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York - Simcoe Naturalists |
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| Date: |
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| Dec. 14, 2010 |
The Galapagos Islands by Kevin Shackleton, Trip date: November 3-10 2006 |
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| Nov. 9, 2010 |
Scanlon Creek Bird Banding Project and Bird Paintings by Nigel Shaw, Certified Bird Bander of Strigiformes, Falconiformes and Passeriformes + Contemporary Realist Artist |
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| Oct. 12, 2010 |
Bats of Ontario by Liam McGuire, University of Western Ontario |
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| Sept. 14, 2010 |
The Bird Detective: Investigating the Secret Lives of Birds by Dr. Bridget Stutchbury, Professor of Biology at York University, author of "Silence of the Songbirds" |
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| May 11, 2010 |
Spiders of Ontario by Tom Mason, The Metro Toronto Zoo |
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| April 13, 2010 2 entries: 1st / 2nd |
Oak Ridges Moraine by Sue Walmer, Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust |
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| March 9, 2010 |
The Future of the Scanlon Creek Conservation Area by Bill Thompson, Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority (LSRCA) |
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| Feb. 9, 2010 |
Rouge Park by Maria Papoulias |
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| Jan. 12, 2010 |
Special Interest Stories - Environmental Monitoring and Habitat Restoration by Ralph Toninger, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority |
 The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles off the coast of South America in the Pacific Ocean. The picture to the right shows only the main islands without the reefs. Islands Corona del Diablo and Champion are adjacent to and north east of Floreana (Santa Maria / Charles Island). |
his
theory about natural selection and the process by which species were
created, Kevin likewise wanted to visit the Galapagos Islands for
himself, so on November 3, 2006 he set out on a Quest Nature Tour to
the Galapagos Islands. Two flights later he arrived at the Islands. The
first flight takes you to Ecuador and the second flight to the Islands. Galapagos Islands
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| Islands of the Galapagos A map of the Galapagos shows 14 named Islands; namely, Baltra, N. Seymour, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago, Santa Maria (Floreana), San Cristobal, Isabela, Fernanadina, Pinta, Marchena, Genovesa, Pinzon, and Espanola. Kevin's voyage started by boarding the yacht called the Beluga at Baltra (just north of Santa Cruz) and finished on the same island. Kevin reported that 2 guides accompanied their group of 14 guests on the yacht. The 1st guide was the Cruise Guide and the 2nd guide was an official Naturalist Parks Guide from Ecuador. Kevin reported that there were a number of other yachts in the harbor. |
| Rules In order to protect the natural flora, fauna and fish habitat of this fragile ecosystem, Ecuador has set limits on the number of visitors who may visit the islands: - A Naturalist Parks Guide must accompany visitors at all times. - Visitors must follow the paths that are marked by black and white painted stakes. - Visitors may not touch the animals, plants or remove anything from the island. - Visitors may not feed the animals. - Visitors can only leave foot-prints and take pictures. |
 Galapagos Tortoise
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| Kevin reported that there was not a lot of walking involved once on the
islands (the islands are quite small) and the exhibits were similar to
what can be seen at the zoo; however, these animals are in their
natural habitat. The animals did appear to have adjusted to human
presence and basically ignored their visitors. |
| Island facts The Galapagos Islands under the control of the Ecuadorian government (same latitude) are located plus or minus 1 degree on the equator approximately 600 miles off the coast of South America in the Pacific Ocean. Kevin reported that once their group had disembarked on their first island the Parks Guide provided a geology lesson about how the islands were formed, the tectonic plates, the fault in the ocean floor and how the flora and fauna reached the Galapagos Islands. |
 A pair of Swallow-tailed Gulls, Seymour Island Photo by Dr. Kent Floreani |
Some of the islands had volcanic sink-holes. These are formed when lava
on the surface cools but the hotter interior lava core continues to
flow through leaving a shell on the top that later collapses, leaving a
depression. Isabela Island is the largest island that still has active volcanoes with lava flows; however, the quantity of lava produced is less because the island has shifted away from the hot spot. The lava spewed out is called |
| ropey lava and frequently oozes down to the water's edge. Kevin
reported that this lava can be very slippery to walk on and quickly
breaks down into soil that supports local vegetation. One of the goals of the Galapagos Islands is to reintroduce and reestablish the populations of the Galapagos Tortoise. Each Island has its own distinctive species of Tortoise. To preserve these distinct species, nurseries have been set-up with different species. When these tortoises are large enough to fight off rats and cats they are microchipped, taken back to the same island where they were captured, then released back out into the wild. The tortoises that Kevin showed us were about 3 years old. |
| The guide said this was an El Nino year (a warm inshore current annually flowing south along the coast of Ecuador and, about every seven to ten years, extending down the coast of Peru, where it has a devastating effect on weather, crops, fish, etc.). Thus the fish were deep and the sea lions were not getting enough food to produce milk to feed their young. Apparently an El Nino is just one of four natural systems that the Islands experience. |  Galapagos Sea Lion
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| For further information about the Galapagos Ocean Currents, Geology and Climate visit Galapagos Ocean Currents at: http://www.galapagosonline.com/Galapagos_Natural_History/Oceanography/Currents.html Galapagos - Geology and Climate at: http://www.ms-starship.com/sciencenew/galapagos_geology.htm |
| Using Darwin's book as a reference Kevin seemed surprised that Darwin didn't mention the Flightless Cormorants or Galapagos Penguins that he saw on the islands. |
| Galapagos Post Office To promote tourism, a Post-Office barrel (3 to be exact) was set-up on the island (apparently this idea goes back to the American Revolution). |
 A pair of Marine Iguanas, Espanola Island Photo by Dr. Kent Floreani |
How the Post-Office works: -Tourists buy a post-card on the island (if you had pre-planned for this event you could have brought your pre-addressed and hand written post-card with you to drop in the mail barrel). -Write a short note, add the address and drop it into the barrel. -Mail is delivered when someone from your area back-home finds it in the barrel and hand delivers it to your specified address. |
| Non-native Animals Goats: - 18th century sailors left this animal behind so they would have a ready supply of food when they returned. Cats: - This animal practically annihilated the Mockingbirds that were on the Floreana and Corona del Diablo Islands. The Mockingbirds did manage to survive on the near-by Champion Island. Fortunately water did separate this island from the other 2 islands allowing the birds to survive an accidental extinction. Since Kevin's interest was in birds a Parks Guide took the group to the island so Kevin could see this bird. Floreana Island is also known as Charles Island and the Mockingbird is called the "Charles Mockingbird". In another location the bird was referred to as the Galapagos Mockingbird. Despite this confusion on the bird's name Kevin said that the Mockingbirds in the Galapagos were brown and white in colour whereas the Mockingbirds on the North American continent were grey and white in colour. Rats: - Escaped from the early sea faring vessels. The Ecuadorian government has taken steps to remove these animals from the Islands. |
| Galapagos Animals Kevin was primarily interested in the endemic bird species of the Galapagos Islands and wanted to see as many as possible, especially the Finches that Darwin had studied, and waited patiently to see and video record them as the tour unfolded. Darwin's theory proposes that all of the finches descended from just one small ground finch. For further information please visit: http://www.hackingfamily.com/Flora_&_Fauna/galapagos_fauna.htm |
 A pair of Red-billed Tropicbirds, Espanola Island Photo by Dr. Kent Floreani |
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Kevin was able to identify the birds on sight as he saw them. For further information please visit: http://www.hackingfamily.com/Flora_&_Fauna/galapagos_birds.htm Blue-footed Booby, Espanola Island Photo by Dr. Kent Floreani |
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| Typical Galapagos Vegetation Kevin only briefly mentioned that the islands had Lava Cactus, Tree Daisies, Black Mango, Red Spurge and Sandal-Wood trees. Kevin reported that it doesn't take long before Black Mango, Lava Cactus and Red Spurge plants move in to grow on new lava landscape. For further information please visit: http://www.hackingfamily.com/Flora_&_Fauna/galapagos_flora.htm |
| Typical Agricultural Crops As the group came down from the highlands on Santa Cruz they could see some agricultural development; e.g. Pineapple, Papaya, Mango, plus vegetable crops. |
| In
conclusion Kevin was pleased that he had seen 62-63 different species
of birds, had bragging rights of knowing that he had crossed the
equator twice by bus, twice by ship and twice by plane and had met
others with similar interests who took the time to sign his souvenir
entitled, "Voyage of the Beagle" that he had purchased at Darwin's
Research Center on Santa Cruz. Ross Riley |
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| November 9, 2010 - Scanlon Creek Bird Banding Project and Bird Paintings by Nigel Shaw, Certified Bird Bander of Strigiformes, Falconiformes and Passeriformes plus a Contemporary Realist Artist |
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Nigel
Shaw spoke to a mixed YSN audience about bird banding of Owls, Hawks
and Perching birds. At the conclusion of his presentation he showed
visitors and club members his bird paintings on a separate display
table. By mixed audience I mean non-birders who know little about birds,
versus those who are avid bird watchers. |
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| Nigel has a long history, knowledge,experience and ability in the art of identifying birds. His home country was England where he was exposed to birds at a very young age and developed an eye for birds and the ability to paint them accurately. He is currently living in Canada where he has furthered his interest in birding and now has a five year contract with Scanlon Creek Conservation Authorities to set up a program that involves banding, banding demonstrations and education to promoted interest in birds. He believes that children need to be exposed to birds at a young age so they will develop a heart for the environment in which we live. He showed us a number of pictures where boys and girls were proudly holding a hawk before it was released back into the wild. He said that accipiters were more tolerant to stress than the passerines. Accipiters could tolerate being bagged and handled from 30-60 minutes; whereas the passerines needed to be released immediately after being catalogued and banded or they would go into shock and die. | ||||
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Learning
the art (for the non-birder this is more like a very steep learning
curve) of bird identification is no easy task. According to the bird
books that I have looked at, this skill only comes after hours and
hours of studying field guides, manuals, bird calls, bird behaviours
and bird movements plus countless hours of field work. I, a non-birder, became completely lost when terms such as SY, ASY, TY, ATY, |
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HY and AHY were used. To confuse me even more I heard birding
words; such as Harriers, Passerines, Raptors and Accipiter being used.
To simplify, Harriers, Raptors and Accipiters are simply birds of prey,
and birds of prey fall under the "order Falconiformes", and some of the
Families under the order Falconiformes have again been subdivided. For those of you who are on the same page as I, I will try to bring you up to speed so the presentation makes some sense. |
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| In
the first sentence Owls, Hawks and Perching birds are listed. All avid
birders would automatically know that Nigel was referring to just 3
orders of birds out of 20 orders (newer books and DNA testing may add
to or reduce this list) of birds. In the second column are a
description; common name of bird in the third; family and sub-family in
the fourth and scientific name in the fifth column. Listed below are only a few of the birds that Nigel covered in his topic on banding of birds. Since I am not a bird person I needed to rely on books for the spelling and resource information. To simplify the list I have only included the orders of the birds that Nigel mentioned or spoke about. A photo of an American Woodcock was displayed and mentioned at the YSN club because it is extremely difficult to photograph, but it is not a perching bird. I have entered this bird below only to show the order in which it belongs. |
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Owl Banding Demonstration: On October 15th I joined an owl banding demonstration at the Scanlon Creek bird banding station just between Line #9 and #10 off highway #11. There were no lights to highlight the entrance and the laneway was dark. |
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| I stopped and parked at the first house/cabin on the north side of the laneway where the lights were on - everything else was in darkness. Having been raised in the country I knew that a flashlight was a must have item. As I got out of the car I could hear the sound of what seemed like an owl - it seemed eerie since the note kept playing over and over again. The house in which I entered had enough space for approximately 15 to sit in a semicircle. Within 20 minutes our numbers swelled from 3 to 8. | ||||
| With a lamp attached to his head,
Nigel led this little group out into
the darkness at 8:00 P.M. towards the eerie sounding owl noise. Those
of us who had lights to light the way shone their lights in front and
towards the ground to light the path as we marched along in single
file. The ground was not even and the path narrow with branches hanging
low onto the path. The short trail opened into a field. The lighting
was very poor (the only light was from our flash-lights) and it was
difficult to get our bearings. |
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| It was in this field that six 4-5 foot high nets were attached to 2.5-3 foot high metal poles and were strung out in a rectangular and parallel fashion. Some of the nets were at least 50 + feet long. A tape recorder that repeatedly produced the eerie owl call was centrally positioned in the bushes amongst the nets. Nigel led the group around the nets plus surveyed the nets as he went. Once the rounds were complete he returned back to the cabin (Rounds are done approximately every 30 minutes but the size of the group changes the timing sequence). Our expectations and hopes had been high to see an owl but there was only disappointment. | ||||
| Once back in the cabin we quickly re-assumed our formal places. Nigel broke the silence by first telling us that the sound track that was placed in the field was that of a Northern Saw-Whet owl. Nigel next showed the group the bands that he used to place around the birds' leg. The bands were on a rack and arranged in sizes from small to large. Nigel then to our surprise pulled a bag out of his pocket and displayed the contents - a first year Eastern | ||||
| Screech Owl. Nigel had already banded it and reported to the group that his bird had reached its confinement limit (he said that he netted this bird shortly after setting up and before the visitors arrived). He spread out its wing under a black light that was mounted on the desk to show the group the plumage colouring and informed the group that as the bird matures the plumage changes colour. This young bird was classified as a HY (hatchling year). The group was allowed a brief photo moment, then without fanfare he set the owl on Heather Lotimer's arm, opened the door |
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| to the cabin and had the group move out
into the blackness of the night. The owl sat there stunned for a brief
moment, then without any sound gently lifted off. No sooner had we re-entered the house/cabin than another 4 visitors arrived. We all re-shuffled our chairs to make room for them. Nigel passed around a few hand-outs about owls to pass the time until the 9:00 P.M. rounds. At 9:00 P.M. we once again quietly headed out into the darkness to inspect the nets and again there were no captures. After this scenario I formed an impression that catching owls was a bit like fishing - some days were good and others not, so I bid farewell to the group and departed. |
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| Owl and Birds of Prey Classification: Mystery of the SY, ASY, TY, ATY, HY and AHY explained. Once the letters are placed in order you can easily guess what they stand for. The appropriate order is: HY, AHY; SY, ASY; TY, ATY. In the owl banding story I mentioned that HY stood for Hatchling year; similarly, AHY stands for After Hatchling year, SY stands for Second year, ASY stands for After Second year, TY stands for Third year and ATY stands for After Third year. As Nigel displayed the photos of the various hawks, these symbols were entered in the caption above the captured bird. To the non-birder each bird seemed like a different bird, yet these symbols allowed the audience to see a visual record of how the plumage colouring changes as the bird matures. |
| The Art of Banding: To become a certified bander with a permit you need to be able to identify the birds that you are going to trap or catch in a net. Secondly you need to spend hours and hours of time practicing so you can remove the bird from the net safely and quickly (Nigel said that when the bird flies into the net it rolls and entangles itself. I can envision the head, wings, tail, legs and feet with 8 tiny claws being totally coiled in the net). Thirdly, you need to be able to consistently record appropriate data (Nigel reported that he also keeps track of the birds that fly over the nets without being caught). Fourthly you need to have a thorough knowledge of the type of band that needs to be applied to the bird and be able to release it in a timely manner without stressing the bird to the point of death. Nigel said that he does not have a permit to band hummingbirds as these birds are a lot more delicate than owls, birds of prey and perching birds. Did I just hear you say, "piece of cake"!! Did I mention (a) Hawks and Owls have talons that can pierce your hand if you are not paying attention to their feet; (b) Shift work was included in this job description along with being ready to go on a bird's schedule at the crack of dawn and staying out late well past the mid-night hour. The above story about owl banding gave me a brief glimpse into what was involved - long and lonely nights prowling about in the dark not knowing what sort of other night-time creatures are out there besides owls. Besides that the commitment involved deserves an honourable mention: Once the net is up the bander's job is not done until the net is taken down; leaving the net left up is not an option, the birds' lives depend on the bander removing them from the net. Weather is another important factor in the catching and banding of birds. Nigel stated, "If the weather is perfect the birds will not land but simply fly right over the station." I am not a weather meteorologist, but I'm sure the high and low pressure areas that move over the region play a significant role in just what the birds are doing at any given time - especially if it involves migration. If the birds stall in a certain area the chances are weather turbulence has something to do with it. We might not be aware of turbulence in the upper atmosphere but the birds have a different perspective. |
| Spring and Fall Migration: Nigel reported that the timing of migration is variable; for example, if spring comes early the birds will migrate early, but if spring comes late then the birds' migration will be late. Predicting this is critical to catching the birds as they migrate northward. If the nets are set up too early or too late you will miss the birds. In our list of birds, Passerines are apparently the first type of birds that migrate. To accommodate them this year, Nigel said he set up the nets early in the March break. Despite these heroic efforts the birds managed to elude him because spring began even earlier - at the end of February. Owls and raptors on the other hand usually migrate at the end of March, early April; therefore, Nigel said that he had better luck catching them since he was now alert to the fact that spring had come 2 weeks earlier. Fall migration and banding on the other hand usually begins for the raptors in August. Nigel thought that the Scanlon Creek station site was in an ideal location nestled between Lake Simcoe and the Great Lakes. This spot picks up the birds that are flying south towards the Great Lakes, the birds flying west as they come off the Holland Marsh lowland area in the east and the birds that are flying in a north-easterly direction. Nigel said that the Peregrine falcons don't start their fall migration until the end of September. He also said that he was unable to catch them but could see them fly over. In October "The Stations" nationwide (Canada & USA) gear up for the data collecting project on owls. This project involved 110-115 stations from Alabama in the south to Alaska/Yukon in the north. Protocol is simple: banding is done in a 4 hour window from 8:00 P.M. to 12:00 midnight. Unfortunately Nigel did not say what the duration of this project was: however, he did report that the new Scanlon Creek bird banding site banded 102 owls, just several more than their more northerly station. He thought they had done quite well since they had no idea on how it was going to work. Once the data is collected it is electronically submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Services. Records are kept there and also forwarded on to a central area in Maryland, USA. This nation wide data collecting event did turn up some interesting data: One of the migrating owls that had been tagged at Scanlon Creek station was re-captured back at the northern Innisfil station. Other owls were re-captured as they flew east / west instead of flying south. Apparently at least 5% of the birds are re-trapped before finishing their flight down to Pennsylvania in November. Nigel reported that the juvenile birds seem to congregate on the north shores of a number birding sites before migrating south to their final destination. |
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Thanks
to Nigel Shaw, Scanlon Creek Conservation Park is now on the map with
their own bird bander and contemporary realist artist. Since Nigel has
a contract with Scanlon Creek for the next 5 years, please take the
time to drop into the Nature Centre or better still visit one of his
bird banding outdoor hands on adventures. The entrance to his station is off highway #11 between Line #9 & #10 where the off leash dog park is located. |
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| Feed back: One of the club members ask for feed-back regarding the Sharp-Shinned Hawk's decline. Nigel was not aware of this species decline, saying that other stations had caught thousands. On November the 19th while on a tree planting event I ask Mike van den Tillart if the nets are relocated to catch the hawks. Mike informed me that the larger hawks, like the Northern Gos-Hawk are trapped rather than netted. I was surprised by his answer. Mike went onto say that a live mouse was used to lure the hawk into the trap. The traps are set to close automatically or are tripped manually by the observer when the hawk lands on the prey. |
| Bibliographies: Robbins, Chandler S.: Bruun, Bertel; Zim, Herbert S. A Guide to Field Identification Birds of North America, (C) 1966, by Western Publishing Company, Inc. Published by Golden Press, New York, N.Y. Shaw, Frank The Pocket Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, (C) 1998, by Parkgate Books Ltd., Sino Publishing House, Hong Kong Thayer Birding Software's Guide to Birds of North America Version 4.0, (C) 2010 Visit: www.thayerbirding.com www.birds.cornell.edu www.wildbirds.com The Oxford English Reference Dictionary Second Edition, (C) 1996, by Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York For more information please visit: Bird Banding Laboratory, The North American Bird Banding Program at: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/ Index to the North American Bird Banding Manual, Electronic Version at: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/MANUAL/index.htm Ross Riley |
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| October 12, 2010 - Bats of Ontario by Liam McGuire, University of Western Ontario |
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| Bats are the only animal capable of sustained flight Are Warm Blooded |
Over 1000 species in the world Canadian Bats are all insect eaters |
| Bats of Ontario People and bats have interacted for a long time. For example; in China different bats can be found on some of the old traditional Chinese art, an old Mayan calendar can be seen with a distinctive bat nose for that region and Western culture has idolized the bat with the actor Bela-Lugosi as Dracula, Batman, Lego Batman and Yoda from Star Wars. Recent new findings in Papa New Guinea describe a bat that looks like Yoda. Besides being the only animal capable of sustained flight, warm blooded bats are so amazing because there is such a wide range of diversity. At present there are over 1200 species of bats. With the new DNA testing procedures researchers are constantly finding new species. The only species that is more prevalent than bats are the rodents. Bats come in all shapes and sizes. Using a photo from power point Mr. L. McGuire not only displayed a photo of multiple species of bats but listed off the names of many distinct species, namely; Honduras bat, Leaf nose bat caught in Belize, Fruit bats, White wing vampire bats, South pacific flying fox, Elongated snout bat (holds a world record for having the longest tongue), Predatory bats (eat birds, mice and other bats), Fishing bats, Bulldog bats, Wrinkle faced bats, Hammer head bat (males will pick out their own trees and will honk to try and attract females to their tree) and the Hoary bat. What do bats eat? From the above list you can probably guess but to be more definitive: according to their species, fish, blood, fruit, scorpions, nectar, flowers, leaves, insects and other bats. What sizes do bats come in? The Banana bat weighs in at 2 grams (a close second to being the smallest bat), while the Flying Fox with a wing span up to 6 feet is the largest bat. Where are bats found? Bats can be found all over the world. According to L. McGuire if the continent is not frozen over all the year round bats are there. Bats can even be found on small islands out in the middle of the ocean. Canada does not have many species of bats, but warmer climates and tropical locations do. The Amazon basin can boast to having up to 150 species living in one area. Bats of Ontario (8 different species in Ontario) Big Brown Bat: This bat received its name because it is big and brown. It is the second largest bat in Ontario weighing in at 16-20 grams (the Hoary bat is larger). This bat has a wide range and is quite common throughout Ontario. If you have bats in your barns or attic there is a 50/50 chance that it is a Big Brown Bat. Little Brown Bat: This bat weighs in at 6-8 grams. They are often found near lakes roosting in buildings, barns, bird houses, churches and boat houses. This is another bat that is very common in Ontario. These bats migrate south for the winter and hibernate in the leaf litter, then return to their summer breeding grounds once the weather warms up. The return trip north (approximately 1,000 kilometers) in the spring is done in haste because the females don't want to give birth to their pups in some strange place on the way. Their lactation period is a little longer because they are roosting in the foliage where the environment is unstable and the pups take a little longer to develop. Northern Long-Eared Bat: So named because they live in the north and are basically a boreal breeding bat. Their ears are nearly as long as their body. This bat picks up insects that crawl along leaves or branch surfaces. It sounds easy but we must remember that these bats are operating from dusk to dawn and cannot see their prey except by echo location as they move about the leaves and tree branches. Mr. L. McGuire reported that these bats use echo locating frequencies up to and well over 100 Kilo-hertz (human hearing goes up to at best 18 kilo-hertz). Using this high frequency provides the bat with detailed information about its surroundings in close range situation. The down side is they cannot see as far. Researchers have discovered that the female bats have better hearing than their male counterparts and have also learned that bats cannot hear as well as they age. Eastern Small-Footed Bat: This bat comes close to being the world's smallest bat. It weighs in at 3-4 grams and has very small feet. Not much is known about this species. Researchers only know that they are around. Tri-Coloured Bat (formerly known as the Eastern Pipistrelle): DNA testing has set the record straight. This bat is a species of its own and is not related to the European Pipistrelle or the Western Pipistrelle, thus the name change to reflect it as a distinct species. It is a bat that roosts out in the tree foliage and is another species that researchers don't know that much about. 1,100 bats were found in a colony in a mine near Ottawa but apparently this species is not very common in Ontario. They have quite a wide range and extend from Ontario down to Central America. Researchers have recently discovered that this species has expanded their range into Texas and New Mexico. Eastern-Red Back Bat: These bats have red hair, live a solitary life, and are long distant migrants - flying down to South America. If the weather gets cold they will bury themselves in leaf litter to hibernate to protect themselves against the cold. The only time they break their solitary mode is for pup rearing; however, once the pups are weaned these mammals will return to their solitary existence. This bat is the world record holder regarding the number of babies born at one time - 4-5 pups. Most bats give birth to 1-2 pups. Upon birth the pups cling to the mother and she will fly around with them for approximately 1 week. By the start of week 2 the pups are able to be left alone in the roost and by the end of the 2nd week their eyes are just starting to open. Mr. McGuire said that these bats are very hard to catch and researchers really don't know that much about them. Silver-Haired Bat: Is black with white or silver tipped hair and has a wing span up to 12 inches. It weighs in at 8-12 grams. This bat prefers to roost in tree cavities and spaces under loose bark. It finds insects in or near coniferous and mixed deciduous forests near ponds or other water sources. They are mostly found in the northern Rockies with only a few in Ontario. Not very much is known about this species. Hoary Bat: This is the largest bat in Ontario. It weighs in at 35 grams and is a good hand full. It is widely distributed and can be found in the Hawaiian and Galapagos Islands. All of the bats from Ontario eat insects. Researchers who have checked bat guano pellets have found the remains of moths, flies, beetles, ants, spiders, wasps, mayflies and earwigs. No mosquitoes were found. To demonstrate to us how bats capture their prey in flight, Mr. McGuire showed the YSN group a video of a bat attacking a moth attached to a string. This captive red bat was raised by researchers at the Wainstate University and trained to eat moths that were tied to a thread. In the film the bat is so agile and quick that its movements and echo locating sound (clicks) had to be slowed down for humans watching to process the event. The echo locating sound is initially slow, but as the bat moves in for the kill researchers describe what seems to be a feeding buzz. The buzz (a very high frequency echo locating sound waves) occurs to provide detailed information about the exact whereabouts of the moth and allows the bat to scoop up the moth with its tail membrane and transfer the insect to its mouth in what appears like one motion. This film demonstrated that bats are incredibly efficient hunters. Researchers who have gone out on field trips using echo receivers have discovered that a bat can hunt and be back in the roost within 20 minutes. Researchers have also learned that bats remove the heads and wings of insects to reduce the weight load and have observed wings and heads of insects lying on the ground under street lights. Ontario bats for classification purposes can be broken down into 2 groups; namely, Cavity Roosting and Foliage Roosting bats. Cavity roosting bats; namely, the Northern Long-Eared bat, the Eastern Small Footed bat, the Little Brown bat and the Big Brown bat live in hollow trees, under some loose bark, beneath rock crevices and man-made structures i.e. attics and bat boxes etc. Foliage roosting bats; namely, the Eastern-Red Back bat, the Silver-Haired bat, the Hoary bat and the Tri-Coloured bat usually hang on a branch out under the leaves. Hoary bats prefer coniferous, cedars and spruces while the Easter-Red Back bats prefer citrus trees. Mr. McGuire next described what the life of a Little Brown and Eastern-Red Back bat is like for the year. The story board below provides an overview. Hibernation Pregnancy Lactation Mating Hibernation April May June July Aug - Sept Oct <----------------------Migration----------------------> There are 3 fascinating details to consider in the life of this small furry mammal; namely, "Time-lapse" between the mating and the pregnancy (an amazing adaptation), Hibernation and Migration. The Little Brown bats and other species are excellent hibernators. Depending on how far north you are hibernating can last up to 6 months or more. In the spring these bats begin their migration from abandoned mines or caves to their summer locations. Unlike some birds, females migrate while they are pregnant. As outlined by the story board, the mating season actually happens in August / September but the female holds the sperm to become pregnant in the spring after hibernation (it seems logical since pregnancy would consume a great deal of energy while hibernating - not to mention the weight involved during migration). Reaching the summer breeding grounds quickly is imperative for the females because they do not want to give birth to their pups in some strange place on the way. Mr. McGuire reported that the pregnant female bats become absolutely round in comparison with the males. On delivery day in May or June the female will lose 30% of her body mass as she gives birth to her pups. Compared to a human, Mr. McGuire said this is like a 120 pound woman giving birth to a 40 pound baby. When the pups are born they are almost naked and the wings are very stunted. As they mature the pups will crawl around to explore their roost site (Parasites are common amongst bats. Mr. McGuire showed us a slide of a parasite that was found in the roost with the pups). The mother will raise her pups until they are weaned. This takes about 3-4 weeks. The only distinguishing colour difference between the pups and parents at this time is the parents' fur is darker. By the time the bats are ready to leave the roost in August the bats have moulted and the young look just like the adults. Migration back to their winter grounds in south-eastern Ontario occurs soon afterwards. This collecting together is called swarming and lasts for a couple of weeks. It has been estimated that swarming involves about 10,000-15,000 bats. The bats mate at this time to restart the life cycle before settling into the mines or caves to hibernate for the winter. Hibernation is another amazing event in the life cycle of the bat. Thermal images display blues and blacks as being cold and reds and whites as being hot. Throughout a 6 month hibernation period, every 10 days to 2 weeks a bat will awake from its hibernation state and glow red/white then return to the blue/black colour. The reason is unknown but it is thought that it's to get a drink and have a pee much like people do. Researchers have discovered that the ideal hibernation temperature for a bat is about 4 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is any warmer or colder than this it will cause the bat to use more energy. The ambient temperature of the rocks in a cave or mine is about the same temperature as the bat when it is hibernating. Some of the bats have an east-west migration pattern while others have a north-south migration pattern. Distance varies between 800-1,000 Kilometers. Threats that bats are facing: 1. White Nose Syndrome (WNS): The infection was discovered in a cave outside Albany New York in the winter of 2005/2006 and so named White Nose Syndrome because of a white ring of fungus around the muzzle. At first researchers didn't know what it was and thought that it may be just a symptom. Researchers now know that it is a fungus called Geomyces destructans. This fungus affects the skin tissue of the back and penetrates into the skin and kills them. Since discovery in 2006 the mortality rate has been 100%. A site that once had 30,000 bats now has no bats. The mortality rate is about 70% per year. Every species that hibernates in a cave seems to have been infected by White Nose Syndrome (involves 9 or 10 species of bats in total). The Hoary, Red and Silver bats so far seem to be unaffected by WNS. The epicenter started in New York State and has been spreading since then. WNS was confirmed in Ontario in 2009. It is now in several different counties around Ontario and has moved quite far north and seems to be moving much faster to the south than to the east. At present the infection is all the way out to Oklahoma. Every year WNS has been found to move farther and farther and there is now no end in sight. No one knows how to stop the infection or slow it down. So far it has been estimated that the north eastern population will be extirpated within the next 10-15 years. At present there is a lot of research being done on this syndrome and it is hoped that something can be done within the near future. For further information on the White Nose Syndrome please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_nose_syndrome and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speleology 2. Wind Energy: Researchers have found that giant wind turbines have caused the death of hundreds and hundreds of bats in Manitoba because the bats' rigid lung structure is susceptible to pressure changes. Turbine blades leave a low pressure zone behind the blade. This pressure change ruptures the vessels in the bats lungs causing the bat to bleed and drown in their own fluid. Results show that there is no collision with the blades - the bats are simply experiencing a decompression affect that kills them. Mr. McGuire reported that the new generation of turbines coming out are getting taller and taller with blade lengths up to 40 meters. With this new height, the turbine blade is now sweeping through the bats migration air space. Researchers have found that if the wind turbine are shut down when the wind speed is below 6.5 meters per second there are fewer casualties. If the wind speed is greater than 6.5 meters per second the bats will not be out flying because the wind speed is too strong for them. Studies show that the Hoary bat is by far the most affected by these windmills because of their migration patterns. A close second are the Eastern-Red and Silver Haired bat. The Tri-coloured bat is not affected as much because it is a local and regional migrant. Fortunately there are a number of researchers and government agencies that are working on this problem. Mr. McGuire said that wind turbine usage legislation has been put into effect via the Ontario energy guidelines. Any new projects must do wind turbine mortality surveys. If the turbines exceed a certain bat mortality threshold mitigation studies would require the turbines to be shut down when the bats are active. For further information regarding wind turbines and bats please visit: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr@mnr/@fw/documents/document/268989.pdf Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative http://www.batsandwind.org/ Bat Conservation International Inc. http://www.batcon.org/ Amazing Bat Trivia: -- Migration: From banding, researchers have discovered that the Little Brown bats wintering in abandoned mines or caves in the east can move to their summer maternity colonies north of Lake Superior in just over a month. This is a distance of 800 kilometers. -- Heart rate: A Little Browns heart rate at rest is 300 beats per minute, 15 beats per minute when hibernating and 1,300 beats per minute when flying. -- Insect control: It takes a lot of food to grow from a helpless pup to independence in such a short time. To do so requires a pup to consume its whole weight in milk every day. That means that the mother must go out and consume more than her weight in insects every single night. For example, a 7.5 gram bat would need to eat more than 7.5 grams of insects nightly (to put this quantity into perspective, it would be like a 200 pound person eating more than a 200 pound steak every day). A colony of 30 bats would eat 225 grams which means that in one month the colony would consume nearly 15 pounds of insects. This means that these little bats are providing a major ecosystem service by removing insects from our environment. Just imagine what a larger colony would be removing from the ecosystem on a nightly basis. -- One of the best times to see bats is at dawn, particularly when the bats are coming in from a migratory flight from across a lake. Bats have been used as tourist techniques, especially when they emerge from their colonies in swarms from under a bridge or cave at dusk or when they return to their colonies just before dawn. Since they are so small and agile the chances of seeing them in the ark is unlikely. Helping bats: - Encourage government agencies to become involved and take action regarding wind energy issues and the White Nose Syndrome. - Avoid pesticide usage. - Just leave the bats alone when they are roosting in old barns or boat houses especially when they are hibernating. The more they are disturbed the more it affects their energy reserves. If you go into a hibernation site you will cause the bats to wake up and this will cause them to burn through a lot more energy than they have possibly made allowances for. It is possible that the entire colony could be killed if they are disturbed in this way. - If you make a bat house be sure to use old wood. Do not use cedar and don't stain your bat house. Make sure the opening to the bat house is no bigger than your smallest finger. Make sure the bat house is big enough so the bats can move up or down in the house for temperature variation. Bats like 40 degree temperatures with 100% humidity; therefore, mount the bat house on the south side of a tree where the bats can be warm. For more information visit: Get Involved/Install a Bat House (Bat Conservation International Inc.) http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/install-a-bat-house.html Dangers associated with Bats: Histoplasmosis: The fungus called Histoplasmosis grows with the guano. It is a respiratory fungus. It affects different people to different degrees. Some people only have a cough and others need to be hospitalized. Mr. McGuire suggests that if you have a build-up of bat guano, just leave it alone, but if you absolutely have to clean it up get a proper respirator. Do not take chances. If you are exposed to histoplasmosis just once you could spend the rest of your life coughing and hacking - it's simply not worth it. Rabies: Any mammal can carry rabies but bats are more likely to transmit this disease more than any other mammal species. Probably less than 1% of the bat population carries rabies; however, if you get bitten by an infected bat there is no cure. If you are bitten by a bat, be sure to get your shots right away. The best precaution is to avoid handling bats, but if you do, wear thick gloves or heavy towels to protect yourself from being bitten. One of the symptoms that could be indicative of rabies is: the bat is not behaving properly or is in a place that it should not be in. The raccoon is the chief villain in the spread of rabies. Bats usually bite the raccoon and pick up the disease. According to Wikipedia, the rabies virus is the type species of the Lyssavirus genus - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies. The disease is passed along by bites, scratches, through body fluids. As mentioned earlier bats that contract the disease exhibit symptoms of being more aggressive, outgoing and more out in the open. This behaviour makes it more likely that they will come in contact with other animals and pass the disease on. Once a bat contracts the disease the virus acts very quickly. The bat colony seems to recognize the strange antisocial behaviour and will kick the bat out of the colony. Attention: If you happen to find a bat out on the lawn or out on the front steps where it is not supposed to be, use extreme caution - it could be infected. Suggested Reading: "Creatures of the Night" by Tim Tiner, pg. 34 ON nature Autumn 2010 http://onnaturemagazine.com/creatures-of-the-night.html "Great Migrations" by David Quammen pg. 28 National Geographic November 2010, Vol. 218, No. 5 Ross Riley |
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6-7 Butternut trees, N. of Mt. Albert Side Rd in path of 404 extension
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 Bush, Butternut trees, Vernal pool and Habitat - removed
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| If
you watch the nature programs, the progress taking place in the
southern countries could be detrimental to what we have come to watch
and enjoy - birds. To mitigate the deforestation of the birds' winter habitat in the southern countries Doctor Stutchbury suggested that we buy USDA Organic Fair Trade products and certified "Bird Friendly Coffee". The song lyrics, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone...Put up a parking lot", seems to fit the action taking place world wide. . Ross Riley |
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 Family: Jumping Spiders (Salticidae) Common Name: Common Wall Jumper Spider Genus & Species: Sitticus palustris Found dead protecting cocoon on porch |
Acknowledgment I set out to write about this topic on spiders soon after Tom Mason spoke to us; however, to reiterate his presentation without input on my part would be meaningless. The concept of looking at spiders seems simple but I soon discovered that in May there were just not any spiders to be found. Needless to say I spent the entire summer with camera nearby just in case these camera shy arachnids appeared (not to worry all subjects were photographed and released unharmed). In total I think I photographed 6 different families of spiders. I must also give credit to the men and women who are listed in the bibliographies below - I do not have a fancy camera and could not possibly show the detail that was portrayed in the close-ups and sketches of the eyes, jaws, fangs, pedipalps, spinnerets and claws etc. I would also not be able to identify the spiders that I did manage to photograph without the help of Mike G. Peters book entitled, "Life-size Spiders of Southern Ontario". I left the sexual reproduction method out for the curious minded folk to discover on their own. |
| Spiders
have been around for a long while and have established themselves in
almost every habitat around the world. According to Mr. Mason spiders
are lurking for the most part approximately 4 feet in distance from us
at all times. Since there are nearly 30,000 + different species of
spiders living in the world (from as small as the head of a pin to
nearly 4 inches in length) Mr. Mason said to identify a spider properly
it must be a pickled mature adult male with secondary reproductive
organs. |
| Where spiders fit in the order of living things: All living things can be placed in one of five groups called Kingdoms (Plant, Animal, Fungus, Moneran and Protist). The spider belongs in the: Kingdom (Animal) Subdivides into Phylum (Arthropod - means hinged feet) Subdivides into Class (Arachnid - spiders are arachnids - they are not insects) Subdivides into Order (Araneida - Spider) Subdivides into Families & Genera & Species |
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Garden Spiders - Dorsal and Ventral view
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Garden Spiders - Dorsal and Ventral view
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| Family: Orb Weaver Spiders (Araneidae) - Dorsal and Ventral view Common Name: Garden Spider Genus & Species: Araneus diadematus Both of these
spiders hide during the day. The first spider was found at our
neighbours; The second spider was found in our Globe Cedar bush
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| Distinguishing Spider Traits: Have 2 body sections - cephalothorax and a abdomen Have 8 legs - attached to cephalothorax - Each leg has 2-3 claws at the tip - Many are able to loose any of their legs voluntarily (called autotomy) Have 2-8 simple eyes - located at the front just above the chelicerae Have a pair of chelicerae (jaws) in front of their mouth Have fangs (to inject prey with poison/digestive juices) folded below their chelicerae Have pedipalps at each side of the mouth (feelers - no antennae) Have 2-8 spinnerets on the lower rear of their abdomen (discharge silk) Females protect their eggs by bundling them up in a silk cocoon or brood sac The young use ballooning to travel to new areas (only some species) - Most species prefer solitary life - will attack and eat one another They molt (shed) their hard exoskeleton skin to grow larger - Lost legs can grow back after molting (not to the same extent as original) |
Insect Traits: 3 body sections 6 legs Have antennae . |
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Shamrock Spider
 Family: Orb Weaver Spider (Araneidae) Common Name: Shamrock Genus & Species: Araneus trifolium Spotted hiding in the under fold of a curled chrysanthemum leaf. |
Facts: - The word spider comes from an old English word that means "to spin". - Spiders externally digest their food before they eat it, because they can only swallow liquids. To do this they use their fangs on their chelicerae to inject digestive juices into the bodies of their prey, wait a while, and then suck out the watery mixture. - Most spiders live just 1 year, but a few live much longer (i.e. Tarantulas). - All spiders are friendly predators - They eat unwanted insects such as earwigs, ants, flies and dozens of serious garden pests. - They are a major food source for many animals. - They are blamed for causing many bites; however, only 15% of bites are from spiders - 85% are caused by other insects. In Canada there is only 1 Brown Recluse Spider bite recorded - found in Vancouver. |
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| - Spider's silk is the strongest natural material known (apparently
the Golden Orb Spiders web can stop a bullet!). Silk in general varies
in strength; there are different forms and apparently 7 different
kinds. Spiders' silk is an important nesting material for birds. - Ballooning (A baby spider releases silk and literally uses the web as a parachute to drift on the wind currents to relocate in new areas) allows spiders to be primary invaders in new territories. It has been reported that webs have been seen floating at 23,000 feet above sea level. - Spiders are the subject of myth in many cultures. Corner Spider  Found guarding its brood sac under a flower pot at the back of our lot |
Bridge Spider
 Family: Orb Weaver Spider (Araneidae) Common Name: Bridge Spider Genus & Species: Araneus sericatus Spotted beneath bridge on Tom Taylor trail, Mulock Dr., Newmarket Family: Comb-footed Spiders (Theridiidae) Common Name: Corner Spider Genus & Species: Achaearanea rupicola |
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| Spider Peculiarities: - Arthropods are invertebrates - means they do not have backbones (have a hard exoskeleton instead). Molting is the spiders only means of growing - Wandering spiders actively hunt, stalk, run and jump on their prey. Spiders that hunt do not make webs - they have good eye sight. Their 2 large eyes are in the front of the head. - Sedentary spiders spin a web and stay in one place and wait to catch their prey in their web. Webs can come in the shape of funnels, sheets, basins or up-side down bowls. Webs can also be strung in the shape of triangles, circles (orbs), tangles or as a single thread, and be laid out horizontally or vertically. Web production and maintenance usually takes 1 hour and is a daily routine. - Some can walk on the water, while others swim in the water. - When spiders hatch from their eggs, these miniature spiders are replicas of their adults. Once hatched these "spiderlings" quickly disperse. - Spiders exhibit two types of chelicerae (jaw) motion - like the closing of scissors or the downward motion of a two pronged fork. - Leg position - Some have all of their 8 legs pointing forward while others have 4 legs pointing forward and 4 legs pointing behind. - Eye position - The 2-8 eyes can be positioned in two or three rows at the front of the cephalothorax and can wrap in a semi-circle for some spiders. This wrap around configuration gives the spider approximately 270+ degree view. Sedentary spiders usually have poor vision and rely mostly on touch and web vibration to signal mealtime. |
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Silver-bordered Fishing Spider
 Family: Nursery Web Spiders (Pisauridae) Common Name: Silver-bordered Fishing Spider Genus & Species: Dolomedes scriptus Found in the Bailey Ecological Park on the Tom Taylor trail - fast runner |
Common House Spider
 Family: Sheet-web Weaver Spiders (Agelenidae) Common Name: Common House Spider Genus & Species: Tegenaria domestica Found in our bath tub |
| For further information please visit: http://www.ontarioinsects.org/TMason/frame.htm or http://www.ojibway.ca/spiders.htm#top |
| Bibliographies: Facklam, Margery Spiders and Their Web Sites, (c) 2001, by Little, Brown and Company, Boston, New York, London Julivert, Maria Angels The Fascinating World of Spiders, (c) 1992, by Barron's Educational Series Inc., New York Kalman, Bobbie and Smithyman, Kathryn The Life Cycle of a Spider, (c) 2002, by Crabtree Publishing Company, New York Peters, Mike G. Life-size Spiders of Southern Ontario, (c) 2006, by Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication, Canada - visit www.lifesizemacroimages.com Selsam, Millicent E. and Hunt, Joyce A First Look At Spiders, (c) 1983, by Walker and Company, New York Squire, Ann O. Spiders of North America, (c) 2000, by Franklin Watts - A Division of Grolier Publishing, New York, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Danbury, Connecticut Ross Riley - all labeled pictures by Ross Riley are only a best guess using Mike G. Peters' book as a guide |
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| April 13, 2010 - Oak Ridges Moraine by Sue Walmer, Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust |
The
Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust mission is: "To ensure that significant
moraine properties, including lands required for the Oak Ridges Trail,
are protected in perpetuity through strategic land securement and
related long term stewardship for the benefit of future generations." Although 90+ percent of the
land across the Moraine is owned by private land owners, people are
more appreciative of the land and want to protect it. Presently almost
3200 acres are protected, some by donations, some by conservation
easements and some by restricted covenant.
General public knowledge: Travelers have a popping in their ear experience when ascending the Moraine starting around Richmond Hill. Different areas boast about having the highest location. Bloomington Rd in Aurora and Stouffville claim they have the highest elevation at 900 feet +/-. The Moraine feeds all the rivers that drain into Lake Simcoe and Lake Ontario. The Moraine was formed about 12-15000 years ago when 2 plates came together. The Moraine consists of layers of gravel (aggravate) sand and silt. Provides drinking water to over 250,000 people. Various groups came together about 20 years ago to protect -- The Moraine for its habitat and natural beauty -- The water resource stored in the aquifers below the Moraine One of the YSN members shared a story with the group about a time when snow plows were used back in 1949 to remove the sand off the Vivian Side Road and Davis Drive. Another member shared a story about large numbers of Red Pine trees being planted to prevent the sandy top soil from blowing off the land following deforestation and extensive farming. Ideas also surfaced about how the Oak Ridges Moraine got its name: -- By the ridge. -- By the oak trees that were growing on the Moraine. Sue informed us that the water from the Moraine is very pure. She reported that 5 years ago the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust sent two water specimens from the Bloomington and Yonge Street area to a laboratory to have them tested for bacteria. One of the water specimens was taken from a well and the other specimen from a nearby pond. She said that the lab called back the next day to question the senders' motives because they could not find anything wrong with the water. Apparently the lab thought the water had been sterilized because it was so pure. Sue went on to inform us that the water from the Moraine has 2 or 3 aquifer layers and can be found at approximately 100, 200 and 300 foot depths. The Moraine for Life Foundation was formed in 2000-2001 and funded for 15 million dollars. This money was then given out to smaller groups who used the money as leverage to get matching funds from the government. Although these groups are now out of money the government will not refinance them. Sue went on to say that the Niagara Escarpment, Moraine for Life Foundation and the Green Belt legislation is due for review in 2015. At this time these 3 complicated documents will be brought together and changes will be discussed. The government wants public input on just how to protect these areas that they originally set out to protect. Sue spoke about several issues that need to be addressed when the legislation comes due in 2015. -- Developers used a loop-hole in Millbrook and Cobourg to pump water off the Moraine. Since there is no restriction about putting in a well this developer drilled down into the Moraine then laid down pipe and ran the water from the Moraine to a housing survey that was off the Moraine. -- Golf Courses that tap into the Moraine's aquifers and pump water for irrigation purposes. This doesn't seem like a big deal but it's the cumulative affect (other golf courses are doing the same thing). -- Using a "Sunset Clause" to cap development on the Moraine. Currently developers are misusing the "Grand Father Clause" loop-hole to build on the Moraine. Sue also spoke about the pearls that you can easily see from the sky as you fly over the Moraine. These little pearls are like little droplets. To those fortunate enough to own the property around them, they are known as Kettle lakes. These lakes are not very large but the water is pure and can be very deep. Mary Lake is a well known Kettle lake. Other Kettle lakes are located near Seneca College and King City. The Kettle lakes were formed where glaciers dropped off huge chunks of ice. These huge chunks of ice caused the land to settle down leaving a depression. Ross Riley |
| She
spoke of the history of efforts to protect the moraine and how many
groups came together to protect it. It is the headwaters of 65 streams
and rivers. It stretches across south eastern Ontario and also connects
to the Niagara Escarpment. She discussed how the moraine was formed by
the last ice age. The moraine filters the water because of the gravel
deposits. There are 2 or 3 layers of aquifers on the moraine. The
gravel is also one of the threats to the moraine because in many places
the land is owned by aggregate companies. This is the 10th anniversary
of the land trust. It was originally funded with $15 Million but that
is now spent. They don't go out and actively look for land to buy. They
work with landowners who may donate land and get tax breaks under the
eco gift program. Some people are willing to donate just the sensitive
parts of their property. They encourage conservation easements, which
do not prevent owners from selling their land. They currently have 32
properties protected. The Land trust will pay easement costs. They need
funds for stewardship work. It is estimated that it costs $20 to 50 per
100 acres per property. Their goal is a fund of $1 million for a
stewardship. Sylvia Bowman |
| March 9, 2010 - The Future of the Scanlon Creek Conservation Area by Bill Thompson, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) |
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by Bill Thompson
LSRCA |
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The
speaker was The Groups
also use the area around the picnic shelter. This area is to be
upgraded. As a
result of requests for a playground near this area, there are plans for
an adventure
play ground. This will be more of an interactive with nature play area,
not a
conventional playground with swings etc. The
trail that goes to the lookout will be part of an interpretive type of
trail
that goes through several types of habitat. This will also be an
accessible
trail. They
are working with the Bradford Bondhead horticultural Society to
revitalize the
arboretum located near the gatehouse. There is a farmhouse on the
property that
is currently vacant. They would like to restore it and use it as
community
resource. However there are no funds for this at present. This
year the bird banding project led by Nigel Shaw is taking place once
again, and
there will be opportunities for the public to participate in this
activity. The
pond on the creek has been closed for swimming since 2005 due to
continuing
high coliform counts. The creek was originally dammed to make the pond
in 1971.
This type of project would not be done today. There are still
discussions on
going on whether to remove the dam drain the pond and re-naturalize the
area. Another
planned project is the off leash dog park. As part of the revitalization of Scanlon Creek there is a series of events planned throughout the coming year to promote the park. The next event is to celebrate earth day on April 25th. Also planned is a trails day event in June with the Bradford Trails committee. There are also opportunities to volunteer at Scanlon creek by contacting them. Sylvia Bowman |
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 Aerial view of a small section of Rouge Park and small map for orientation purposes. |
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| Rouge
Park is a 12,000 acre park that has lots of projects and events going
on: Recreation composed of Hiking (even has guided hikes), Camping, Canoing and Swimming. Volunteers can participate in: (just to name a few) Frog watches (Amphibian monitoring) Grid Salamander watches Breeding and Bird Surveys Tree Plants For further details on what is available please visit: http://www.rougepark.com/index.php For a Rouge Park map visit: http://www.rougepark.com/explore/park_map.php One of the most frequently asked questions is, "Where is it?" The park falls between Scarborough and Markham and Lake Ontario at Rouge Beach in the south. Please check the map for more precise details. The original park when first established was south of Steeles Avenue. Recently Rouge Park has been granted a large tract of land north of Toronto from the province. This addition now extends the park up just north of the 16th Avenue to York Region. Maria said that Rouge Park hasn't taken over the management of it yet but will do so sometime in the future. The next question about the park that is asked is, "What is it?" The most important ecological characteristics of Rouge Park: It protects an important reservoir of biodiversity in the middle of the GTA and serves as a corridor and wild life highway that connects Lake Ontario to the Moraine. Maria exclaimed that this section of land in Ontario was a really important reservoir because it contained a huge biodiversity of plant and animal species: 752 plant species (represents 1/4 plants in Ontario), 225 bird species, 54 fish species and countless invertebrates and rare species. Challenges and Habitat Loss (What is Lost) The problem is human development has severely encroached upon this wild life corridor. Maria said that if it wasn't for the park all 12,000 acres would have been lost to development. The southern part of Rouge Park, (consisting of only 6000 acres) from Steeles Avenue to Lake Ontario has 21 environmentally significant areas and 8 provincially significant areas. The biodiversity of plants contained in this small area is considered quite high. In fact the entire Rouge Valley was recognized in 1984 as a "Carolinian Canada Site" (one of 38 sites in Ontario). Protection rights were granted only after officials were severely criticized for not protecting the Carolinian forest. The park was formed approximate ten years later by the Province of Ontario. Maria went on to say that there was a tentative plan of changing the park from a provincial park to a national park. The park is at the northeastern limit of the Carolinian Zone and among the largest sites on the Carolinian Canada list. When searching for the web sites I came across two home pages for Rouge Park. Please note the difference (the second entry provides a different view of the map): http://www.rougepark.com/index.php http://www.rougenationalpark.ca/ Map of Carolinian Forest Signature Sites http://www.conservationhamilton.ca/Asset/iu_files/Caroliniansites.pdf Old growth forests http://www.fitzhenry.ca/spreads/OldGrowthSites.htm Maria said this is an important border zone; however, the rest of the Carolinian Forest was just built over. For this reason the park faces many challenges. The park's objectives seem ambiguous and full of challenges as well, because not only is the park to accommodate natural heritage, cultural heritage, visitor experience and agriculture it is a the same time to be a protector of animal, plant and bird habitat (some species do not like intruders). Maria made the comment that the human footprint in the Rouge is huge. Maria went on to say that the landscape has changed a lot since the arrival of european settlers. Old Growth Carolinian Forests were cut down to make way for farms and farms were eventually converted into cities. As a result of all our development (high tech soil moving and paving equipment etc.) impaction and surface run off now plague us. What once was a ground water control system (in which water soaked into the ground) has now become a surface water control system. Increased debris, sedimentation and bank erosion followed. The Red-headed Woodpecker, Chimney Swifts and the Bashful Bulrush (very small rare plant) were all casualties to the demise of the Carolinian Forest. The Chimney Swifts were more resilient and resourceful and held their ground until the demise of the brick lined fire places, but all of these species are endangered in the Rouge Park as all of these species rely on old growth / dead and dying trees. Maria spoke enthusiastically about the Bashful Bulrush because it has a very specific habitat and only exists in Burlington botanical gardens and in the southern part of the Rouge Valley. At the moment the plant (a very short plant) appears to be lost because of its requirements. She went on to describe the habitat that the Bashful Bulrush required. Apparently the plant only exists where there are gaps in the canopy. Maria went on to say as the canopy closes the plant dies. She says the trick is knowing how much old growth forest is required to ensure the plant can be self sustaining and move about as canopies come and go. At the present no one knows just how many acres this plant requires. The railway tracks that were laid in the south were another source of irritation to the environmentalists. These tracks cut across the marsh and separated it except for a narrow channel. The marsh bank was hardened, straightened out and had no vegetation. Functionality was the winner - not aesthetics or concern for the animals, birds and plants that lived there - hence not much life was in the marsh. Marshes are a critical refuge especially for turtles. Maria said that there were three turtles on the endangered list; namely, the Northern Map Turtle, the Blanding Turtle and the Stinkpot Turtle. The Toronto Zoo has done a lot of work trying to track the movements of the Map Turtle (a signature species of the Rouge Park). Apparently these turtles move far and fast (they are no match for the highways). The Blanding's Turtle lives up to 70 years or more and although a species specific project was undertaken to provide a wetland area for the turtle, the turtle would not stay. Other losses include naturally occurring prairie grass - usually along the shoreline. These naturally occurring open areas are a harbor for the Short Eared Owl, Big Bluestem Grass and the Milk Snake. Maria said that the park does have other open areas but most of the open areas are the result of human activity. Please visit the site below to view the endangered, threatened and species of concern in the Rouge Park: http://www.rougenationalpark.ca/docs/Endangered_Species.pdf Maria also spoke about the loss of two national historic sites: Rouge Carrying Place Trail. This is the Eastern trail that was used by the aboriginals when going north to Lake Simcoe (there is also the Western Carrying Place Trail from Humber). Maria also mentioned Bead Hill (not open to the public yet). Please see: http://www.rougepark.com/unique/cultural.php Restoration Measures (What we have brought back): Now that we have looked at the problems and losses in the Rouge Park it's now time to look at what is being done to restore, improve, mitigate and reverse the damage that has been done for the Coastal Wetlands, Forest, Watershed and for the animals, birds and plants that live within this environment. All of the projects that have been done or in the process of being done are done through partners, community groups and multiple agencies. River Bank Erosion Project Over development prevent volunteers and Rouge staff from getting at the source of the problem; nevertheless, workers do what they can to solve the problem. As described above soil impaction and encroaching urban development have now caused heavy surface water run-off when it rains and or the snow melts quickly. Bank wash-out is just one scenario. Again, using volunteers and working with Ontario Streams some erosion was mitigated by cleaning up debris and by the planting of trees along the river bank. The Rouge Marsh Rehabilitation Project 2001 The marshes are a critical refuge for wild life species but many of the city shoreline are degraded and or built over and many of the marshes in the cities are not pristine but have been in trouble for some time. The railway line cuts across the marsh that was deemed a critical refuge for wildlife, dividing it in two. Therefore, Ontario Streams decided to make a more naturally slopped contour type bank using the soil from another near-by marsh that was being destroyed for development. Maria showed a power point slide of dump trucks dumping the dirt full of lots of seeds and parts of nodes (everything that was needed to make a wetland habitat) along side the roadway/railway line. Volunteers then helped to plant everything from cattails to little trees etc. alongside the bank. Maria then showed a power point slide of barriers and netting suspended over the newly planted cattails and trees etc. and explained that these newly planted plants were susceptible to predation and needed protection from the birds, other wildlife and carp. She said that once the plants were established the barriers would be removed. Maria reported that the marsh is better than it was before and now has different species of animal and water fowl living in the marsh that weren't there before. Maria said that not all the damage that was done has been reversed but at least the marsh has been improved. Trumpeter Swan Project Trumpeter Swans became extinct in Rouge Park, Ontario due to a commercial and sadistic enterprise capitalizing on the use of swan feathers for ladies hats and swan feet for change purses. The swans have made a come-back only after researchers decided to obtain eggs from Alberta and place the eggs into the nests of wild birds on site. All went well until the wild birds recognized there was a color difference. Tricking the adults by dying the hatchlings' feathers worked but the loss of their ancestral knowledge and ability to migrate to a warmer climate for winter has condemned full grown adults to congregate in the open coastal waters during the winter. Please see link below for Trumpeter Swan Restoration: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108205954.htm Please see link below for Trumpeter Swan picture and fact sheet: http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=77 Forest Restoration Project Forest planting (and the planting of annual grass to keep down the weeds) by Rouge Park has been carried out on a mass scale. One of the frequent questions was, "Why do you plant so many coniferous trees and not deciduous trees?" Maria reported that there are lots of deer in the park and deer love to eat the deciduous trees. To prevent the deciduous trees from being eaten, the deciduous trees are strategically planted inside the nodes by school children. A typical node consists of brush and logs placed in circle, square or rectangle fashion with a gap in the center. Maria said the children are the usual volunteers who plant the trees inside the nodes because they can easily climb the barrier of logs and brush. Deer avoid the nodes because they cannot jump that high and therefore leave the deciduous trees alone. Eventually the forest grows with a nice mix of coniferous and deciduous trees. Most of the projects that are done by Rouge Park are for the biodiversity of all species but some projects are done just to accommodate just one species. The project outlined below is habitat specific. Habitat specific - Chimney Swift Project As the old growth forests declined these birds were able to extend their stay by building their nests in brick lined fire places; however, once wood burning ended so did their substitute habitat. At the moment the fate of these birds is precarious because it will take some time before the current woodlots mature. In the interim, researchers have erected two chimney-like structures in a field for the birds to nest in. Maria said that if this project is successful more of these structures will be erected. Ross Riley |
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| Jan. 12, 2010 - Special Interest Stories - Environmental Monitoring and Habitat Restoration by Ralph Toninger, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority |
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| Guest speaker Ralph Toninger from
the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority spoke to us regarding: "Environmental monitoring and habitat restoration." Please visit their site for a comprehensive overview. Toronto and Region Conservation Authorities http://www.trca.on.ca/ Here are some stories of interest that stood out: Story about an Eastern Coyote: Increased interest, awareness and concern for the plight of the coyote occurred when school yard children reported feeding a coyote sandwiches and cheeses through the fence during school breaks. Apparently when the bell rang for the children to return to class the coyote would jump the fence and clean-up the remains that had spilled on the ground. Safety for the children was a concern so the Toronto Region Conservation Authorities held a public meeting for the teachers and concerned parents to determine what should be done with the coyote. To the Region's amazement many people came to the meeting to hear what was going to be done with the coyote. The general consensus from the parents was they did not want to harm the coyote since this was his habitat and he had a right to be here. The region accordingly captured the animal down by the waterfront, put a radio collar on him to study him and to track his movements. The collar/radio transmission range was limited and time to track the animal's movements was limited, thus contact was lost. Mr. Toninger reported that his radio tracking unit beeped several times on hwy # 427 when he was driving back to the office but since this beep was out of the coyote's range (so he thought at the time) he said he dismissed this as a signal aberration. Mr. Toninger then reported that several weeks later he got a call from a hunter who had shot a coyote as it was crossing the ice near Christian Island in Georgian Bay. This distance of the coyote's movement was rather a surprise. Mr. Toninger then reported that another coyote had been hit on the road near Hamilton. Mr. Toninger felt that this was an interesting study and should be kept in mind when applying some of their restorative work. Bird Migration: Using power point, Mr. Toninger projected an unusual red image from a weather Doppler radar onto the screen. This red pattern first appeared on one side of the lake, spread out then came down on the other side of the lake. This image at first baffled the technicians but the technicians then realized it was birds in the process of migration. While still viewing the weather Doppler radar image on the screen, Mr. Toninger drew our attention to a slight pink colored line area that ran from the Don River up Yonge Street right into Lake Simcoe. He said that birds were orientated to this corridor and it is thought that this faint pink line is a magnetic seam that the birds are following on their migration flight. He said that they have a program in place to now follow the birds that are moving along this natural corridor with plans to set up a station at Richmond Hill, Jokers Hill vicinity and maybe Holland Marsh. Story of the Yellow Warbler # 2210-5811: Mr. Toninger reported that the above mentioned Yellow Warbler # 2210-5811, banded in 2003 was accordingly captured 21 times as it flew back and forth from the Toronto area to Latin America during the spring and fall migration. What staff found amusing was this same bird would always build its nest in the same shrub year after year. Mr. Toninger exclaimed that it was the volunteers who planted this shrub that helped to give this bird its home and this bird demonstrated that restored habitat can be a success story. New Technologies for Landscape Assessment: Mr. Toninger reports that restorative opportunities emerge when new technologies; such as digital photography with laser guidance and computer generated images create 3D topography. The terrain literally stands right out and you get a look at the land for what it once was. He says it allows one to zoom in on some of the wetland areas that have been drained of water. Again using power point Mr. Toninger projected images onto a screen showing areas that were pink and green in color. The green areas (represent water shed areas that are 20% natural covered) are considered to be above average while the pink colored areas are considered to be below average. Mr. Toninger said that it's nice to see pink areas that were once below normal turn green in which they are considered to be above normal. From a watershed assessment point of view, 27% natural coverage is a nice percentage but the new normal is now considered to be 30%. Mr. Toninger went on to say that wetlands are his field of interest, that hydrology is the key, and that one of the major problems encountered in wetland areas is tile drainage. Disrupting weeping tiles that drain the land is a formidable task; because, the tiles are usually buried 3-6 feet beneath the ground (The tile system consisted of placing usually short 2 foot 4-6 inch diameter clay pipe sections in a 3-6 foot deep trench that is gradually sloped and runs across the field and into the nearest ditch or creek. Tar paper is placed over the gaps in the short pipe, followed by 6-12 inches of gravel then followed by soil. The pipe was buried deep enough so it was not disturbed by a tractors plough). Mr. Toninger spoke about using the new technologies in finding the wetland areas, followed by field work to dig-up the buried pipe. He reported that after the tiles had been disrupted, it would usually take several years before the land would fill with water to regain its former wet state. Ross Riley |
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