NATURE NORTHWEST

November 2019

Volume 73, No. 4

www.tbfn.net

THUNDER BAY FIELD NATURALISTS

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of natural

history, the wise use of natural resources, the preservation of natural areas, and the understanding

and protection of nature.

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In This Issue:

President’s Message ...................................................... 3

Lamprey Control on the Kam and Whitefish Rivers ......... 4

Michipicoten Island Adventure 2019 .............................. 5

How do Birds Survive the Winter? .................................. 9

Notes from the Homestead ........................................... 14

The Puzzle of Names ..................................................... 15

Queequeg ..................................................................... 16

Upcoming Field Trips .................................................... 18

Speaker Series .............................................................. 18

Book Review: Earth View ............................................... 20

Project Peregrine .......................................................... 21

Butterflies of the Rainy River District 2019 ..................... 24

Fall Round-up Bird Count .............................................. 26

Nature Photo Gallery .................................................... 29

Club Information ........................................................... 31

Pictured top right: Fringed Gentian Pictured bottom right: Spruce Grouse (Photo: Anna Buske)

Pictured above: Mycena (Photo: Connie Hartviksen) On the Cover: Ruffed Grouse (Photo: Connie Hartviksen)

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A friend calls it “our superior lake.” It’s there at our “doorstep” and it’s omnipresent for those that live in the city of Thunder Bay, along its shores and inland for a few kilometres. It affects our weather, it has given rise to stories and works of art, it provides fresh drinking water for thousands of people, a livelihood for many and recreational opportunities for many more.

And yet it can quickly disappear from our thoughts even if we are within a couple of city blocks of it. Sometimes when out walking, I surprise myself when I turn a corner and look down a street and see it. We take it for granted so easily.

It’s big! No question about it.

• The surface area of Lake Superior is 82,170 square kilometres. The province of New Brunswick is 72,908 square kilometres.

• By surface area it is the largest freshwater lake in the world. By volume it ranks behind Lake Baikal in Russia and Lake Tanganyika that lies between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia on the west side and Burundi and Tanzania on the east side. (Both of these lakes were formed in an ancient rift valley.)

• Lake Superior contains 10% of all the earth’s fresh surface water.

It has a profound effect on our weather – moderating winter’s cold and summer’s heat. It provides needed moisture to plants courtesy of its fogs; and climate change is having an impact.

• Per decade since 1980, surface water temperature in summer has increased about 1°C while regional air temperature has increased by 0.5°C.

• There has been a decline in ice cover; down by 79% since the 1970s.

• There are faster winds. Wind speeds have increased over the lake by nearly 5% per decade since the 1980s.

What impact might these changes have on our “superior lake?” One of the major factors limiting the spread of invasive aquatic species is the cold, nutrient poor waters. We have no way of knowing how many aquatic invasive species have been transported to the lake in the bilge of ocean-going freighters and pumped out prior to the boats taking on cargo here and in Duluth. Many of these hitchhikers would have perished quickly in the cold, nutrient poor waters of the lake.

It is no coincidence that the lake does not have a large diversity of native species. However, these same inhospitable waters are tolerated by a few hardy types such as lake trout, lake whitefish and lake herring and the various ciscoes.

Some exotic species have established themselves in the warmer more nutrient rich waters of the harbours and embayment of the lake. The ruffe, threespine stickleback and the fourspine stickleback are examples that occur locally around Thunder Bay harbour. Other non-fish species include: spiny water flea, zebra mussel and rusty crayfish. With rising lake temperatures and greater nutrient input from human activity, the potential for more invasive species is increasing.

For the Anishinaabe, water is associated with Mother Earth and it is the responsibility of grandmothers to lead other women in praying for and protecting the water. Josephine Mandamin began the Water Walk movement by walking around Lake Superior in 2003 at the age of 61. Her work continues through a group called Nibi Emosaawdamajig (those who walk for the water). The idea behind the water walks is to raise awareness about the importance of water and the need for protection of water.

To borrow a commonly used word these days, we need to be mindful of this great being in whose sphere of influence we live. I began with my friend’s saying “our superior lake.” It is not “ours” and we need to keep that in mind.

President’s Message

from Bruce Thacker

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Lamprey Control on the Kam and Whitefish Rivers by Michael Carter

About a month ago, in my capacity as steward of the Kam Valley Nature Reserve, I received from Sue Bryan, chair of the Nature Reserves Committee, a copy of a notice from the Chronicle Journal of planned release of lampricide control chemicals into the Kam and Whitefish Rivers. The map in the notice showed application points close to the confluence of the two rivers, very close to the Reserve.

I called the contact number for information and was referred to the person in charge of the program, operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He referred me to the website http://glfc.org/sea-lamprey.php, especially the fact sheets in the documents and media section, and also agreed to determine the exact location of the application points.

It turns out that two of the many application points are quite close to the Reserve.

I know little about lamprey control and the information at the website was, to me, very informative. These two rivers, along with many others, are spawning grounds for lamprey and regularly receive applications of lampricides. The idea is that the chemicals interfere with lamprey development and reduce the populations that enter the lakes. There are also several other methods used, including physical barriers. The site reports that the program has been extremely successful and has essentially saved the Great Lakes fishery.

Beyond that, there is a very detailed description of all aspects of the lamprey situation on the Great Lakes and, if you have an interest in this, I can recommend a visit to the website.

On behalf of the Club, I have subscribed to future notices and related information from this department and will pass along anything of interest.

CONTRIBUTORS

Janet Anderson Sandy & John Barro Sue & Mike Bryan Anna Buske Michael Carter Marian Childs Michael S. Dawber David H. Elder Rob Foster Evelyn Gillson Connie Hartviksen Bernd Heinrich

David Legge Mike Pianka Gerry Racey Brian Ratcliff David Schnell Marg Schweitzer Christina & Gerry Stricker Leo Tardiff Bruce Thacker John & Maureen Woodcock Barbara Yurkoski

TBFN ANNUAL DINNER

Join us on Sunday, February 23, 2020 for the TBFN annual dinner meeting. The event will take place at the Current River Community Centre. Additional information can be found on the website by clicking here: http://www.tbfn.net/annual-dinner.

This year’s guest speaker is Dr. Matt Tocheri, Canada Research Chair in Human Origins at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, ON and a Research Associate in the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Program.

Dr. Tocheri received his PhD in Anthropology from Arizona State University in 2007 and was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2013.

His research focuses on the evolutionary history and functional morphology of the human and great ape family, with a special interest in Homo floresiensis, the so-called “hobbits” of human evolution.

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Michipicoten Island Adventure 2019 by Gerry Stricker

Early in July, 2019, four intrepid TBFN volunteers ventured out on Lake Superior to explore one of the newest TBFN reserve properties: Bonner Head on Michipicoten Island. Sue and Mike Bryan, Jessie McFadden and Gerry Stricker organized their gear and gathered courage and set out on a two-and-a-half to three-hour boat trip from Marathon, Ontario, down the lake side of Pukaskwa Park and across the channel over to the north side of Michipicoten Island, landing at Bonner Head. The “seas” were relatively calm as they travelled the approximately 75-mile journey, so there were no “bumps” on that part of the trip.

The purpose of this trip was to spend seven days exploring the new TBFN Michipicoten Island Bonner Head Reserve, looking for evidence of woodland caribou and wolves, recording plant, bird and small animal species present, checking out the sugar maple stand in the interior and to get a general feel for the natural features of the reserve.

Rugged Shoreline on Michipicoten Property Near Lighthouse at East End (Photo: Mike Bryan)

Tessellated Rattlesnake Orchid (Photo: Gerry Stricker)

Wood Sorrel (Photo: Mike Bryan)

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We made camp on a cobblestone beach at the site and this gave us the opportunity to explore the geology as well as the passing waterfowl and became our base camp for day hikes to the interior. The almost constant breezes off the lake also meant that blackflies and mosquitoes were almost non-existent, respite that was much appreciated! We set up six small animal live-traps near the campsite to regularly monitor activity and noted the thriving population of mice, moles and voles. Presence of these small mammals is one indicator of a healthy ecosystem. Monarch and other butterflies, as well as dragonflies were seen most days, flying along the shoreline. Salamanders and newts were also evident and became part of our regular log-turning activity each day.

The shoreline at Bonner Head is generally cobblestone beaches with exposed cliffs nearby. The water generally contained numerous large boulders which would make landing by boat hazardous. Lake Superior agates and various sea caves were found along the north shore of Michipicoten Island. The geology on the island was unusual and interesting. The numerous cliffs supported at least two peregrine falcon nesting sites as falcons were seen in their fly-bys at our camp.

The forest consists of mixed deciduous and coniferous trees, with a substantial sugar maple stand further into the interior of the Bonner Head Nature Reserve. Hiking was challenging mainly due to the prolific Canada yew, a waist-high juniper type of plant. To cope, you need to be high steppers and we all became high steppers! The group was always on the watch for orchids as well as other important or significant flowering plants which were

Campsite at Bonner Head Property (Photo: Mike Bryan)

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noted. Lichens, mosses, and ferns were also photographed and identification is in process. Many regionally rare, and provincially rare plants were identified. An attempt at a comprehensive report is forthcoming. Being on the Bonner Head Nature Reserve for seven days allowed for a thorough investigation of the status of the natural values found there.

In the interior valley lowlands, there was much evidence of old beaver dams but no fresh sign at all. This keystone animal should have been thriving on the island but there were no sightings of live beavers. The population may have been wiped out due to a combination of trapping and predation by wolves. There was no sign of fresh woodland caribou activity. Caribou bones were found at several locations which indicated that they had been numerous at one time. Fresh wolf tracks were seen at two different

locations. With the disappearance of both woodland caribou and beaver, the wolf population would seem to have only a toehold on the island now, and a slim chance of survival over the coming winter, with limited prey available.

TBFN Nature Reserve monitors, volunteers from Wawa, Ontario, came out for a visit one day and took us for a boat excursion along and around the northeast coast and we explored the Point Maurepas (East End Light) lighthouse and Cozen’s Cove. It was great for them to share their vast knowledge of woodland caribou and some history of the island. We did not explore the Garvey Reserve on this trip although it is near the end of the island.

Our return-to-the-mainland journey at the end of our stay was somewhat more adventurous as the “seas” were rougher and getting onto the boat at Bonner Head was a bit challenging. All-in-all, the field trip was considered a success with the gaining of much valuable information about this new TBFN Nature Reserve property. We all felt fortunate to be able to spend this time exploring this reserve. The Nature Reserves Committee appreciates having the support of our TBFN members, and the knowledge of so many experts in a variety of fields to augment the information gathered.

Jessie showing the size of a Woodland Caribou antler (Photo: Gerry Stricker)

Eastern Newt (Photo: Mike Bryan)

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More specific information on the Michipicoten trip will be shared at a regular program meeting in the New Year.

Beaver Pond Habitat (Photo: Mike Bryan)

Spotted Salamander (Photo: Mike Bryan)

East End Lighthouse – Michipicoten Island (Photo: Mike Bryan)

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How do Birds Survive the Winter? by Bernd Heinrich

It seems logical that most birds flee the northern regions to overwinter somewhere warmer, such as the tropics. Their feat of leaving their homes, navigating and negotiating often stupendous distances twice a year, indicates their great necessity of avoiding the alternative – of staying and enduring howling snowstorms and subzero temperatures.

However, some birds stay and face the dead of winter against seemingly insurmountable odds. That they can and do invites our awe and wonder, for it requires solving two problems simultaneously.

The first is maintaining an elevated body temperature – generally about 105°F for birds – in order to stay active. Humans in the north, with our 98.6°F body temperatures, face the same problem during winter of staying warm enough to be able to function, as anyone walking barefoot at -30°F will attest to within seconds.

The second problem to be surmounted in winter is finding food. For most birds, food supplies become greatly reduced in winter just when food is most required as fuel for keeping them warm.

One might wonder if birds are endowed with a magic winter survival trick. The short answer is: they aren’t. They solve the winter survival problem in many ways, often by doing many things at once. Although some species have devised the evolutionary equivalent of proprietary solutions, most birds follow a simple formula: maximize calories ingested while minimizing calories spent.

Black-Capped Chickadees

Chickadees (like most year-round northern birds) brave the winter in their bare uninsulated legs and feet. Yet their toes remain flexible and functional at all temperatures, whereas ours, if that small, would freeze into blocks of ice in seconds. Don’t they get cold?

They do. Their feet cool down to near freezing, close to 30°F. Of course, a bird’s comfort level for foot temperature is likely very different from ours; they would not feel uncomfortable until the point when damage occurs from freezing (ice crystal formation).

But chickadee feet don’t freeze, and that’s because their foot temperature is regulated Black-capped Chickadee (Photo: John Barro)

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near the freezing point and may stay cold most of the time all winter, even as core body temperature stays high.

Every time the bird sends heat (via blood) from the body core to the extremities, it must produce more heat in the core for replacement. Thus, if a chickadee maintained its feet at the same temperature as its body core, it would lose heat very rapidly, and that would be so energetically costly that any bird doing so would quickly be calorie depleted. Birds maintaining warm feet would be unlikely to be able to feed fast enough to stay warm and active.

However, a chickadee’s feet are provided with continuous blood flow. The warm arterial blood headed toward the feet from the body runs next to veins of cooled blood returning from the feet to the body. As heat is transferred between the outgoing and incoming vessels, the blood returning into the body recovers much of the heat that would otherwise be lost flowing out.

Birds retain heat in their body core by fluffing out their feathers. Chickadees may appear to be twice as fat in winter as in summer. But they aren’t. They are merely puffed up, thickening the insulation around their bodies. At night, they reduce heat loss by seeking shelter in tree holes or other crevices, and by reducing their body temperature—the smaller the difference in temperature between the bird and its environment, the lower the rate of heat loss. Still, the bird may have to shiver all night and burn up most of its fat reserves, which then must be replenished the next day in order to survive the next night.

Nighttime is crunch time for winter survival because no food calories are coming in to replace those being expended. It is a tight energy balance, but by lowering body temperature and turning down heat production at night, chickadees and other small birds of winter spare the cushion of fat accumulated during the day.

While physiology is a key component of surviving the cold by temperature regulation, the more critical factor is food input. That little chickadee’s internal furnace must be fed and stoked. Following chickadees in the winter woods, and watching them closely, reveals another secret of their winter survival.

Chickadees in winter travel in groups. In Maine, I seldom see them alone. Exploring for food, they appear to pick at just about everything, and when one chickadee finds something to eat, its neighbors notice and join in. All the while the chickadee winter flock learns by trial and error, and from each other.

For foraging chickadees in winter, food options are still broad—from various seeds, spiders, and spider eggs, to insects and their pupae. Invertebrates may seldom be seen out in the open during winter in the frozen North, but they’re around—hidden in the ground, under bark, even underwater—as they employ their own winter survival strategies.

Some caterpillars overwinter in a state of being frozen solid to tree branches. In one instance I found a flock of chickadees feeding on minute caterpillars hidden within the scale-like evergreen leaves of a cedar. Some lucky chickadee had discovered this cache of frozen caterpillars, perhaps with the help of a clue—a blemishing stain on the leaf from the caterpillars’ previous munching.

Golden-Crowned Kinglets

These diminutive coniferous-forest gnomes (about half the weight of a chickadee) are, because of their size, the ultimate marvels in warm-blooded winter survival.

Unlike chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets almost exclusively eat insects for their diet, yet they are too small to handle some of the larger food items—such as a silk-moth cocoon filled with a pupa. Kinglets are not cavity nesters like chickadees, and therefore not predisposed to enter tree holes for sheltering overnight. Thus, at both

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ends of the energy equation—food input and heat retention—Golden-crowned Kinglets seem highly challenged. Yet I have positively identified them in the Maine winter woods at –30°F.

Various scenarios have been proposed for how these kinglets manage to survive winter, such as overnighting in squirrel nests. But having followed them many winters, I found no evidence of that. The Golden-crowned Kinglets I have observed traveled in small flocks of about half a dozen, often accompanying chickadees, yet I was never able to find where or how they spent the night. It was always almost pitch dark when I saw them last, and then they vanished suddenly. Could they have disappeared where I had last seen them?

That turned out to be the case. On one evening I saw four kinglets disappear into a pine tree. Later that night, with extreme caution and armed with a flashlight, I climbed the tree and spied a four-pack of Golden-crowned Kinglets huddled together into one bunch, heads in and tails out, on a twig. One briefly stuck its head out of the bunch, and quickly retracted it—indicating it was staying warm, and not in cold torpor.

Using each other as a heat source, as a means of reducing their own heat loss, is an ingenious strategy, as it alleviated these birds from searching for or returning to a suitable shelter at the end of the day. By traveling as a group and converging to huddle, they were their own shelter instead.

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers have the tools and behavior to stay fed all winter. Their long, drill-bit bills and ability to cling to tree trunks and branches allow woodpeckers to access wood-boring insect larvae (Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers), and also hibernating carpenter ants (Pileated Woodpeckers). As for overnight shelter, woodpeckers do something that few other birds can do: make themselves a shelter specifically for overnighting.

Shelter-building is an evolutionary outgrowth from making a nesting cavity in spring, but their winter dens differ substantially. I usually find the first evidence of woodpecker overnight shelters after the first frosts in late October or November. On the forest floor, I look for accumulations of light-colored wood chips on top of the recently fallen leaves or on snow; then I look up.

The excavated roosting cavity is usually in a rotting snag. In contrast, nesting holes are excavated in snags with more solid wood. The winter overnight shelters are often within about 6 feet of the ground, at least three times lower than a nesting cavity. The same woodpeckers attend their same roost hole nightly and may use it all winter long.

But not necessarily. Sometimes an overnighting hole, which can be excavated in as little as a day, is only used for a few days. Existing holes are also used opportunistically; in one case I flushed both a Downy and a Hairy Woodpecker out of the same hole. Usually, though, a hole is used by only one woodpecker at a time. I suspect the woodpeckers’ shelters are so good, and their food supply so secure, that huddling in groups, as in kinglets, is not a necessity.

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse can fly well for short distances when they have to, but they spend most of their time grounded. However, in winter their food supply is in the tops of the trees, where they feed on the buds of aspen, poplar, birches, and hophornbeam that are packed with nutrients and ready to burst into flower and leaf right after the first thaws of spring.

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Winter is no time of food scarcity for grouse. A grouse in the top of a tree can pick enough buds in about 15 minutes to support its overnight needs. Similarly, at dawn it can feed again in a short time, filling its crop with enough buds to support its needs throughout the day. A half-hour is a trivial time investment in feeding, compared to a kinglet or a chickadee that can barely get enough food-as-fuel while foraging nonstop for the entire day.

Casual observers in the North Woods seldom see grouse in winter, even though grouse would seem to be hard to miss because of their large size. Bird watchers look for Ruffed Grouse at dusk and dawn, when they fly up into a tree, usually in the company of others, to quickly scarf down tree buds.

They can ingest so much food in just a few minutes because, unlike most other birds in the winter woods, they possess a large crop (a pouchlike extension of the esophagus where food can be stored). The crop is like a bag that, after being filled, can later deliver food to the gizzard for digestion throughout the day or night.

What then do Ruffed Grouse do with the rest of the winter day? For two winters I studied our local Ruffed Grouse in western Maine to find out. When there was fluffy snow, our grouse spent most of the day under the snow. The length of time they denned there could be calculated by counting poop. I found, from known snow-den residency times, that grouse produce on average 3.7 fecal pellets per hour. In one night, they produced about 60 fecal pellets, suggesting they may not just overnight in a snow den, but spend as long as 16 hours under the snow. That is, they also spent part of the day submerged.

Grouse are well known to burrow under the snow for insulation from the cold, and thus save energy. And grouse can access plenty of food, given the abundant tree buds available for them to eat. Their winter survival problem to surmount, instead, is not so much to find enough to eat, but rather not to be eaten.

Grouse are a favorite prey of raptors in the winter woods. Unlike the Arctic ptarmigans, they do not molt into a camouflage of white feathers in winter. Ruffed Grouse stay earthen-colored all year long, which makes them visible on white snow from afar. A plump Ruffed Grouse perched atop a bare tree is a convenient offering for a Great Horned Owl or goshawk. The Ruffed Grouse’s snow dens, then, may also be a means of reducing predation.

It might be supposed that small perching birds might benefit greatly from snow-burrowing as well, at least during the night. But by and large, they don’t. High Arctic–dwelling redpolls and Snow Buntings may shelter briefly under snow drifts, but no small birds in the northern United States and southern Canada den in the snow overnight.

The fact that they don’t, given the huge potential benefit from insulation, is likely explained by the potential cost. Warming on some sunny winter days melts the top layer of snow, which then refreezes into a solid seal of crust at night. A whole population of small birds over a huge area, then, could be killed in a single night—locked beneath the snow to starve and be vulnerable to subnivian mammals. The large size of the grouse not only gives it a large advantage in energy balance, relative to songbirds, but that size also makes escape from the snow easier if needed.

Crows and Ravens

Every winter crows gather by the thousands in communal roosts where they sleep at night. Come morning they sally forth on their daily excursions, but again they return in groups at night. Such roosts are often in an urban area, where masses of crows convene in the same area each winter.

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Like the snow-denning of grouse, this phenomenon is unlikely to be explained by one function only. Communal roosts serve as information centers. They are where knowledge of food locations is shared, probably unintentionally, as those crows that don’t know where there is a dump or a corn field simply follow others, which then becomes the crowd. The presence of many crows together also spreads the risk of predator attack at night, as well as provides a social network for mutual warnings of danger.

Ravens are quintessential winter birds that live and thrive in winter like few others. They range into the High Arctic and begin nesting in mid-February in northern North America. Their large size is an

advantage, as they have a slower rate of heat loss than other passerines. Ravens also exploit carnivores such as wolves (and perhaps human hunters), and they profit from each other’s experiences, thus pooling information.

Ravens will kill almost any animal they can catch, but given their high energy needs, surviving winter for them means feeding on the carcasses of large animals they could never kill. The raven’s carnivore connection is most prominently displayed by association with wolves. Under natural conditions, ravens arrive at and feed on wolf kills within minutes after a pack kills an ungulate, such as elk in the Yellowstone ecosystem. In other areas, a single raven may locate a carcass and return to the nocturnal roost, at which point a crowd of ravens follows the discoverer to the food bonanza.

The first fortunate raven to discover the carcass probably does not share information with its fellow ravens willingly. During the breeding season a territorial pair of ravens will fiercely defend a carcass from others. But in winter, ravens share food as a crowd. By accessing large clumped food resources, ravens can range as far north as their providers—wolves, humans, and polar bears.

Ravens, as with other corvids (and chickadees and nuthatches), also capitalize on a temporary abundance of food by caching surpluses. Storing food is an insurance policy against the uncertainty of future food availability during the lean times of snow and cold. Surviving winter is not always survival of the biggest and strongest. It is a matter of mastering the equation of energy input versus output, taking into account all of the variables and always leaving enough calories to live another day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bernd Heinrich, University of Vermont professor emeritus of biology, has written over 20 books, including Mind of the Raven and Winter World.

This article is published in the Winter 2019 issue of Living Bird magazine and is reprinted with permission from the Cornell Lab (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-birds-survive-the-winter)

Common Raven (Photo: Anna Buske)

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Notes from the Homestead – November 2019 by Marg Schweitzer, Murillo

The first snow has arrived right on schedule as Canada geese head south. Our own individual lives seem brief when compared to migration patterns that have been in place for thousands of years. As someone once said, “You’re not a wave, you’re part of the ocean”, so we too exist in that context, along with all living things. Mankind has always looked overhead when birds are in flight.

A few colourful leaves linger in ever increasing silence. The robins have left, as well as the crows, and I’ve seen only a handful of blue jays and woodpeckers in the past few weeks. Black-capped chickadees are a delight, and I hope to spot a boreal chickadee again at some point; my last sighting was over a decade ago. A huge treat was a visit in my yard by the male eastern bluebird on October 15; he flitted between trees, almost as if he wanted to catch my attention…and he certainly did! Now that winter isn’t too far away, I remember my visit to the McKellar Island Bird Observatory back in August, graciously hosted by John and Maureen Woodcock. What a lovely place that is. Everyone should go and observe the importance of their work.

Ruffed grouse resume their drumming now, warning young upstarts of the same species to steer clear of their territories. The pleasing sound marks both the beginning and ending of nesting season for them, as reliably as any calendar. If you approach quietly and slowly, the “drummers” will tolerate your getting close enough for a good look. They are aware of your presence long before you think they are; don’t kid yourself that you are invisible. As many of us live in manufactured or artificial environments, so our natural senses dull when not used as much outdoors. Going wilderness camping with minimal technology is a great way to reset them.

I think the last seeding dandelion has finally given up under a fresh snow cover, but no doubt a few sunny hours will send it springing back to life. I’m sure there is a lesson in the tenaciousness of that plant.

Trees no longer produce new wood cells in the waning of the year but instead store winter reserves and produce the buds that will swell in a few more months, anticipating spring. These buds are not always very prominent, but you can see them if you look carefully. It is a myth that sap thickens or flows back into the trunks of trees during autumn.

Furry animals begin growing their warm winter coats now. I have heard numerous times that the harshness of a coming winter may be predicted from the amount or density of fur produced; however, I don’t believe it personally. There are dozens of examples of “folk wisdom”, some of which may be based in fact, but others that make for good conversation and nothing more. I marvel at those who posit that happiness is directly linked to nice weather, whatever that means. Weather is only weather, after all. Should we all live in a bubble where there is perpetual sunshine and never any rain or wind? How incredibly boring that would become!

Photo: Anna Buske

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In late fall, there is a settling-in, a battening down of the soul perhaps, as we enter a different pace in the year. Most vacations have ended, gardens and yards are taken care of, and we turn inward to ruminate on other things. In terms of climate change, let us determine if we are satisfied with all we have done, both good and bad. Is there anything we can do in our daily routines to mitigate damage to the environment? It is meant to lead not by having a guilty conscience but rather by taking steps, even small ones, to encourage growth in a better direction. For example, we can plant milkweed for monarch butterflies, or compost our kitchen food waste, or collect rain water instead of letting it run into the city sewer system.

Whatever the situation, try to stay positive for the future. It is indeed disheartening to hear media reports that say we have basically another 10-20 years before the planet implodes ecologically. Such declarations instill both apathy and fear, because if they are true, there is no point in acting, is there? My solution is to set aside this frightening scenario and go for a walk in the forest. Find a comfortable spot to sit or stand, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Let your senses come alive to all the wonder and beauty that still exists, right here, right now. Don’t do anything at that moment, don’t even think a single thought, just BE!

The Puzzle of Names by Christina Stricker

So, there I was minding my own business when I was drawn to the field trip with Dr. Myra this spring on a walkabout of Trowbridge Park to check out botanical specimens. This is not the first time I’ve done this trip but somehow there seemed to be more Latin spread through the observations. “There’s some Maianthemum… and in behind it is some hortensia …” Huh?

When I go on a field trip, I take brief notes of

whatever we see and actually name, then when I get

home, I can check out my field guides for a clearer

picture and maybe a juicy detail to help me

remember for next time. While I was doing the

follow-up after this trip, I checked out oak fern, one

of the smaller ferns we had identified. I was curious

about what the Latin name for oak fern might be

and, I was hooked into another exploration entirely!

Oak fern’s Latin name is Gymnocarpium dryopteris. It

is actually a hybrid name as the “dryopteris” part is

Greek, I think. So cosmopolitan!

The first part, Gymnocarpium, means “naked fruit”

because "there are no indusia covering the sori" to

quote my field guide. So, it very perfectly describes

this type of fern. However, one needs to know what

“indusia” and “sori” are before that makes any

sense!!!!! Sorry, I didn’t know then what those

are!!!! LOL! Well, now I do know about fruiting

bodies and fruit dots on ferns so that is becoming

clear. My goodness, you have to really study these

things in major detail! And I don't know what the

“dryoperteris” part means: dry eyed fern? Nope. Still

working on that one.

As a result of this little adventure, I’ve been exploring

the whole “Latin names” piece and wish I knew more.

Sometimes the Latin name really does define a plant

or species very clearly, once you know what to look

for! If I was a scientist and knew more Latin and more

science (LOL!!!), I think I would love it!

I must thank my mom for a beginning in this

exploration. She often used the Latin name to

identify things for us in our nature wandering. She

belonged to the Sault Naturalists for years and

dragged her five kids on endless and endlessly

fascinating field trips in that area. Clintonia borealis

was the only name I knew for the blue-bead lily, until

I grew up. And I knew Trientalus borealis long before

anyone “tried to tell us” about the starflower,

although no doubt I noticed it looked like a picture

book star.

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I shared some of this angst and excitement with our

fearless president, and Bruce loaned me a copy of his

Latin for Gardeners. What a treasure this is! Once I

figured out how things were arranged, I have been

delving into this tome with great pleasure - finding

out more and more about Latin nomenclature.

Furthermore, I have been introduced by the author

to Alexander von Humboldt! An amazing and

remarkable student of science from 250 years ago.

Born in 1769 and died 1859, Humboldt was famous

around the world, since he traveled around the world

exploring … well, exploring everything! Ninety years

of looking, recording and sharing. We should have a

“Humboldt Day” every September – celebrating this

amazing naturalist who gave every naturalist such a

wealth of information, and I imagine many of us

never heard of him before!

Back to Latin nomenclature.

Do you realize that the subject “Latin” is no longer on

the curriculum in high schools? What a tragedy! So

many languages are derived from Latin and often

knowing Latin helps one figure out the meaning of

an unfamiliar word! A valuable tool thrown away!

What is the world coming to?

I shifted my research just a smidge to check out

some bird names. In one trusty field guide the

dubiously helpful advice for learning sparrow species

(Emberizidae family!), suggests that “looking at the

characteristics of several genera - especially Spizella,

Aimophila, Ammodramus, Zonotrichia and Melospiza

will aid in the identification of sparrows.”

Oh boy!

Back to plants for me! Now, let me see … Equisetum

arvense … something about horses, right? Right!

Queequeg by David Schnell

“Call me Ishmael.”

The sole survivor of Moby Dick’s attack, Ishmael, begins his story with this curious statement. He narrates, what is probably, America’s most famous novel, Herman Melville’s, Moby Dick. Ishmael witnessed (personally it would seem) the “week days pent in lath and plaster — tied to counters, nailed to benches, clinched to desks” where incipient crewmen knew they could not resist “this everlasting itch”, when they allowed their legs to carry them to water.

“...meditation and water are wedded for ever.”

But his novel is not about these crewmen, or Captain Ahab, or Moby Dick. It is Queequeg’s story.

In the hierarchy of the whaling ship the captain comes first, followed by the First-Mate, and then the other officers, but the true aristocracy would put the harpooners beside the captain. The harpooners were the “Knights-Errant” from their culture but

Inside a Lake Superior Sea Cave – Apostle Islands (Photo: David Schnell)

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given their prestige on board by the fact that without their harpooning talent the entire enterprise was hopeless. These sojourners left everything in their life behind (much like the crewmen from Massachusetts) in order to know and discover more. Queequeg was a high priest, a philosopher, and a shaman.

He was a Polynesian cannibal sailing on the whaler, Pequod (named after a celebrated, long extinct, tribe of Massachusetts Indians), in Melville’s novel. His body was tattooed, head to foot, with what Melville described as an, “...interminable Cretan labyrinth of a figure. The work of a departed prophet, who by those hieroglyphic marks, had written out on [Queequeg’s] body a complete theory of the heavens and the earth, a mystical treatise on the art of attaining truth.” It was Queequeg’s assignment as harpooner to fasten a line to the whale. In the allegory, the figurative story of that novel, Queequeg represents religion; the pagan, unencumbered, spiritual relationship between man and his universe.

It’s through my kayak, and its purpose, to connect me with the lake and through the lake to the universe and truth. When I paddle Lake Superior I try to match its voice, its mood; to be in its presence, to encounter it fully (and it is never coy) where it meets me directly, fully open, both of us naturally. This is where the skin of my boat acquires its tattoos and my story develops.

Ishmael first met Queequeg at the “Spouter-Inn”. The keeper, always ready to make more money, rented Ishmael a “room” he had already rented to Queequeg. This is one of the occasions when the literary critics let their juices flow as they interpret for us the meaning of Melville’s mystifying narrative. To accommodate Ishmael the innkeeper slides two benches together, one for Queequeg the other for Ishmael. The benches have different heights, consequentially he employs his block plane to shave the tall one down. The critics believe it is an attempt to reconcile the cannibal with the Christian - let the shavings fly. The critics believe the shavings flipping out of the mouth of the plane represent the pages of books turning furiously through their chapters trying to find answers. The plane strikes a knot and abruptly stops. The inn keeper knows the benches will not be reconciled and he tosses a thin sheet of sailcloth over all of it, hoping to disguise the problem. Ishmael goes to sleep not knowing that much later that night the cannibal will slip under the covers beside him. They will become fast friends.

My kayak bears upon its skin, like Queequeg’s hide, an abundance of tattoos, if you will, etched by the rocky edges of Lake Superior - composing a naturalist’s tale.

NATURE SIGHTINGS

Sandy Barro reported seeing a Golden Eagle on October 21 (picture included). This sighting was confirmed by Brian Ratcliff. Included are some interesting facts on this magnificent bird from Hawk’s Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minnesota.

Peak Migration: late Oct-Nov Record Daily High: 57 on Nov 12, 2012 Record Seasonal High: 223 in 2009

The species is named for the golden crown and nape feathers. Other names: American war bird, bird of Jupiter, calumet bird, jackrabbit eagle, king of birds, mountain eagle, ringtail, royal eagle.

Length: 70-84 cm Wingspan: 185-220 cm Weight: 3-6.4 kg (average about 4.5 kg)

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Upcoming Field Trips

Christmas Bird Count – Thursday December 26, 2019

As usual, our count will be held on Boxing Day, Dec. 26. There are 14 areas in our count circle, and each area has a “team leader”. Bill Greaves has agreed to compile the count again this year, and he would like to hear from last year’s area leaders if you will be participating this year. We are pleased to report that Sue and Mike Bryan will once again host the pot-luck supper and “countdown”. Anyone interested in participating for the first time should contact Bill. He will assign you to one of the groups if you don’t already have someone to go with.

Feeder watchers are welcome and encouraged to participate. Feeder watchers will be required to submit a checklist and the amount of effort (start time, end time, and total number of hours spent watching). The checklist is not additive, and instead is based on the most birds of each species seen at any one time. Please, register with Bill Greaves ahead of time and advise how your checklist will be submitted. They are due by 5 pm on Boxing Day. Lastly, if your feeder will be stocked with food and you don’t mind the area’s group stopping by to look for birds, please send along your information to Bill. He can be contacted at: tbay.cbc@gmail.com.

SPEAKER SERIES

All talks are held at Lunan Hall located at St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay at 7:00 pm

November 25, 2o19 – “Bird Trends in the Thunder Bay Area” with Brian Ratcliff, Al Harris, Bill Greaves and Nick Escott

Join us to learn about and celebrate three projects related to bird monitoring and conservation in the Lakehead. Thunder Bay Field Naturalists have supported over the years Project Peregrine, the Thunder Cape Bird Observatory and the Christmas Bird Count. This support has come in terms of financial support and countless volunteer hours.

Brian Ratcliff will describe the background and achievements of Project Peregrine, which has achieved its objective of helping bring peregrine falcons back from the brink.

Al Harris will highlight the achievements of the Thunder Cape Bird Observatory, especially the trends detected from this significant monitoring effort that is contributing to a broad understanding of local and regional trends in migratory and resident bird population health.

Finally, as we approach the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season, Bill Greaves and Nick Escott will share the long-term trends revealed in the local and regional CBC data and some of the highlights from this long-running citizen science project. You will hear about plans for this year and how you may get involved.

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SPEAKER SERIES All talks are held at Lunan Hall located at St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay at 7:00 pm

January 27, 2020 – Annual General Meeting (AGM) & Membership Slide Night

Following the annual business meeting and election of the executive, members are invited to share their favourite nature-related photographs from the past year.

Each presenter is asked to limit their contribution to a maximum of 10 photographs or a maximum of 7 minutes. Please contact Gerry Racey (gdracey@tbaytel.net) by January 17 of your interest in presenting some slides and the general subject matter.

Bring your photographs or presentation on a memory stick to have them loaded on the computer prior to the meeting. Slides embedded in a PowerPoint presentation are preferred. Please label the file with y0ur name. If your presentation requires special software you will have to bring your own computer (please notify Gerry Racey).

Presenters should plan on arriving 15 minutes before the 7:00 meeting start time in order to have their photographs loaded on the computer.

March 23, 2o20 – “Polar Bear Social Behaviour in Southern Hudson Bay” with Courtney Mondoux

Join us as Courtney Mondoux shares her research experience with polar bears of the southern and western Hudson Bay subpopulations.

Her MSc research was conducted out of Trent University and was based on capture data from 1999-2013 for the southern and western Hudson Bay subpopulations of polar bears which include parts of Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, and Nunavut.

She will talk about how polar bear individuals and groups, especially maternal groups, organize themselves when they come together on shore in the summer after the sea ice breaks up. On the sea ice, there is lots of space, but when polar bears come ashore, they have to co-exist at a higher density.

Her talk will discuss family groups, influence of age, sex and reproductive status on distribution, even adoption of wild offspring.

CORRECTION

On the inside cover of the August, 2019 issue of Nature Northwest, there was a picture which was mislabeled as a Pine Marten (M. martes) and it should have been labelled as an American Marten (Martes americana). Thank you to Rob Foster for pointing this out!

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Book Review: Earth View reviewed by David Legge

I get a kick out of viewing the earth and its contents from a bird's eye view, typically an aerial shot from a plane (or a drone nowadays).

A nice read I lucked upon comes from a higher perspective: the LANDSAT NASA/USGS SATELLITES.

The book is a feast for those who like high definition images of the earth, revealing a wondrous planet, but also one deeply plundered by humankind; and those who are map aficionados.

There are over 200 images divided nicely into 3 camps: Natural Wonders, Human Landscapes, and Hidden Patterns.

Some take a little time to interpret properly, especially those with false colouring to highlight points of interest. There is a plethora of wonderful geometries, fractal forms and, in the section on Human Landscapes, visual confirmation of massive human wrought damage (example fires in countries where farms are promoted). There is a fair amount of greenery and ice, but also probably more in the way of barren land.

There are some good images of Canadian land/water: example the nearly frozen great lakes of 1994; and lake formations emanating from meteorite impacts (example Lake Manicouagan, Quebec). The deltas around the world are interesting too.

This is a different and fascinating coffee table style book that has some rewarding substance to study.

Maybe best of all, for the thrifty reader, it's a very inexpensive buy (I got it locally for but $8.00!)

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Project Peregrine by Brian Ratcliff

Prior to the 1960s, the Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus anatum, was a summer breeding resident of Lake Superior’s north shore. This continental subspecies vanished from its rocky eyries, primarily as the result of agricultural pesticides (DDT and its metabolites) in the environment. In 1973, the Canadian Wildlife Service and the University of Saskatchewan initiated the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program. In 1989, the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, with support from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, launched Project Peregrine in an attempt to reintroduce this species to the Superior north shore.

Between 1989 and 1996, 87 young peregrines were hacked at Sturgeon Bay, Ruby Lake, and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Each year since 1990, Peregrine Falcons have been observed on territory in Thunder Bay District and in 1993, successful nesting peregrines were recorded for the first time in the last quarter century. Their return as a breeding species has been credited to active and intensive release programs both in Canada and the United States.

Since 1996, Project Peregrine has conducted a monitoring program to determine how many peregrine falcons are nesting within the Lake Superior Basin. Volunteers and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources staff from Thunder

Peregrine Falcon (Photo: Brian Ratcliff)

22

Bay, Nipigon, Wawa, and Algoma Districts and Pukaskwa National Park check suitable habitat each year for nesting peregrines. Helicopter surveys, along with ground surveys are used to determine site occupancy, nest site location, and productivity. The number of territories has significantly increased since 1993, due to an abundance of excellent habitat, and the recovery of this species.

A banding program was initiated in 1996 to band young peregrines at cliff nesting sites. By identifying individual birds, we are able to determine where these birds winter, age of birds, and where they return to breed each year. The success of this project is made possible by enthusiastic climbers from the Alpine Club of Canada (Thunder Bay Chapter) and Lakehead University School of Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism who willingly walk off 125 metre cliffs and lower themselves to the nest ledge. Project Peregrine has been very successful as 613 young peregrines have been banded up to and including the 2018 field season. The banding program has come to a conclusion as of the end of the 2018 field season.

Peregrine Observations

If you see a falcon that appears to be on territory, please contact the Project Peregrine coordinator, Brian Ratcliff at (807) 768-8408.

The most important observation details include:

- the specific location and date - identification features of the bird - information on the number of eggs and/or young - any information on bands or band numbers, and - the behaviour of the bird(s).

How to Identify a Peregrine

The peregrine falcon is a fast-flying, crow-sized raptor with long, pointed wings, a long narrow tail, quick, powerful wingbeats, and a distinctive facial pattern with

Peregrine Chicks at Lomond River (Photo: Leo Tardiff)

Checking a Nesting Site (Photo: Mike Pianka)

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heavy dark “sideburns”. Adults are a dark slate-gray colour on the back, with a light-coloured barred breast, while younger birds are brown with a heavily streaked breast. They can often be identified by their distinctive call, which is a repeated “kek-kek-kek-kek”.

Peregrines are sometimes confused with the Merlin, another falcon found in the Thunder Bay District. Merlins are smaller and nest in trees instead of on cliffs, often in close proximity to human habitation.

Red Sucker Cove (Photo: Brian Ratcliff)

Mink Bay (Photo: Brian Ratcliff)

Banding Tools (Photo: Brian Ratcliff)

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Butterflies of the Rainy River District, 2019

by Michael S. Dawber and David H. Elder

For the second year in a row, a cold prolonged winter was followed by a cool, protracted spring. The first butterflies were recorded on April 18 at the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Area near Fort Frances. A short warm spell awakened some hibernating mourning cloaks. Emerging spring species were one to two weeks later than average. Once summer started, it was warm to hot but with frequent periods of unsettled conditions that produced showers and thunderstorms. July rainfall was 50% above average. Fall arrived gently with wet conditions continuing. The last butterfly noted was seen October 23; a single painted lady at Morley Park near Stratton. Incredibly, this butterfly was active in an air temperature of only +3°C.

The Rainy River District butterfly list now stands at 100 species. Of this total, we collectively saw 75 species during the year. One new species, Appalachian brown, was added to the list. A total of 591 individual records were submitted to the Toronto Entomological Association database.

One-day butterfly counts were carried out in Atikokan on June 7 with 21 species recorded including large marble, pepper-and-salt skipper, Freija fritillary, taiga alpine, and red-disked alpine. Surveys of the west end of the district were also made on July 21 and 28. The July 21st outing found 28 species, including the District’s first recorded Appalachian brown and over 30 monarchs along Advent Road near Pinewood.

Highlights of the year include:

• Appalachian Brown – An amazing record for this southern species. This individual was found July 21 basking on some grape vines on Michael Dawber’s property. Initially mistaken for northern pearly-eye, the ID was later corrected with help from observers on iNaturalist.

• Silver-spotted Skipper – Found near the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre outside Stratton on July 2. There were only eight prior records for this relatively large, conspicuous skipper, which was last seen in 2015 at Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung.

• Juvenal’s Duskywing – First record in 14 years and only four records confirmed for the District. A Juvenal’s was found on the edge of a paved road running along the Rainy River through a riparian bur oak stand, a preferred host for the species.

• Dion Skipper – Found after failing to appear in 2018. A single Dion was seen July 28 on Kreger’s Road southwest of Harris Hill, while two more were recorded August 8 at Cranberry Peatlands. Cranberry Peatlands is a new location for the species.

• Black Swallowtail – Found along a bush road on June 13 with forest cover in all directions for kilometres, the third record for the eastern part of the District. The only western sighting was on June 2 on Michael Dawber’s property.

• Western White and Checkered White – Both species found again in late August at Atikokan with western whites predominating.

• Banded Hairstreak – A single individual recorded August 1 in La Vallee Township was the first sighting in five years. This oak associated species occasionally turns up around bur oak in the District’s west end.

• Common Buckeye – The third record for the species was an individual nectaring on spreading dogbane on July 20 at Atikokan.

• Baltimore Checkerspot – Was not recorded for the second year even though the host plant, turtlehead, was common. Multiple checks of the Wilson Creek Road area, where it has been found before, did not reveal any this year.

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• Painted Lady – First noted in early June, numbers of very worn individuals appeared throughout the district into late July. They were then replaced by fresh, unworn individuals indicating the first migrants bred. The species persisted almost to the end of October at multiple locations.

• Red-disked Alpine – Noted repeatedly in early June along bush roads near spruce bogs in the eastern part of the District. High count for the year was five seen June 7 south of Atikokan.

• Crossline Skipper – One individual was seen July 14 on Michael Dawber’s property. This species is particularly difficult to ID, as it closely resembles other skippers. Crossline may be more common in Rainy River than the records suggest.

• Monarch – A banner year for the species across the District. On July 20, 39 were noted on common milkweed lining the ditches along a rural road just north of Pinewood. Monarchs arrived early, with two near Atikokan on June 7 and one seen June 18 in the town of Rainy River. The last outbound migrant was noted September 26 in La Vallee township.

Appalachian Brown – July 21, 2019, La Vallee Township (Photo: Michael S. Dawber)

Silver-spotted Skipper – July 2, 2019, Morley Township (Photo: Michael S. Dawber)

Juvenal’s Duskywing – June 6, 2019, north of town in Rainy River (Photo: David H. Elder)

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Fall Round-up Bird Count

by John Woodcock

Saturday November 2, 2019 was a great day to get out and participate in the annual Fall Roundup. Twenty-nine parties participated this year, one more party than last year. Collectively, they observed 82 species, down slightly from 88 in 2018. The total number of birds reported (11,077) was up from 7,813 last year. Much of this increase is attributable to the huge flocks of Snow Buntings found seemingly everywhere. In Thunder Bay the weather cooperated except for some wind in the afternoon. The temperature hovered around zero, it was partly cloudy and there was a trace of snow. The wind was from the west at 10 to 20 km/hr.

Compared to 2018; raptor numbers were down, pigeon numbers were up (could there be a correlation?), corvid numbers were up, junco & sparrow numbers were down, blackbird numbers were down and Snow Bunting numbers were over 3 times higher than last year.

Common Buckeye – June 20, 2019, Atikokan (Photo: David H. Elder)

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Observed in the 2018 fall roundup but not observed this year were: any grebes, Mute Swan, Black Duck, Pintail, 2 species of scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Sandhill Crane, Golden Plover, White Pelican, kingfisher, Red-bellied & Black-backed Woodpeckers, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Townsend’s Solitaire, Chipping sp., Fox sp., White-crowned sp., Rusty Blackbird and redpolls.

Observed in the 2019 fall roundup but not observed last year were: Cackling Goose, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Golden Eagle, Goshawk, Coot, Dunlin, Nashville Warbler, Song Sparrow, eastern Meadowlark, Summer Tanager and Red Crossbill.

Little attempt has been made to separate-out multiple sightings of the same birds by different parties. That being said, it is likely that there were indeed 2 Western Meadowlarks around, one at Chippewa and another in the fields south of Viterra; 2 parties saw the same Summer Tanager.

Four of the Cackling Geese were sitting in the fenced area in-front of Keefer Terminal. No Black-backed Woodpeckers or Black Ducks were observed but one of each was seen the day after the count.

To everyone who participated in this outstanding ‘citizen science project’, many thanks! Events like this contribute significantly to our understanding of the birds in our environment.

There was a total of 11,077 individuals and 82 species. Following are the totals for the day:

Count Species Count Species Count Species Count Species

2 Common Loon 14 Sharp-tailed Grouse 14 Pileated Woodpecker 8 American Pipit

4 Snow Goose 1 Golden Eagle 2 Northern Shrike 108 Lapland Longspur

6 Cackling Goose 3 Northern Harrier 49 Canada Jay 2,615 Snow Bunting

1,789 Canada Goose 1 Northern Goshawk 130 Blue Jay 39 American Tree Sparrow

11 Trumpeter Swan 178 Bald Eagle 10 Black-billed Magpie 1 Fox Sparrow

46 American Widgeon 5 Red-tailed Hawk 1,669 American Crow 2 Song Sparrow

77 Mallard 19 Rough-legged Hawk 344 Common Raven 3 White-throated Sparrow

3 American Green-winged Teal

1 Broad-winged Hawk 36 Horned Lark 1 White-crowned Sparrow

16 Redhead 4 Merlin 340 Black-capped Chickadee 84 Dark-eyed Junco

62 Ringed-neck Duck 11 American Coot 6 Boreal Chickadee 2 Western Meadowlark

20 Greater Scaup 1 Dunlin 84 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 meadowlark sp.

57 Lesser Scaup 2 Wilson’s Snipe 5 White-breasted Nuthatch

8 Red-winged Blackbird

14 Scaup sp. 1 Bonaparte’s Gull 2 Brown Creeper 23 Common Grackle

2 Black Scoter 167 Ringed-bill Gull 1 Winter Wren 1 Summer Tanager

199 Bufflehead 400 Herring Gull 4 Golden-crowned Kinglet 7 Evening Grosbeak

295 Common Goldeneye 1,176 Rock Pidgeon 65 American Robin 5 Purple Finch

203 Hooded Merganser 3 Mourning Dove 230 European Starling 24 Pine Grosbeak

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29 Common Merganser 1 Northern Hawk Owl 32 Bohemian Waxwing 6 Red Crossbill

20 Ruffed Grouse 40 Downy Woodpecker 2 Cedar Waxwing 3 White-winged Crossbill

9 Spruce Grouse 46 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Nashville Warbler 63 Pine Siskin

151 American Goldfinch

67 House Sparrow

UPDATE ON THE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A HUNTING SEASON FOR DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS IN ONTARIO

ERO number: 013-4124 Notice Type: Policy Act: Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 Posted by: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Notice Stage: Proposal, Updated

This notice was updated on November 7, 2019 to inform the public that proposed amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, received First Reading on November 6, 2019 in the Ontario Legislature, and to provide a link to the proposed legislation – see updated link below. If the proposed legislative amendments are passed by the legislature, the ministry would have to advance regulatory amendments before a double-crested cormorant hunting season could be created.

This consultation was open from November 19, 2018 to January 3, 2019. The proposal is to list the double-crested cormorant as a game bird, create a hunting season in Ontario for population management and make related changes. This proposal would be implemented through a series of regulatory and legislative amendments.

The environmental registry of Ontario (ERO) link is found here: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/013-4124

Double-crested Cormorants seen with an American White Pelican (Photo: Anna Buske)

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Nature Photo Gallery

Red Fox – Cross Fox Colour Variant, Immature (Photo: Evelyn Gillson

Two Red-tailed Hawks in a scuffle near White River, August 2019 (Photo: Rob Foster)

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Bowman Island Nature Reserve (Photo: Mike Bryan)

Barred Owl (Photo: Sandy Barro)

NATURE NORTHWEST NOVEMBER 2019 | ISSN 0836-4702 Vol. 72 Issue 4 31

TBFN BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2019

President Past President, Ontario Nature Representative Vice President, Field Trips, Junior Naturalists Secretary Treasurer Membership, Inventory and Sales Publicity and Promotion Programs Thunder Cape Bird Observatory, Advocacy Director at Large

Bruce Thacker David Legge Marian Childs Lada Malek Kathie Pawlik Lindy Wagenaar Sandra Barro Gerry Racey Ted Armstrong Mary-Anne Mackett

344-2279 983-2155 577-1324 344-0230 344-4635 345-1061 768-9735 939-1620 577-3997

TBFN STANDING COMMITTEES & SUPPORT TBFN REPRESENTATIVES ON COMMUNITY COMMITTEES

Newsletter Editor Web Editor Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Chair Facebook Twitter Bird Records Committee Chair, Project Peregrine Chair Membership Secretary Bluebird Recovery Nature Reserves Committee Chair Junior Naturalists

John Barro Bruce Thacker Allan Harris Connie Hartviksen Carly Robillard Brian Ratcliff Sharon Gilbert Susan Robinson Sue Bryan Marian Childs

768-9735 344-2279 344-7213 983-2688 768-8408 768-8582 344-1739 345-6446 577-1324

EarthCare Greening Working Group OMNRF LCC Spruce River Forest OMNRF LCC Dog Lake/Matawin River Forest OMNRF LCC Lakehead Forest OMNRF LCC Armstrong Forest Public Advisory Committee to the LaMP – Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Thunder Bay Stewardship Council OMNRF Fisheries Management Zone 9 Advisory Council Lk. Superior Nat’l Marine Cons. Area

K.Sakamoto/J.Walas Rob Foster Mac Squires Peter Nicholas Gerry Racey Jean Hall-Armstrong Jean Hall-Armstrong Walter Momot Keith Wade

939-1620 577-3997 577-3997 935-3092

Membership Application/Renewal Form

Name: ______________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________ Postal Code: __________________________________________ Phone: (Home) _______________________________________________ Work/Mobile: _________________________________________ I prefer to receive Nature Northwest by (circle one): Postal mail ($5 fee) / Email ($0 fee) / Both ($5 fee)

☐Family $30 ☐Single $25 ☐Senior (65+) $20 ☐Student $20 ☐Life $350 ☐Corresponding (non-voting) $16 ☐Thunder Cape $10 Donation of $ ___________ to (circle one) TBFN, TCBO, Jr. Naturalists, Nature Reserves (Tax receipt issued for donation) Juniors: Name(s) and Age(s) __________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you willing to share knowledge in a particular area as a speaker or field trip leader or co-leader? If yes, in what area? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please add $5 to your renewal fee if you want to receive Nature Northwest through the mail. (For example, please pay $35 for a family membership). Your TBFN and TCBO memberships expire on December 31st. To ensure a May Newsletter, please register by February using this form, or print the form from the TBFN website (www.tbfn.net) and mail to TBFN at P.O. Box 10037 Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6T6. You can also pay using PayPal on the TBFN website.

All membership information is confidential and as such the Club will not sell or distribute this information.

TBFN – INFORMATION FOR 2019

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of natural history, the wise use of resources, the preservation of natural areas, and teaching the public to understand and protect nature.

NATURE NORTHWEST NOVEMBER 2019 | ISSN 0836-4702 Vol. 72 Issue 4 32

Nature Northwest November 2019

Website: www.tbfn.net

Meeting Dates:

4th Monday of September, October, November, January, March, and April, at 7 p.m.

Annual Dinner meeting is held 4th Sunday of February

Look us up on social media on the Web, Facebook, or Twitter

Contact Us www.tbfn.net www.facebook.com @TbayFieldNats

Thunder Bay Field Naturalists P.O. Box 10037 Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6T6

Publications Agreement Number 41362520

ISSN 0836-4702 Vol. 73, Issue #4

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