club_projects

York - Simcoe Naturalists

Projects / Events

	Date:

	Jan. 3, 2010	Christmas Bird Count: - Statistics 2009 / 2010 from 2009 & 2010 Heron Newsletter by Janet Thompson - Description by Ross Riley - 2010 Event Story by Ron Fleming, from Jan. 2010 Heron Newsletter by Janet Thompson - History by Dick Cannings from Bird Studies Canada, Penticton, BC - Project Feeder Watch - Bird Studies Canada
	Oct. 3, 2009	Owl Foundation - Adopt an Owl, Eastern Screech Owl by Sharon Hamilton and supported by YSN members, from Oct. 2009 Heron Newsletter by Janet Thompson
	Aug. 22, 2009	Stream Mapping by Ross Riley, from Sept. 2009 Heron Newsletter by Janet Thompson
	Year Ending 2009	2009 Stewardship Report: Cawthra-Mulock Nature Reserve by Mike van den Tillaart, acting custodian for YSN
	Up-Date 2009	Cawthra-Mulock Nature Reserve 2009 Stewardship agreement with Ontario Nature

Jan. 3, 2010 - CBC 2009 / 2010 Statistics
from 2009 & 2010 Heron Newsletter by Janet Thompson

	2009 Christmas Bird Count Statistics		2010 Christmas Bird Count Statistics
	YSN participated in the count on Jan. 3rd 2009. It was led by Mike Van den Tillaart and Ron Fleming. 18 people divided into 5 groups squinting at every branch field and feeder for any birds that might be present. The count circle with a 15 mile diameter center was scanned for the 11th straight Christmas. As always some surprises were in store. Species observed for the first time ever: Common Ravens 5, White Crowned Sparrow 1. Highest ever Species counts: Eastern Screech Owl 4, Snowy Owl 3, Northern Shrike 11, American Goldfinch 407 Lowest ever Species count: Great Black-Backed Gull 0, American Kestrel 0, House Sparrow 80 Altogether 4,235 birds representing 41 species were counted. Everyone at the post chili dinner expressed satisfaction in having contributed to the longest running, over 100 years, citizen science research project. See you there next year. Mike van den Tillaart		The 12th annual Bradford-East Gwillimbury Christmas Bird Count started Jan. 3, 2010 at 6:00 A.M. for some. Each group (5) + 1 independent objective was to count all of the birds they encountered during the course of the day. Over a period of 12 years the Bradford-area CBC has yielded a total of 90 different species. Most groups observe between 20 and 30 species. Highlights for Ron's group included several flocks of Snow Buntings (over 400 birds in all) in the Holland Marsh vegetable fields, 2 Brown Creepers in the sheltered forest south of Hwy.#9. 1 Cooper's Hawk near Miller's Sideroad. 1 White-crowned Sparrow and a flock of American Tree Sparrows in the ditches of Devald Road. When all of the teams congregated at the day's end, Bruce's group had observed 24 species, including a 1 Bald Eagle and 1 Horned Lark. Kevin's team had also tallied 24 species, including 2 Screech Owls and 1 Snowy Owl. Dan and Brian tallied 18 species and had observed over 40 Wild Turkeys. Peter's group observed 31 species, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 Long-eared Owl (a brand new species for the count. Robin Lawson (birding independently birding independently inside inside the count circle reported seeing 1 Red-winged Blackbird. In all 45 species were seen and 2,801 individual birds tallied. Two other species - Barred Owl and Brown-headed Cowbird were observed during count week. Ron Fleming

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Jan. 3, 2010 Description of the Bradford Christmas Bird Count
by Ross Riley (thanks to the contributions from Mike, Lori & Janet)

	There's a 15 mile diameter circle in which we attempt to tally every single bird. The circle is broken down into 5 or 6 pieces of the pie with one group assigned to each piece. Each group typically consists of people with a range of birding skills from beginner to expert.
	All the numbers from each group are combined and entered into a Bird Studies Canada / Audubon database that has Christmas Bird Count results of over 100 years throughout North America. Groups can start in the darkness for owl seeking or at dawn and typically continue until dusk. This event is open to everyone and those interested will be assigned to a section leader. If you have time restrictions yet are still interested in participating in this event, time slots are coordinated with the section leader. Typically, the leaders are given maps of their section and are very accommodating to everyone's needs. For photos of this event - see photo section	Compliments of Mike van den Tillaart
	For those new to this event, winter wear is a must since our January weather is typically cold. Bringing binoculars is essential.

	Ross Riley

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	Jan. 3, 2010 - Christmas Bird Count Event Story, by Ron Fleming from January 2010 Heron Newsletter, by Janet Thompson
	The year 2010 came in gently. Light winds barely stirred the treetops on New Year's Day as my dog and I traversed local woodlots and meadows, scouting for the morrow's Christmas Bird Count. Cupped in the soft palm of the day, it was easy to believe the new year would stay just like this; balmy and mild. The rude alarm that tore me from sweet dreams at 5:00 a.m. the next morning ushered in a much different reality. The weather forecasts had been appallingly correct: temperatures had plummeted and it was freezing outside. Every boot-step between my door and the driveway pulled squeals of protest from the crunching snow while ice crystals glittered like blades in the headlight beams of my van when I coaxed its engine to life. The heater made valiant attempts to warm things up but my breath was still rising in ghostly wisps as I drove through the still Newmarket night. I rendezvoused with Dorothy Brace and Marion McLeod at a Tim Hortons in west Bradford a few minutes after 6:00 a.m. They were once again part of my CBC "team" and, despite the deep chill, were willing to try some nocturnal birding. We transferred lunches and extra layers of clothing to my vehicle then set out along frigid back-roads to search for owls. We stopped at several different places over the course of the next 90 minutes and played the calls of three owl species each time --- Barred, Great Horned, and Screech. In the silence that followed those vocalizations I would look up as I listened for answering calls from the darkness. In forested areas the sky was a black ribbon caught on the teeth of high conifers. Other times, where the views were wider, it was a high obsidian dome, the gibbous moon a rough circle of ebony carved into its hard surface. Cold as I was, I couldn't help but admire the austere beauty of it all. Our owl calls rang out across the pale landscape but the world remained silent, as if sound itself had been frozen solid. At 7:45 a.m., when the night had finally given way to morning's light, we put our CDs away and drove back to Tim Hortons to meet up with the last member of this year's team, Janet Thompson. With Janet on board and fresh coffee in our mugs, we started daylight birding at 8:15 a.m. It was our job to cover one of the five areas that constitute the Bradford-East Gwillimbury count circle: we had Area 4 (Bradford and Holland Marsh); Bruce and Jean Wilson were teamed with Nigel Shaw in Area 1 (Cookstown and vicinity); Dan Stuckey and Brian Moyle werre covering Area 2 north of Schomberg; Peter Wukasch - founding father of the Bradford Area CBC --- was teamed up with Andrew Wilton, Lorie and Dave Parrott, and Doug and Judy Jagger in Area 3 (Scanlon Creek north to Gilford); while Kevin Shackleton was out with John Watson and the husband-wife duo of Lori and Glenn McLean in Area 5 (north Newmarket to south Keswick). Each group's objective was to identify and count all of the birds they encountered during the course of the day. Over a period of 12 years the Bradford-area CBC has yielded a very respectable total of 90 different species, though I hasten to note that most groups observe between 20 and 30 species the day of the count. Once my team got rolling the day became a blur of criss-crossing roads, sporadic bird sightings, and pleasant small talk, all superimposed over the yeoman whirring of my van's beleaguered heater. Temperatures were simply too cold for any extended walking during the morning hours, but after lunch (at yet another Tim Hortons! we hiked more often to provide better coverage of places like the Cawthra Mulock reserve and Joker's Hill. Although it had been a very cold day for birding, when all was said and done (and toes thawed), the 12th annual Bradford-East Gwillimbury Christmas Bird Count had been another success. Many thanks go out to all who participated, including count compiler Mike Van den Tillaart who was forced to stay home due to an untimely flu but who travelled with us in spirit.

	Ron Fleming

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	Jan. 3, 2010 - History of the Christmas Bird Count by Dick Cannings from Bird Studies Canada, Penticton, BC Canada
	Received by e-mail December 10, 2009 - Attached are some details on the Christmas Bird Count This information has been posted on York-Simcoe Naturalists website to inform its readers of the significance and importance of having a world wide Christmas Bird Count. Dick Cannings from Bird Studies Canada, Penticton, BC Canada, V2A 8X7 has given permission for Mike van den Tillaart to use excerpts from the original letter. Christmas Bird Count Dynamics The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running Citizen Science survey in the world. The annual Christmas Bird Count will take place between December 14, 2009 and January 5, 2010. From Alaska to Antarctica, tens of thousands of volunteers will add a new layer to over a century of data vital to conservation. Armed with binoculars, local volunteers will join this Citizen Science initiative to count birds in our region. Scientists rely on these data to better understand how birds and the environment we share are faring. Just like canaries in the coal mine, birds serve as early indicators of problems that can eventually affect people and wildlife. Data from the Christmas count are at the heart of several scientific reports, including Audubon's 2009 report that climate change is already having an impact on birds across the continent. The CBC began over a century ago when 27 conservationists in 25 localities, led by scientist and writer Frank Chapman, changed the course of ornithological history. On Christmas Day in 1900, the small group posed an alternative to the "side hunt," a Christmas day activity in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small mammals. Instead Chapman proposed that they identify, count, and record all the birds they saw, founding what is now considered to be the world's most significant citizen based conservation effort - and a more than century-old institution. Bird Studies Canada is recognized nation-wide as a leading and respected, not-for-profit, conservation organization dedicated to the study and understanding of wild birds and their habitats. Each year, more than 20,000 volunteers actively participate in BSC research and education activities.

	Dick Cannings Bird Studies Canada Christmas Bird Counts 705 Sunglo Drive Penticton, BC V2A 8X7 250-493-3393	For more information, visit the Bird Studies Canada website at: < http://www.bsc-eoc.org/cbc> CBC compliers enter their count data via Audubon's website at: <http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc>
	Many thanks to Mike for forwarding this letter, Ross Riley

	Project Feeder Watch - Bird Studies of Canada
	Project Feeder Watch has been operating for over 30 years. Feeder watchers have been helping to document changes in the abundance and distribution of winter birds by simply watching and counting the birds at their own feeders. In 2009 the "Watch" began on November 8th. For more information about this Project Feeder Watch program visit: Bird Studies Canada's website.

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	Oct. 3, 2009 - Adopt an Owl by Sharon Hamilton from October 2009 Heron Newsletter, by Janet Thompson
	Our baby Screeh Owl was adopted this summer from the Owl Foundation through the generous contributions of our club members. Our Screech Owl was hatched at the Owl Foundation and its parents are Lili and George. It is to be released in the spring of 2010. Lori McLean

	It is my distinct pleasure to introduce to you the baby Eastern Screech Owl that we adopted and supported in the year 2008/09. This cute little fellow with the large eyes was hatched at the Owl Foundation in Vineland. This amazing facility contains a large "Owl Hospital" which accepts injured owls from a huge geographical area, nurses them to health and returns them, whenever possible, to the wild, as close as possible to their native territory. Owls which may be permanently damaged are housed at the facility for life in a natural environment. This little fellow is the offspring of two such owls, Lili and George. Our donation to the Owl Adoption Program at the Owl Foundation has afforded the chance for these owls to live useful lives and will release this engaging little fellow to freedom in the wild in the spring of 2010. Thanks to each of our members who donated to support our baby Eastern Screech Owl! Could we manage more this year? Sharon Hamilton

	Winners of the 2009 draw to attend the Owl Foundation Open House on October 3rd were Ross and Julie Riley. Photos of this event can be seen under the photo section.

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	Oct. 3, 2009 Excerpt from - The Owl Foundation
	The Owl Foundation – Ontario Canada The Owl Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization that operates a centre for both the rehabilitation to release status of Canadian Owl species, and the behavioural observation of permanently damaged wild owls in a breeding environment. The founders, Katherine and Larry McKeever, began working with injured owls in 1965 and incorporated as a registered Canadian charitable organization in 1975. The Foundation is administered by ten directors, employs a paid staff of four (Dr. McKeever is voluntary staff) and is helped in many important ways by a small number of reliable volunteers. The long term purpose of this Foundation has been to create breeding environments where permanently damaged wild owls are monitored by remotely controlled video cameras. Many aspects of relationship formation of wild owls are unknown, seldom observed and never studied the year round. The centre maintains over thirty-five such cameras, shifted among 54 complexes covering 5 acres and is building a permanent behavioural record on tape. The Owl Foundation is never open to the general public (except on invitation). It is, in essence, a hospital for wildlife and therefore imperative that human presence and activity be kept to a minimum since wild and injured owls are easily stressed. As well, these birds do not act naturally in the presence of people. This can disrupt both breeding and behavioural studies. It is also Dr. McKeever's personal residence. In order to provide privacy to both Dr. McKeever and the wild birds that are treated at the facility, no on site telephone number is listed. The Owl Foundation permanently houses some 120 damaged, wild owls of Canada's sixteen native species, as well as supporting, to releasable condition, over 100 annual owl admissions Most daily operations are carried out between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through the winter months. Hours are shifted in summer due to the extended daylight as most owls are typically fed near dusk. Sponsors who donate $50.00 or more are invited to attend The Owl Foundation's Annual Sponsors' Tours in the fall. Tours are given only in the autumn on pre-designated dates and times. They require scheduling in advance. Sponsors receive preselected dates and times via mail upon initial sponsorship and after renewal. The primary concern is for the birds. Fall is the least stressful and disruptive time of year to view the owls as they are not breeding and relationship formation is minimal. For more information about the Owl Foundation, please visit their website: <http://www.theowlfoundation.ca/> If you have found a raptor in distress, please visit the (International Wildlife Rehabilitator Contacts) page online for listings of rehabilitators in your area. You may also contact your local SPCA, Humane Society or Ministry of Natural Resource office for information.

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	August 22, 2009 - Stream Mapping by Ross Riley from September 2009 Heron Newsletter by Janet Thompson
	Linda, Mike and I met Emily Funnell from Ontario Streams at the Dufferin Street entrance of the reserve on Saturday August 22 at 10:00 A.M. to receive our hip waders for stream mapping. Stream Mapping is one of many tools used by Ontario Streams to assess the health of a stream. From a layman's point of view it is a "hands-on in the field" type experience. No GPS unit was required. The only equipment required was a compass, measuring line, metal meter stick, clipboard, paper, pen, camera and hip waders. Mike had been out with another group on a previous occasion so we continued to map the stream where the other group left off. Mike explained that a typical stream is irregular in width, depth and length from one bend in the river to the next; therefore, it is our job to measure these variances and record them as the stream crosses the reserve. The compass was used to record the angle degree of each straight section of the stream. We visually observed the bank for erosion, type of vegetation or lack thereof on the bank of the stream, fallen debris into the stream, type of base (silt/stone) in the stream, slope (if any drop) and if insects are present on the surface of the water. The camera is also used to back-up the visual record. Ross Riley

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	2009 Stewardship Report: Cawthra-Mulock Nature Reserve by Mike van den Tillaart, acting custodian for YSN
	York-Simcoe Naturalists, and independent club member of the Ontario Nature Network, are the official stewards of the Cawthra-Mulock Nature Reserve, donated to Ontario Nature in 2003. Since the club is actively involved in maintenance and monitoring projects on the reserve, the York-Simcoe Naturalists are therefore required to send a report to Ontario Nature on a yearly basis. Highlights of the 2009 Cawthra-Mulock Nature Reserve Stewardship Report from Mike van den Tillaart acting custodian for the York-Simcoe Naturalists group

Invasive Species:

Dog-strangling Vine (Cynanchium nigrum)
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Scots Pine (Pinus sylyestris)

Extent:
Throughout southern fields
Scattered at forest edges
Mainly in forest adjacent to house; very thick
In fields and forest edges
Scattered

	Visitation: Estimated nature reserve gets 20 visitors per month during the summer	Project Suggestions: Add frog portion to Marsh Monitoring Program
	Trails: - Trails are worn down below the level of adjacent land (north trail leading down to northern stream) - Former side trails are now part of main trail system ATV & snowmobile incidences are much decreased	Qualitative assessment of ecological change: The "pond" has been converted to a natural stream via removal of man made dam. Ontario Nature was in charge of this project and the process was completed in 2008. Bridge installed where dam was.
	Adjacent Land Use and Ownereship: - The peaker plant connection was scheduled to run through the reserve, but no longer - Transformer station located beside southwest corner of reserve. Noise during operation could be disturbance to birds and animals. Additional power lines increase hazards to birds and bats. - Same issues for peaker plant to be built on north boundary of reserve. Reserve will soon be an "island" of habitat surrounded by roads and energy facilities. *"Island" habitats typically lose species diversity and resilience. - Expansion of Bathurst St to 2 or 4 lane road with direct connection to Yonge Street in Bradford. Bathurst St is eastern border. This expansion appears to be off for the time being.	Project Reports (2009): Jan - Christmas Bird Count conducted (part of Bradford - West Gwillimbury count circle) Jan - York-Simcoe Naturalists winter hike March - York-Simcoe & West Humber Naturalist birding outing May - York-Simcoe Naturalist outing with Ontario Streams to learn about stream mapping May & June - Marsh Monitoring Project (birds) June - York-Simcoe Naturalists evening hike / outdoor meeting June - Mucking Around Mulock (Ontario Nature event) July - York-Simcoe Naturalists insect outing Aug - Lotek Wireless Inc. stream mapping Aug - York-Simcoe Naturalists stream mapping Sep - Conservation Fair (Ontario Nature event)
	Monitoring Programs: - A breeding bird atlas square (finished 2005) - Other: -- Several plant monitoring sites started by Ontario nature in 2008 were not continued in 2009. -- Staff involved in 2008 no longer with Ontario Nature. -- York-Simcoe Naturalists lack sufficient expertise in plant identification. -- Marsh Monitoring Project for birds conducted in May & June 2009 at wetland where pond formerly existed. -- York-Simcoe Naturalist member will repeat in 2010.	Management Suggestions: Install signs at two entrances to advise visitors how (and why) to donate online to support nature reserve & Ontario Nature in general.

	Cawthra-Mulock Nature Reserve 2009 - Stewardship agreement with Ontario Nature
	YSN continues our stewardship agreement with Ontario Nature to help protect the nature reserve at Bathurst St. and Miller Side road in King Township. The dam on the pond has now been removed and the area is slowly returning to a productive wetland. This year there was also some selective logging and removal of buckthorn done in the pine plantation to help in the regeneration of that forest.
	Trails on the reserve have also been marked. A new parking lot giving an entrance to the reserve from Dufferin Street was also built last fall. The field near Dufferiin Street has also had the tile drainage interrupted to let that area revert to wetland. However the integrity and biodiversity of the reserve continues to be threatened by the recently approved
	widening of Bathurst Street, the now under construction transformer station, and the just approved Peaker power plant at the Dufferin Street site just north of the reserve to be built by Pristine Power. Now the gas pipeline to feed the plant may also want to cross the reserve!

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