund raisers) and are often accompanied by “gifts” such as hasti-notes,address labels, etc. etc. We cannot comment on these requests.

If you are not sure about some organization, why not ask about its mandate andhow it is achieved, who its affiliates are, and what the organization doeswith the money it receives.

Although TFN does not ask for money, we are a charitable organization, doappreciate getting donations, and provide charitable receipts for them.In turn, we do not give donations to other groups. We use all we receivefor our operations and nature reserves. Instead we let members know,through our newsletters, about other groups they may be interested inhelping; for example, in the past year we have drawn members’ attentionto the following opportunities to assist:

Toronto Wildlife Centre (needs money and help)CONE (needs money, but no charitable receipts issued)Toronto Parks and Trees Fund (selling calendars to raise money)Toronto’s First Post Office (needs used stamps)Thicksori’s Woods Trust Fund (needs money to buy land)FLAP (needs money and help)FON [now Ontario Nature] (needs money and members)CNF [now Nature Canada] (needs money and members)TFN (needs members and money)

Helen Juhola & Pinky FranklinD

‘RED FOX” on a plateau

in the ravine at Cudiabluffs, April 20, 1997.Drawn from memory, afterthe sighting, by

D. Andrew White, who wasintrigued by the unusualblack marking on its side.The tail had the customary

white tip, though Andrewhas noticed not all foxeshave it, and invites yourcomments •on fox coloration.

TFN 529 - 8

KEEPING IN TOUCH C

December 2004

Kingston is a weird mix of a charming, well preserved centre, surroundedby a suburban—like wilderness of highway-commercial developments.Kingston also has something I haven’t seen anywhere else —- drive-inbanks. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve actually used them a few times. Whyget out of the car when you can just roll down the window? Kingstonis a real car-centred city. At least it is surrounded by gorgeouscountryside, for now anyway, until a few more big—box malls are added.

I went on an outing with the Kingston Field Naturalists over to WolfeIsland a week ago. Wow, what a contrast with the TFN! We car-pooledand travelled in a convoy of cars linked up by walkie-talkies. “Abovethe treeline on your left, there’s a harrier” etc., would float out ofthe speaker. We got out of the cars occasionally to scope out a marshand then got right back in and drove some more. It was actually a lotof fun, but not a lot of exercise.

Elaine Farragher, Kingston

12 December 2004

My wife, Elenita, suggested that we leave the hanging flower baskets onour back porch trellis up over the winter for the use of the birds. Ithought it was an interesting idea to try.

I trimmed the excessive vegetation in the baskets to about one inch abovethe soil after the first frost.

We soon discovered that birds and squirrels were coming to the baskets.I was surprised to observe that the ground feeding juricos eagerlyexplored these baskets. I had found that they were reluctant to come toan adjacent hanging bird feeder. This may be due to the feeder having atop and sides. The round flower baskets are open on the top and sides.

I then put some black oil sunflower seeds into the baskets. Thisattracted the juncos to the hanging baskets even more, as they wereeating the seed residue from the other birds and the squirrels.

We are satisfied with our new protected feeders for the juncos, as catsare a problem in our area.

Albert Roffey

Our only constant is the car culture. Autos outnumber peopletwo-to-one in the U.S. and 80 percent of that car use is oneperson per vehicle.

frcxn UD NIG[{I’S: NATURE RETURNS ‘TO ThE C]T( by Anne Matthews, North Point Press,N.Y., 2001

TFN 529 - 9

November 2004

Am surprised

that no one

to my

knowledge

has thought

of this

obvious

Canada goose.

Peter Hoed

I lived in Toronto for years near the Don Valley ravine.

nature on my own but never heard of TFN.

Enjoyed a bit of

Eight years ago we moved to Orillia and got involved with the Orillia

Naturalists’ Club. One of my duties was collecting the mail and was

always delighted when your newsletter arrived. That meant some good

reading for me before I passed it on. You are doing an excellent job of

the publication. I especially like “In the News”.

Now it is time to have my own private copy to enjoy.

Joan Rosebush, Orillia C

-_

_

-

Slime rou1d

“COMMON

BADHAM IA”

on elm wood

Highland Cree

drawing by

D. Arxr Wnite

(identified

fran Golden Guid

NON-F £FRP3

PLANES

KEEPING IN TOUCH (cont’d)

7

Nov. 2, 2004

Read about slime moulds on page 16.

TFN 529 - 10

0FOR READING

INSECT IDENTIFICATION

Insect and spider enthusiasts are lucky people: with 100,000 or sospecies in North America, there are always new species to be spotted andnew behaviour to be observed. With a 10-power hand lens, a small insectjar, and a field guide, every field trip is ripe with opportunities forlearning.

“A field guide” - there’ s the rub! With so many species, no guide canpossibly cover them all. But I’ve been building a reference libraryover the last 10 years and gladly pass on my recommendations for thebooks I’ve found most useful.

The Basic Library

THE AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS AND SPIDERSby Lorus and Margery Milne, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, $20.95.This is the single best book on insects and spiders. It covers mostorders of insects, has excellent colour photographs, and more informationon life cycle, habitat and behaviour than any other guide I’ve found sofar.

Golden Guides, various authors, Golden Press, $10.95.I’m a big fan of Golden Guides: they’re written by experts, chock fullof information, inexpensive and small enough to carry several on a fieldtrip. The illustrations are not nearly as sharp as photographs butthey’re good enough and save on cost and bulk. My two favourites are:

GOLDEN GUIDE TO BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS by Robert Mitchell and Herbert Zini.It covers most of our butterflies and quite a few moths. Most guidesconcentrate on identification of the adults; this one includes illustrations of the caterpillars and sometimes the pupal stage too. It alsoidentifies host Plante for the larva and information on overwinteririgpupa. I like to rear the occasional “interesting” caterpillar; thisguide has really helped me successfully rear and overwinter for releasethe following year.

GOLDEN GUIDE TO SPIDERS AND THEIR KIN by Herbert Levi and Lorna LeviThis is the ONLY guide to spiders for non-scientists. Although itincludes some spiders from other parts of the world, most illustrationsare of North American species. Other land arthropods, from whipscorpions to daddy-long—legs (harvestmen) to millipedes, are alsocovered. Like all Golden Guides, the more you refer to it, the more youappreciate just how much information has been condensed into one smallbook. The illustrations show the spiders, their webs, typical posture,eye patterns (very important in spider identification) and sometimes thespinnerets

STOKES BEGINNERS GUIDE TO DRAGONFLIES by Blair Nikula, Jackie Sones,Donald and Lillian Stokes; Little, Brown and Co $12.95.This small, easily-carried guide covers both dragonflies and damselflies. Each species has a good colour photograph, range map anddescription of its appearance, habitat and behaviour. It’s called a

TFN 529 — 11

FOR READING (cont’d)

beginner’s guide, and does have valuable information for beginners, butit’s useful well beyond that level.

These are my personal recommendations for a basic insect referencelibrary. I expect to be adding another in 2005 when Dr. Steve Marshall’snew book should be available. Steve is a Professor of Entomology at the

University of Guelph. He’s a top Canadian entomologist, terrific photo

grapher, and excellent writer. His book will be published by Firefly.

If You Want More Depth

BUTTERFLIES THROUGH BINOCULARS by Jeffrey Glassberg, Oxford UniversityPress, $27.95

This guide covers only butterflies of the Northeast so it’s pertinent to

our area and smaller than other guides on the market. The colour photo

graphs are large, sharp, and very natural—looking since they are of live,

not dead and pinned insects. The photographs are particularly useful in

trying to identify some look-alike skippers.

PETERSON FIELD GUIDE TO EASTERN MOTHS by Charles Covell Jr., HoughtonMifflin $29.95This has been the standard guide for moth identification for many years.It’s now out of print but rumours are very strong that it will be reprinted soon. The guide can be frustrating to use since it doesn’tcover all the moths and some of the plates are in black-and-white.

However, it does have excellent descriptions of wing pattern identifying

features which other guides do not, and it does cover all the easternmoth families.

DRAGONFLIES OF (WISCoNSIN, N.E.OHIO, MASSACHUSETTS)Ten years ago, Audubon was the only non-technical guide with any information on dragons and damsels. Recently, many states have published well-

illustrated guides for their region. The Northeastern guides are quite

useful in our area, but the books are generally only available over the

internet or from the author. The Toronto Entomologists’ Associationkeeps on top of new guides being published and often has a limited number

of copies for sale at cost at its monthly meetings. (See Coming Events,

page 25).

And Finally

If you happen to be at Algonquin, Point Pelee, or Presqu’ile Park, checkthe bookstore. There are some really nice little photographic guides tobutterflies and caterpillars of Southwestern Ontario.

Carol Sellers

Why the umbrella?Oh, it’s raining canker—worms...even in tandem!

haiku by Diana BanvilleHigh Park, May 30, 1999

TFN 529 — 12

WILDFLOWER PROJECT REPORT

In the month of February, in Toronto Region, no native winter—bloomingwildflowers have ever been reported, according to any information availableto us.

What has been apparent in February occasionally is the garden flower, thesnowdrop. As well, we have the single report of a dandelion (though nonefor March).

Results of 2004 reports show that our wildflowers may be found earlier thanthe reports we’ve seen over a couple of decades have indicated! Wethought about 35 species started blooming in April. We now count about70! More trees are being reported blooming. (Catkins have not beenconsidered in this category as ITwildflowers

— but if you can discern theyare opening, why not?)

One reason for the higher number may simply involve more enthusiasm forbotanizing in April - and good reporting. Examples of Toronto nativespecies formerly not believed blooming before May are Jack-in-the-pulpit,red trillium, blue-eyed grass, kidney-leaved buttercup, white and redbaneberries, round-lobed hepatica, field strawberry, low Juneberry andCanada plum. You reporters have found all these in April.

Other months have also been affected by the extra reporting- but just withless spectacular results.

Please continue to star the wildflowers--in--bloom you report throughout2005 - or to list them separately marked “in bloom”.

Thanks, reporters!

Diana Banville

0

r.bprinuS mushroom

“SHAGGY MANE”

on a Toronto lawn

by D. Andrew White

\_tI-1j /1 /

TFN 529 — 13

Waterfront Raptors

TFN outings invariably produce some excitement -- those of November 11 toToronto Island and November 13 to Leslie Spit were no exception.

Thursday was cool, windy and rainy and that along with a $6.00 ferry chargedeterred all but ten hardy souls. At Ward’s Island, we walked west along theboardwalk. Protected by a shrub border on the north and warmed by the lakeand sun to the south, it was sufficiently balmy that wisps of gnats were evident.

The overcast skies allowed sharp views of migrating hawks arid at 11:23 a.m. alarge bird of prey appeared in the east. I noted the long wings and overall darkplumage and realized it was not a humdrum red-tailed hawk but an adultgolden eagle! We watched it for a couple of minutes as it spiralled overheadwhile drifting west. Golden eagles nest in northern Quebec and migrate throughsouthern Ontario in early November en route to the U.S. southwest. Less than100 are seen each year at Hawk Cliff, Ontario, a noted hawk-watching site — wewere very lucky. After this success, we scanned the skies further during lunchand noted two red-tailed hawks, two Cooper’s hawks and one light-phaserough-legged hawk, all streaming westward.

Saturday on the spit was beautiful — sunny with brilliant blue skies. I hoped tospot a few keen birders who would escort our group of 34 to some just-discovered owls. The birders were elsewhere that day but we did scare up agreat homed owl and obtained decent looks before it moved on. While we wereresting at noon, an adult goshawk in hunting mode dashed past at eye levelgiving brief but very close views to most of us. After lunch, we noted a few red-tailed hawks, American kestrels and a flock of 22 snow buntings. The highlight ofthe day occurred on our return walk — a raptor perched on an elevated pile ofdirt. The moustache stripe was obvious -- it was a peregrine falcon occupied inremoving feathers and devouring a bird. By the large size and light-grey mantleplumage, I believe it was an adult female of the northern tundrius race. Theunfortunate prey was small and dark, possibly a female bufflehead.

What was remarkable about these outings to Toronto Island and Leslie Spit wasthe lack of both landbirds and other people. Since most passerines have alreadymigrated, those that remain must be congregating about backyard bird feeders.As to people, several million live within a short distance of these quiet lakefronttrails, yet very few choose to walk here, particularly in November.

George Bryant

TFN 529 — 14

GREAT WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS ON TFN WALK

In November Carol Sellers led a walk from the Old Mill northward besidethe Humber River. Arriving a little early, I went over to the marshessouth of Bloor Street. I only went a few feet into the woods when I sawa bobbing flash of white through the trees: a white tailed deer makinga hasty retreat. On our journey up the river we saw large salmon halfout of the water. They were probably coho, as the bhinook spawn a littleearlier in the season. We didn’t see too many interesting birds,although we all got some good views of hooded mergansers.

North of Dundas, we were having lunch when Carol noticed a short wingedblister beetle on the logs we were sitting on. These insects excrete ablistering substance called cantharidin for defence. This is the activeingredient in Spanish Fly which is used in breeding bulls. The larvaehave several forms. They are at first slender and have long legs, andlater become grublike. These insects climb on flowers and then ride onbees back to the nest and become parasites on the bee larvae. Withoutthese beetles we would become overrun with bees. It is one of nature’sbalancing acts. The adults of these insects are mostly vegetarian.They seem to like potato leaves. The adults will feign death by lyingon their sides if they are attacked.

After lunch we were crossing the pedestrian bridge when a mink was spottedhunting along the shore. Most of us had a good look at him before hehid in a pile of twigs on the bank, which looked like the work of abeaver. In Lambton Woods, we saw a raccoon and a white grey squirrel.

Last week a dead oposswn was on the grass at Humber Bay Park. Novemberwas not great for bird sightings, but mammal sightings were fantastic.Seeing a mink in the heart of the city was a first for me, although Ihave seen many up north. Thanks Carol for a fabulous hike.

C

0

Roger Powley

TFN 529 — 15

FLUE TN THE CORNER

Flue is my house spider. The corner is the angle of adjoining walls in my bathroom, nearfloor level where the stone frieze begins. She arrived six months ago and took upresidence.

Ellie is a very small spider, the size of a lentil when all her thread-like legs are drawn in.When she extends them, her actual body size is roughly that of the head of a large blackpin.

She is also a Contemplative. For days on end she sits in a huddle until, driven to knowwhether she is still alive, I very gently insert a toothpick into the corner, at which shegalvanizes into action and scuttles up her invisible thread. There she hangs until suchtime as she judges it safe to return home. I warn visiting friends not to assume this cornerblob to be evidence of my sloppy housekeeping and attempt to remove her. A squashedEllie would be upsetting to all.

She exists largely in darkness, with occasional periods of light. What she subsists on, Ihave no idea. She gets her moisture from the activities in a bathroom, but her “solids” Ican only assume to be the mites and bacteria I carmot even see. For which beneficencethe least I can do is offer her free bed and board.

I have no idea if Ellie is a she. But she is quiet, not on the offensive (except for thosemites), and keeps to her chosen corner of the bathroom. I obviously cannot know howlong such a small creature might live, but I will miss her when she ‘demises’ (Of course, Icould leave this vale of tears first — life is full of surprises — in which case she willdefinitely be the winner in life’s lottery.)

If anyone knows to what family of spider Ellie belongs, as well as anything about hereating, sleeping or breeding habits, I would be grateful to be informed.

Eva Davis C

TFN 529 - LE

CSLIME MOULDS

Slime moulds are in a taxonomic category by themselves. They cannotrightfully be considered fungi, nor can they be classified as animals, norare they plants. Indeed, the whole group has been elevated to its ownkingdom.

Slime moulds crawl about absorbing bacteria, spores and other substances.They may proliferate on tree bark, on forest duff or on rotten wood.Eventually, if all goes according to schedule, they may transform intospecialized fruiting bodies.

Several interesting slime moulds occur in southern Ontario. Some ofthese produce fruiting bodies which may spring up overnight, like toad-stools. Late autumn is not too late to observe examples in woodlots orravines. Slime moulds in the genus Physarum may look like flowing jelly.This jelly can be blue-grey, tan or even bright yellow. Fuligo, anothergenus of slime mould, can produce large blobs. The blobs dry intopowdery salt—and-pepper coloured masses which can be found on bark, onleaf duff, or on rotten wood. These blobs may be several centimetreswide. Specimens of Lycogala, another wonderful genus of slime moulds,look like tiny puffballs. These ‘puffballs’ may be up to one centimetrewide. Old dry Lycogala ‘puffballs’ are visible late into the autumn ondeadwood.

Keep your eyes open for slime moulds. They are interesting organisms to 0search for on nature hikes. They are easier to find than you may imagine.

[See ge 9 for illustration. I D drew White o

0

“VELVET- SHANK”

(a Flianmoliria)growing on Manitoba maplein Highland Creek ValleyOct. 23, 2004

(In this drawing byD. Andrew Whitethe largest one had beencut off by a mushroom

Nunter). t was stillalive November 3 — andlarger.

.1

TFN 529 — 17

KEEPING CATS INDOORS ISN3T JUST FOR THE BIRDS

Each year, millions of cats are run over by cars, mauled by dogs,poisoned and lost. Hundreds of millions of birds and small mammals arekilled annually by free-roaming cats. The suffering of both cats andbirds is all the more tragic because it is so unnecessary.

Today’s cat owners face an important decision: “Should I keep my catindoors?” For your cat’s sake, and that of the birds and other wildlife in your neighborhood, the answer to that question must be “yes!”

Keeping Cats Indoors is for the Cats

The average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is just two to five years,while an indoor cat may survive for 17 or more years.

And for the Birds

Today, birds and other wildlife face more obstacles to their survivalthan ever before. Wildlife habitats are destroyed and degraded everyday, and many species are declining as a result. Even the impact ofnatural predators on their prey is changing based on how humans arealtering natural environments. And the presence of an unnaturalpredator - the domestic cat - is having an impact as well. Scientistsnow estimate that cats are the second most serious threat to birdpopulations worldwide.

Outdoor cats endanger other animals in large numbers too. Extensivestudies of domestic cats show that approximately 60 to 70 percent ofoutdoor cats’ prey are small mammals, 20 to 30 percent are birds, andthe remainder are amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

But, you say, my cat is hardly ever outside. There are more than 85million cats in the United States and Canada. A nationwide survey inthe United States showed that only 35% are kept exclusively indoorsleaving the majority of owned cats free to kill birds and other wildlife at least some of the time. In addition, millions of stray catsand feral cats roam our cities, suburbs, farmlands and natural areas.No one knows how many homeless cats there are in North America, butestimates range from 60 million to 100 million.

“Is it Nature’s Way for Cats to Kill Birds?”

A descendant:of the wild cat of Africa and southwestern Asia, thedomestic cat instinctively hunts and captures prey. However, wildlifein the Western Hemisphere did not evolve in the presence of a small,abundant predator like the domestic cat, and thus did not developdefenses against them. Cats were introduced in North America byEuropean immigrants only a few hundred years ago.

Keeping your cat indoors benefits the cat, the birds, and the rest of theanimal life in the wild.

extracted frcxn an article in the Stratford Field Naturalists’ nsletter, Fan 2004

TFN 529 — 18

__

C

Editor: Helen Juhola

Poetry, Art and Nature Observations: Diana Banville

Assistants: Eva Davis, Karin Fawthrop, Nancy Fredenburg, Elizabeth Gladstone,

Toshi Oikawa, Marilynn Murphy, Robin Powell, Wendy Rothwell

Printer: DM Printing

Mailer: Perkins Mailing Services

a

IT’S YOUR NEWSLETIER

Requested: Essays (no longer than 500 words), reviews (no longer than 300 words),poems, cartoons, sketches and newspaper clippings.

Subjects: plants, animals and natural areas in the Toronto region, especially reportsof personal experiences with wildlife, including locations, dates, and any sourcesconsulted.

Please include your name, address and telephone number so submissions can beacknowledged. With newspaper clippings, include source and date of each clipping.

Send material to:

Time dated material such as notices of meetings should be submitted at least sixweeks before the month in which the event is to take place.

Toronto Field Naturalists2 Carlton St., #1519Toronto, Ont. M5B 133

Winter Botany can be fun

in more ways than one. This

“MILKWEED MOUSE”by

Barbara Guy Long

was submitted by

Piriky Franklinwho received

this charming

decoration •ona gift.

0 sketj,hed for theby Diana Banville

newsletter

(lucky to find a pod with tail-shaped remains of stalk!)

TFN 529 — 19

IN THE NEWSCREEPY-CRAWLIES FROM U.S. HITCH RIDES TO CANADA

Black widow spiders are now appearing fairly regularly in Canadian fruitbins. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, acknowledging the increasedfrequency with which black widows are being found in imported U.S. grapes,has issued a fact sheet for handling the fruit and the spider.

Black widows have recently turned up in grapes sent to Nova Scotia andNewfoundland as well as in New Brunswick. There have also been severalincidents in Ontario and out West.

A bite from the spider is rarely fatal, the agency says.

extracted fran an article in “24 Hours”, Dec. 3, 2004

FILLING THE NIGHT WITH LIGHT

Nature’s light show, the aurora borealis (northern lights), danced acrossthe sky the evening of November 7th in one of the best displays seen insouthern Ontario in recent years. At times filling the entire night sky,the show was visible all night except for the occasional interruptioncaused by light cloud—cover.

Auroras are caused by eruptions on the sun, which come and go largelywithout warning, blasting invisible clouds of electrically charged subatomic particles toward Earth, where they are funnelled by our planet’smagnetic field into the upper atmosphere over the polar regions.

The particles release glowing light when they interact with the atoms andmolecules in the atmosphere. Usually pale green, the aurora sometimeshas tints of red, yellow and violet, especially during a major auroralike this one.

Big displays are not just confined to the polar regions. Last Sundaysevent was seen as far south as Oklahoma. During the course of the lightshow, all the basic variations in auroral forms were on display - thebeautiful wavering curtains, the coronal aurora that resembles the soaringoverhead structure of the interior of a cathedral dome, the soaring spearsthat rise typically from the northeast and northwest, and the especiallydramatic pulsating amorphous glows that seem to play tag with each other.

Since 1958, when I first started keeping watch on the night sky fromsouthern Ontario, I have seen perhaps a dozen auroras that matched lastSunday’ s.

extracted fran an article ty Terence Dickinsan in the Thranto Star, Nov.14, 2004

TFN BOARD NOMINATIONS INVITED

The TFN is looking for people with initiative who are willing to devotetime to working as members of the Board of Directors. Please seryoursuggestions to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee, c/o TFN,1519 — 2 Carlton St., Toronto, Ont. M5B 1J3. (The report of the Committeewill be published in the May newsletter.)

TFN 529 — 20

IN THE NEWS (cont’d)

WATCHING THE NIGHT RISE

The next time you have a cloudless sky try facing east, just as the sun issetting in the west. Low against the eastern horizon you’ll see an immensepurple arc, bordered by a fringe of pink just above it. That is the shadowof the earth.

The fringe of pink, also called the Belt of Venus or the “anti—twilight arc”is caused by the reddened sunset light that’s passing through the atmosphereitself.

extracted fran an article in the GLOBE & MAIL, Nov. 17, 2004

TORONTO HEATS UP PLAN TO CUT SALT

Toronto typically uses 122,510 tonnes of salt a year to battle an averageof 130 centimetres of snow, but wants to reduce that number by about 20per cent by 2006. About 10,000 tonnes of salt is used in a snowstorm.

As well as snow melters, the city has begun to buy a finer grade of salt,known as a “hot” salt, imported from Saskatchewan. Another salt-reduction strategy is using a liquid brine, which bonds to the road towork instantly to melt the snow when it falls, instead of salt granuleswhich bounce off the road and into ditches and lawns.

The city devotes about $61 million a year to winter operations, with 60per cent of that money devoted to road plowing, 20 per cent to sidewalkplowing and the rest to salting.

The city has snow-shovelling available for seniors or disabled people bycalling 416-338--SNOW, the same number you call for updates on when yourroad will be plowed.

extracted fran an article in the Tbranto Star, Nov.25, 2004

JUDGE’S ORDER CLOSES’SNOWMOBILE HIGHWAY’

In a decision that could help restore silence to noisy backwoods across thecountry, a Quebec judge has closed a 38-kilometre snowmobile trail andawarded millions of dollars to neighbours of the “snowmobile highway.”

The ruling leaves local municipalities, which lease the trail, and theprovince, which owns it, on the hook for damages estimated at between$5-million and $10-million. It also has snowmobile clubs worrying aboutthe future of their sport. The decision sets a precedent in Canada thatcould be used to silence personal watercraft and off—road four—wheelvehicles as well as snowmobiles.

Problems for the people in the Laurentians started in 1997, when the trailon a former railway line was opened up to intensive snowmobile traffic.Snowmobilers were delighted to have a route linking the lower Laurentianswith the Abitibi region in northwestern Quebec, but homeowners had notbargained on having a highway in their backyards.

Under the judgment, each resident of a home within 100 metres of the trailis entitled to $1,200 for every winter they have lived there since 1997.The residents had been seeking $5,000 each per year for everyone within200 metres.

extracted fran an article in the Natioml Post, Dec. 3, 2004

TFN529—2lIN THE NEWS (cont’d)

CASINO NOT WILLING TO GAMBLE ON SLIPPERY PARKING LOT

The architects of the $1 billion Niagara Fallsview Casino, which officiallyopened in June, knew that any building overlooking Horseshoe Falls would beconstantly sprayed by a fine mist as water from the falls crashed on therocks below.

Not a problem in the summertime, of course, but when temperatures fallbelow zero during winter months you can easily imagine how slippery -- anddangerous -- the casino parking lots and outdoor pathways can get.

Liability issues were a major concern. The potential lawsuits from peoplewalking out of the casino and slipping on ice didn’t sit well withcasino planners. But there were also business and environmental considerations.The casino faced spending $450,000 a year just to make sure the parking areasand walkways were constantly ploughed and salted to prevent ice fromforming.

The casino’s architects decided that liabilities, costs and environmentalimpact could be dramatically reduced over time by installing a heatingsystem underneath outdoor parking lots and walkways. The casino’s systemuses 50 kilometres of plastic tubing buried under or within cobblestone,concrete and other high—traffic surfaces.

A heated alcohol solution called glycol is pumped through the tubing, whichis flexible and resistant to corrosion. The fluid taps residual heatcoming from the building’s inside heating system, which uses natural gasto operate a boiler.

Overall, the casino does use more natural gas to operate the meltingsystem, though it minimizes how much it needs by using heat exchangersthat can capture otherwise wasted heat.

By making sure parking lots and walkways are always free of ice and snow,the casino spends very little on ploughing services and can almost do awaywith the salts, sands and chemical solvents that are typically used tobreak down the ice.

It also saves them from trickledown costs. This includes the regularmaintanance and replacement of damaged carpeting because of patrons whotrack salt inside the building. Add to that the annual ritual of repairingflower beds and grassy areas that are essentially poisoned by salt.

There’s a reason why most municipalities and provinces are trying to phaseout or better manage their use of road salt. Simply put, it’s bad stuff.It kills nearby vegetation. It contaminates soil and ground-water systems,ruining water quality and knocking aquatic ecosystems off kilter.

Another consideration is that fewer snow ploughs means fewer trucks btgused that burn diesel or gas, both being much dirtier than natural gas.

fran an article by Tyler Harniltcr in the TORCWIO SPAR, t. 27, 2004

TFN 529 — 22

IN THE NEWS (con’d)

ARTIFICIAL TREES RECALLED AFTER ASIAN BUGS FOUND

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had to recall a brand of

artificial trees that may contain Chinese beetles, Callidiellum villosulurri,

or brown fir long-horned beetle, a species not established on this

continent.

The trees, which are made in China from a mix of natural and artificial

elements, were not dried at a heat high enough to kill the bugs being

exported by Polytree Hong Kong. They are sold across Canada as “Cascade

Pre-lit Alpine Christmas Tree” or “Dakota Alpine Christmas Tree”.

Anyone who has bought one of the trees should return it to the retailer

‘ and that store should contact the CFIA. If anyone finds a bug in their

tree, they &ild put it in a plastic bag and freeze it before contacting

the CFIA. Trees should not be put out on the street where the bugs can

escape into the environment. The specie is found in eastern China and

prefers weakened or freshly felled conifers. The insect was first seen in

North America in 1927.

fran the NPiTICXAL POST, Dec. 24, 2004

WHOOPING CRANE COUNT SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT

The annual whooping crane count at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on

the Texas Gulf Coast passed 100 back in 1986. The count broke 200 this

year. The previous record of 194 was set last year, but in a recent

seven-hour low-altitude survey of some 900 square kilometres of Coast Bend

marshland, 213 cranes were counted. Three more cranes arrived later.

The surveys are done each winter after most of the cranes have completed

their 2,500-mile migration from Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta and

the Northwest Territories.

Driven nearly to the point of extinction by plume hunters early last century,

the crane population had dipped to an all-time low by 1941. Only 15 were

known to exist. Now, more than 300 are found in three wild populations

and about 150 are in captivity.

fran an article try John NacCoi-neck in the ‘IORCIO STAR, Dec. U, 2004

COUNCILOR GIVES DAM ABOUT NATURE

A beaver in a Scarborough park has show-n that even animals can take oncity hall. So far, Buddy the beaver has managed to get a stop-work orderon the demolition of his rising dam inside Cedarbrook Park, near MarkhamRd. and Lawrence Ave. If he was flooding a backyard or basement, he’d have

to go. But he was living with everyone in perfect harmony.

Contrary to popular belief, the forestry department is a big fan of beaversin the city. Their dams help control erosion and their building methodsactually rejuvenate the forest. That’s because they tend to eat the fast—growing poplars and maples which are usually replaced by a thicker stand

of saplings. So a beaver takes a tree down, but many more will come up.

More “high value” trees in the area are being protected with wire.

fran an article try Catherine Irter in the TORONIO STAR, Dec. 1, 2004

TFN 529 —

IN THE NEWS (cont’d)

INVADING CRAYFISH RULES RIVERS

The rusty crayfish and the round goby are spreading through rivers in York

Region because anglers set them loose. Both species are foreign invaders

that displace their competitors and multiply so fast they can harm other

aquatic life. People have used the oby and crayfish as bait and dumped

them in fishing spots when the day was done, unaware of the consequences.

In the Rouge River and its Little Rouge tributary, rusty crayfish from the

United States - bigger, more aggressive and twice as hungry as Ontario

crayfish - have won control of every sheltering rock as far north as the

Whitchurch-Stouffvjlle town line, wiping out native crawdads along the way.

The species was found in Duffins Creek in 1983 but to reach the Rouge and

spread so far, it would need human help. In the past two years, the

crayfish was found at one spot in the Humber River in Toronto. Rivers

with the best fishing spots seem to be the ones that now have the cray

fish. The Don is still free of rusties.

The province has banned live sales of the round goby, a native of Eurasia

that has spread through the Great Lakes from the St.Clair River since 1990,

but the prohibition may have come too late to keep the bottom-dwelling

fish away from Lake Simcoe’s valuable fishery. In August, it was found

in Georgina’s Pefferlaw Brook, three kilometres south of the lake.

extract frcn-i an article ty Mike ?rfler in the Econanist & Sun/Sun-Tribine (Stouffville), Oct. 2/04

DEER SHOT IN BACKYARD

Residents on Caines Avenue found an injured deer in their

neighbourhood. The sight of the wild animal in the Yonge Street

and Drewry Avenue area was definitely unusual that far from a natural

habitat. It probably came from G.Ross (Lord) Park.

Police shot the deer, a move deemed necessary given that it had sustained

injuries at some point during its journey from the wild to the residential

neighbourhood. It had a very badly broken leg.

extracted frcui an article ty Justin Skinner in the North York Mirror, Nov. 5, 2004

ONTARIO TO PROTECT LAND NEAR BRONTE CREEK PARK

The Ontario government announced it will protect 514 hectares of provin

cially owned land near Bronte Creek Provincial Park, in the Oakville and

Burlington area. The protected land will provide a greenbelt link

between Bronte Creek Provincial Park and the Niagara Escarpment, Natural

Resources Minister David Ramsay said. The North Oakville-Trafalgar

moraine is a critical habitat for birds and other species, as well as a

source for Oakville’s six creeks.

extracted frcm an article by Andrew Evidson in the Glote & Mail, Nov.6, 2004

TFN 529 - 24

THE WEATHER (THIS TIME LAST YEAR)

February 2004, Toronto

February 2004 was an unexceptional month with no extreme weather.it was sunny, dry, and slightly milder than normal (about 1.5°C).was little consistency in the overall pattern, although there was aate cold snap mid-month and a distinct warm-up with spring sunshinemonth’s end, peaking at just over 10°C on February 29th.

Both rainfall and snowfall were fairly light, with only 5.4mm of rain atPearson, the lowest for February since 1994, which had just a trace of rain.Snowfall was 17.2cm (at Pearson), just slightly below the 1971-2000average of 22.0 cm. Total precipitation was in the 20-25 mm range, abouthalf normal and the lowest since 1995.

was about 10-15 hours above the average, with Pearson Airportup a total of 123.5 hours. This helped make for a rathermonth.

The snow pack from January persisted all month. Although February wasmilder than normal, relatively rain-free conditions and the absence ofstrong warm surges (except the last day of the month) allowed for justslow diminution of the snow-cover. It was also partially replenished bya few light snowfalls. On February 29th, downtown still had 14 cm ofsnow on the ground, and the exposed, windswept Pearson Airport had 4 cm.

The meteorological winter of 2003-2004 was severe but short. The heavy-duty weather was essentially restricted to January, and not even all ofthat month. It ended up being a normal or slightly milder than normalwinter if averaged over the three-month period December-February.

Gavin Miller

“LOON HEAD”

by

Peter Hoad

C

0

Overall

There

moder—

at

Sunshine

chalking

pleasant

TFN 529 — 25

COMING EVENTSToronto Ornithological Club - Jim Baillie Memorial Bird Walks - aimed at

the intermediate birder, but beginners are also welcome. Free.

• Sat. Feb. 5 from 9 am (all day) with Garth Riley - Winter Birds -

Durham Region. Meet at the Pickering GO station to car pooi if

necessary. Bring a lunch and dress warmly.

Royal Canadian Institute - Sunday afternoon lectures on science — free

• Feb. 6 at 3 pm - Evolution in Real Time; Drug Resistance in Fungal

Pathogens

• Feb. 13 at 3 pm - Biophotonics: Bringing Light to Life

• Feb. 20 at 3 pm - Einstein’s Jurors: The Race to Test Relativity

• Feb.27 at 3 pm - Power System Blackouts: From Analysis to Mitigation

Lectures take place at the Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College

Circle, University of Toronto. Call 416-977—2983 for more information.

The Market Gallery, 95 Front St. East - free

• Feb. 5 to June 5 — The Textures of Victorian Toronto: John Howard’s

Documentary Art and Drawings

Call 416-392-7604 for more information.

North Toronto Green Community

• Sat. Feb. 12 at 2 pm - Burke Brook tributaries with Helen Mills and

friends. Meet at the southeast corner of Yonge St. and Lawrence Ave.

For more information call 416-482—3032 or 416-781—7663.

Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront

• Sat. Jan. 22 from 9 am to 11 am - Humber Bay East with Glenn Coady

• Sat. Feb. 26 from 9 am to 11 am - Humber Bay East with Don Burton

Call 416-252-7047 for more information.

Don Mills Library

• Thurs. Feb. 10 at 7 pm - Lorraine Johnson will speak on The History

and Future of Environmentally Safe Gardening in Canada.

The library is at 888 Lawrence Ave. East. Call 416—395-5710 for details.

Ian Wheal heritage walks

• Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2 pm - Caves and outlaws of Hillcrest. Meet at the

northwest corner of Bathurst St. and Davenport Rd. Call 416-570-6415.

Gateway to Nature

2005 conferce and gathering of Ontario Nature (formerly FON) and Nature

Canada (formerly CNF) hosted by the Nipissing Naturalists’ Club at the

Nipissing University and Clarion Resort, North Bay - June 3 to 5.

For more information, contact Deanna Coop: deannac@ontarionature.org

or call 416-444-8419.

Toronto Entomologists’ Association

• Feb. 26 at 1 pm in Room 113, Northrop Frye Hall, 73 Queen’s Park Cres. EastCall 905—727-6993 for details about this meeting about periodical cicadas

n

TFN 529 — 26

TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS Publications MailRegistration No.2 Carlton St., #1519

40049590Toronto, Ontario M5B 1J3416-593-2656Web site: www.sources.com/tfn

TORONTO FIELD NATURALIST

Published by the Toronto Field Naturalists, a charitable, non-profit organization, the aims of which are to stimulate publicinterest in natural history and to encourage the preservation of our natural heritage. Issued monthly September to Decemberand February to May.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB: INDEX OF TFN NEWSLETTERS (1938 to present) $10.00ITS HISTORY AND CONSTITUTION, 1965 $ 2.00 TORONTO REGION BIRD CHART, 1983 $4.00

CHECKLIST OF PLANTS IN FOUR TORONTO PARKS; A GRAPHIC GUIDE TO ONTARIO MOSSES, 1985 $4.00WILKET CREEK, HIGH PARK, HUMBER VALLEY,LAMBTON WOODS, 1972 $ 2.00 GUIDE TO TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS’

NATURE RESERVES, 2001 $ 4.00TORONTO THE GREEN, 1976

Metropolitan Toronto’s important natural areas TORONTO ISLANDS: PLANT COMMUNITIES ANDare described and recommendations given for NOTEWORTHY SPECIES, 1987 $ 4.00their conservation and management;includes maps, bibliography and index $ 8.00 TODMORDEN MILLS, 1987 $ 4.00

TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS’ RAVINE SURVEYS ea $4.00 VASCULAR PLANTS OF METROPOLITAN TORONTO, 1994 ...$ 8.0uSurvey #1 — Chatsworth Ravine, 1973Survey #2 — Brookbanks Ravine, 1974 TORONTO CHECKLISTS (birds, other vertebrates,Survey #3 — Chapman Valley Ravine, 1975 butterflies, other invertebrates, mosses, other plants) each 50cSurvey #4 — Wigmore Ravine, 1975Survey #5 — Park Drive Ravine, 1976 HUMBER FORKS AT THISTLETOWN, 2000 $ 4.00Survey #6 — Burke Ravine, 1976

NO G S TSurvey #7 — Taylor Creek-Woodbine BridgeRavines, 1977 All publications may be ordered from Toronto Field Naturalists,

Survey #8 — West Don Valley, 1978 2 Carlton St., #1519, Toronto, Ontaho M5B 1J3. (Add $2.00 per itemfor postage and handling).

Please note: It has always been the policy of the Toronto Field Naturalistsnot to give out its membership list.

MEMBERSHIP FEES (No G.S.T.)

$30 FAMILY (2 adults — same address, children included)$25 SINGLE, SENIOR FAMILY$20 STUDENT. SENIOR SINGLE

... .. ...

Tax receipts issued for donations

ISSN 0820 636XMembership fees and address changehod be sent to

sc