JOURNAL OF THE HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUBhamiltonnature.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/wood-duck/wood-duck... · JOURNAL OF THE HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUB Volume 67 Number 7 March,

JOURNAL OF THE HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUB Volume 67 Number 7 March, 2014

I n T h i s I s s u e :Member Profile – Alan Wormington

2013 Hamilton Christmas Bird CountWar on Science

Northern Lights This Spring?HSA Bird Records for Fall Season 2013

Eastern Whip-poor-will Status in OntarioHoary Vervain in the Hamilton Study Area

Good News About Rainbow Darters at Crook’s Hollow

Birders head out into a “winter wonderland” at Kerncliff Park, Burlington, to conduct the Hamilton Christmas Bird Count on Boxing Day, December 26, 2013. This was shortly after the amazing ice storm on December 22. The

ice and snow seriously affected numbers recorded. See article on page 148 – photo Joanne Redwood.

© photo Joanne Redwood

The Wood Duck - March, 2014Page 146

Table of Contents

Hamilton Christmas Bird Count - 26 December, 2013 Tom Thomas 148 Member Profile – Alan Wormington Bill Lamond 150 The Ontario Whip-poor-will Project with Audrey Heagy Michael Rowlands 152Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) in the Hamilton Study Area Bill Lamond 153Dates To Remember – March & April 2014 Liz Rabishaw/Fran Hicks 156

Noteworthy Bird Records – September - November 2013 Rob Dobos 158And Now For Some Good News – Rainbows Instead of a Dam Bruce Mackenzie 159Bumblebee Watch has Launched! Please Visit BumbleBeeWatch.org ----- 160Trivia For Nature Jen Baker 160Member’s Outing to the Short Hills Nature Sanctuary Jen Baker 160Astronomy Corner – We Could See Northern Lights this Spring Mario Carr 165Book Review – Rejecting Science in Canada Don McLean 166Land’s Inlet Nature Project: Growing the Nature Corridor Jen Baker 167Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch Begins March 1st Gord McNulty 168

Snowy Owl near Fifth Ave and Third Street, St Catharines This is certainly a good winter for Snowy Owls in the Hamilton area. They have been seen at several locations including: the Brantford Airport; Hamilton Harbour; Bronte Harbour; downtown Dundas; Burlington; Milton; Mud Street & First Road East; Fruitland Road & QEW; Peters Corners; Grimsby; and just outside the HSA: south of Burford and St Catharines where this bird was photographed. They come south only for food. Their arctic food source of lemmings is insufficient, so they instinctively move south to find food – to survive. Understandably when they travel that far, they often arrive in a starved condition and need to find food fast. Where they “set up shop” inland, they have found an area with lots of mice. When near water, they often feed on ducks. Usually it is the darker juveniles that come south (as shown above) as they are less experienced at finding food and may have difficulty competing for hunting territories with the adults within the breeding range. Enjoy them while they are here! - photo Joanne Redwood.

© photo Joanne Redwood

The Wood Duck - March, 2014 Page 147

Publications Committee: Anna Baranova, Christine Bishop, Rob Dobos, Kevin McLaughlin, Don McLean, Michael Fischer, Herman van Barneveld, Jean Stollard, Jim Stollard and John Struger.

The Wood Duck is the official publication of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and produced by members of the Club. It is published nine times a year from September to May, inclusive. Deadline for receipt of material is the 5th of the month preceding publication date.

As long as credit lines are included, articles may be reprinted without permission, unless otherwise specified. Opinions expressed in the Wood Duck are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club.The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club promotes public interest in the study, conservation and appreciation of our natural heritage.

Meetings are held monthly September to May inclusive and field events are scheduled throughout the year. Visitors are welcome. The HNC is a registered charity and all donations as well as membership fees are tax deductible.

HNC BOARD 2013 - 2014 Executive

Past President:President:

Vice-President:Secretary: Treasurer:

Bill LamondMichael FischerPeter Scholtens

Bronwen TregunnoChris Paton

519 756 9546905 526 0325905 928 6415905 334 4013905 538 6656

[email protected]@sympatico.ca

[email protected] [email protected]

[email protected]

Directors

Bird Study Group:Conservation & Education:

Field Events:Director-at-Large:

Membership: Programs:Publicity:

Sanctuary:Volunteer:

Wood Duck Editor:

George HollandPaul SmithFran Hicks

Herman van BarneveldMaggie Sims

Peter ScholtensMaggie Paton

Warren BeachamDoris Southwell

Bill Lamond

905 945 3962905 659 1482905 528 6376289 426 5341905 331-1496 905 928 6415905 538 6656905 627 3343905 632 4358519 756 9546


[email protected]@shaw.ca

[email protected] [email protected]@gmail.com [email protected]

[email protected]@hotmail.com

Coordinators

Website Coordinator:Social Coordinator:Junior Naturalists:

Mailing:Land Trust Program:

Lindsay BarrCatharine Flatt

Brian WylieJean Stollard

Jen Baker

289 389 9074905 628 2030905 627 4601905 634 3538905 524 3339

[email protected]@cogeco.ca


[email protected]

Report rare bird sightings to: Cheryl Edgecombe 905-637-5923Send Noteworthy Bird Records to: Rob Dobos, 21 Sunrise Cres., Dundas, L9H 3S1 email: [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP FEES – Please remit to The Membership Director, Hamilton Naturalists’ Club P.O.Box 89052, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4R5

HNC PUBLICATIONS - To order contact Alf Senior905 527 0905 or [email protected]

Life Membership $ 750.- Hamilton Nature Counts 2003 $ 75

Single Membership $ 45.- Checklist of the Birds of Ham./Wentworth $2.-

Senior Single Membership $40.- Date Guide to Birds of Ham./Wentworth $1.-

Student Single Membership (on-line-only access to Wood Duck; for those 25 or under)

free Naturally Hamilton - Guide to Green Spaces free

Checklist of Ontario Butterflies $1.50

Senior Joint Membership $45.- The Habitats of Hamilton and Halton Poster $4.-

Family Membership $50.- A Monthly Guide to Nature and Conservation. $5.-

Junior Naturalists - 1st child $80.- Hamilton Mammal Atlas $15.-

Junior Naturalists - additional children $70.- Birds of Hamilton and Surrounding Areas $45.-

Volume 67 Number 7 CN ISSN 0049-7886 http://www.hamiltonnature.org

March, 2014 - Publications Mail Contract No. 40048074 [email protected]


Editor’s Note........I always like getting feedback from readers. It helps to make a better Wood Duck. Please do not hesitate to tell me what can be done better. I welcome this. In discussion with Rob Dobos, the Noteworthy Bird Records editor, we have decided to publish the NBR four times yearly in the Wood Duck as opposed to the usual 8-9 times a year. There is a real advantage to this as it will create more space in the “Duck”; perhaps as much as three extra pages for other articles. Additionally, putting together the NBR is a very time consuming task and this will make it much easier for the NBR editor. The group-ing of the NBR will now be on a seasonal basis: the spring migration season (March - May), the summer (breeding) season (June - August), the fall migration season (September - November), and the winter season (December - Febru-ary). This matches how birds are reported in North American Birds. So, expect now to see the NBR every other month. Because of this, when the NBR do appear, they will be larger and will take up more space in each individual “Duck”. Thus variety will be a bit diminished in these NBR issues but the benefit of this new system I think is self-evident.

In this issue there is lot of fine reading. The results of the Hamilton Christmas Bird Count are well detailed by Tom Thomas. Former HNC President Bruce Mackenzie gives us a “good news” story about the Rainbow Darter in Spencer Creek. Don McLean has written a fine book review of War on Science, detailing our current federal government’s attack on basic science – perhaps preaching to the converted to a large extent, but an issue that must be highlighted. Also, a member profile of Ontario’s top birder, Alan Wormington, and a botanical article on the little-known Hoary Vervain.

Hamilton Christmas Bird Count - December 26, 2013by Tom Thomas

The 2013 Hamilton Christmas Bird Count was held on Boxing Day, Thursday December 26th, and 92 enthusiastic birders

set off in great anticipation, either to count birds in the field, or watch birds coming to their feeders. Some were out in the very early hours listening for owls.Temperatures ranged from -4oC to -1oC, with only a slight breeze. The day began with light snow falling, but by mid-morning the snow had trailed off, and the Sun peaked through. Most ponds were ice covered, and the western end of the harbour was frozen in a line from the Ship Canal to Stelco. Trails were icy and slick from the remnants of the ice storm on the weekend of December 21st and food sources such as Buckthorn, Multiflora Rose hips, and even Staghorn Sumac were covered in a thick layer of ice.Most comments from many of the participants were about the remnants of the pre-Christmas ice storm, and the frozen conditions in general. The icy conditions and downed trees made for difficult walking. There was a lack of waterfowl due to the bay being partially frozen, and most inland ponds were ice covered. Others found that the icy conditions brought more birds to feeders, and those counting birds in the bay found they had more time to look for birds inland. One counter saw a Northern Shrike chase a Downy Woodpecker, then watched it as it lifted the woodpecker and flew off with it. Another group with much of their usual water-based territory ice covered, had time to watch a Red-tailed Hawk harass a crow for several minutes.

The total species count was 98, just shy of the ten year Count average of 101. The number of individual birds counted was 52,411, well below the ten year average of 67,228.

Weather always plays a part in any bird count, and the 2013 Count was affected by the icy conditions in the bay and local ponds. Sometimes this brings in more birds to feeders, and it certainly brought in Bald Eagles, much earlier than usual, as they were seen in numbers sitting on the bay ice.We had record-high counts for the following species: Black-crowned Night-Heron with 11 - the old record was 10 in 1991; Bald Eagle, with 11 counted, beat the previous record of nine in 2008; the five Merlins observed eclipsed the old record of four in 2012; Lesser Black-backed Gull, with four, equaled the record-count for this species; and Red-bellied Woodpecker at 83 counted, surpassed the old record of 82.As you can imagine with the icy conditions, we had low counts across the board for waterfowl, but the following species were well represented: Double-crested Cormorant (49), Great Blue Heron (15), Trumpeter Swan (187), and Red-breasted Merganser (420). It was an above average year for raptors, with good counts for Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks, but the count for American Kestrel again showed the marked decline in this species as only five were counted, which is near the all-time low.

Gull numbers were down, except for the previously stated Lesser Black-backed Gull. Great Black-backed Gull, with 354 counted,

CBC Compiler Tom Thomas scouting on 23rd December 2013 for the Hamilton CBC - photo from cbc.ca/Hamilton.


far exceeded the ten year average of 85.

Birds on the comeback, after years of decline include: Blue Jay, European Starling and Winter Wren (second highest count).

There were above average counts for Snow Bunting and Brown-headed Cowbird, but overall passerine numbers were below average. There were hardly any “winter finches”, which was expected due to the good food supply in the north. Red-breasted Nuthatch numbers were surprisingly low, with only nine counted - the ten year average for this species is 49.Noteworthy species on the Count include: Red-throated Loon, Thayer’s Gull, Pomarine Jaeger, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Chipping Sparrow.Count Week birds (seen from Dec 23-29 but not on Count day): Wood Duck, Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, King Eider, Orange-crowned Warbler and Rusty Blackbird.Due to the severity of the ice storm, I probably missed some calls from willing participants. If I failed to contact you, I apologize and hope we can get together next time around. My sincere thanks to all those who graciously volunteered their time for this fun and worthy cause.Counters in the field 93Number of hours feeder watching: 34Number of hours owling: 6.50Number of hours walking: 123.80Number of hours driving: 58.40 Distance driven owling (km): 24.80Distance driven daytime (km): 799.10Distance walked owling (km): 1.50 Distance walked daytime (km): 140.20

The individual species count is as follows: (Current average refers to average count over the last ten years)

2013

Highest recorded

count 1954-2012

10 Year Current Average

Canada Goose 5,646 10,415 7,063Mute Swan 31 138 86Trumpeter Swan 187 193 134Tundra Swan 5 207 13Gadwall 4 278 54American Black Duck 333 1,170 360Mallard 4,425 11,198 4,826Mallard x American Black Duck 4 48 16Northern Shoveler 195 285 75Northern Pintail 2 72 17Green-winged Teal 12 112 22Canvasback 19 1,073 223Redhead 7 367 26Ring-necked Duck 4 205 73Greater Scaup 1,156 17,556 6,153Lesser Scaup 216 4,679 1,160Surf Scoter 31 224 90

White-winged Scoter 504 1,077 560Black Scoter 4 30 5Long-tailed Duck 4,110 24,304 8,479Bufflehead 321 925 463Common Goldeneye 621 10,456 2,405Hooded Merganser 83 157 69Common Merganser 501 9,000 1,165Red-breasted Merganser 420 589 279Ruddy Duck 41 882 565“Duck” species 5,001 10,001 2,558Wild Turkey 89 98 39Red-throated Loon 1 2 0Double-crested Cormorant 49 74 41Great Blue Heron 15 32 9Black-crowned Night-Heron 11 10 5Bald Eagle 11 9 4Northern Harrier 2 15 2Sharp-shinned Hawk 7 21 12Cooper’s Hawk 16 23 15“Accipiter” species 2 9 2Red-tailed Hawk 146 186 139Rough-legged Hawk 6 106 3American Coot 53 167 90Bonaparte’s Gull 4 111 1Ring-billed Gull 1,432 3,467 1,737Herring Gull 2,323 12,600 1,567Thayer’s Gull 1 2 0Iceland Gull 4 51 8Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 4 1Glaucous Gull 8 70 12Great Black-backed Gull 354 433 85“Gull” species 18 213 33Pomarine Jaeger 1 1 0Rock Pigeon 1,210 5,140 1,991Mourning Dove 1,023 2,180 1,202Eastern Screech-Owl 18 32 15Great Horned Owl 6 45 6Snowy Owl 2 9 0Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 2 0Belted Kingfisher 4 13 6Red-bellied Woodpecker 84 82 43Downy Woodpecker 230 323 224Hairy Woodpecker 61 126 73Northern Flicker 5 52 9Pileated Woodpecker 4 14 7“Woodpecker” species 1 3 1American Kestrel 5 50 16Merlin 5 4 2Peregrine Falcon 4 6 4Northern Shrike 5 21 4Blue Jay 449 527 346American Crow 471 7,000 1,153Horned Lark 4 217 19Black-capped Chickadee 961 2,228 1,732Tufted Titmouse 1 8 1Red-breasted Nuthatch 9 98 49


White-breasted Nuthatch 135 286 215Brown Creeper 15 97 21Carolina Wren 38 52 34Winter Wren 25 38 16Golden-crowned Kinglet 48 213 40Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 6 0Eastern Bluebird 42 52 23Hermit Thrush 2 11 3American Robin 478 1,587 577Northern Mockingbird 13 44 22European Starling 13,407 73,000 11,187Cedar Waxwing 180 1,136 386Snow Bunting 188 1,150 126Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 8 2American Tree Sparrow 487 2,640 661Chipping Sparrow 2 4 1Song Sparrow 21 290 32Swamp Sparrow 3 73 5White-throated Sparrow 51 213 91White-crowned Sparrow 2 52 13Dark-eyed Junco 852 1,954 1,277Northern Cardinal 486 672 539Red-winged Blackbird 2 68 6Common Grackle 1 25 1Brown-headed Cowbird 27 182 13Purple Finch 1 84 8House Finch 406 1,669 487

Pine Siskin 3 800 57American Goldfinch 677 1,358 879“Finch” species 3 46 10House Sparrow 1,802 3,500 2,144Total individuals 52,411

2013 Participants:Anna Baranova, Gerten Basom, Brad Bloemendal, Barrie Boatman, Laurel Boatman, Jody Bootsma, Mike Boyd, Alex Breitkopf, Trisia Breitkopf, Hazel Broker, Wayne Bullock, Alexis Buset, Ron Campeau, Sue Carson, Heather Cashin, John Cashin, Shena Chisholm, Michael Clark, Mark Cranford, Tim Cranford, Bill Crins, Ian Darling, Jenny Darling, Sandy Darling, Sherry Darling, Ewout Degelder, Jan Degelder, Eric Deruiter, David Dinniwell, Edward Dinniwell, Graham Dinniwell, Kate Dinniwell, Robert Dinniwell, Rob Dobos, Bryan Drown, Ernie Dunston, Barney Dutka, Helene Dutka, Cheryl Edgecombe, Denys Gardiner, Lynn Hanna-Folkes, John Hannah, Connie Hendry, Ian Hendry, Kyna Intini, Wilma Jairam, Mark Jennings, Andrew Keaveney, Manfred Kolster, Ursula Kolster, Gordon Lewer, Joyce Litster, Tim Lucas, Robert Maciver, Stuart Mackenzie, Len Manning, Heather McBrien, Marlene McBrien, David McCorquodale, Owen McGregor, Sheldon McGregor, Spencer McGregor, Barb McKean, Kevin McLaughlin, Gord McNulty, Matt Mills, Frank Morley, Chris Motherwell, George Naylor, Josh Nieuwenhuis, John Olmsted, Rob Porter, Bill Read, Joanne Redwood, Caleb Scholtens, Peter Scholtens, Yves Scholten, Alf Senior, Bill Smith, Robert Stamp, Barb Strang, Chris Street, Mike Street, Neil Taylor, Lisa Teskey, Tom Thomas (compiler), Phillip Waggett, Rob Waldhuber, Angie Williams, Ken Williams, Heather Wilson, Ross Wood, Brian Wylie.

Member Profile - Alan Wormingtonby Bill Lamond

Alan Wormington has been an HNC member since 1968, and a Life Member since 1970. Currently he resides in

Leamington and has lived there since 1980. He lives there as it is close to Point Pelee, and no birder is more closely linked to Point Pelee than Alan is.

Alan was born in 1954 in Hamilton. In the mid-1960s his family moved to Haddon Avenue North in Westdale, where he attended Dalewood School, soon followed by a short stint at Westdale High School. I say short stint, as he was more than happy to quit school after getting just his Grade 10. Schooling often got in the way of Alan’s eager pursuit of butterflies and birds. Alan – when he was only 16 – published his first article in the Wood Duck (1970) entitled “Butterflies of the Hamilton Area and Other Interesting Areas.” Although butterflies were his original passion, birds soon superseded all of his other interests. It was on Haddon Avenue where Alan met Alf Epp, who introduced him to birding and then he soon met local birder and artist Robert Finlayson who he was good friends with until Bob’s death in 2000. Alan also learned much about birds from additional Hamilton-area birders including George North and Bob Curry, often accompanying them in the field. It doesn’t hurt to have great mentors!

Alan has been one of the most active birders in Ontario for the past 40 years, and still is. He knows as much about the status and Ontario bird distribution and status as anyone, and this is also the case with his knowledge of Ontario butterflies.

Despite Alan’s lack of “formal” education, this has not held him back. He is an accomplished author and has many published articles, from his Ontario Seasonal Summaries in the journal North American Birds, to several papers published in Ontario Birds, and editorship of Point Pelee Natural History News from 2001 to 2003 inclusive. Alan is currently working on three different books — The Birds of Point Pelee; The Butterflies of Point Pelee National Park, Ontario; and The Rare Birds of Ontario: A Catalogue of Distributional Records. Many of us hope these are all soon in print. In 1982 Alan was a founding member of the Ontario Bird Records Committee (of the Ontario Field Ornithologists), and he is the longest-serving member.

Alan Wormington at his Leamington residence, 23 August 2013 - photo Bill Lamond.


Other than Point Pelee, Alan routinely makes trips to northern Ontario for birding. For example he has made many trips to the north shore of Lake Superior (at least 20), and just as many trips to southern James Bay to visit locations such as Moosonee and Netitishi Point. At these locations he has made many exciting discoveries. He also frequently visits Texas, and with 528 species seen there, he has the largest life-list of any out-of-state birder.Over the years, Alan has had an enviable number of rare finds. To date he has found and documented seven species that are new to the “Ontario Checklist of Birds” namely Lesser Nighthawk (1974), Royal Tern (1974), Fish Crow (1978), Cave Swallow (1989), Plumbeous Vireo (1997), Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater (2010) and Kelp Gull (2012). Alan was also a finder of the first (and only) nests of Chuck-will’s-widow (1977) and Cinnamon Teal (1983) in Ontario. Of course he has found many other rarities as well, including in 1969 the second record of Kirtland’s Warbler for the Hamilton Study Area. Outside of Ontario in 2010, he found and documented an Amazon Kingfisher at Laredo, Texas, the first record of this species for North America. He is tops in Ontario with his Ontario list which currently stands at at 443 species and he has the largest all-time Ontario winter list at 287 species.Likewise for butterflies, Alan has discovered many rarities and out-of-range species, including the first Ontario records of Great Southern White (1981), Funereal Duskywing (1990), Brazilian Skipper (1991), Marine Blue (1993) and Long-tailed Skipper (1994). All of these were at Point Pelee!Alan is an excellent photographer, and many of the rare species he finds are documented in detail.

Alan never finished High School, but he did earn a diploma in Historical/Natural Interpretive Services from Seneca College in 1979 which he put to use for a few years, first as a seasonal naturalist at Quetico Provincial Park (1978-79) and then working at the desk as a seasonal park interpreter at Point Pelee National Park from 1980 to 1984. However, “desk work” never suited Alan and thereafter he worked as little as possible to free up time to look for birds and butterflies when it suited him.

He has worked for the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club twice on the Natural Areas Inventory of Hamilton-Wentworth in 1991 and again in 2001-2002, as well as the Halton NAI in 2004. Alan was also a field biologist with the original Natural Areas Inventory in Hamilton-Wentworth back in 1976, and he worked on the Kent-Elgin Natural Areas Inventory in 1986. For several years (1987-1997) he worked seasonally for the OMNR as a fisheries research technician at Wheatley Harbour. Outside of Ontario, Alan has worked on a number of exotic projects. For three migration seasons (1999-2000) he was stationed on an oil platform offshore from south-most Texas, where he was part of the “Migration-Over-The-Gulf-Project”, a study by the U.S. Department of the Interior. In 2002, he was selected by Zeiss Optics to be part of a team to search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Louisiana – he didn’t see any!Today, Alan works as a biological consultant, often contracted to work on a variety of projects including those involving wind turbines, highway and bridge construction, or natural areas surveys. He continues to spend as much time outdoors as possible, always on the lookout for rare or unusual species.

At the March BSG Meeting17 March (Monday) 7:30 p.m.

This month, long-time HNC member Brian Wylie will tell us about his nature experiences in the Dry Tortugas. The Dry Tortugas is a paradise for birders. It is an important nesting colony for several species of pelagic birds such as Bridled Tern, Sooty Tern, Brown Noddy, Roseate Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird and Masked Booby. Knowing Brian, he will work some reptiles into the talk and indeed the Dry Tortugas derived their name from the abundance of sea turtles that can be found in the area. Lucky visitors can spot Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill, and Leatherback Turtles plying the waters. Come at 7:00 for bird-friendly coffee and conversation. Burlington Seniors Centre (beside Burlington Public Library) 2285 New St., Burlington. One of the several Snowy Owls that has graced the area

this winter. A real treat for area naturalists! Appleby Line and Taywood Drive, Burlington. 1 February 2014.

photo Eugene Jankowski.


B i r d S t u d y G r o u p M e e t i n g S u m m a r y – J a n u a r y 2 0 , 2 0 1 4

The Ontario Whip-poor-will Project With Audrey HeagyBy Michael Rowlands

At our January meeting, the Bird Study Group was fortunate to have another excellent guest speaker from Bird Studies

Canada (BSC) give an interesting presentation. Audrey Heagy is a bird conservation planning biologist at BSC and works on diverse assignments that include focused species-at-risk projects, co-ordinating communications for the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network, and co-ordinating volunteers for the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) in Ontario.

Her current species-at-risk work includes co-ordinating the Ontario Whip-poor-will Project, Eastern Whip-poor-will banding and monitoring at the St. Williams Conservation Reserve near Long Point, and being lead author of the Ontario Barn Swallow Recovery Strategy. She has also done field work and prepared reports focused on Hooded Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, and Louisiana Waterthrush. In the 1990s, Audrey worked for the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club, co-ordinating the Hamilton-Wentworth Natural Areas Inventory. She’s past president of the Norfolk Field Naturalists, St. Williams Conservation Reserve Community Council, and Ontario Bird Banding Association, and is on the boards of the Long Point Basin Land Trust and Carolinian Canada Coalition. Her talk to us – entitled “Where Are the Whip-poor-wills?” – was appropriate because many people have noted the absence of this iconic bird’s familiar song in cottage country and other places where they always used to be.

Audrey first gave us some background on her employer to establish that BSC engages more than 20,000 volunteers nationally to participate in various “citizen science” programs. Through monitoring activities and targeted surveys, these volunteers submit data to help BSC detect trends in bird populations. For example, the annual Project FeederWatch, held in February each year, quantifies individual species of birds seen at feeders all over North America. When these sightings are mapped, it’s possible to compare the distribution pattern from one year to another.

In the case of the Eastern Whip-poor-will, in the 20 years between the first and second editions of the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario (i.e., from the early 1980s to 2001–5), there was a 50% decline in its breeding distribution. (Similar declines exist for other nightjars such as the Common Nighthawk and Chuck-will’s-widow.) Data from various breeding bird surveys confirm a population decline in Canada of 75% between 1970 and 2011; eBird reports for the Whip-poor-will are also very scattered. In 2009, COSEWIC (Canada’s Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife) designated the Eastern Whip-poor-will as a “threatened” species under the Species at Risk legislation; it’s also recognized as “threatened” in Ontario under the Endangered Species Act. This designation ensures special protection for the species and its habitat, as well as the allocation of resources to find the reasons for its decline, see whether this can be reversed, and plan a recovery program.

The Eastern Whip-poor-will is distinguished by a well-camouflaged, cryptic, grey and brown plumage; it’s extremely

difficult to see, especially when it perches parallel to a tree limb or is on the ground in leaf litter, unless it’s flushed. Audrey said it once took a crew of four people 40 hours to find a single nesting Whip-poor-will! At night, an adult’s eyes shine red due to reflection of light from membranes behind its retinas called the tapetum lucidum, an adaptation to make it easier to see at night.About the size of a robin, the Eastern Whip-poor-will has a large head, short stubby legs, and a wide mouth with rictal bristles around it to help catch flying insects. Males have a white collar and white outer tail feathers; females are more buff in colour and have only tan tips on their tail feathers, to provide better camouflage while on the nest.The Eastern Whip-poor-will is an aerial foraging insectivore and feeds on moths, flying ants, beetles, katydids, and other insects using a “sit and sally” technique: it will sit on the ground or perch on a branch and watch for a moth or beetle to fly overhead – visible against the sky – and swoop from below with mouth agape to engulf its prey in mid-flight.

Whip-poor-wills are named after their call, which they’re capable of repeating up to a thousand times without tiring! Usually, they call only at dusk and dawn. But on nights from May through July, when the moonlight is bright, they may call steadily, which has caused many cottagers insomnia over the years.The female lays two eggs, not in a proper nest but in leaf litter on the ground. The eggs take 20 days to hatch and the parents will move the young if the nest site is disturbed. It takes 18 days before the young can fly. Sometimes there will be two sets of young in a year. The parents return to the same nest site year after year; some adults may live to be 15 years of age or more. Habitats used in Ontario include rock barrens, alvars, sand barrens and dunes, open mixed woodlands, open pine plantations, pine-oak savannah, and open wetlands (bogs and fens). Hence, Eastern Whip-poor-wills are found at Rondeau Provincial Park and Pinery Provincial Park; in the Bruce Peninsula; at the Wainfleet Bog; and around Kingston, Haliburton, and Muskoka. The exact cause of the decline of the Eastern Whip-poor-will in Ontario is not really known and is probably due to several factors. There has been loss of breeding habitat due to widespread changes in habitat, such as intensive agriculture in the southwest and natural forest succession farther north. The food supply of flying insects has also declined in recent years, affecting numerous aerial insectivores. Mortality rates may have increased due to road kills and predators such as raccoons and cats locally, and problems on their wintering grounds and migration routes.In 2010, BSC initiated a five-year Whip-poor-will project with funding from Ontario’s Species at (continued on page 155)

Audrey Heagy from BSC webpage


Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) in the Hamilton Study Areaby Bill Lamond

Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) is a rare plant in the Hamilton Study Area (HSA), being known only from a few locations

in Brant County. Although it is not officially considered a “Rare” plant in Ontario (Oldham and Brinker 2009), it is definitely an uncommon plant in the province, with many naturalists never having observed it. There are four species of Verbena that occur in the HSA, and stricta is by far the most attractive. It has racemes (spikes) of intensely coloured lavender flowers, and while only a small portion of each spike is in flower at any one time, the flowers are large enough (5/16”) to make for an arresting display.

I first saw Hoary Vervain in 1991 in Brantford along the Lake Erie and Northern Railway bed near Hardy Road. Subsequent to this, I have seen it along other railway tracks within Brantford and Brant County, and I have seen it in few old-field areas as well. In southern Ontario, it is very scarce plant although it is very widespread. Michael Oldham, of the Natural Heritage Information Centre (OMNR), considers Verbena stricta to be a very interesting species. In his experience, it is certainly rare to uncommon almost everywhere in southern Ontario, but it is known from virtually all counties south of the Canadian Shield. Even where it occurs, Mike has seldom seen large populations. In spite of this, it sometimes behaves as a “weed”, being frequently found in weedy situations such as roadsides, railways, old fields and other disturbed situations (pers. comm.). Why it is not more common is difficult to explain.

Within its southern Ontario range, it is much easier to list the counties where it has not been found: Hamilton-Wentworth;

Halton; Perth; Prince Edward; Prescott & Russell; and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry. It is a southern species as delineated by its absence from Manitoulin, Muskoka, Parry Sound, Nipissing, and Renfrew (Riley 1989, Oldham et al. 1991, Oldham 1993). Even in the counties where it does occur, it is usually listed as rare, with many county floras listing just a few or sometimes even one location for the region. Only in Northumberland County is it considered somewhat common in weedy, sandy fields (Wasyl Bakowsky, pers. comm), and in Peel and Haldimand-Norfolk it is considered

“uncommon to very uncommon” (Don Sutherland, pers. comm).

Hoary Vervain – although it has lovely flowers – is a rather coarse-looking plant. Both the stem and leaves are quite hairy, and the leaves are rather rough-looking due to the impressed veins. The opposite leaves are oval shaped, coarsely serrated and about 2” long. This species is a short-lived perennial, up to a metre tall, which branches frequently near the terminus, often

creating multiple flowering spikes. As this species is showy, Hoary Vervain could be cultivated as a garden plant. In fact, I do that in my garden. This plant readily self-seeds, and I have had this species in my garden for many years now, as the seedlings are easy to recognize and cultivate. I am a bit surprised that I have never seen a cultivar of this plant offered for sale in a garden centre. Nonetheless, this species is now offered in catalogues of nurseries that specialize in native wildflowers. It does have its drawbacks in the garden as it tends to be quite susceptible to “flopping-over” as it gets top-heavy with rainfall, therefore needing some staking. In nature – being more deprived of nutrients and moisture – it does not get quite so robust and does remain more upright when exposed to heavy rains.

The other three species of Verbena in our area are not nearly as attractive as V. stricta. Blue Vervain (V. hastata) is a beauty too. It has racemes of intensely coloured dark blue flowers, however, these flowers are small, and each spike only has a few florets in flower at any one time, diminishing what could be a spectacular effect if the whole spike was in flower simultaneously. This is a wetland species that can be found routinely near wetlands, especially in disturbed soil. White Vervain (V. urticifolia) is the most common but least showy of the four species, and it has a sparse inflorescence of small white flowers. Narrow-leaved Vervain (V. simplex) is the other species that occurs locally, and it is the least well-known as it is much smaller than the other three species and is the rarest, being found at only a few sites.

As stated above, Hoary Vervain has yet to be recorded in Hamilton-Wentworth or Halton Counties. Perhaps searches of railway right-of-ways in these areas will uncover this species and fill in the few remaining gaps of this species’ range in southern Ontario.

Literature Cited:Oldham, M.J., D. McLeod, W.G. Stewart and J.M. Bowles. 1991. Preliminary Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford Counties, Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. OMNR. Aylmer.

Oldham, M.J. 1993. Distribution and Status of the Vascular Plants of Southwestern Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. OMNR. Aylmer.

Oldham, M.J., and S.R. Brinker. 2009. Rare Vascular Plants of Ontario. Fourth Edition. Natural Heritage Information Centre. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. OMNR. Peterborough.

Riley, J.L. 1989. Distribution and Status of the Vascular Plants of Central Region, Ontario. Ministry of Natural Resources. OMNR, Richmond Hill.

Hoary Vervain in Brantford garden from seeds collected at Brantford Prairie. 18 Aug. 2013 - photo Bill Lamond.

Hoary Vervain. Close-up of flowering raceme. Information as above.


“Autumn” - 2011. Private Collection. 18” x 36”. Lorraine Roy - photographed by Januscz Wrobel.

At the March Monthly Meeting“Roots and Rocks - From Darkness To Light” - with speaker Lorraine Roy

10 March 2014, Monday - 7:30 p.m. Royal Botanical Gardens, Plains Road, BurlingtonIn her textile art work, Lorraine Roy has long been inspired by dark geological and biological activity beneath the soil’s surface and how it affects the plant community. Upon moving to the Dundas area in 2005, she was struck how the exposed rock of the escarpment provided a tantalizing glimpse of the enormous forces that shaped it. Much of her work since then blended her love of native trees and their particular challenges in clinging to those harsh surfaces. More recently, new research in mycorrhizal communication between roots of trees has now become the subject of an entire new and ongoing body of work. Our soil and rock scientists are literally bringing dark secrets to light. Lorraine asks, what can we learn from these rich and relevant messages from the earth?These topics will be illustrated with images and real pieces that mark her process through various concepts from idea to finished work, highlighting her passion for making connections between art and science.Raised in rural southwestern Ontario, Lorraine Roy completed a B.Sc. in Horticultural Sciences before opting for a career in art textiles. Originally devoted to hand-embroidery, she later developed a unique form of machine collage that permits her to ‘paint’ with fabric. This technique incorporates a mixture of machine sewing, collage, embroidery and quilting, integrating thousands of bits of fabric and threads with fine transparent tulle and machine stitching. Each piece is one of a kind (see below). In recent work, the Niagara Escarpment area and its native trees and plants are Lorraine’s main inspirations. Her work is featured in collections

throughout Canada and abroad. www.Lroytextileart.com

Caspian Terns, Hamilton Harbour, 3 June 2013.

Photos by Bonnie Kinder

Tree Swallows, Grindstone Creek along Valley Inn Trail, 3 April 2013

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nest, Valley Inn Road, 21 June 2013.

Juvenile Eastern Bluebird, City View Park, 6 June 2013.

Mute Swan family, Cootes Paradise, Hickory Island, 27 June 2013.


(continued from page 152) Risk Stewardship Fund. The ultimate goal is to understand why Whip-poor-will numbers have declined, and to determine how to stop further declines. The immediate goal is to find out more about their distribution and abundance patterns in Ontario. This is an ideal “citizen science” project because volunteers can easily detect and identify the Whip-poor-will’s loud, distinctive call and effortlessly tell if the species is present or absent. Rural residents and cottagers, as well as several birders, have all shown interest in this project.

Data have been collected by three methods: 1) Casual observations – More than 500 volunteers using a

simple survey form reported more than 1,000 Eastern Whip-poor-wills, many from Atlas squares, where they had not been observed in 2000–2005.

2) Roadside surveys – Using routes established for a BSC noc-turnal owl survey, mostly secondary roads with some forest cover, more than 2,000 roadside survey points were sampled (10 stops of three minutes each) and more than 1,200 Eastern Whip-poor-wills were heard at 709 points. There were also more than 1,500 points where no birds were heard.

3) “Where in the square” exercises – This pilot study involved detailed surveys of 22 Atlas squares and more than 250 point counts, turning up 229 Eastern Whip-poor-wills, with up to 39 birds in a square.

4) Overall, the findings indicated the species was widespread but locally common in some places where the habitat was ideal. It seems it has been under-reported by the latest Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas and other bird surveys, so it’s unknown whether it’s still declining or stable. Next steps include continuing to col-lect casual observation data to develop a habitat model and see whether there’s support for starting a long-term monitoring program for Eastern Whip-poor-wills in Ontario and elsewhere.

A collaborative research project (involving Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and BSC) was launched to find out where Ontario Eastern Whip-poor-wills go in the winter. Suspected destinations were the Gulf Coast (Florida, Texas, or Mexico) and Central America (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, or El Salvador). There have been no band recoveries, and the birds are too small for conventional satellite transmitters. Instead, the researchers are using miniature geolocators attached to the backs of about 45 birds from Long Point, Muskoka, north of Kingston, and Rainy River, to determine migration routes and wintering grounds. The geolocators record the time of sunrise and sunset where the birds are each day, allowing their daily movements to be tracked. However, the method is not that precise, especially for a nocturnal species that roosts in dense cover. So far, it appears that Guatemala is an important wintering ground, though some birds may go to Mexico.

Audrey then stated the decline of the Eastern Whip-poor-will is really just part of a larger issue: the general disappearance of aerial insectivores (AI), or flying bug eaters, across North America. The State of Canada’s Birds 2012 (http://www.stateofcanadasbirds.org/) says that AI have declined the most of any group of birds in the last 40 years. The troubling part of this trend is that we don’t know exactly why! A peer-reviewed research paper by

Silke Nebel et al. (Avian Conservation and Ecology, 2010) found a geographical gradient in the AI population trends, with the highest declines being most likely in highly populated and industrialized northeast North America. Declines became most noticeable after 1980 and are most acute in species migrating the farthest – to and from South America.

Several suspected causes for AI declines have been proposed. Birds that forage while in flight have high metabolic demands and are particularly susceptible to negative disruption during key stages of their life history, such as breeding, incubation, development of young, and migration. Human development, pesticide uses, and global climate change are also other possible causes for AI declines. These events can affect the birds directly (e.g., when the birds are blown off course by storms during migration or are disrupted by increasingly unfavourable weather events) or indirectly through changes in insect/prey diversity and abundance. It seems likely that there are multiple interconnected reasons for the declines of the Whip-poor-will and other AI.

Audrey encouraged us all to get involved in helping solve the mystery of the missing bug eaters by educating ourselves about the problem (e.g., by reading The State of Canada’s Birds 2012 report), familiarizing ourselves with the declining species that may be living in our own neighbourhoods, and reporting sightings of these threatened birds, especially via eBird Canada, where the data will be easily accessible to researchers. We can also make our properties and communities safe and secure for insectivorous birds and species at risk by minimizing pesticide use, keeping pet cats indoors, planting native plants, and using “bird-friendly” products. Of course, getting involved with one of BSC’s “citizen science” projects that help monitor and conserve bird populations (e.g., Barn Swallow NestWatch, Project SwiftWatch, and the Great Backyard Bird Count) is an ideal way to show personal commitment.

Our guest speaker then concluded her presentation with a slide that thanked all the volunteers, collaborators, and supporters of the project. She in turn was thanked by the audience with a warm round of applause and by Cheryl Edgecombe, our emcee, who expressed her appreciation to Audrey for making the trip from Port Rowan to educate us about this worthwhile project. After a refreshment break and a sightings report, the meeting was adjourned and some of us no doubt left wondering when (or if) we would next hear a Whip-poor-will’s call.

Eastern Whip-poor-will with chicks, Ganaraska Forest, Durham Region 23 June 2010 - photo Mike McEvoy.


D A T E S T O R E M E M B E R - M a r c h 2 0 1 4

1 Mar. to 15 May — The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch’s 40th season of monitoring raptor migration at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, Quarry Road, off Ridge Road West, Grimsby. Except in very bad weather, counters are present every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST / 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. Best times are from 10:00 am to 3:00 p.m. See http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/MoreAboutNPH.php. Information: Mike Street - 905-648-3737, [email protected] or Sandy Darling - 905-689-7481, [email protected]. Also see article on back page of this issue.

March - 13 April. Savage Gardens/ Nature’s Ninjas, RBG’s Winter Exhibit Double Feature, combines science, botany, and hands-on activities during its run until April 13, 2014. Please see www.rbg.ca for exhibit information.

2 Mar. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hikes. Free RBG Nature Hike (donations welcome). This week: Hendrie Valley. Meet at Cherry Hill Gate parking lot on Plains Road.

2 Mar. (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Nature’s Ninjas: Reptiles and Amphibians of Ontario at RBG Main Centre. Stealth, deception, assassination, even open combat; critters that display ninja abilities to survive, and live on RBG property. Fee: $10, Family $25.

8 Mar. (Saturday) 8:00 p.m. Hamilton Association Lecture. The Human Host: Microbial Communities of the Body in Health and Disease — Michael Surette. The human body is home to a complex community of microbes, the microbiome, that inhabits almost all surfaces on the human body. The number of bacterial cells on or in us outnumbers our own cells 10 to 1. These bacteria influence most aspects of human health and disease, from infections to chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, even depression. Dr. Michael Surette is a microbiologist and professor in the McMaster Department of Medicine. Room 1A1 Ewart Angus Centre. McMaster University Medical Centre. haalsa.org.

8 Mar. (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. - noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday February 8 to June 7. At the Nature Centre. Winter/Spring fee: $235 (RBG Members 10% off). Explore the ecosystems that make the RBG a biodiversity hot spot.

9 Mar. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike. Meet at Princess Point parking area.

10 Mar. (Monday) 7:00 p.m. HNC - Monthly Meeting. “Roots and Rocks - From Darkness To Light”. In her textile art work, Lorraine Roy has long been inspired by dark geological and biological activity beneath the soil’s surface and how it affects the plant community. (see full summary on page 154). Royal Botanical Gardens, Plains Road, Burlington.

15 Mar. (Saturday) 7:00 a.m. HNC - Spooky Hollow Work Party. Rain date (snow date?) is March 16th. We will be meeting at “The Egg and I” restaurant, corner of Hwy 2 and 53, behind the Tim Hortons, west of Ancaster, at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast. We will proceed to Spooky at about 8:00 a.m. This event involves moderate to heavy physical activity. Please wear old clothes. Chili and sausages will be provided for lunch. Contact Warren Beacham, Sanctuary Director, [email protected] or 905- 627-3343.

16 Mar. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike. Cootes North Shore. Meet at Nature Centre.

16 Mar. (Sunday) 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. HNC - Waterfowl and Other Early Spring Migrants. Leader Rob Dobos will take us on a tour around our waterfront to look for late wintering and early spring migrant waterfowl and other birds. About 28 species of regularly occurring ducks, geese and swans, plus another potential six or so rarer species are possible. Meet at LaSalle Marina in Aldershot at the foot of LaSalle Park Dr./Waterdown Rd. Rob can be emailed at: [email protected] a

16 Mar. (Sunday) 2 to 4 p.m. RBG Geo-Quest, Family program at RBG Nature Centre. Learn to use a GPS unit, then head outdoors on a high-tech treasure hunt. Suitable for over 5 year olds. Fee: Single rate $12, Family rate $30

17 Mar. (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC - Bird Study Group meeting. This month, speaker Brian Wylie will tell us about his nature experiences in the Dry Tortugas. Come at 7:00 for coffee and conversation. Burlington Seniors Centre (beside Burlington Public Library) 2285 New St., Burlington.

18 Mar. (Tuesday) 7:00 p.m. Environment Hamilton AGM. Speaker is Dr. Laurence Packer from York University and his talk is titled Bee Biodiversity. In this talk, Dr. Packer will give an overview of the morphological, ecological and behavioural diversity of bees and stress their potential for helping us understand the state of the environment. This is a very timely lecture. He is the author of the book ‘Keeping the Bees’ published in 2010. Location is the Hamilton Room at the Central Library.

22 Mar. (Saturday) 9:30 a.m. to noon. Junior Naturalists Club, ages 7 to 12, 4th Saturday of the month, to May 2014 at RBG Nature Centre. Learning experiences to generate a life-long respect and love of the natural world. Parents must be either HNC or RBG Members. Annual Fee: $80/child, $70/siblings. RBG Nature Centre, Arboretum Old Guelph Road.

22 Mar. (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. - noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday February 8 to June 7. At the Nature Centre. Winter/Spring fee: $235 (RBG Members 10% off). Explore the ecosystems that make the RBG a biodiversity hot spot.

22 Mar. (Saturday). HNC - Long Point Waterfowl Bus Trip. The HNC will lead another bus trip to see Long Point waterfowl if numbers warrant. See back cover of February Wood Duck for details or call Bill Lamond at 519-756-9546 or [email protected]


23 Mar. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Cootes South Shore. Meet at Aviary parking lot on Oak Knoll Road.

25 Mar. (Tuesday) 1 to 3:00 p.m. RBG Homeschoolers Afternoons: Maple Syrup at the Nature Centre. Homeschooler Afternoons are 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Session fee: $65 (February to June). Single class: $15 / student.

29 Mar. (Saturday) 2 to 4:00 p.m. RBG - Capture a Ninja: Exhibit Photography for Kids at RBG Centre. Photography techniques to capture a ninja or savage beauty. Fee: $30

30 Mar. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Rock Chapel, meet at the parking lot. If the weather is inclement, call RBG Program Update Line.

D A T E S T O R E M E M B E R - A p r i l 2 0 1 4

5 Apr. (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. - noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday February 8 to June 7. At the Nature Centre. Winter/Spring fee: $235 (RBG Members 10% off). Explore the ecosystems that make the RBG a biodiversity hot spot.

6 Apr. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hikes. Free RBG Nature Hike (donations welcome). This week: Hendrie Valley. Meet at Cherry Hill Gate parking lot on Plains Road.

8 Apr. (Tuesday) 1 to 3:00 p.m. RBG Homeschoolers Afternoons: Sings of Spring at the Nature Centre. Homeschooler Afternoons are 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Session fee: $65 (February to June). Single class: $15/student.

9 Apr. (Wednesday) 7:15 p.m. HNC - American Woodcock Outing. Join Sheldon McGregor on an American Woodcock outing in the early spring to hear woodcock calls and see them in flight. Bring a flashlight and wear waterproof boots and warm clothing. We will be viewing the birds at dusk and returning to our cars in the dark. Contact Sheldon McGregor at 905-304-8282 or sheldonbirder@h otmail.com. Meet in Dundurn Castle parking lot to carpool.

13 Apr. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike. Meet at Princess Point parking area.

14 Apr. (Monday) 8:00 p.m. HNC - Monthly Meeting. This month speaker Sandy Smith’s talk is entitled “Invasive Species in Our Forests: In Defence of Nature?” After some background on what has been arriving in our forests (insects, plants, diseases) and their impacts, we will discuss the measures that have been taken to emulate nature to disrupt these invasives, and bring our invaded systems back into better ecological equilibrium so they are more resilient to future disturbance. Dr. Sandy M Smith is a Professor in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto, former Dean (2010-2012), and cross-appointed to the university’s School of the Environment and Dept. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Her research addresses the ecology and biological management of invasive species to better understand invasion processes in forest systems. She actively participates in a number of professional organizations and invasive species control panels at international, national, and provincial levels.

19 Apr. (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. - noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday February 8 to June 7. At the Nature Centre. Winter/Spring fee: $235 (RBG Members 10% off). Explore the ecosystems that make the RBG a biodiversity hot spot.

20 Apr. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike. Cootes North Shore. Meet at Nature Centre.

22 Apr. (Tuesday) 1 to 3:00 p.m. RBG Homeschoolers Afternoons: Planet Earth at the Nature Centre. Homeschooler Afternoons are 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Session fee: $65 (February to June). Single class: $15/student.

26 Apr. (Saturday) 9:30 a.m. to noon. Junior Naturalists Club, ages 7 to 12, 4th Saturday of the month, to May 2014 at RBG Nature Centre. Learning experiences to generate a life-long respect and love of the natural world. Parents must be either HNC or RBG Members. Fee: $80/child, $70/siblings. RBG Nature Centre, Arboretum Old Guelph Road.

26 Apr. (Saturday) 9:30 a.m. RBG -Spring Wildflower Walk at Rock Chapel. Geared to intermediate hiking level. Fee: $10 per walk.

27 Apr. (Sunday) 7:00 a.m. RBG - Spring Bird Walk at Hendrie Valley (meet at Cherry Hill Gate). Geared to intermediate hiking level. Fee: $10 per walk.

27 Apr. (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Cootes South Shore. Meet at Aviary parking lot on Oak Knoll Road.

28 Apr. (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC - Bird Study Group - Members Night. This is our final meeting of the season and annual members night. We will have interesting presentations by some of our members. Come early at 7:00 for coffee and conversation. Burlington Seniors Centre (beside the Burlington Public Library) 2285 New St., Burlington.

30 Apr. (Wednesday) 6:30 p.m. HNC - Crerar Urban Forest Outing: Join Sheldon McGregor to explore this small but significant patch of urban forest within Hamilton. We will explore the public portion for various tree species, spring wildflowers, and a few migrating birds. This woodlot gained local notoriety in November 2012 as the privately held portion was dramatically and unexpectedly cleared of many large trees. We will be joined by Dr. Giuliana Casimirri, Ph.D., an urban forest enthusiast, who will share her insights on the benefits of urban patches. Meet in the parking lot of Bethel Gospel Tabernacle, 1355 Upper Wellington St, Hamilton.


NOTEWORTHY BIRD RECORDS – SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2013by Rob Dobos

Total number of species recorded in the HSA during 2013 to November 30: 286. Underlined species or dates require documentation by the Hamilton Bird Records Committee. Capitalized species require documentation by the Ontario Bird Records Committee. For species marked with “#”, all reported records are listed. For all other species, only highlights are listed. Note that the species order follows the most recent American Ornithologists’ Union checklist and supplements.

Observers: Bruce Aikens (BAk), Glenn Barrett (GBa), Hazel Broker (HB), Duane Brown (DBn), Ken Burrell (KBu), Ron Campeau (RCa), Barb Charlton (BC), Barry Cherriere (BCh), Shena Chisholm (SCh), Helen Colvin (HCo), Barry Coombs (BCo), William Crins (WCr), Robert Curry (RC), Janet Dance (JDa), Ken Dance (KDa), Sandy Darling (SD), Karl Dix (KD), Rob Dobos (RD), Andrew Don (AD), Dave R. Don (DD), Chris Dunn (CDu), Cheryl Edgecombe (CE), Gavin Edmondstone (GE), Sue Edwards (SE), Luc Fazio (LF), Joanne Fleet (JFt), Brett Fried (BF), Nancy Furber (NF), Denys Gardiner (DG), Alex Gray (AG), Athena Gubbe (AGu), Bill Harris (BHa), Jim Heslop (JH), Fran Hicks (FHi), Clive Hodder (CHo), Brandon Holden (BH), George Holland (GH), Ellen Horak (EHo), Sandra Horvath (SHo), Jackson Hudecki (JHu), Matthew Iles (MI), Jean Iron (JI), Mourad Jabra (MJa), Jarmo Jalava (JJa), Beth Jefferson (BJe), Mark Jennings (MJ), Barry Jones (BJ), Colin Jones (CJo), Aaron Keating (AKe), Andrew Keaveney (AK), Tim King (TK), Ethan Kistler (EK), Ursula Kolster (UK), Karl Konze (KK), William Konze (WK), Billi Krochuk (BKr), Bill Lamond (BL), Denis Lepage (DLp), Dennis Lewington (DL), Gwen Lewington (GL), Joyce Litster (JLi), Rick Ludkin (RL), Garret Luft (GLf), Ron Luft (RLf), Bruce Mackenzie (BM), Laurie Mackenzie (LM), Len Manning (LMa), Arlene McCaw (AMC), Sheldon McGregor (SMG), Spencer McGregor (SpMG), Kevin McLaughlin (KM), Matt Mills (MM), Frank Morley (FM), Ken Newcombe (KN), Ben Oldfield (BO), Gavin Platt (GPt), Richard Poort (RPo), Rob Porter (RPr), John Prescott (JPr), David Pryor (DPr), Bill Read (BR), Joanne Redwood (JRe), Kory Renaud (KRn), Garth Riley (GRi), Greg Salter (GSa), Caleb Scholtens (CSc), Peter Scholtens (PSc), Alf Senior (AS), Elaine Serena (ES), George Sims (GSi), Glenda Slessor (GS), Bill Smith (BS), Nancy Smith (NS), Paul Smith (PS), David Smzyr (DSm), Chris Street (CS), Mike Street (MS), Lisa Teskey (LTe), Peter Thoem (PT), Tom Thomas (TT), Matt Timpf (MT), John Tomins (JTo), Michelle Tomins (MTo), Dave Trumbell (DT), Josh Vandermeulen (JV), Mike Veltri (MV), Rob Waldhuber (RW), Phil Walker (PWa), Jim Watt (JWa), Angie Williams (AWi), Ken Williams (KWi), Stu Williams (SWi), David Wood (DWo), Ross Wood (RWo), Brian Wylie (BW), many observers (m.obs.).

Legend:* -first occurrence for the yearF -first occurrence for the migrationL -last occurrence for the migrationHSA -Hamilton Study AreaSM –singing maleterr. –territorial bird

Plumages, etc.:m. -malef. -femalead. -adultba. -basicalt. -alternateimm. -immaturejuv. -juvenile1st yr. –first year

County/Region/City:Brant [BR]Haldimand [HD]Halton [HL]Hamilton [HM]Niagara [NG]Peel [PL]Waterloo [WT]Wellington [WL]

Snow Goose#: 14 white morph + four blue morph past the Lake at Fruitland Rd [HM] Oct 27 F (RD,CE,DD); 13 past Van Wagners Beach [HM] (WCr,BC,BF) and one W of Copetown [HM] (FM,BHa) Nov 3.Brant#: One off Fifty Point C.A. [HM/NG] Oct 28 F (CE); one at Windermere Basin [HM] Oct 31 (RPo; LMa,LTe); one off Burloak Waterfront Park [HL] Nov 2 (DD); two past Van Wagners Beach Nov 3 (WCr,BC,BF); 21 past Sam Lawrence Park [HM] Nov 7 (LMa).Trumpeter Swan: Four past Woodland Cemetery [HM] Oct 20 F (RD et al.).Tundra Swan: Two at the Lake at Green Rd [HM] Oct 28 F (BH); three at Dundas Marsh [HM] Nov 11 (JHu).

Wood Duck: 42 at 11th Conc E of Centre Rd [HM] Sep 29 (HCo).Gadwall: 52 at Windermere Basin Oct 13 (RD); 15 at Valens C.A. [HM] Oct 19 (RD); 294 at Cootes Paradise [HM] Nov 3 (RD,CE).

American Wigeon: 12 off Green Rd Sep 16 and 18 there Oct 28 (BH); 33 past Van Wagners Beach Oct 4 (RD,CE), and 22 there Oct 5 (RD et al.); four at Windermere Basin Oct 13 (RD). Blue-winged Teal: 21 off Shoreacres [HL] Sep 12 (RWo).Northern Shoveler: 25 at Tollgate Pond [HM] Sep 14 (RD et al.); 12 at Princess Point [HM] and 25 at Windermere Basin Oct 13 (RD).Northern Pintail: Birds past Van Wagners Beach: 10 –Sep 5 (RD,CE,BCh), 11 –Sep 13 (RD,CE), 20 –Sep 17 (RD et al.), 20 –Oct 4 (RD,CE); 93 off Green Rd Sep 16 and 175 there Oct 28 (BH).Green-winged Teal: Birds past Van Wagners Beach: 50 –Sep 8 (RD et al.), 20 –Oct 4 (RD,CE), 23 –Oct 11 (RD); eight at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond [HM] Sep 15 (RD,CE,BC); 18 at Windermere Basin Oct 13 (RD); 195 off Green Rd Oct 28 (BH). Canvasback: One on Harbour off at LaSalle Marina [HM] Sep 12 (TT), and 50 there Nov 11 (LMa); 49 at Tollgate Pond Nov 16 (RD,CE,DD).Redhead: Three m. at Tollgate Pond Sep 14 (RD et al.); six past Van Wagners Beach Oct 4 (RD,CE).Greater Scaup: 11 past Van Wagners Beach Sep 17 F (RD et al.).Lesser Scaup: 20 past Van Wagners Beach Oct 4 (RD,CE).King Eider#: One 1st yr. m. off Van Wagners Beach Nov 3 F (WCr et al.); one f. off Millen Rd [HM] Nov 28-30 (BH; m.obs.).Harlequin Duck#: One m. off Fifty Rd [HM] Nov 30 F (SHo).Surf Scoter: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 1 –Sep 1 F (RD et al.) tied the record early fall date for the HSA, 1 –Sep 8 (RD et al.), 7 –Sep 28 (RD,CE); 3500 off Green Rd Oct 28 (BH) provided a new record high count for the HSA.White-winged Scoter: Five off Van Wagners Beach Sep 1 F (RD et al.), and 40 there Sep 28 (RD,CE); 5500 off Green Rd Oct 28 (BH).

(continued on page 161)

Tundra Swan at LaSalle Park, 1 November 2013 - photo Joanne Redwood.


A n d N o w F o r S o m e G o o d N e w s !

Rainbows Instead of A Damby Bruce Mackenzie

We all know something about fish but what always strikes me as funny is that we never ever see most fish that live

around us. This is unfortunate because there are so many neat fish in our neighbourhood.One of prettiest fish in our area is the Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum). You just have to look at them to see where they got their name. Interesting thing about Rainbow Darters, the males are brighter in colour then females just like most birds are. Males just like to show off I guess.So what are darters? Darters are a group of small fish species comprising about ten different species in Ontario. They are in the perch family so related to Yellow Perch and Walleye. They are almost always found on or near the bottom. All darters dart around. They swim for short distances in a hurry. Some live in the Great Lakes in shallow waters and some choose deeper water. Some prefer smaller bodies of water while some live in streams. Streams are the choice of the Rainbow Darter.Darters are small fish and most of us would simply call them minnows if we did not look closely at them. They might get to about 7 cm in length but most are well under 5 cm. A child’s little finger in size. The darters that live in rivers and fast flowing water can hold their position in the current. They have large and strong pectoral fins for their size. Think about where arms would be on a fish if fish had arms. Well that is where their pectoral fins are. They use their pectoral fins for strong short bursts of speed or to just hold onto the creek bottom in the current.Rainbow Darters feed on very small aquatic insects and invertebrates. Invertebrates are animals without backbones. Think of worms, crayfish and creepy crawlies. If they are really small, and like to live around small rocks in the water, then they just might be the food of Rainbow Darters.Rainbow Darters are generally found throughout the Spencer Creek watershed. If you find Rainbow Darters then you know the water quality is pretty good otherwise Rainbow Darters would not be living there. They don’t do well with pollution or heavy sediments in the water.Today, the Rainbow Darter has a new home in the Spencer Creek where the old Crooks Hollow Dam was along the Spencer Adventure Trail. In 2012 the dam was removed for safety reasons and an innovative design project was undertaken to rehabilitate this section of the Spencer Creek that used to be affected by the old dam and millpond. This rehabilitation project has had wonderful results within its first year. From land it is easy to see the change in the habitat. In the river are riffles, shallow spots and deep spots for the different fish to enjoy. Recently, ecologists of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, in their monitoring project of Spencer Creek, found Rainbow Darters in this new section of the creek. This is wonderful

news. What better judge of how we are helping the Spencer than to be told by a small but interesting fish species that says that the water is of good quality and the flow is just right for their healthy stream.The Rainbow Darter is just one species of many wildlife species that has been advantaged in this new section of the Spencer. Spotted Sandpipers, Belted Kingfishers and water snakes have all taken up residence here. If you have not visited the new section of the Spencer Adventure Trail and bridge by this restored section of the Spencer you might like to make a trip to see how the creek here has been given a new chance at life.

Now you are not likely to see Rainbow Darters, they are small and like to hide but you will see the different sections of the Spencer Creek with its currents flowing over and around rocks. You will see where the water bubbles over structures and gets re-oxygenated. The new vegetation communities are moving in towards the creek providing shade and habitat for fish and other wildlife. The Rainbow Darter is just one species of many wildlife species that has taken advantage of this new section of the Spencer Creek. And all this in a year or two.

Rainbow Darter. From Ohio Department of Natural Resources webpage. www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species

What’s Wrong With This Picture? That’s one confused tom Wild Turkey! 14 May 2012. Pleasant View area,

Dundas - photo Peter Hurrell.


Bumblebee Watch has Launched! Please VisitBumbleBeeWatch.org

The Xerces Society, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa, Wildlife Preservation Canada, the Montreal Insec-tarium, the Natural History Museum of London, and BeeSpotter, will be launching a citizen science initiative to track all species of North American bumblebees. This project will help us to follow the status of these essential pollinators and inform effective conservation actions. With our new website, you will be able to upload photos, use an interactive identification tool, and submit geo-referenced records of all North American bumblebees.In the last issue of the Wood Duck (Vol. 67, No. 6, page 139), two articles highlighted some encouraging news for this group of bees. Nonetheless, bumblebees still need our help. There is still so much to learn about their distribution before meaning-ful programs can be put in place to protect them. We have to know where they are before we can protect them. This is where volunteers come in: to gather the baseline data regarding distribution. Bumblebees are easy to photograph, and with the

interactive website, you can make a solid contribution in the preservation of these very important insects.

TRIVIA FOR NATUREJoin the HNC’s land trust program for its popular annual Trivia Night! We will be raising funds to enable us to continue to provide our popular outdoor education program.

There are questions for everyone during this evening of general knowledge trivia, so gather a group of friends to form a team of 8, or join a team at the event. Please feel free to bring your own snacks. Snacks and drinks will also be available for purchase (see poster below).

When: Saturday, April 26, 2014, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.Where: St. Paul’s United Church, 29 Park Street West, DundasTickets: $10 each or $70 for a table of 8For reservations or more information please contact Jen Baker at 905-524-3339 or [email protected].

Studying forest ecology and listening for birds at the members’ outing to Spooky Hollow Sanctuary on 1 June 2013. This year, to Short Hills (see below).

Members’ Outing to the Short Hills Nature Sanctuary

The HNC acquired the Short Hills Nature Sanctuary in 1967. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula and contains a rare example of old growth Carolinian forest known as the “Valley of the Big Trees” which includes huge Tulip Trees, oaks and American Beech. It provides habitat for several species “at risk” including the Cucumber-Tree, Broad Beech Fern, Hooded Warbler, Cerulean Warbler and Southern Flying Squirrel.We invite HNC members to join us on Saturday, June 7 for a special guided field day to visit the sanctuary when the forest is alive with birds and wildflowers

among enormous Tulip Trees!

There will be a $25 fee to help cover bus costs and a minimum number of 20 registrants are needed for the trip to go ahead. To register, please contact Jen Baker at 905-524-3339 or [email protected]. Specific transportation

details will be sent to you closer to the event.

photo Jen Baker


(Noteworthy Bird records - continued from page 158)Black Scoter: Two f. off Grays Rd [HM] Oct 14 F (RD); 225 off Green Rd Oct 27 (RD,CE,DD); 15 off Millen Rd Nov 28 (RD).Long-tailed Duck: Seven off Van Wagners Beach Sep 28 F (RD,CE); 10000 off Green Rd Oct 28 (BH). Bufflehead: One at Tollgate Pond Sep 14-Oct 13 (RD et al.); birds on Oct 27 F: 4 –Van Wagners Beach, 10 –Green Rd, 3 –Fifty Point C.A. (RD,CE,DD).Common Goldeneye: One past Van Wagners Beach and three off Green Rd Oct 27 F (RD,CE,DD).Hooded Merganser: Nine at Valley Inn [HL] Oct 25 (RD).Common Merganser: 23 juv. off Fifty Rd Sep 1 (KM); one at NE Shore of Harbour [HM] Sep 4 (RD), and 10 there Oct 13 (RD); nine off Shoreacres Sep 12 (RWo).Red-breasted Merganser: One m. at NE Shore of Harbour Sep 8 (LMa et al.); one off Shoreacres Sep 12 (RWo); 10 past Van Wagners Beach Oct 4 F (RD,CE); 17 off Grays Rd Oct 14 (RD).

Ruddy Duck: One m. + two f. at Windermere Basin Sep 1-15 (RD; m.obs.); 60 at Tollgate Pond Oct 13 (RD); 23 off Woodland Cemetery Oct 14 (RD); 12 at Valens C.A. Oct 19 (RD); 235 at Cootes Paradise Nov 3 (RD,CE).Ring-necked Pheasant#: One at 10th Rd E & Dofasco Trail [HM] Oct 5 (BM,LM).Ruffed Grouse#: One at Ruthven Park, Cayuga [HD] Sep 23 (RL); one f. at Westover Rd N of Conc 8 [HM] Nov 26-29 (PS).Wild Turkey: 22 at Hwy 20 & Westbrook Rd [HM] Nov 26 (DL,GL).Red-throated Loon#: One past Van Wagners Beach Sep 16 (RD,CE), and one there Oct 27 (RD,CE,DD); three past Fifty Rd Oct 20 (KM); one past Woodland Cemetery Oct 20 (RD et al.); two off Green Rd Oct 23 (GH), and four there Oct 28 (BH); three off Fifty Point C.A. [HM/NG] Oct 27 (RD et al.); three over Cootes Paradise Nov 3 (RD,CE). Common Loon: Four past Van Wagners Beach Sep 1 (RD et al.), and 10 there Oct 27 (RD,CE,DD); nine off Fifty Point C.A. Oct 27 (RD et al.); 45 off Green Rd Oct 28 (BH).Pied-billed Grebe: Two at Windermere Basin Oct 5 F (TT et al.); two at Grimsby Sewage Ponds [NG] Oct 6 (AWi,KWi); three off LaSalle Marina Oct 21 (RD,CE). Horned Grebe: One at Cootes Paradise Oct 13 F (RD); five off Green Rd Oct 14 (RD); nine off Fifty Point C.A. Oct 27 (RD et al.); five off LaSalle Marina Nov 1 (JRe).Red-necked Grebe: 40 off Rattray Marsh [PL] Sep 14 (GRi et al.); one on Harbour off Bayshore Park [HM] Oct 13 (RD); one off Fifty Point C.A. Nov 16 (JH et al.). NORTHERN GANNET#: One ad. past Green Rd Sep 1 * (BH), and again past Van Wagners Beach Oct 5-6 (JI; m.obs.) provided the first record of an adult for the HSA and the earliest fall record. It was likely the same individual that had been present on Lake Ontario off New York and eastern Ontario since May.American White Pelican#: One at Cootes Paradise /W End of Harbour [HM] Sep 29-Oct 19L (TT; m.obs.).Great Blue Heron: 30 at Dundas Marsh [HM] Sep 23 (LMa), and 35 there Oct 13 (RD).Great Egret#: One at Dundas Hydro Pond [HM] Sep 1-Oct 17 (RD); up to four at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Sep 5-19 (LMa,CSc,JRe; m.obs.); birds at Grand River above Parkhill Dam [WT]: 8 –Sep 10, 29 –

Sep 24, 24 –Sep 27, 6 –Oct 15, 1 –Oct 25 L (fide BR); two at Stormwater Pond at Hwy 407 S of Britannia Rd [PL] Sep 12 (RD); one at Rattray Marsh Sep 14 (GRi et al.); birds at Dundas Marsh: 10 –Sep 18 (UK), 18 –Sep 27 (CE), 14 –Oct 13 (RD); up to five at Confederation Park [HM] Sep 11-Oct 22 (JRe; m.obs.); 25 roosting at Carroll’s Point [HM] Oct 10 and four there Oct 22 (PS); up to three at Valley Inn Sep 18-Oct 25L (KN; m.obs.). Green Heron: One at Windermere Basin Sep 9-15 (RD); three at Valley Inn Sep 18 (KN), and one there Oct 14 L (RD); one at Confederation Park Sep 23 (CE); two at Dundas Marsh Sep 23 (LMa), and one there Sep 29 (RD,CE,DD).Black-crowned Night-Heron: One juv. at Gairloch Gardens, Oakville [HL] Sep 11 (CE); six at Dundas Marsh Sep 23 (LMa); five ad. + one juv. at Red Hill Creek at Eastport Dr [HM] Nov 24 (RD).PLEGADIS IBIS Species#: One over Millgrove Loam Pits [HM] Oct 8 * (CDu).Turkey Vulture: 52 past Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot [HL] Oct 20 (RD et al.); 50 over N Shore of Cootes Paradise [HM] Oct 21 (RD); one over Sedgewick Forest Park [HL] Nov 20 (LMa,JRe); four over Hwy 403 at Garden Ave, Brantford [BR] Nov 27 (MS).Osprey: Six at Woodland Cemetery Sep 2 (RD,CE); four over Aurora Cres, Burlington [HL] Sep 3 (CE); one at Clappisons Corners Wetland [HM] Oct 30 L (TT).Bald Eagle: Five at Woodland Cemetery (RD,CE) and one 2nd ba. over Aurora Cres, Burlington (CE) Sep 2 F; two ad. past Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot Oct 20 (RD et al.).Northern Harrier: One f. at Globe Park, Hamilton [HM] Sep 10 (GBa); one at York Rd, Dundas [HM] Nov 26 (RD).Sharp-shinned Hawk: 22 past Woodland Cemetery Sep 2 F (RD,CE); 11 over Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 2 F and 15 there Sep 3 (CE); 15 past Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot Oct 20 (RD et al.).Northern Goshawk#: One at Dundas Marsh Sep 29 F (TT); one over Blyth Cres, Oakville [HL] Oct 25 (JWa); one at Bronte Creek Prov. Park [HL] Nov 3 (AD).Red-shouldered Hawk: One at Dundas Marsh Oct 14 F (AWi,KWi); one over Aurora Cres, Burlington Oct 27 (CE).Broad-winged Hawk: One past Woodland Cemetery Sep 2 F (RD,CE), and one there Sep 22 L (RD et al.); two over Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 2 F and 15 there Sep 13 (CE).Red-tailed Hawk: 26 over Aurora Cres, Burlington Oct 27 (CE); one dark morph at Hwy 6 S of Oneida Line 4 [HD] Nov 2 (CJo).Rough-legged Hawk: One over Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Oct 1 F (BS,RCa).Golden Eagle#: One juv. at Escarpment at Kenilworth Access [HM] Oct 30 F (LMa,LTe); birds on Nov 3: 1 –North Burlington [HL] (RLf,GLf), 1 –Bronte [HL] (GE,SE), 1 –Beverly Swamp [HM] (DG), 1 –Dundas [HM] (BW), 1subad. –Galt [WT] (JTo,MTo); one imm. at Morriston [WL] Nov 13 (MV).Sora#: Two at Dundas Marsh Sep 23 L (LMa).Common Gallinule#: One at Dundas Marsh Sep 23-29L (LMa; RD,CE,DD).American Coot: 48 off Bayshore Park Oct 13 F (RD); 21 off LaSalle Marina Oct 22 (JRe).Sandhill Crane#: Three at East River Rd S of Glen Morris [BR] Sep 29-Oct 1 (GSi); 50 over Dundas Valley C.A. [HM] (RPr) and 154 over Brant C.A. [BR] (DBn) Nov 24.WHOOPING CRANE#: Two reported over Brant C.A. Nov 24 * (DBn) were likely strays from the introduced flock summering in Wisconsin and wintering in Florida.Black-bellied Plover: One juv. at Tollgate Pond (RD,CE) and one juv. at Windermere Basin (RD,BC) Sep 6; one juv. at NE Shore of Harbour Sep 14 (RD et al.); one at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Sep 19 L (CE). American Golden-Plover: 40 at Glancaster & Haldibrook Rds [HM] Sep 4 (MJa), and 19 there Sep 6 (CE); 25 at Mines & Haldibrook Rds [HD] Sep 6 (CE), and 30 there Sep 9 (JH); five juv. at Windermere Basin Sep 6 (RD,BC), and one ad. + seven juv. there Sep 15 (RD,CE,BC); one juv. at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Nov 13-16L (KM; m.obs.). Semipalmated Plover: Seven at NE Shore of Harbour Sep 4 (RD); seven at Windermere Basin Sep 6 (RD,BC); eight at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Sep 11 (CE), and five there Sep 19 L (CE).

(continued next page)

Red-breasted Merganser at LaSalle Park, 23 November 2013 - photo Joanne Redwood.


Killdeer: 120 at Mines & Haldibrook Rds Sep 29 (RD,CE,DD).Spotted Sandpiper: Two at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Sep 15 L (RD,CE,BC).Solitary Sandpiper: One at Ruthven Park Sep 3 (MT); two at Bronte Marsh [HL] Sep 25 L (CE).Greater Yellowlegs: 34 counted throughout the HSA on Nov 3 L (m.obs.). Lesser Yellowlegs: 21 at Confederation Park Sep 11 (JRe); 10 at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Sep 19 (CE); seven counted throughout the HSA on Nov 3 L (m.obs.). Whimbrel#: One at NE Shore of Harbour Sep 4 (RD); one at Windermere Basin Sep 6 L (BC; m.obs.).Hudsonian Godwit#: One at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Sep 28 * (AGu).Red Knot#: One juv. at Tollgate Pond Sep 1-2 (CE; m.obs.); one juv. at Windermere Basin Sep 6 L (RD,BC).Sanderling: Birds at Van Wagners Beach: 6juv. –Sep 1 (RD et al.), 11 –Sep 8 (RD et al.), 2 –Oct 5 (RD et al.), 2 –Nov 3 L (WCr et al.); five at Burlington Beachstrip [HL] Sep 9 (BO).Semipalmated Sandpiper: 11 at NE Shore of Harbour Sep 4 (RD); one at Confederation Park Sep 23 L (CE). Least Sandpiper: Six at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Sep 19 L (CE).White-rumped Sandpiper: One at Tollgate Pond Sep 1 F (AWi,KWi).Baird’s Sandpiper: One at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Sep 1 (AWi,KWi); one juv. at NE Shore of Harbour Sep 5 (CE); one at McPherson Rd Stormwater Pond, Oakville [HL] Sep 6 (MJ); one juv. at Windermere Basin Sep 8-9L (LMa et al.). Pectoral Sandpiper: Three at Windermere Basin Sep 8 (LMa et al.); three at Tollgate Pond Sep 14 (RD et al.); three at Confederation Park Sep 23 (CE); three at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Nov 3 L (MM).Dunlin: One past Van Wagners Beach (RD,CE) and two at Dundas Marsh (JHu) Oct 4 F; two at Windermere Basin Oct 5 (TT et al.); two past Green Rd Oct 28 (BH); 180 at Cootes Paradise Nov 3 L (MM,AKe; RD,CE).Stilt Sandpiper: One juv. at Tollgate Pond Sep 1 L (RD et al.).Buff-breasted Sandpiper#: One at Mines & Haldibrook Rds Sep 6-10L (CE; m.obs.) and two there Sep 9 (DL,GL).Short-billed Dowitcher: One juv. at Tollgate Pond Sep 1 (RD,CE,BC); one at Confederation Park Sep 15 L (RD,CE,BC).Wilson’s Snipe: One at Millgrove Loam Pits [HM] Oct 1 L (DD).American Woodcock: One at Ruthven Park Oct 15 (RL); one at 14 Mile Creek Trail, Oakville [HL] Oct 23 (SCh); one at Dundas Valley C.A. Nov 3 L (SMG,SpMG,JFt).Wilson’s Phalarope#: One juv. at Windermere Basin Sep 1-3L (AWi,KWi; m.obs.); one at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] Sep 3 L (MI).Red-necked Phalarope#: Three juv. at Tollgate Pond Sep 1-2 (CE; m.obs.), and one there Sep 5 (LMa,CSc,JRe); three off Green Rd Sep 9 L (BH).Phalarope species#: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 1 –Sep 5 (RD,CE,BCh), 2 –Sep 8 (RD et al.), 2 –Sep 16 (RD et al.).Red Phalarope#: One juv. off Van Wagners Beach Sep 5 * (BCh,CE,RD).Black-legged Kittiwake#: One ad. off Green Rd Sep 8 (GH), and one juv. there Oct 6 (GH); birds off Van Wagner Beach: 1juv. –Sep 14 (KM), 1juv. –Oct 5 (LMa), 2juv. –Oct 12 (DLp et al.), 1juv. –Oct 15 (BCh,CE,DD), 1 –Oct 29 L (LMa); two juv. off Fifty Point C.A. Oct 27 (RPo,MJa).Sabine’s Gull#: Two ad. off Green Rd Sep 5 * (BH); birds off Van Wagners Beach: 7juv. –Sep 5 * (CE,BCh,RD), 4juv. –Sep 8 (RD et al.), 2juv. –Sep 14 (BCh), 3juv. –Sep 16 (RD et al.), 1juv. –Sep 18 (NS et al.), 3juv. –Sep 23 (MJa,CE), 1ad. –Oct 15 (CE,DD,BCh).Bonaparte’s Gull: Nine at Burlington Ship Canal [HM/HL] Oct 1 (BS,RCa); 12 off Van Wagners Beach Oct 5 (RD et al.); nine past Fifty Rd Oct 20 (KM); 16 off Fifty Point C.A. Oct 27 (RD et al.); 36 off Green Rd Oct 28 (BH); 28 at Dundas Marsh Nov 3 (RD,CE); two at Dundas Hydro Pond Nov 16 (RD). Iceland Gull#: One juv. at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Nov 3 F (MM,AKe).Lesser Black-backed Gull#: Birds off Green Rd: 1ad. + 1juv. –Sep 16 (BH), 1 1st ba. –Oct 11 (BH), 1ad. –Nov 29 (GH); birds off Van Wagners Beach: 1juv. –Sep 16 (RD et al.), 1ad. –Sep 23 (MJa,CE), 1 1st ba. –Sep 28-Oct 27 (RD,CE; m.obs.), 1ad. –Oct 5 (RD et al.); one juv. past Fifty Rd Oct 20 (KM), and one ad. there Nov 30 (RD); one at Hagersville [HD] (JH,BJ) and one at Van Wagners Beach (WCr et al.) Nov 3.

Glaucous Gull: One 2nd ba. off Green Rd Nov 28F-30 (BH; m.obs.).Great Black-backed Gull: One juv. off Van Wagners Beach Sep 23 (RD,CE); eight off Green Rd Oct 28 (BH); 12 at CCIW [HL] Nov 26 (RD).Caspian Tern: Five at NE Shore of Harbour Sep 14 L (RD et al.).Black Tern#: One found dead at Ruthven Park Sep 8 L (PT et al.).Common Tern: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 35 –Sep 1 (RD et al.), 10 –Oct 4 (RD,CE), 1 –Oct 5 (RD et al.); two ad. + three juv. at Windermere Basin Sep 6 (RD,BC) were a very late brood; 14 past CCIW Oct 3 (RD); one at N Shore of Harbour Nov 3 L (BH). Forster’s Tern#: One at Burlington Ship Canal Oct 1 (BS,RCa); one off Van Wagners Beach Oct 5 L (RD et al.).Pomarine Jaeger#: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 1juv. –Sep 8 * (CE et al.), 1juv. –Sep 13 (LMa), 2juv. –Sep 16 (RD et al.), 6ad. –Oct 4 (RD,CE), 1ad. –Oct 5 (RD et al.), 1 –Nov 3 (GPt,MJa); one off Burlington Beachstrip Sep 9 (BO); three juv. off Green Rd Sep 9 and one juv. there Oct 28 (BH); one off Arkendo Park, Oakville [HL] Oct 4 (JWa).Parasitic Jaeger#: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 4juv. –Sep 1 (RD et al.), 9 –Sep 5 (CE,BCh,RD), 7 –Sep 8 (RD et al.), 2 –Sep 9 (SWi,BAk), 1ad. + 1juv. –Sep 13 (LMa et al.), 5 –Sep 14 (BCh), 2ad. + 2juv. –Sep 16 (RD et al.), 1ad. + 2juv. –Sep 17 (RD et al.), 1 –Sep 23 (CE,MJa), 4 –Sep 27 (CE), 1 –Oct 4 (RD,CE), 1juv. –Oct 5 (RD et al.), 1ad. + 1juv. –Oct 15 (CE,DD,BCh), 1 –Oct 29 L (LMa); one juv. off Spencer Smith Park [HL] Sep 5 (DD); birds off Green Rd: 1 –Sep 5 (BH), 2juv. –Sep 9 (BH), 2 –Sep 13 (GH), 1juv. –Sep 16 (BH); one off Burlington Beachstrip Sep 9 (BO); one juv. off Rattray Marsh Sep 17 (JV,KRn,DSm), and one juv. there Oct 25 (fide AK).Long-tailed Jaeger#: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 1juv. –Sep 1 (RD et al.), 6 –Sep 13 (LMa et al.), 1juv. –Oct 5 L (RD et al.); one ad. + one juv. off Green Rd Sep 9 (BH); one subad. off Rattray Marsh Sep 17 (JV,KRn,DSm).Jaeger species#: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 7 –Sep 1 (RD et al.), 9 –Sep 5 (CE,BCh), 5 –Sep 8 (RD et al.), 3 –Sep 16 (RD et al.), 1 –Oct 4 (RD,CE), 2 –Oct 5 (RD et al.), 1 –Oct 6 (AWi,KWi), 1 –Oct 22 (RD,CE), 1 –Oct 29 (JJa); two off Rattray Marsh Sep 17 (JV,KRn,DSm); one off Green Rd Oct 14 (RD).WHITE-WINGED DOVE#: One at Upper Wentworth Ave & Lincoln Alexander Parkway [HM] Oct 3 (LMa,LTe) provided the fifth record for the HSA and second this year.Yellow-billed Cuckoo#: Birds at Ruthven Park: 1 –Sep 7 (MT), 2 –Sep 10 (NF), 1 –Oct 4 L (RL); one at Shoreacres Sep 12-14 (BKr; EHo).Snowy Owl#: One at Fifty Point C.A. Nov 23 F (MV); one at Tollgate Pond Nov 24-30 (MV; m.obs.); one at 1st Rd E & Highland Rd [HM] Nov 29 (fide GSa); one at Windermere Basin and one at 10th Rd E & Dofasco Trail Nov 30 (MJa).Short-eared Owl#: Birds off Van Wagners Beach: 1 –Oct 11 F (RD), 1 –Oct 15 (GPt), 2 –Oct 29 (JJa); two off Green Rd Oct 14 (RD); one past Woodland Cemetery Oct 18 (DD,CE).

Lesser Black-backed Gull at Van Wagners Beach, 12 October 2013 - photo Brandon Holden.


Northern Saw-whet Owl#: Birds at Ruthven Park: 3 –Oct 15 F, 1 –Oct 19, 3 –Oct 24, 7 –Oct 29, 5 –Nov 3, 4 - Nov 4, 2 –Nov 8 (NF et al.).Common Nighthawk: One at Ruthven Park Sep 1 (MT); two over Hidden Valley Park, Aldershot [HL] Sep 29 L (CS). Eastern Whip-poor-will#: One at Dundas Marsh Sep 22 L (KK,WK).Chimney Swift: 45 past Woodland Cemetery Sep 2 (RD,CE); 12 over Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 4 (CE); five at Dundas Marsh Sep 29 L (TT). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Six past Woodland Cemetery Sep 2 (RD,CE); seven at Shoreacres Sep 11 (CE); four at Shoreacres and six at Shell Park [HL] Sep 12 (AMC); two at LaSalle Park [HL] Oct 3 (TT); two at Ruthven Park Oct 6 (RL); one m. at Riverwood Park, Mississauga [PL] Oct 30-Nov 2L (fide LF).Red-headed Woodpecker#: One imm. at Dundas Marsh Nov 3 (RD,CE). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 F (RD et al.); five at Confederation Park Oct 3 (EK,BKr); one near St. George [BR] Nov 3 (DWo et al.); one at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Nov 18 (ES et al.); one at Sedgewick Forest Park Nov 27-28 (LMa,JRe).Northern Flicker: 20 at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 (RD et al.).American Kestrel: 21 over Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 12 (CE); 17 past Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.).Merlin: Birds at Woodland Cemetery: 1 –Sep 2 (RD,CE), 1 –Sep 22 (RD et al.), 1 –Oct 20 (RD et al.); one at Fiddlers Green Rd S of Book Rd [HM] Sep 6 (RD); one at Rock Chapel [HM] Sep 6 (SD); one at Ruthven Park Sep 7 (MT) and one there Sep 22 (RL); one at McPherson Rd Stormwater Pond, Oakville Sep 6 (MJ); one at Windermere Basin Sep 8 (LMa et al.); one at Plains Rd W, Aldershot [HL] Sep 30-Oct 18 (RD); one at Montgomery Park, Hamilton [HM] Oct 11 (LMa); one at SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant [HL] Nov 19 (CE). Peregrine Falcon#: Birds at Woodland Cemetery: 1 –Sep 2 (RD,CE), 1juv. –Sep 22 (RD et al.), 1 –Oct 20 (RD et al.); two over Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 2 F (CE); the resident pair remained at Burlington Lift Bridge [HL/HM] Sep 1-Nov 30 (RD; m.obs.); one at Van Wagners Beach Oct 4 (RD,CE), and one ad. + one juv. there Oct 5 (RD et al.); two at Vinemount Quarry, 10th Rd E [HM] Nov 24 (AWi,KWi).Olive-sided Flycatcher#: One at Ruthven Park Aug 29 (MT); one at White church & Miles Rds [HM] Sep 9 (CE); one at Blyth Cres, Oakville Sep 9 (JWa); one at Shell Park Sep 12 (AMC); one at Edgelake Park [HM] Sep 17 L (AD).Eastern Wood-Pewee: Four at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 (RD et al.); one at Princess Point Oct 1 L (RPr).Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: One at Ruthven Park Oct 2 L (RL). “Traill’s” Flycatcher: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 L (RD et al.).Least Flycatcher: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 L (RD et al.). Eastern Phoebe: Two at Clappisons Corners Wetland Sep 22 F (RD et al.); four at Confederation Park Oct 3 (EK,BKr); one at SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant Nov 3 L (LF).Great Crested Flycatcher: Two at Woodland Cemetery (RD et al.) and one at Shoreacres (EHo) Sep 14 L.Western Kingbird#: One at White Church Rd & Miles Rd [HM] Sep 6-9L (DD; m.obs.) provided the ninth record for the HSA.

Eastern Kingbird: One at White Church & Miles Rds Sep 8-9 (EHo; CE); one at Frances Ave Woods [HM] Sep 14 (BH); one at Eramosa Karst C.A. [HM] Sep 19 (LMa); one at Confederation Park Oct 5 L (TT et al.).

Northern Shrike#: One at 10th Rd E & Dofasco Trail Nov 2F-30 (RPo; m.obs.); six counted throughout the HSA on Nov 3 (m.obs.); one at Van Wagners Ponds Nov 30 (DD).

White-eyed Vireo#: One at Shoreacres Nov 3 L (RC,GS).Yellow-throated Vireo#: One at Ruthven Park Sep 1-7 (MT), and one there Sep 9 L (NF).Blue-headed Vireo: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 F (RD et al.); one at Burlington Beachstrip [HL] Nov 3 L (RC,GS).Warbling Vireo: One at Shoreacres and one at Shell Park Sep 12 L (RWo).Philadelphia Vireo: Seven at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.); one at Ruthven Park Oct 5 L (RL).Red-eyed Vireo: 11 at Shoreacres Sep 12 (RWo); 12 at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.); one at Dundas Valley Nov 3 L (HB,JLi,FHi).Common Raven#: One at 5th Conc E of Brock Rd [HM] Sep 6 (BC); birds at Westover Rd N of Conc 8: 2 –Sep 25-26, 1 –Oct 3, 1 –Oct 11, 1 –Nov 12, 1 –Nov 19 (PS); one at Ruthven Park Oct 22 (RL); nine counted throughout the HSA Nov 3 (m.obs.); one at Hwy 403 & Johnson Rd, Brantford [BR] Nov 7 (DD); two at Vinemount Quarry, 10th Rd E Nov 24 (AWi,KWi); one at Hwy 97 W of Freelton [HM] Nov 30 (PSc).Horned Lark: 50 at Mines & Haldibrook Rds Sep 29 (RD,CE,DD).Purple Martin: Two at Burlington Beachstrip Sep 1 L (RD). BROWN-CHESTED MARTIN#: One reported off Green Rd Sep 9 * (BH) would be a first record for the HSA and Ontario if accepted by the OBRC.Tree Swallow: 29 past Woodland Cemetery Sep 2 (RD,CE).Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Two past Green Rd Oct 5 (GH); one at Fifty Point C.A. Nov 11 L (TK).Cliff Swallow: Six past Woodland Cemetery Sep 2 L (RD,CE). Barn Swallow: Six at Confederation Park Sep 15 L (RD,CE,BC).Swallow species: Two at Windermere Basin Oct 31 (LMa,LTe); one at QEW E of Guelph Line [HL] Nov 14 (DD).Tufted Titmouse#: Birds at Ruthven Park: 1 –Sep 3 (MT), 1 –Sep 24 (RL), 1 –Oct 13 (RL), 3 –Nov 3 (RL); birds on Nov 3: 2 –Haldimand (JH,BJ), 1 –Brantford (BL), 1 –Glen Morris [BR] (KDa,JDa).Red-breasted Nuthatch: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 F (RD et al.).Brown Creeper: Five at Confederation Park Oct 3 F (EK,BKr).Carolina Wren: 101 counted throughout the HSA Nov 3 (m.obs.).House Wren: One at North Waterdown Wetlands Trails [HM] Oct 3 L (TT).Winter Wren: One at Blyth Cres, Oakville Aug 27 F (JWa); 12 at Shell Park Oct 6 (EK); two at Sedgewick Forest Park Nov 15 (CE).Marsh Wren#: One at Valley Inn Sep 18 (KN), and one there Nov 3-4 (KM,RW; DD); two at Dundas Marsh Sep 22 (KK,WK), and three there Sep 27 (CE).Golden-crowned Kinglet: Two at CCIW Sep 23 F (RD); 62 at Confederation Park Oct 3 (EK,BKr); 100 at Shell Park (EK) and 100 at Blyth Cres, Oakville (JWa) Oct 6.Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Two at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 F (RD et al.), and 23 there Sep 28 (RD,CE); 20 at Confederation Park Oct 3 (EK,BKr); 200 at Shell Park (EK) and 100 at Blyth Cres, Oakville (JWa) Oct 6; two at Sedgewick Forest Park Nov 15 (CE) and one there Nov 20-28 (LMa,JRe).Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 L (RD et al.).Eastern Bluebird: Ten past Woodland Cemetery Oct 14 F (RD), and 32 there Oct 20 (RD et al.); 21 at Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot Oct 20 (RD et al.); 12 at Olympic Park, Dundas Oct 23 (LMa).

Western Kingbird, 8 Sep. 2013, White Church & Miles Roads - photo Joanne Redwood.

Immature Northern Shrike at 10th Rd East at railway tracks, Stoney Creek, 13 November 2013 - photo Mike Veltri.


Veery: Six at Shoreacres and four at Shell Park Sep 12 L (RWo).Gray-cheeked Thrush: Six at Shoreacres Sep 12 (RWo); one at Lewis Rd at Lake [HM] Nov 3 L (BS,AS,PWa).Swainson’s Thrush: One at Shoreacres Sep 4 F (CE); 10 at Edgelake Park Sep 12 (GH); one at Shell Park Oct 6 L (EK).Hermit Thrush: 12 at Shell Park Oct 6 F (EK); 10 at Confederation Park Oct 14 (RD); seven at Sam Lawrence Park Oct 28 and one there Nov 13 (LMa).Wood Thrush: One at Sedgewick Forest Park Sep 26 L (ES).Brown Thrasher: Two at Confederation Park Sep 17 (RD,CE); one at Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 19 (CE).American Pipit: One at 5th Conc W of Brock Rd [HM] Sep 1 F (BC); eight at Mines & Haldibrook Rds Sep 15 (JRe); 60 E of Burloak Dr/Great Lakes Blvd [HL] Oct 14-15 (MJ), and 100 there Oct 17 (BJe,JLi); one at West Harbour Waterfront Trail [HM] Nov 27 (DT); one at NE Shore of Harbour Nov 30 (KBu et al.).Bohemian Waxwing#: 75 at University of Guelph [WL] Nov 26 F (JPr).Lapland Longspur#: One over Dundas Marsh Nov 3 F (RD,CE).Snow Bunting: One at Van Wagners Beach (CE,DD) and 80 at Green Rd at the Lake (RD,CE,DD) Oct 27 F.Ovenbird: One at Confederation Park Sep 15 (RD,CE,BC).Northern Waterthrush: One at Shell Park Sep 12 L (RWo).Blue-winged Warbler: One at Ruthven Park Sep 1 L (MT).Black-and-white Warbler: Eight at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.); one at Sedgewick Forest Park Sep 25 L (CE). Tennessee Warbler: One at Ruthven Park Oct 6 (RL); one at Rattray Marsh Oct 7 L (JWa).Orange-crowned Warbler: One at Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 12 F (CE); one at Sam Lawrence Park Oct 24-27 (LMa); one at Ruthven Park Nov 1 (RL); two at SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant (LF) and one at Shoreacres (RC,GS) Nov 3; two at Sedgewick Forest Park Nov 15-20 (CE; LMa,JRe) and one there till Nov 30 at least (m.obs.).Nashville Warbler: Ten at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.); one at Sedgewick Forest Park Nov 20-30 (LMa,JRe; m.obs.).Connecticut Warbler#: One imm. at Woodland Cemetery Sep 5 F (MM); one at Ruthven Park Sep 11 and two there Sep 13 L (NF).Mourning Warbler#: One at Edgelake Park Sep 12 (GH); one at Frances Ave Woods Sep 17 L (BH). Common Yellowthroat: Six at Confederation Park Sep 15 (RD,CE,BC).American Redstart: 11 at Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby [NG] Sep 15 (RD,CE,BC); 14 at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.).Cape May Warbler: Eight at Confederation Park Sep 5 (LMa,CSc,JRe); one at Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 12 and one there Sep 17 (CE); four at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 L (RD et al.).Northern Parula: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 1 F (AWi,KWi); one at Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 19 (CE); seven at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.); one f. at LaSalle Park Nov 11 L (LMa,JRe).Magnolia Warbler: 14 at Shell Park Sep 12 (RWo); 15 at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.); three at Ruthven Park Oct 7 (RL).Bay-breasted Warbler: One at SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant Nov 3 L (LF).Blackburnian Warbler: One at Queensway Dr, Burlington [HL] Nov 5 L (RPo) was record late for the HSA.Yellow Warbler: Three at Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep 4 (CE); one at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 (RD et al.), and one there Sep 22 L (RD et al.).Chestnut-sided Warbler: Ten at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.); one at Rattray Marsh Nov 3 L (AG).Blackpoll Warbler: 45 at Shoreacres and 40 at Shell Park Sep 12 (RWo); one at Ruthven Park Nov 10 L (RL). Black-throated Blue Warbler: One at Ruthven Park Oct 13 L (RL).Palm Warbler: One at Shoreacres and one at Shell Park Sep 12 F (RWo);

two at Dundas Marsh Sep 29 L (RD,CE,DD).Pine Warbler: One at Edgelake Park Sep 22 F (AMC); one m. at Sedgewick Forest Park Nov 20-30 (LMa,JRe; m.obs.).Yellow-rumped Warbler: 20 at Sedgewick Forest Park Sep 25 (CE), and 12 there Nov 27-30 (LMa et al.); 24 at Dundas Marsh Sep 27 (CE); 35 at Woodland Cemetery Sep 28 (RD,CE), and 26 there Oct 20 (RD et al.); 25 at Olympic Park, Dundas Oct 12 (RD); four at Port Credit [PL] Nov 27 (DPr). Black-throated Green Warbler: 20 at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 (RD et al.).Canada Warbler: One at Grand River Trail S of Glen Morris [BR] Sep 27 L (GSi).Wilson’s Warbler: One at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 L (RD et al.).Yellow-breasted Chat#: One at Confederation Park Sep 17* (AD; CE,RD).Eastern Towhee: One at North Waterdown Wetland Trails Sep 29 F (TT); one at Van Wagners Ponds Nov 16 L (CS).American Tree Sparrow: Two at Dundas Marsh Oct 5 F (TT et al.); 20 at Woodland Cemetery Oct 25 (JRe).Chipping Sparrow: 80 at Confederation Park/Van Wagners Ponds Oct 27 (RD,CE,DD); three at Lynden Ave, Dundas [HM] Nov 8 (JLi); one at Sumach Dr, Aldershot [HL] Nov 13 L (CS).Clay-colored Sparrow#: One E of Wyecroft & Burloak Rds, Oakville Oct 15 L (MJ).Field Sparrow: One at Gates of Heaven Cemetery Sep 22 F (RD et al.); 12 at Confederation Park Oct 14 (RD).Vesper Sparrow: One at Sam Lawrence Park Oct 24-25L (LMa; EHo).Lark Sparrow#: One at Fifty Point C.A. Oct 28 * (KD; DD,RD).Nelson’s Sparrow#: Birds at Dundas Marsh: 1 –Sep 23 * (LMa), 2 –Sep 27 (CE), 2 –Sep 29 (RD,CE,DD).Fox Sparrow: One at Sam Lawrence Park Oct 23 F (LMa); two at SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant Nov 29 (CE).Song Sparrow: 25 at Princess Point Oct 13 (RD).Lincoln’s Sparrow: One at Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot Sep 22 F (RD et al.), and one there Oct 14 L (RD).White-throated Sparrow: Five at Confederation Park Sep 17 F (RD,CE), and 76 there Oct 3 (EK,BKr); 30 at Shoreacres Sep 23 (AMC); 30 at Spencer Creek Woods [HM] Oct 6 (RD,CE); 30 at Van Wagners Ponds Oct 7 (RD); 30 at Valley Inn Oct 25 (RD).Harris’s Sparrow#: One imm. at Hopkins Tract [HM] Oct 28 (UK).White-crowned Sparrow: One imm. at Woodland Cemetery Sep 22 F (RD); 20 at Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot Oct 14 (RD); one imm. at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond Nov 14 (LMa,LTe).Dark-eyed Junco: One at Van Wagners Ponds Oct 5 F (TT et al.); 60 at Confederation Park/Van Wagners Ponds Oct 27 (RD,CE,DD).Scarlet Tanager: One f. at Woodland Cemetery Sep 14 (RD et al.); two at Ruthven Park Sep 22 (PT); one at North Waterdown Wetlands Trails Sep 29 L (TT).Rose-breasted Grosbeak: One f. at Ruthven Park Oct 16 L (RL).Indigo Bunting: One at Ruthven Park Oct 2 L (RL).Bobolink: One at Shoreacres and two at Shell Park Sep 12 L (RWo).Red-winged Blackbird: 1750 past Woodland Cemetery Oct 20 (RD et al.); two at SE Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant Nov 29 (CE).Eastern Meadowlark: One past Woodland Cemetery Oct 14 (RD), and one there Oct 20 (RD et al.); one at Great Lakes Blvd & Rebecca St Nov 3 (AD); one at 10th Rd E & Dofasco Trail Nov 13-30 (MV; CHo).Rusty Blackbird: One m. at Dundas Marsh Sep 23 F (LMa); 132 past Woodland Cemetery Oct 14 (RD); 700 at Ruthven Park Nov 1 and 200 there Nov 6 (RL)Common Grackle: 3000 at Ruthven Park Oct 25 (RL); 5000 over Sunrise Cres, Dundas Nov 2 (RD).Brown-headed Cowbird: Eight at Burlington Beachstrip Nov 30 (DD).Baltimore Oriole: One at Sherwood Forest Park [HL] Sep 13 L (CE).Purple Finch: One at Confederation Park Oct 5 F (TT et al.).Pine Siskin: One at Windermere Basin Nov 3 F (BH).

Please send your bird records for December 2013 – February 2014 by March 5 to: Rob Dobos, 21 Sunrise Cres., Dundas, Ont., L9H 3S1; ph: 905-628-0297; e-mail: [email protected]

Marsh Wren at Valley Inn, 18 September 2013 - photo Ken Newcombe.


A s t r o n o m y C o r n e r

We Could See Northern Lights this Springby Mario Carr

You can always depend on the coming of Spring to breathe life into our forests. But this year’s vernal equinox has an added

bonus and may breathe life into the skies. This year’s conditions are perfect for us to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.

For starters, the chances of seeing the Northern Lights during the Spring or Fall are almost doubled compared to any other time of the year according to a study of 75 years of Aurora watching. One explanation is that the Earth’s tilt during the equinox aligns the magnetic fields of our planet with the Sun.

Also, historically a decline in solar activity, which is currently happening on the Sun and for the rest of 2014 can trigger solar storms and Northern Lights. Last summer we saw a maximum in solar activity or the number of spots on the Sun. It’s hard to predict when solar storms occur but there are websites like SpaceWeather.com that can tell you when one is about to happen.

Here are March stargazer events. Most are listed in the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers calendar.

Planet watchingMercury and Venus can be seen in the south eastern dawn sky. Mars rises in the mid evening. Jupiter can be seen in the mid evening sky and Saturn rises near midnight.

March 7 – The waxing crescent Moon is two degrees above Aldebaran in the evening sky.

March 8 – First quarter Moon.

March 9 – Daylight savings time begins so set your clocks ahead by an hour. Also, the waxing gibbous Moon is five degrees below Jupiter in the evening sky.

March 14 – Mercury is furthest from the Sun or at its great elongation and can be seen low in the morning sky.

March 16 – Full Moon.

March 18 – The Moon, Mars and Spica form a five degree triangle in the late night sky.

March 20 – The long anticipated vernal equinox officially occurs at 12:57 p.m. bringing the first day of spring. The Moon is also three degrees from Saturn in the midnight sky.

March 21 – Hamilton Amateur Astronomers meeting 7:30-9:30 p.m., Spectator building, 44 Frid St., Hamilton. Free admission with door prizes and everyone is welcome. An optional food bank donation of non-perishable goods will be collected.

March 22 – Venus is at its greatest elongation or furthest from the Sun and can be seen in the dawn sky.

March 23 – Last quarter Moon.

March 25 – Mars is five degrees from Spica in the late evening sky.

March 28 – The waxing crescent Moon is three degrees from Venus in the morning sky.

March 29 – Mercury is near the crescent Moon in the morning sky.

For more information, please see the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers web site at www.amateurastronomy.org or call (905) 627-4323. If you would like to learn more about the night sky, the club offers a basic astronomy course for new members.

Mario Carr is the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers director of public education and can be reached at [email protected].

April Monthly Meeting - 14 April 2014 Speaker: Sandy Smith. Topic: Invasive Species in Our Forests: In Defence of Nature?

Royal Botanical Gardens, Plains Road, Burlington. 7:30 p.m.

After some background on what has been arriving in our forests (insects, plants, diseases) and their impacts, we will discuss the measures that have been taken to emulate nature to disrupt these invasives, and bring our invaded systems back into better

ecological equilibrium so they are more resilient to future disturbance.

Dr. Sandy M Smith is a Professor in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto, former Dean (2010-2012), and cross-appointed to the university’s School of the Environment and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Her research addresses the ecology and biological management of invasive species to better understand invasion processes in forest sys-tems. Sandy has supervised numerous graduate theses, and is a well-published author and editor. She also actively participates in a number of professional organizations and invasive species control panels at international, national, and provincial levels.


B o o k R e v i e w

Review: Rejecting Science in Canadaby Don McLean

Chris Turner is no stranger to Hamilton. Since early November he has given four public talks here – at McMaster and Mohawk, for

city staff and the annual Spirit of Red Hill Valley lecture. All but the last have focused on the subject he is best known for – the rapid shift to sustainable energy underway especially in Germany and other parts of Europe. His first two books – The Geography of Hope and The Leap – optimistically explore those changes and the prospect they provide that humanity can avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

That hopefulness, however, is sorely tested in his most recent book as he turns his attention to Canada, where efforts to talk about or even investigate solutions to our energy challenges are being throttled by a national government determined to increase fossil fuel extraction as fast as possible. The result is what Turner dubs a war on science so extensive and intense that he characterizes it as a rejection of the enlightenment and rationality itself as well as of the accomplishments of earlier Canadian governments headed by conservatives, like Robert Borden, Joe Clark, and Brian Mulroney.

He calls Prime Minister Borden the first true government champion of science who worked to “eliminate the crony capitalism, corruption and crass patronage that defined Canada’s nineteenth century civil service and replace it with rational, efficient modern agencies, established at arm’s length from the partisan Parliament and deploying ‘neutral competence’ on matters of public policy.”

Turner details how that tradition of speaking truth to power began to be chipped away during the minority governments headed by Stephen Harper and concludes that “once he had the ‘strong stable majority’ he’d sought for so long, Harper pounced on the opportunity to hack that legacy to shreds.”

The natural environment has been the main casualty, along with the scientists who study it, and the civil servants charged with protecting it. Virtually every environmental law has been weakened or completely gutted. Environmental assessments, for example, have gone from 5000 a year to less than 30. Waterways protected under Navigable Waters legislation have shrunk from three million lakes and rivers to less than two hundred. The changes to the Fisheries Act, long considered the country’s premier environmental law, were so drastic that they drew public opposition from four former Fisheries ministers including two that were members of the Mulroney PC government.

Whereas, before the act explicitly applied to all “fish habitat” – i.e. wherever there were fish – it now only covers fish deemed to be of economic, cultural or ecological value – a definition so flexible that it’s doubtful it can be legally enforced. Similarly, the previous ban on harmful alteration of fish habitat is now limited to “serious harm” – another term obviously open to definition and endless legal debate.

“The revised Fisheries Act,” writes Turner, “is a categorical departure from some of Canada’s deepest traditions: the recognition of the inherent and immutable value of nature; the vital role of government in representing and defending the public good against the excesses of industry; the idea

that the public good itself possesses a value beyond the near-term profit any given commercial enterprise, and the baseline assumption that economy is an instrument in the service of the public interest rather than a higher goal to be protected against the needless intrusions of the public at large.”

Turner’s examination of the anti-science activity of the federal Conservatives however, is far from limited to its changes to legislation or the impact on the natural environment. While he compiles numerous occasions where scientists were muzzled and prevented from speaking to the media about their findings and describes the elimination of hundreds of research projects and jobs, he also points to examples of a profound anti-intellectual bent that includes the cancellation of the long-form census and the rejection of decades of research on the prevention of crime and the rehabilitation of criminals.

The campaign has included $8 million given to Revenue Canada to investigate the political activities and funding of charitable organizations like the HNC characterized as “radical” environmentalists – a witch-hunt that after nearly 900 audits in the first year found only one violating government rules – a physicians’ group calling for nuclear disarmament.

On some examples, such as Industry Minister Gary Goodyear’s direction that the National Research Council’s central mandate should be as a “concierge” for industry, Turner suspects the plain ignorance of country-bumpkins. That could be the author’s optimism peaking through and assuming that the wreckage is all a mistake that will ultimately be rejected, but he is blunt in his overall conclusions.

“Stephen Harper’s Canada is a country where policy determines the facts and evidence is shaped to fit political goals, where everything from the casual commentary of scientists to the substance of the Fisheries Act has been massaged to forward a political agenda whose only real vision is the expansion of the government’s own power and exploitation of the country’s natural wealth.”

It’s a book that carefully compiles how this is being accomplished and it should be required reading for Canadians. However, it may well be wrong to lay the blame at the personal feet of the Prime Minister and a few of his cabinet colleagues rather than an ideological extremism that is showing up repeatedly across the continent – in ‘Ford Nation’, in the Tea Party and in diatribes on the internet and in letters to the editor that bluntly reject rationality, education and serious investigation as conspiracies against ‘common sense’.

Chris Turner. The War on Science: Muzzled Scientists and Wilful Blindness in Stephen Harper’s Canada, 2013. Greystone Books, Vancouver, 170 pp. $19.95

Land’s Inlet Nature Project: Growing the Nature Corridor

by Jen Baker

For the last few years, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club has been working to create a naturalized corridor in

Hamilton’s “North End”, a heavily urbanized area with great potential. The HNC and neighbourhood partners see this potential and have been creating meadow-type habitats along the corridor. As a result, the local community, including students, have been noticing more birds and butterflies where previously there was essentially no wildlife. This is increasing their awareness of the natural world.

Thanks to the generous support from the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Corporate Community Investment Fund, the Hamilton Future Fund, and the Hamilton Industrial Environmental Association, we will be growing the corridor with the help of the local community. This will include planting 4,120 native wildflowers, shrubs and trees this June.

We will also be installing interpretive signs to provide educational opportunities for the numerous people who walk by the site. This will provide a guide for people to create a naturalized area in their yard. It will also add to the field trips that we offer to nearby schools.

Stay tuned for more details about the volunteer planting days! If you would like to be involved in the planning for this exciting project, or in the development of the education program, please contact Jen Baker at [email protected] or 905-524-3339 (also see article below).

Land’s Inlet – Before and After Imagine neighbours coming together to help turn former industrial land into a place for nature. Imagine a place where birds and butterflies can thrive and children can

experience nature right in their own neighbourhood. Through the HNC Head-of-the Lake Land Trust Program’s “Land’s Inlet Nature Project”, this vision has become reality! Before the development of this part of the city, Hamilton’s inlets from the harbour were rich wildlife areas with vegetation lining their banks. By 1874 rail lines ran adjacent

to, and crossed over Land’s Inlet. The inlet was filled in but a valley representing the route of the inlet remained with active rail lines present. The presence of the railway kept part of the Land’s Inlet corridor free from intensive development, creating an opportunity to restore natural vegetation in the corridor and share the history and geography of

this part of the city. The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club identified nature restoration work in the urban core of Hamilton as one of the priorities for our Head-of-the-Lake Land Trust Program in 2001. When the Hamilton Community Foundation announced funding for environmental projects that involved local neighbourhoods, we developed a proposal to identify potential nature restoration sites in the urban core of Hamilton and work with local residents and landowners to naturalize the most suitable site. Our main objective

is to contribute to the establishment of healthy open spaces that will provide local residents with opportunities to access and appreciate nature. (photos by Alan Ernest).

This festival takes its name from the migration corridor along the Bruce Penin-sula. This “Huron Fringe” along the Lake Huron coastline offers birders, natu-ralists and photographers unique opportunities to discover nature in the early spring. At the end of the migration period, birds are on nest, migrants are every-where, insects abound and wildflowers are beginning to bloom. From our base at MacGregor Point Provincial Park we are uniquely placed to explore Lake Huron’s shoreline and the Bruce Peninsula to discover all that spring has to offer.

© photos by Alan Ernest

Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch Begins March 1st

This is certainly good news for all of you winter-weary naturalists. The hawkwatch at Beamer Memorial C.A. is a wonderful spot to welcome spring. It is more than just hawks; there are great views from the Escarpment too! HNC member Gord McNulty has summarized last year’s season below. Perhaps this year will be better!

A litany of low numbers was recorded by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch for the 2013 spring migration at Beamer. The final tally, reported by NPH Past President John Stevens, showed 12,209 birds of 15 species. That’s the lowest total since the 11,665 birds in 2000, and is 16 per cent below the long-term (32-year) average. For the first time, and as John put it in the NPH Newsletter of August 2013, “hopefully the last,” Turkey Vultures constituted more than a half of the birds counted. Their numbers were consistent with the results of the last several years. With the low total count, the number of non-vulture migrants at 5,511 was just 48.5 per cent of the long-term average. This was by far the lowest count of non-vulture raptors in the history of the Beamer site, down from the previous record low in 2007 of 7,561 birds. Weather is thought to be an unlikely reason for the low numbers, as Turkey Vultures showed up in the third highest total for that species and an 11 per cent increase over 2012. Low coverage wasn’t an issue either as counters missed only four days. Perhaps the one bright spot mentioned by John was the American Kestrel count, where the total of 92 birds was the greatest since 2008 which is above the recent five-year average of 69. That’s an encouraging sign for this species. The 2014 Open House will be held on Friday, April 18, and as Newsletter editor

Sandy Darling put it: “if all goes well we shall have light clouds and lots of Broad-winged Hawks.”

Affix Label Here

40048074Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:

The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club Westdale P.O. Box 89052 Hamilton, ON L8S 4R5

Birders look to the sky for raptors from the tower at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area during the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch Open House on 29 March 2013 - photo Gord McNulty.

JOURNAL OF THE HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUBhamiltonnature.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/wood-duck/wood-duck... · JOURNAL OF THE HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUB Volume 67 Number 7 March,

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