newsletter DRFNN

The NaturalistDURHAM REGION FIELD NATURALISTS: 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Four times a day I drive past two high schools on my way to work and home again. Other than the interesting things high schoolers wear to school I really notice the amount of garbage that is lying around the neighbourhood. Is it my imagination or is there more garbage blowing in the wind than there used to be? Diane and I have traveled to many places in the world and typically, the poorer the country the more garbage there is strewn about. Even a supposed paradise like the island of Bali has piles of garbage lying in the gutters and ditches everywhere. Many Caribbean islands are no better. The most pristine place we found was in Antarctica, where there was very little and what was found was picked up by the guides and our fellow travelers. Have you ever looked around you at a 401 exit when you are stopped at the exit ramp light? Isn’t it enough to make you angry? Toronto used to be known as “Toronto the Clean”, well the instant the city cut back on overnight garbage cleanup it began to look like some of the Third World countries. Much of this garbage originates at fast food restaurants. Many of us have learned to accept excessive packaging, most of which ends up in the garbage and a lot of which seems to be blowing in the wind. Many of us do our duty and dispose of our garbage in the proper manner. But those who don’t for whatever reason make our cities look terrible. When I was young there were antilittering campaigns that actually worked. I cannot believe that our public schools can’t do something to lessen the amount of garbage that is tossed around the schoolyards. Just like smoking, we need to make littering unacceptable. Garbage is not just unsightly; it can also be dangerous to animals who mistake it for food and become sick and die. Garbage can also release toxins that degrade the natural environment. But it is not just litter that should concern us. It is the amount of garbage that each of us produces that has to be disposed of in some way. We have too many politicians who are afraid to take the bull by the horns, like many other countries in the world have done, and force us to really start to follow the 3 R’s. I actually have neighbours who never put out a recycle bin! In the late 70’s the Ontario Government put together a group whose job was to come up with a sound garbage plan for Ontario. Well now almost 30 years later we are no further ahead than we were then. Instead of doing something about our garbage we The Naturalist DURHAM REGION FIELD NATURALISTS November 2005 ‘Conservation through Education’ Volume 51 Issue 5 WHAT’S INSIDE: President’s Message Upcoming Outings Past Outings ON Meeting Summary Trip to Belize The Mighty Nematode Merlin Nesting! Think Conservation Bird Counts Upcoming Meeting: All meetings commence at 7:30 p.m. Come a little early to enjoy conversa-tion and refreshments (‘lug-a-mug’) at the Oshawa Public Library, Northview Branch, Beatrice at Ritson. Meetings are the last Monday of each month except June-August and December. Monday, November 28: Earle and Fran Keatley: Queen Charlotte Islands + Bucket Raffle! Monday, January 30, 2006: Prof. Bill Andrews: Deserts of the American Southwest Monday, February 27: Prof. Doug Larson: The Urban Cliff Revolution: Evolution of Human Habitat Durham Rare Bird Hotline: (905)576-2738 Receive your copy of the Durham Rare Bird Hotline by e-mail. The messages are sent out twice a week, Friday and Sunday. To add your name to the subscription list, contact Rayfield Pye at raypye@interlinks.net. You may also report your bird sightings by e-mail. Make a donation to this important venture – over $10 and you get a tax receipt! Editor: Dianne Pazaratz, Phone 905-433-7875, e-mail dpazaratz@sympatico.ca. Comments and articles welcome!

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (Cont’d) export much of it to Michigan and there are no plans to change that. Well what if the border closed tomorrow, what would we do? It is time we as conservationists started to lobby our governments to get serious about not only our litter problem but how much garbage we produce and how we dispose of it. I challenge each of you to really look around you and reduce the amount of garbage you produce and get active in the community to force others to do so too; our environment depends on it. - Otto Peter UPCOMING OUTINGS Sunday, December 18 51st Oshawa Christmas Bird Count There are two ways that you can take part in a Christmas bird count: The first is to join one of the teams that will be spending the day inventorying all of the birds in their territory. The second way is to count the birds at your feeder and report the numbers at the end of the day. There will be a sign up sheet for feeder watchers and regular counters at the November 28th DRFN meeting. Dress warmly. Wrap-up get-together at Otto and Diane Peter’s. If you would like more information contact Rayfield Pye at (905) 436-7998 or raypye@interlinks.net The Minden Christmas Bird Count will be on Saturday, December 17. For more information contact Dennis Barry at (905) 725-2116. Saturday, January 21, 8:45 a.m. Annual Pegg Feeder Outing & Pot-Luck Lunch Organised by Judy Bryson. Meet at Mount Zion United Church to drop off food. Drive north on Westney Road past Hwy. 7 to Concession 8 and turn right (east).  Address is 3000 Concession 8 just east of Salem road. 9:00 departure to tour feeders. Lunch around noon at Mount Zion United Church. Dress warmly! DRAGONFLY OUTING – Sunday, August 7, 2005 It was a real summer scorcher of a day, but the dragonflies didn’t seem to mind at all. James Kamstra welcomed a group of 24 enthusiasts from both the Durham Region Field Naturalists and the Pickering Naturalists. We met at 10:00 a.m. at the parking lot for the Darlington Generating Station pond. James started off with a brief introduction to the six groups of dragonflies and the three groups of damselflies, collectively known as odonates. He also discussed current guidebooks and catching techniques. Any odonates that we caught were identified and then promptly released. After sharing extra nets and insect containers, we set off. The dragonflies present were species of skimmers and darners. Skimmers belong to a very large family, and are usually easier to identify because they rest on convenient perches – often near the water, but sometimes farther away. Binoculars come in handy for spotting them. Most numerous were the Twelve-spotted Skimmers, with perhaps 50 individuals darting about over the surface of the pond. We also had excellent looks at Black Saddlebags, Widow Skimmers, Eastern Pond-hawks, and Blue Dashers. Perhaps the most striking species of the day was the male Calico Pennant, with its striking red body and dark spots on the wings. Meadowhawks are a group of common to abundant skimmers that are smaller and more terrestrial. Adult males are typically red, and females as well as immature males are yellow. Older females of several species become dull red. Many individual meadowhawks are difficult or impossible to identify with certainty, even if you are looking at them in the hand with a magnifier. Almost all of the ones that we saw well were Yellow-legged Meadowhawks. There were also a couple of White-faced Meadowhawks. Incidentally, if you don’t have a hand lens, you can still get a close up view by reversing your binoculars. Other dragonflies at the pond belonged to the darner family. Many darners are large odonates that spend much of their time in flight, often at some height. They move remarkably fast and are extremely wary, making them difficult to catch. If you do happen to see one sitting still, it will be instantly recognizable because darners hang vertically, head up, rather than perching. Some of the darners and other odonates were seen flying “in tandem,” with the male holding onto the female’s head. Many thanks once again to WELCOME FEEDS 116 King St. W., Bowmanville, for donating two bags of Premium Wild Birdseed Mix to our Bucket Raffle. Visit their store in the Vanstone Mill. (905) 623-5777

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The Common Green Darners at the pond were readily identifiable, with their bright green thorax and the blue abdomen of the males. Little is known about their migration, but large numbers can be seen moving south in the fall. We also saw “mosaic darners” zipping about. The species of mosaic darners are very similar, with prominent diagonal stripes of blue and green on the thorax. You need a close look in the hand to distinguish them. All of the ones that we caught were Lance-tipped Darners. Damselflies are generally much smaller than dragonflies. At rest, they hold their wings above the body, instead of straight out, like dragonflies. In the pond damsel family, the wings are held together above the back. Probably the most common of these in our area is the Eastern Forktail. The males have a green and black thorax, a black abdomen, and a bright blue “tail-light.” There were also several blue Familiar Bluets. In the spreadwing family, the wings are held partially open. The most common of these was the Spotted Spreadwing. As the name implies, they have distinctive spots, found on the underside of the abdomen. After James caught one and showed it to everyone, Carolyn King and I counted 39 of them. The group also saw several Common Spreadwings. In all, the group saw fourteen species of odonates by the end of the hike at 12:30 p.m. We found an additional two species of damselflies afterwards at the pond – Northern Bluet and Lyre-tipped Spread-wing. With the warm weather and all of those keen pairs of eyes, the group spotted eight species of butterflies. These ranged from tiny Least Skippers to large Monarchs. Most numerous were the delicate Eastern-tailed Blues, with a tally of 35 individuals. This is also a good birding location, with sightings of shorebirds (Solitary Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs), marsh birds (Green Heron, Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron) and songbirds (Baltimore Oriole and Cedar Waxwings). If you would like to learn more about local insects, please contact either Carolyn or me for information about the Toronto Entomologists’ Association, or visit the website at www.ontarioinsects.org. The club meets regularly in Toronto, and has outings to look at odonates, butterflies, moths, other insects, and related groups, such as spiders. There are a number of butterfly counts and several odonate counts held across the province each year. Locally, there are two counts in Durham Region and two in Toronto. Beginners are always welcome, and are paired with experienced observers. - Steve LaForest ONTARIO NATURE REGIONAL MEETING SUMMARY 10/22/05 Satu Pernanen, our Ontario Nature Represen-tative, and Dianne Pazaratz attended this informative meeting, hosted by the Peterborough Field Naturalists at the Trent University campus on River Road in Peterborough. Andrea Smith, our Regional Co-ordinator, brought the group up to date on ON’s ‘Greenway Strategy’. The government Greenbelt Plan for the Golden Horseshoe protects 1.8 million acres of land. While this is a good start, there is a loophole: developers can ‘hop over’ the protected land. This is of great concern to people living north and east of the protected area. Ontario Nature’s Greenway Strategy would go further, providing more natural corridors, additional protected rural land, and covering a larger area. They recommend incentives for landowners to provide forest protection, buffers around waterways, etc. on their lands. Ontario Nature will work with communities, conservation groups, farmers, municipalities, and the provincial government. ON wants the Nature Network groups (that’s us) to get involved with our municipal governments on this issue. Andrea reviewed a presentation they have drafted to help us speak to this issue. A ‘Greenway Broadsheet’ is also available which provides all the information. ON is already working with two communities and two naturalist groups. Four million additional people are expected in Southern Ontario by 2035! We need to plan for their accommodation in a meaningful way. If we continue to do what we’re doing, what kind of environment will we have in the future? Did you know that it’s the current residents who pay for new development? We need to influence public values – e.g. more and bigger isn’t better. We need to think of ‘nature first land use planning’. Steve Hounsell, ON President, provided a Board update. Caroline Schultz starts as the new Executive Director on October 24, and ON is looking forward to her leadership. There is also a new Director of Conservation and Science – Wendy Francis. After a quick lunch, we walked on the university grounds. We climbed ‘Lady Eaton Drumlin’ and saw the beautiful Fall view of the Otonabee River and the campus. We headed back on an old rail-trail that had been converted to a pleasant walking trail. The walk was invigorating, as the weather was very cool and somewhat damp.

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Each group provided an update on activities since the last meeting. Groups in the Rouge Valley area are still fighting ‘the big pipe’, a large sanitary sewer already partially built beneath streets in Markham, Stouffville and Richmond Hill. They contend that York Region is removing up to 30,000 litres of water per minute from groundwater aquifers. It is feared that wells and streams will go dry, while most of the precious groundwater will be dumped into the sanitary sewer. The ‘Big Pipe’ is designed to accommodate 35 more years of urban sprawl in York Region. Alternative measures are suggested. They asked attendees to write letters to political contacts. One group expressed concern over the cost to purchase a data projector, which many presenters are now requesting. The suggestion was made to share the cost with another group(s) who would use the equipment on a different night. This could also apply to a sound system, etc. Richmond Hill Naturalists have teamed with the City to provide a package to new home owners on how to naturalize their yard; the City provides some shrubs and trees. It was interesting to note that the Mycological Society has had to limit their forays in some areas, as the stewards of those areas are uncomfortable with the fact that they do pick some mushrooms for study. Apparently, York Region Forest is being ‘picked to death’ by ‘semi-commercial’ people (not Mycological Society of course) who come in and pick everything. There was discussion on how to attract new members. Some suggestions were: provide interesting programs, ensure you have a good sound system so people can hear, have presentations related to the outings that are coming up, have a variety of presentations and outings (not just birding), have causes and commitments (e.g. Peter’s Woods, Alderville savannah restoration for Willow Beach), praise volunteers a lot, have a good meeting place, have a website, on the website let people know they are welcome to come to a meeting as a guest, have good media coverage, have an active Board and active volunteers. Andrea Smith provided the Conservation and Science Update. Documents the provincial government is working on to protect habitat include a new Provincial Policy Statement, the Places to Grow Act and the Greenbelt Act and Plan. ON’s Linda Pim is on the Greenbelt Committee. A group is conducting ‘Campaign Lake Simcoe’ to reverse the deteriorating water quality and to combat development leap-frogging into Simcoe County. More information is available on the ON website (www.ontarionature.org). ON is also involved in Pickering’s proposal to dissolve agricultural easements. October 31 Update from Andrea Smith: The provincial government introduced new legislation to restore the Pickering easements and to solidify the ‘in perpetuity’ nature of conservation easements across Ontario. This is a huge victory for land protection in Ontario! ON will be sending out an Action Alert regarding Dufferin Aggregates’ proposal to expand the Milton Quarry by 83 hectares on the Niagara Escarpment. In Northern Ontario, ON is putting together a protected areas toolkit for First Nations. They are also involved in many projects on Nature Reserves and with Volunteers for Nature. On October 25 the new Parks and Conservation Reserves Act received first reading in the Ontario Legislature, laying the groundwork for a brighter future for natural spaces in Ontario by focusing on ecological integrity as the underlying principle guiding the management of Ontario Parks. ON is disappointed, however, that logging will still be allowed in Algonquin Park, and will continue to work on this issue. The Nature Network (ON’s member clubs such as ours) is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2006. Doors Open to Ontario Nature will feature 75 community events that highlight the diversity, strength and commitment of Ontario Nature’s member groups. Some groups have already posted their plans on the ON website. In 2006 there will be a new Conservation Award – Youth Essay Challenge. The 75th Annual Conference will be June 2-5, hosted by Kitchener-Waterloo Naturalists; Bill Lishman will be a guest speaker. Check out the ‘Give the Gift that Gives Back’ program on the website – give enough ON memberships as gifts and DRFN’s group membership fee will be waived for 2006! ON provides a Junior Naturalist Manual to help clubs in setting up a junior naturalist group. It contains twelve ready-to-go activities. ON and Magnotta Wines have partnered to support nature – for every bottle of certain wines sold through Magnotta’s online store, the winery will donate $1.50 to Ontario Nature. - Dianne Pazaratz

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TAKE A TRIP TO BELIZE…  For some reason, Diane and I have always wanted to go to Belize. Maybe it is the exotic name, maybe the call of the coral reefs and jungles. Whatever the reason Diane and I and nine other intrepid explorers spent 13 days in Belize with a 2-day side trip to Guatemala. Our group was an eclectic mix of experienced birders and naturalists and novice adventure travelers, some who wanted to scuba dive and a couple who just wanted to get off the beaten path and see some unique sights. One of our goals was to spend time in the jungle looking for jaguars. Parts of Belize where we were going have the highest density of jaguars in the New World. We spent two nights in the Jaguar Preserve in the Cockscomb basin at a jaguar research station in very spartan conditions (no electricity and only cold running water) in a beautiful dense forest setting. We also spent two nights at Chan Chich, a 5 star enclave in a 125,000-acre forest preserve. Did we see a jaguar? Yes we did, but only in the Belize City Zoo. We did however see evidence of the big cat’s footprints in soft mud where a jaguar had chased a tapir, some fresh scat on a trail deep in the forest and evidence that a tree trunk had been used as a scratching post. A smaller cat, a jaguarondi, was spotted crossing the highway near Caracol, by two members of our group, while the rest of us were intently scanning the forest edge for birds. Another goal of our group was to spend time on the coral reefs. Did you know that Belize has the second longest coastal barrier reef in the world at over 400 kilometers in length? Our first visit to the reef was at Placentia in the south at Laughing Bird Cay, a small coral island 20 kilometers from land surrounded by beautiful aquamarine waters filled with colourful corals and flashing tropical fish. When not snorkeling with the lemon sharks and barracuda we sat on the white coral beach and watched the brown pelicans dive suicidally head first into the shallows looking for lunch, and listening to the Laughing Gulls for which the cay is named. Our second exposure to the reef was at Caye Caulker a 3x1 kilometer white coral sand island surrounded by beautiful tropical green seas. Here we were able to swim with nurse sharks and northern stingrays and again see the rainbow-hued reef corals and fish along with moray eels. Ras Creek our boat captain on one of our cruises fished for our lunch and dove down for a Queen conch. He pulled out a small stove and cooked up a yellow-tailed snapper in coconut milk and curry and made up a tasty fresh conch ceviche. On the way around the island he caught a large sea horse in a glass jar for all of us to have a close-up look and pointed out many others in the shallow water. As we came around a point of land we came across a large saltwater crocodile swallowing a large ctenosaur lizard. As we watched, the lizard’s tail slowly disappeared down the croc’s gullet. I guess what they say is right, “eat or be eaten”. Ras’s small leaky top-heavy boat may not be the Queen Mary II but he sure does know how to put on an excellent snorkeling and sight seeing cruise. If you ever go to Caye Caulker make sure you don’t miss his tour. One of the surprises of the trip was the Mayan ruins at Caracol and Tikal (in Guatemala). Our guides told us about their history and their social and recreational life and we were able to view the huge ruins that have been reclaimed from the jungle. One of the most fascinating facts about the ruins is that they are not just one layer. It turns out that the Maya would add another layer of stone on top of an old layer at regular 20 to 50 year periods. Some ruins we saw had 5 layers that could be seen. All of the reclaimed ruins had been totally overgrown with jungle; it was only by accident that they were rediscovered. At Caracol they had left the forest on the backsides of some of the pyramids that allowed us to see how it looked when first built and also how it looked covered in jungle. The ruins at Tikal are the size of Manhattan and only a tiny fraction has been restored. It was an eerie feeling climbing to the top of the pyramid of the Lost World to see the sunset. The top was probably used to sacrifice humans in the dim past. The climb down was very daunting since each step was 15-18” high but only 8” wide; that meant we had a very dangerous steep 75-degree descent. Mayan Ruin at Tikal

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Of course, one of the reasons we were in Belize was the amazing bird life. Belize, a very small country, has over 550 species on its official list. Because of the great locations and the excellent local guides, we saw 255 of them. Some of my favorites were surprises like the Black hawk-eagle placidly sitting in a tree as we exited a forest trail, or the Orange-breasted falcon that was nesting in a small niche 150 feet high in Mayan ruin. On our last day at Crooked Tree we were told there was a Northern Lapwing at the end of the lagoon, a bird not even on the Belize checklist. Another treat was finally seeing an Agami Heron exactly where it should be seen skulking in the shadows under the overhanging trees along a stream bank. Again, being in the right place at the right time offered me the opportunity to see a Royal Flycatcher, a bird I have wanted to see for a long time. We were getting ready for supper and as usual I was ready first so I just wandered off behind our room to a maintenance area and there was the flycatcher hawking insects over the parking lot. It even landed and raised its beautiful crest only steps away from me. Chan Chich was memorable for more than one thing. There we had a local guide who could actually tell you what bird had flown away merely by listening to the sound of its wings. Many times he identified birds by their flight and then found them in the dense underbrush using his amazing eyesight. Of course, after years of guiding in the reserve, he knew where birds habituated. I was looking for one bird in particular - a Tody Motmot - and asked if he could find it for me. Within minutes he took us all to a beautiful perched bird. He also took us to a fabulous spot along the stream bank where birds came to bathe all day long. As we sat quietly, a procession of birds walked or flew out of the forest and splashed about in the stream. It was fascinating to watch a White-necked Jacobin (hummingbird) hover over the stream with its tail fanned out and then dip repeatedly into the water showering the area with glinting prisms of water droplets. My only regret was that we couldn’t stay longer. The great thing about this spot was that you could observe the birds for long periods of time at close range. All in all, Belize certainly lived up to our expectations, from trekking through dense forest, floating down a stream in an inner tube or canoe, snorkeling on coral reefs, climbing ancient ruins or just vegging on the beach. Each of us got what we went for. Catherine Evans at Tours of Exploration certainly put together a wonderful itinerary. - Otto Peter Bare-throated tiger heron WHY WE NEED OUR WOODLANDS Woodlands perform a number of important ecological functions. They provide oxygen for animals to breathe, food for animals to eat, and shelter for animals from the weather and predators. The soil and moisture conditions found within woodlands create suitable habitat for many species of plants and animals that cannot survive elsewhere. Woodland trees moderate climate by releasing water from their leaves, absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide, and providing shade. Trees also absorb rainwater, thereby reducing soil erosion, runoff and flooding. Woodlands allow water to filter down into the ground to refill the underground aquifers that provide Ontarians with drinking water. Woodlands provide us with many economic benefits as well, including timber, pulp and paper products, maple syrup and mushrooms. Woodlands offer countless educational, research and recreational opportunities. Undisturbed woodlands also serve as economical benchmarks for how woodland ecosystems are meant to function. Finally, woodlands have enormous spiritual and aesthetic value. They provide a peaceful balance in our busy, modern lives. We marvel at the diversity of plants and animals found within them. Old-growth forests in particular can provide a spiritual link to the past. They are an integral part of our heritage and remind us of what our natural areas can become given time and protection. -from ON Nature flyer on Significant Woodlands, 2005

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WHAT’S NEW AT THICKSON’S WOODS AND MEADOW? Thickson’s Woods Land Trust is selling tickets for an exciting Art Raffle, with the draw to be held at a Garden Party at the Inverlynn Estate in Whitby on June 11, 2006. You don’t have to be there to win, but it will be a fun-filled party! Please buy your ticket for a chance to win one of five framed pieces of art, generously donated by celebrated artists – like the Eastern Bluebird original by Marc Barrie or a lovely landscape original by Diana Bellerby. Support Thickson’s Woods in paying off the Meadow mortgage. Are you willing to sell a book or two of tickets? Please contact Judy Bryson at (905) 576-0492. And don’t forget to hold May 6 in your 2006 calendar for the next Pancake Breakfast! Can’t you taste that maple syrup already? The Fall Festival will be September 16. WINGS OF PARADISE AND ARBORETUM OUTING, OCTOBER 30 Fine fall weather helped to make our outing successful. Our first stop was at the Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge. We strolled through rooms filled with displays of insects from around the world. Entry into the butterfly conservatory set our minds back to trips to Central and South America as we felt the warmth and humidity. The butterflies were very easy to see and photograph as they wafted around, fed at sugary platforms or rested on tropical plants. Visitors to the tropics see many butterflies but the conservatory concentrates them to allow you to get wonderful views in perfect lighting conditions. Personnel were on-hand to explain how they receive the insects from around the world on a frequent basis. They also explained the butterflies’ life cycle that culminates with the emergence from their chrysalis and taking wing. The Arboretum at the University of Guelph was a short drive away. Ten kilometers of trails cover the 165 hectares that the arboretum occupies. After lunch in a peaceful garden setting, we followed the Ivey Trail through a wide of variety of interesting tree and shrub specimens. The Gosling Wildlife Gardens at the end of this trail offer ideas for urban gardeners who would like to naturalize their property. This was where we saw most of the Arboretum’s wildlife, so the benefits were clear. Low maintenance, natural beauty and coexistence with nature make this garden option more popular each year. The Conservatory and Arboretum are open all year round so take a drive when you have the time. The butterflies will make you recall those lazy, hazy days of summer. The Arboretum’s changing vistas throughout the seasons deserve to be experienced often. - Don Docherty "If all the matter in the universe except nematodes were swept away, our world would still be recognizable, and if, as disembodied spirits, we could then investigate it, we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes, and oceans represented by a film of nematodes. The location of towns would be decipherable, since for every massing of human beings there would be a corresponding massing of certain nematodes. Trees would still stand in ghostly rows representing our streets and highways. The location of the various plants and animals would still be decipherable, and had we sufficient knowledge, in many cases even their species could be determined by an examination of their erstwhile nematode parasites. - Nathan Cobb (world's first nematologist), 1914. Reprinted from Nature Canada, Vol 34 #2 - Photo by Lois Gillette

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Part One of this article is reprinted from the Toronto Ornithological Club September 2005 Newsletter. Part Two will appear in our January newsletter. FIRST DOCUMENTED NEST RECORD OF MERLIN IN THE GREATER TORONTO AREA - Bruce F. Aikins As a participant in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas project for the past 5 years, I have concentrated primarily on atlas square 17PJ79 that covers a portion of Lake Scugog and surrounding territory where our home happens to be located. It is a very productive square with over 100 species confirmed as breeding locally. However, there are always some new and unexpected surprises. In the early spring of 2004, I was checking local woodlots for used nests of crows and raptors in order to mentally catalogue them to check later in the season for re-use. While exiting a woodlot near our home, I heard an unusual call for this area and following the sound to its source, discovered a male Merlin in a maple tree on the edge of the bush staring down at me. It seemed completely unconcerned about my proximity and we stayed in position eyeing each other for some time. In fact, it was I that broke off the encounter to continue on home. It was only after getting home that I began to wonder if there was any possibility of it remaining for the breeding season. I had heard about them nesting in and around the Peterborough area for the past few years but nothing closer. However, since Peterborough was unusual in that it is well south of the Merlin’s traditional territory, there might be a possibility. Over the next week and a half, I went back on several occasions to the same area and found the bird present and with each visit, my optimism rose. However, one day it was gone and I concluded that it had moved on north having been unsuccessful in attracting a female to its chosen local woodlot. Close but no cigar …. that was it! On April 9th this year, I was pleasantly surprised to hear and see a male Merlin in the exact same locale as the previous year. Since Merlins are almost never seen locally, I concluded (correctly or incorrectly) that this bird was probably the same one as was present in 2004. I wondered if the outcome would be the same. Along with some friends, I go out for a morning walk along the side roads each day and from April 9th to the first few days of May, I heard and/or saw the male almost every day. It was usually perched in a mature birch tree with a dead section near the top consisting of stubs and no small branches. It happened to be within 50 feet of a tall mature white pine with a large old American Crow nest near the very top. I got a good feeling that the male had chosen this spot and was hoping for a passing female to agree that this was a good location as well. In other words, it was in the birches because the crow’s nest was nearby. On May 4th, for the first time I saw and heard the male and also, now, a female flying from tree to tree calling out to each other. Neither one seemed to be following the other one; they just seemed to be moving in unison about 75 feet apart. Needless to say, it was an exhilarating moment and if someone had been nearby, I am sure that there would have been “high-fives”. The question then became whether the female would want to continue up north with or without the male or whether she was pleased enough with his choice of locale that they would remain together locally. Fortunately, I was not disappointed. Up to and including May 10th, every day I saw both birds on separate limbs in the same birch. On one occasion, I did not see nor hear either of them and began to think that they had moved on but within a few minutes, they both flew back from within the woodlot to their favourite perching tree, calling all the while. Photo courtesy of Winnie Poon

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On May 11th, I saw only the male; there was no sign of the female giving rise to what seemed to be only two possibilities. The first was that the female had lost patience and moved on or she was sitting on eggs. To make matters worse, I could not even confirm her presence locally over a period of several days. If she was on a nest, I felt that there was a very strong possibility that the old crow nest nearby was a natural but it was so high up and broad and solid that I could not see if anything was in or on it; climbing the tree was impractical. Also, if I moved away from the nest far enough to improve the viewing angle then I ended up too far away to see anything even with binoculars or a scope. However, the continuing presence of the male was a positive sign. This went on for 3 or 4 days and I decided to see if I could stir things up a bit by playing a Merlin recording. It worked on the male - he responded but there was no sign or sound of the female so it continued to be a waiting game. On the positive side, the male was highly territorial and would take after crows, nipping at them from behind whenever they came near the white pine. Normally, he would chase them about a quarter mile before returning to the birch. Finally, about 9:15 in the morning of May 15th, the female flew from the top of the pine to the birch but there was no sign of the male. Presumably, he was off hunting or had replaced her on the clutch prior to me seeing her fly. I continued on home. At about 9:30, my wife and her morning-walk friends saw and heard both the male and female in a maple beside the road calling back and forth to each other. She returned home and told me and I went back to the nest area and got there in time to see the male in the birch and the female fly up to the nest in the white pine, settle in and remain there. Finally, success…from an Atlas perspective I could code Merlin as a Confirmed Breeder with the code AE, Adults Entering or Leaving Nest Sites. This was a first for Durham Region and in fact, it turns out that it was a first for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) as well. Having confirmed their status, I backed off on the frequency of visits. I reported the find to the Atlas project and in turn, discussions were held with Glenn Coady. From the dates in my log, projections were made assuming ongoing success for the Merlins. The predictions were that the eggs would begin hatching on June 11th +or- 2 days and the young would leave the nest on July 9th +or- 2 days. It became a further waiting game. Membership Application Form MEMBERSHIPS ARE DUE! RENEW YOURS NOW! You don’t need to complete this form if you just pay Diane Peter, Membership Co-ordinator, at the meeting. Please check the appropriate area to indicate membership type. For Family membership please indicate the number of family members. Individual ($20) _____ Senior single ($20) _____ Senior Couple ($22) _____ Student ($15) _____ Family ($25) _____ # of People _____ Life Member ($200) _____ Kindly complete all sections of this information form in order that we can update our address & telephone records. Name: Address: City/Town: Postal Code: Phone: E-mail Address: The membership year is September to June. Memberships not renewed by November 30th are considered lapsed. Membership fees may be paid by cash or cheque at the DRFN Genera Meeting, or a cheque may be mailed, payable to: Durham Region Field Naturalists, Box 54031, 8 King St. E., Oshawa ON, L1H 1A9 Do not send cash by mail. Revenue Canada Charitable No. 891631574RR0001.

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Durham Region Bird Records, August-September 2005 American Coot 9 families August 13 R Pye Second Marsh Bald Eagle 1 August 5 J McKnight Lynde Marsh Bald Eagle 1 August 24 J McKnight Oshawa Creek Dark-eyed Junco 2 August 24 D Pazaratz Oshawa Kentucky Warbler 1 August 29 D Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Least Bittern 1 August 14 R Pye Second Marsh Osprey 4 August 19 D Mudd Westside Marsh Ruddy Duck 2 families August 14 R Pye Second Marsh Blue Jay 5043 September 18 R Pye Cranberry Marsh Broad-winged Hawk 1859 September 17 M Williamson Heber Down CA Cackling Goose 1 September 29 D Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Common Raven 1 September 23 D Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Great Egret 1 September 1 O Peter Second Marsh Great Egret 9 September 9 D Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Great Egret 8 September 15 E Beagan Corner Marsh Hudsonian Godwit 1 September 19 M Bain Nonquon Lagoons Lapland Longspur 1 September 3 M Bain Nonquon Lagoons Pine Siskin 1 September 3 D Mudd Orono Ring-necked Pheasant 8 September 25 D Lockrey Cranberry Marsh Sandhill Crane 11 September 3 D Ruch Oshawa Stilt Sandpiper 5 September 4 F Jerome Hydro Marsh Western Sandpiper 1 September 15 J Iron Frenchman’s Bay BITS AND PIECES About the Ivory Billed Woodpecker…The Ivory-billed woodpecker flourished in old-growth forests in the great river drainages of the Southern U.S. A subspecies also lived in Cuba. But after the Civil War, logging, which continued into the 20th century, shrunk this habitat from 24 million acres of pristine swamp forest to 4.4 million scattered acres of second-growth forest. As the birds became rare, they also were hunted by collectors which further decimated the species. Sixty years after its last confirmed sighting, it was rediscovered in Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, part of eastern Arkansas’ Big Woods. The name refers to the ivory-white colour of its bill, which actually is made of bone covered by keratin. The scientific name, Campephilus principalis, which means ‘chief lover of caterpillars, is actually a misnomer as this bird lives mostly on the large larvae of wood-boring beetles. - from USA Today, November 10, 2005 About the Turkey Vulture…Carrion of all kinds makes up its diet; live animals are hardly ever eaten…the noble Turkey Vulture has relatively good table manners; usually one bird feeds at a time, while the others stand quietly nearby. An extremely well-developed immune system provides protection against most diseases that are undoubtedly found residing in vulture dinners. Indeed, deadly pathogens are killed outright in the vulture’s digestive system, providing a very good sanitation service for the environment. They defend themselves by regurgitating…food. Nothing worse than a ‘TV’ dinner! - from BirdWatch Canada, Fall 2005, #33 About Bamboo… Did you know that bamboo is now being sold as flooring material? Bamboo is environmentally sustainable and completely renewable. Bamboo is not a tree but a fast-growing grass, so harvesting it is rather like cutting your lawn: it doesn’t destroy the plant, merely makes it shorter and healthier. Some is grown in China, in small, government-controlled forests. The cost of bamboo flooring is roughly the cost of maple flooring. - from greenliving, Autumn & Winter 2005