*7

A PUBLICATION CONCERNED WITH
NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION

LIBRARY

JAN 2 1990

NEW YORK
BOTANICAL GARDEN

Trail & Landscape Vol. 21, No. 4/177-232/September-October 1987

rjrail

^landscape

Editor & Production Coordinator

Joyce Reddoch

Associate Editors

Bill Gummer Peter Hall

Business Manager

& Typing Coordinator

Jim Montgomery

Graphics

Marc Guertin

Production Staff

Telephone Coordinator

Dorothy Greene

Proofreaders

Don Davidson
Yvonne Hunt
Lynn Kaplansky
Allan Reddoch

Mailing Team

Lisa Meyboom
Coordinator
Duncan Chaundy
Jennifer Chaundy
Gwen Jenkins

Views expressed in Trail & Landscape are not necessarily those
of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club

The Ottawa Field - Naturalists’ Club

— Founded 1879 —

President
W.K. (Bill) Gummer

Objectives of the Club: To promote the appreciation, preservation and conserva-
tion of Canada’s natural heritage: to encourage investigation and publish the
results of research in all fields of natural history and to diffuse information on
these fields as widely as possible: to support and co-operate with organizations
engaged in preserving, maintaining or restoring environments of high quality for
living things.

Club Publications: THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST, a quarterly devoted to
reporting research in all fields of natural history relevant to Canada; and TRAIL &
LANDSCAPE, providing articles on the natural history of the Ottawa Valley and
on Club activities five times a year.

Field Trips, Lectures and other natural history activities are arranged for local
members; see “Coming Events” in this issue.

Membership Fees: Individual (yearly) $20. Sustaining (yearly) $50.

Family (yearly) $22. Life (one payment) $500.

Subscriptions to Trail & Landscape (libraries and institutions) $20. per volume.

Single copies of recent issues $4.00 each.

Membership application, correspondence: Information:

THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB (613) 722-3050

Box 3264, Postal Station C (after 10 a.m.)

Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4J5

Second Class Mail — Registration #2777

Vol 21 No 4

©

Published by

The Ottawa Field - Naturalists’ Club

Box 3264, Postal Station C
Ottawa K1Y4J5

Editorial Address:

Joyce M. Reddoch, Editor
548 Rivershore Crescent
Gloucester, Ontario K1J 7Y7

Welcome, New Members - - - - - - - -178

Wildlife '87 Garden: Get Involved! ----- 1 80

Council Report ---------- 1 82

Fern D. Levine

Have You Considered a Life Membership? - 184

Club Publications and Other Items For Sale - - - ] 85

Federation of Ontario Naturalists Report - 186

Jeff Harrison

The 1987 Soiree --------- 188

Debbie Walsh

1986 Honorary Memberships and OFNC Awards - - -190

Macoun What's What ————————— 1 95

Amber Stewart

The Three "Pink" Peatland Orchids ----- 1 96

Joyce M. Reddoch and Allan H. Reddoch

Recent Bird Sightings -------- 202

Christine Hanrahan and Michelle Elder

The Loggerhead Shrike Survey - - - - - -214

Christine Hanrahan

Neck-banded Canada Geese - - - - - - -216

Bruce M. Di Labio and Barbara Campbell

The Ottawa Valley Spring Roundup 1987 - - - - 2 18

Bruce M. Di Labio

September at Dow's Lake ------- 224

Peter Iveson

Point Pelee Excursion 1987 ------- 225

Frank Pope

Spring Birding at Presqu'ile 226

Colin Gaskell

Coming Events - -- -- -- -- - 228

177

Welcome, New Members

Ottawa Area

Omar Ames

Don Beckett

Irene Bond & family

Art Borkent

Jim Bruce & family

Lois Burns

Betty Campbell

Sylvia Charbonneau

David Cutler

Ian & Maria Darragh

Carol & Don Decoff

Nicole Defretiere

Chris & Peter Duschinsky

Daniel Filipovic & family

Deirdre Furlong

Michael Gagne & family

Camyle Gaudreau

Joan Gray

Wilfred & Sheila Gynane
Robert Hazell
Michael Howe
B. Hunter
Laura Hutton
Geoffrey Katz
Julie Kenny
Yasmin Khan

Orysia Koelbleitner & family
Beverly Lee & family
Peggy Lee
Louise Leveille
Deborah S. Levey

James MacMillan

William Marsh & family

Elisabeth Marsollier

Pamela McLennan

Janet McQueen

Richard Monk & family

Corinne Morrison & family

Larry E. Neily

Oswald & Virginia Peck

Bertram Plimer & family

Diane Portelance

Doreen Powers

Ben Pwu

Gisele Quesnel

Connie Quirk

Karen Richter

Ivan Roy

Bridget Ryan

F.G. Savard & family

Daniel Simpson

Ona Spratt

Larry Stephens

Cathy Ternan

Barbara Thain

Piyanjali Tissaaratchy

Raymond Tse

Betty Tyers

W. Ken Vanden Bosch

Mary Alice Vermij

Eric & Jessie Wiles

Doug Wilson

Other Areas

William Boylan

Beeton, Ontario
J.L. D'Aoust

Montreal, P.Q.
Laurence Johnson

Coe Hill, Ontario
Helen M. Knight
Kamloops, B.C.
Suzanne MacLean

Kitchener, Ontario

Lynn Maslen

Edmonton, Alberta
R.W. Nero

Winnipeg, Manitoba
Brad Shults

Fairbanks, Alaska
Paul M. Willsteed

Mississauga, Ontario

Eileen Evans,

Chairman, Membership Committee.

178

Need for Office Space

Over the years, our Club has been able to operate on a
shoestring by prevailing on the good graces of members who have
provided their time and equipment at no cost. With the purchase
of our computer in 1986, where to house it has been a recurring
problem. Right now it is sitting in Barbara Martin's dining
room !

The Club Executive feels that we must find a permanent and
safe home for the computer and other club records. All efforts
to find a suitable location over the past two years have been
unsuccessful .

In an effort to resolve this problem, we are asking you,
our members, if you can assist by identifying office space which
may be available free or at a nominal rent. We will need about
25 square metres of space that is reasonably central, has an
electrical outlet, and can be physically secured. Access to the
space would be by Club members, often after normal working
hours .

If you know of any space that might fit the bill, we would
be very pleased if you would let Suzanne Blain know at 226-2615
or 226-6332.

Call for Nominations for OFNC Council

A Nominating Committee has been chosen by the Council to
nominate persons for election to offices and membership of the
Council for the year 1988, as required by the constitution.

We would like to remind Club members that they also may
nominate candidates as officers and other members of the Coun-
cil. Such nominations require the signatures of the nominator
and seconder and a statement of willingness to serve in the
specified position by the nominee. Nominations should be sent
to the Nominating Committee, The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club,
Box 3264, Postal Station C, Ottawa, Ontario KIY 4J5, to arrive
no later than November 15, 1987.

The Committee will also consider any suggestions for nomin-
ees which members wish to submit to it by November 15th. It
would be helpful if some relevant background on the proposed
nominees were provided along with the suggested names.

Barbara Campbell

Chairman, Nominating Committee.

179

Wildlife '87 Garden: Get Involved!

Many city dwellers like the idea of a garden full of birds,
butterflies and other wildlife. But, city and animals don't
mix. Right?

The answer could be an emphatic "wrong", but it takes
planning and knowledge to bring attractive wildlife into the
city.

In this year of Wildlife '87, The Ottawa Field-Naturalists'
Club is undertaking a project to help supply some of that plan-
ning skill and knowledge to all city dwellers with even a remote
urge to "countryfy" their backyard.

The Club has started preparations to establish a Wildlife
'87 Garden as a model for urban gardeners. It is meant to show
Ottawa area residents that wildlife of all sorts can feel at
home in the city.

At the time of writing, the Conservation Committee has
started preliminary discussions with several public bodies that
have large land holdings in the city. The idea is to reach an
agreement with one of these organizations for the Club to have
the use of a plot of land on which a model wildlife garden could
be established and maintained by Club members.

By the time you read this, a site will likely have been
chosen and an agreement reached. The final choice for the site
will depend on such factors as location, growing conditions,
local community considerations, access, variety of habitats,
site enhancement possibilities and conditions placed on use of
the land.

This is an opportunity for all OFNC members to catch the
Wildlife '87 spirit. For all you amateur gardens, bird-box
builders and just plain nature lovers, here is a chance to lend
your expertise and skill to help convince all Ottawa area resi-
dents that cities and nature do mix. If the project takes off,
it could be the basis for a sustained effort to further encour-
age city dwellers to think nature when putting in their gardens.
Other spin-off activities, such as an award competition for the
best Ottawa wildlife garden, are also being considered.

Volunteers are needed for the following activities:

1. garden planners (needed are knowledgeable people in such
areas as gardening techniques, entomology and ornithology);

2. liaison people with the public land owners and other possibly
interested organizations, such as horticultural societies;

3. organizers for equipment and material, including gardening
tools, top soil, cuttings, gravel, signage, etc.;

180

4. fund raisers to cover any necessary costs;

5. teams to clear ground, plant, make signs, maintain garden
and all the other pleasing physical activities to keep the
project running over a long period of time;

6. promotion and public relations.

This coming winter will be a time for planning and organizing so
we can be out with our hoes and shrubs in the spring.

If you feel you can lend a hand and some time to this
project, please contact the Club number (722-3050 after 10 a.m.)
and leave your name, telephone number and area of activity in
which you wish to participate. You will be contacted. The more
the merrier and everyone is welcome. Let's put Ottawa on the
map as the "wildest" city in Canada.

Watch for bulletins on the progress of the Wildlife '87
Garden in coming issues of Trail & Landscape.

The Conservation Committee n

Bequests to The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club

Planned gifts to The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club may
take many forms, including bequests. Gifts provide invaluable
assistance to assure the continuity of our long term support of
conservation efforts such as the Alfred Bog, the development of
young naturalists through the Macoun Field Club, and support for
our many other volunteer committees which provide members with
an array of inexpensive trips, interesting lectures and publica-
tions such as Trail & Landscape and The Canadian Field-Natural-
ist.

For those who may wish to remember The Ottawa Field-Na-
turalists' Club in their last will and testament, the following
form is suggested:

To The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club, a non-profit natural-
ists' club, Box 3264, Postal Station C, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4J5,

I leave the sum of $ , or, I leave a gift of (name

gift, e.g. shares of stock, securities, trust).

For further information, please contact the Club number
(722-3050 after 10 a.m.).

181

Fern D. Levine

New goals were established for all OFNC committees, and
terms of reference - either revised or new - are currently under
review for all committees by a special working group headed by
Diana Laubitz.

Committee Reports

AWARDS: Two Honorary Memberships and the five Club awards were

presented at the Soiree in May (see page 190).

BIRDS: After much planning and a lot of hard work, the material

for the last issue of The Shrike has been assembled and printed,
and was mailed to subscribers in July.

The Birds Committee has been involved with the Canadian
Wildlife Service in the planning stages of the Peregrine Falcon
release program taking place this summer.

The Bird Records Subcommittee has been constituted for
1987; its members are Roy John (Chairman), Gordon Pringle (non-
voting Secretary), Michael Runtz, Mark Gawn, Bruce Di Labio,
Bernard Ladouceur, Simon Gawn, Ross Anderson and Monty Brigham
(alternate ) .

CONSERVATION: Wildlife '87: Council member and Conservation

Committee Chairman, Lynda Maltby, presented an exciting and
informative lecture and movie at the June 9th monthly meeting.
Other committee activities include the protection of Alfred Bog
and a proposal for an urban wildlife garden. The search is on
for a suitable site on which to create a showpiece and example
for the urban naturalist (see page 180).

During National Wildlife Week, April 5 - 11, the Club
displayed information about Alfred Bog at the National Museum of
Natural Sciences.

The committee continues to participate in local issues such
as the management of the Marlborough Forest, the protection of
Stony Swamp, the Crown Land management proposal for Lanark
County, and regional and municipal waste management. National-
ly, the preservation of South Moresby has been an active issue.

EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY: Members of the committee participated

once again in judging at the Ottawa Regional Science Fair held
at the National Museum of Science and Technology on April 11th.
The two winning displays were produced by Immaculata High School
students, Raymond Tse and Omar Ames for "Acid Rain" and Piyanja-
li Tissaaratchy for "What Drives Life" (photosynthesis). The

182

Committee is working more closely with other committees in order
to promote the Club and has already reviewed means of achieving
more suitable Club publicity, for example, a new Club display is
being developed and there have been several radio interviews
with OFNC members and Macoun Field Club members.

EXCURSIONS AND LECTURES: Another successful season of excur-

sions and lectures was enjoyed. Topics were varied and discus-
sions were lively. The monthly meetings are fairly well attend-
ed. It's a chance to meet new friends and broaden your natural-
ist horizons. We encourage participation in these events. Wor-
thy of note was the Point Pelee field trip led by Colin Gaskell
and the special lecture, "Looking for the Wild", by Lyn Hancock.
The latter had an unusually good turnout.

FEDERATION OF ONTARIO NATURALISTS: Jeff Harrison, OFNC Vice-

President, was reappointed the Club representative to the FON
Board of Directors.

MACOUN FIELD CLUB: The Macoun Field Club is becoming more

actively involved with the OFNC and is encouraging new member-
ship. A busy schedule was followed over the past school year.
(See Macoun What's What in this issue and last.)

FINANCE: New Fee Schedule

The Club is naturally affected by the general level of rising
costs of all of its programming including publications. The
deficit has been forecast at over $14,000 by the end of 1988 if
there is no change in fees. (We actually went a year past the
previously projected fee increase. )

The Finance Committee has carefully reviewed current and
projected costs of operations, and the Council has now approved
a new schedule of fees.

At the end of the current year, membership dues will rise
as follows: Individual to $20.00; Family to $22.00; Sustaining

to $50.00; and Life to $500.00.

Subscriptions will rise in similar fashion: Trail &

Landscape to libraries and institutions to $20.00, and The
Canadian Field-Naturalist to individuals to $20.00 and to
libraries and institutions to $35.00.

Nobody likes a fee increase, but the Council considers it
necessary at this time. We still feel that we provide a very
"good deal" for our fees. n

183

Have You Considered a Life Membership?

Dan Brunton
Vice-President

Frank Pope

Chairman, Finance Committee

A relatively small number of individuals in the Club have
taken advantage of the life membership provision. That's a
shame because life memberships benefit the Club and benefit the
life member.

The Club benefits by receiving a significant amount of
capital at one time. To illustrate the point, consider a life
membership payment, currently $500.* In 10 years time, even
with an annual deduction of the equivalent of the yearly member-
ship fee, this can generate about $630 for the Club. That
estimate assumes, by the way, a regular increase in the cost of
annual membership. When one also considers that the administra-
tion requirements of life memberships are less than for annuals,
it is easy to see the benefit for the Club. But what of the
individual ?

Amounts contributed to a charity in excess of the member-
ship dues are deductible for tax purposes. It is understood
that the difference between the life membership payment and the
annual membership fee ($480.) is so deductible. That brings the
real cost down significantly for members able to use this deduc-
tion. In this event, the life membership can pay for itself
within 12 years. In addition, allowances have been made in the
Club to permit the family of a life member to retain the full
privileges of annually-renewing family memberships by making a
$5.00 annual payment.

Acquiring a life membership is a good way to help The Ottawa
Field-Naturalists' Club while giving yourself a financial break
at the same time. For those of us who receive a seemingly
endless number of renewal notices each year, another benefit
comes to mind: here is one membership that you can be sure you
paid already! That's one less hassle in an increasingly compli-
cated world. It's certainly worth giving some thought to at
membership renewal time.

* This amount will take effect on January 1, 1988; until then
the life membership fee remains at $400. n

NEW BIRD STATUS LINE NUMBER: 596-4888

184

Club Publications and Other Items For Sale

This is a reminder that the Club has a number of items for
sale to members. These items are listed below, and include a
new owl decal suitable for car windows, etc.

Autobiography of John Macoun, hard cover $12.50*

Transactions of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club

and The Ottawa Naturalist - Index $25.00*

Songs of the Seasons (Centennial Bird Record) $8.50#

Same on tape $11.00#

A Birder's Checklist of Ottawa $0.75

Ottawa District Bird Field List (tick sheet) 3 for $0.50

Owl Hasty Notes $3.00#

Club Pin (specify brooch or clutch) $3.00#

Shoulder Patch $0.75

Owl Decal $0.75

A Guide to the Geology of the Ottawa District $1.50

A Guide to the Geology of the Gatineau - Lievre

District $1.50

Butterfl ies of the Ottawa District

(.Trail & Landscape 16(1)) $3.00

Trail & Landscape Cumulative Index Volumes 1-20 $8.00*

Back issues of both Trail & Landscape and The Canadian Field-
Naturalist are available; quotations will be supplied on
request .

* Please add $2.00 for postage and handling.

# Ontario residents add 7% sales tax.

Please note that there is a 50^ handling charge on items under
$5.00.

The above items are often available at monthly meetings;
make your purchases there to avoid the extra charges for postage
and handling.

Orders may also be placed by mail. Send your requests
along with a cheque or money order (payable to The Ottawa Field-
Naturalists' Club) to The Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club, Box
3264, Postal Station C, Ottawa, Ontario KIY 4J5. n

185

Federation of Ontario Naturalists

Report Jeff Harrison

This report is intended to inform the membership about the
activities of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists over the
past year. As Club representative, I attended three of the four
annual Board meetings that were held in September and November,
1986, and in January and March, 1987.

There were many FON activities over the past year that
would be of interest to members; I have selected five for dis-
cussion in this article.

Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario : The long-awaited Atlas

will be published in September 1987 by the University of Water-
loo Press for $53.50. Financial support for publication was
mostly supplied by the FON. More than 1,500 naturalists parti-
cipated in the field work over the period 1981 to 1985, includ-
ing many Club members. This publication will offer some very
useful new information about the distribution and numbers of
nesting species in the province. While adding new species to
the province's breeding bird list, it provides a really compre-
hensive understanding of the breeding distribution of each spe-
cies including range extensions and confirmation of the status
of declining, threatened or endangered species. For the serious
birder and naturalist, it offers concrete evidence about the
level of destruction of the Carolinian forest in southwestern
Ontario as evidenced by the oasis known as Rondeau Provincial
Park and the significance of the demarcation between the south-
ern deciduous forest and the Canadian Shield. Local birders
will doubtless find many hours pleasure from examination of
results from the 10-km squares in our district. Numerous spin-
offs are anticipated.

For your copy, send a cheque or money order in the amount
of $53.50 to the University of Waterloo, Dana Porter Library,
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1.

FON ENVIRONMENTAL WORK: The heart of FON's work is in environ-

mental protection of important species and natural areas in the
province. For years the FON has been the leading voice for
naturalists in Ontario and has worked in concert with many
environmental groups. FON environmental activities are too
numerous to mention here. Among the highlights over the past
year were the securing of the Bruce National Park, protecting
Keswick Marsh from Highway 89, and ending privatization of
provincial parks. In addition, the FON has produced a new film
on hazardous waste management. In January, the Board approved

186

the hiring of an assistant to Don Huff, the staff environmental-
ist, for a six-month term. This action was taken to permit the
FON to increase lobbying with the minority Liberal government.

MOVES TO STREAMLINE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Each year the Board

gets larger as new naturalists groups join and automatically
receive a seat on the Board. There are now about 70 affiliated
clubs! In recent years, anyone attending a Board meeting has
recognized that the size of the Board is unwieldy (regular
attendance is about 40) and expensive to administer. Numerous
solutions have been put forward, but no consensus has been
reached. The current situation is not ideal since most of the
clubs in the Toronto area and in southwestern Ontario regularly
send delegates but those farther afield rarely do. Directors-
at-Large also tend to represent the same geographic areas. As a
result, the power of the Board is dominated by the regular
attendees. Some solution involving a majority proportion of
regional representatives is inevitable. Travel support may also
have to be increased. To my knowledge, the Perth, Arnprior and
Deep River clubs have never sent a representative to any of the
FON meetings I have attended over the past two years. In this
regard, the FON wants our club to act as its liaison with these
clubs. This would likely involve information exchange and co-
ordination of regional meetings. I think the idea has much
merit and would be beneficial to all concerned. Anyone inter-
ested in this discrete job should contact me at 230-5968.

SENIORS FOR NATURE PROGRAM: This is a series of slide talks

developed by the FON with corporate support and distributed to
local clubs for their use in promoting nature to older adult
groups. Anyone familiar with George McGee's long-standing in-
terest and enthusiasm for this sort of outreach could see the
potential importance to our club of having off-the-shelf slide
carousels and text available for club extension activities.

Bill Rich, the Seniors for Nature coordinator is willing to come
to Ottawa to talk about his interesting program. I would be
most appreciative if anyone interested in this program could let
me know as soon as possible. We might get Bill to come up in
the late fall.

SEASONS MAGAZINE: This magazine is published four times a year

and is one of the benefits of FON membership. The current issue
has features on the caves of Ontario, the Ontario breeding bird
atlas, the battle against acid rain, and Pembroke's swallows.
Regular features include Environmental Update, Birding Events,
Hikes and Walks, Workshops, Activities for Children, and Book
Reviews. The yearly membership fees are $26.00 for individuals
and $32.00 for families. The address of the Federation of
Ontario Naturalists is 355 Lesmill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, M3B
2W8, and the telephone number is (4 16)— 444— 84 19. n

187

The 1987 Soiree

Debbie Walsh

The sixth Annual Soiree of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists'
Club was held on Friday, May 1st, of this year at the Unitarian
Church on Cleary Avenue. The setting, overlooking the Ottawa
River, was an excellent choice for a naturalists' event.

Recognition must be given to all the members involved in
planning such a successful evening, especially the Kitchen Co-
ordinators, who managed to keep the delicious pot-luck dinner so
well organized. These hard-working members included Katharine
Anderson, Robina Bennett, Eileen Evans, Christine Henri, Barbara
Hunt, Edith Ikeda, Aileen Mason, Catherine O'Keefe, Rosalie
Reynolds, Peggy Smith and Betty Stern.

The Macoun Field Club displays were enjoyed by everyone as
they lined up for dinner. It was obvious that the Junior mem-
bers had spent a great deal of time putting together these
projects. The willingness with which they shared their know-
ledge was greatly appreciated.

The second part of the evening began after dinner with the
introduction of Paul Hamilton, the energetic new leader of the
Macoun Field Club. Macoun Club Presidents, Heather Hunt (Se-
nior), Lorin Gaertner (intermediate), and Roger Gaertner (Ju-
nior) each gave an informative presentation on the past year's
activities and accomplishments of their respective divisions.

Mary Stewart and Sheila Thomson were given the very diffi-
cult task of judging the Macoun Field Club projects. Sheila
Thomson presented prizes and awards to Roger Gaertner (Junior)
for his project "Les Champignons", Isabelle Lussier (intermedi-
ate) for her display "Volcanoes", and, finally, Ross Renaud
(Senior) for his year-long study, "A Pond in Four Seasons".

The official Club awards were then presented by President,
Bill Gummer, as described in detail on the following pages.

The members' display of art and photography demonstrated
the exceptional talent there is within the Club. The members
were given the difficult task of judging the photography con-
test. First prize, an Ellaine Dickson carving of a Tree Swal-
low, was presented by OFNC Vice-President, Jeff Harrison, to
Tony Beck for his incredible "Red-tailed Hawk". Honourable men-
tions went to Dan Brunton for his bog scene entitled "Dawn Mist
at Wawa, Ontario", and Ray Holland for his "Saw-whet Owl".

Finally, Master of Ceremonies, Ross Anderson, must be com-
mended for keeping the entire evening running smoothly. A
wonderful time was had by all. See you in 1988!

188

The exhibit of members' art and photography at the Soiree.
Photograph by Dan Brunton.

Isabelle Lussier (left) with her award-winning display
Vulcanoes" . She was assisted by her brother, Pascal (centre).
Photograph by Ken Taylor. n

189

1986 Honorary Memberships
and OFNC Awards

Daniel F. Brunton
Chairman, Awards Committee

Early in 1987, the Council of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists'
Club selected a number of individuals to receive Club awards on
the recommendation of the Awards Committee. Nominations were
received from a variety of sources including S. Darbyshire, F.
Pope, E. Dickson, W.K. Gummer, D.F. Brunton, B. Campbell, R.
Taylor, J. Reddoch, S. Hamill, W.J. Cody, the Conservation
Committee and the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee was
particularly appreciative of the efforts of the individual nom-
inators, and we hope to hear from even more people next year.

The following provides a brief description of the achieve-
ments of the award winners. A more complete citation for each
was read out at the 1987 Soiree and will appear in a coming
issue of The Canadian Field- Naturalist.

HONORARY MEMBER: Donald E. McAllister

Don McAllister is a widely recognized expert on both fresh-
water and saltwater Canadian fishes and is the premier authority
on North American arctic fishes. He has published over 100
scientific papers on the subject, including reports of new
species in Canada and the descriptions of species new to
science. His activities extend to the study of post-glacial
fossils as well. His strong interest in conservation is re-
flected both by his active participation on the Committee on the
Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and as a director of the
International Marine Alliance. Don McAllister has played a
major role in the recent effort to save the vast coral reef off
the Phillipines that is being severely damaged by present tropi-
cal fish collection techniques. Great strides are being made
there. He is also compiling a computer checklist of fishes of
the world, the working copy of which contains over 20,000 spe-
cies .

In addition to these scientific efforts and his academic
work at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, Don
McAllister has been an Associate Editor of The Canadian Field-
Naturalist for many years and an OFNC member since 1958. He
and his late wife, Nancy, were both involved in Club affairs and
with the Macoun Field Club. Their children were prominent in
the Macoun Club, accounting for the first seven of the ten
Macoun What's What reports that appeared in Trail & Landscape .

190

HONORARY MEMBER: Robert W. Nero

Bob Nero is an authority on northern owls and is particu-
larly well known for his outstanding book on the Great Gray Owl.
This labour of love was the product of many years of field work
and study in southern Manitoba. In that province and in Sas-
katchewan too. Bob Nero has been a prominent natural scientist
and naturalist since coming to Canada in 1955. His efforts on
behalf of naturalists and naturalists' organizations in western
Canada have been most significant, and he has been honoured by
groups such as the Manitoba Natural History Society for this
work. In addition to his ornithological and conservation acti-
vities, Nero has studied and written extensively on mammals
(including coauthoring a book on the Cougar in Manitoba), rep-
tiles and amphibians, and insects. His enthusiastic and expert
presentations to thousands of school children all across south-
ern Manitoba continue to broaden the awareness of our need to
conserve and protect natural areas and species.

Bob was not able to attend the Soiree to receive his award
in person.

Honorary Member: Don McAllister Photograph by Dan Brunton.

191

MEMBER OF THE YEAR: Roy John

Roy John's actions as Chairman of the Bird Records Subcom-
mittee during "a year of self examination" have proven vital in
directing this subcommittee to meet Club goals of promoting
appreciation of nature, of encouraging investigation and of
publishing information. Among other achievements, the subcom-
mittee developed a concise Terms of Reference which were ulti-
mately approved by the Council. The outcome of all of this has
been a success.

SERVICE AWARD: Dorothy Greene, Marc Guertin, Lisa Meyboom, Jim

Montgomery and Harry Thomson

It seemed particularly appropriate in 1986 to be honouring
the important work achieved on behalf of Trail & Landscape by
these people as Trail & Landscape completes its twentieth vol-
ume. While many, many individuals have laboured long and hard
to make this a most successful publication, these people were
most directly responsible for carrying the less glamorous but
critical production side of the publication effort. (We could
add Eileen Evans and Joyce Reddoch to this group too, but both
of these members previously received awards that, in part,
recognized their Trail & Landscape production efforts.)

CONSERVATION AWARD: Jane Topping

Jane has been passionately involved in the issue of wet-
lands conservation since 1978 and has played an important role
in the lobby against the environmental inequities of the Ontario
Drainage Act. She has spent many long hours researching and
documenting wetlands problems in the province and has represent-
ed The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club and others in presenting
these concerns to the appropriate authorities. She continues
her involvement in this and other issues as a member of the
Club's Conservation Committee.

ANNE HANES NATURAL HISTORY AWARD: Clarence Frankton

Since his retirement in 1970, Clarrie Frankton has applied
his considerable energies and talents to learning more about the
natural history of the Ottawa District in general and the flor-
istics of this area in particular. Stony Swamp Conservation
Area in Nepean has held a special fascination for him. Clarrie
and his wife Enid, his constant field companion and associate,
have looked into every nook and cranny of the area and have
contributed more than anyone else to bringing the total of its
known flora to almost 700 species. That is unprecedented in the
Ottawa District. A dozen or so, including one new to the Ottawa
District, were found in 1986. His effort and achievement con-

192

Member of the Year: Roy John Conservation Award: Jane Topping
Photographs by Ken Taylor.

Service Award: (left to right) Lisa Meyboom } Mare Guertin, Jim
Montgomery and Harry Thomson. Dorothy Greene unfortunately was
unable to attend. Photograph by Dan Brunton.

193

tinue to be an inspirational example for field naturalists
throughout the District.

PRESIDENT'S PRIZE: Barbara Martin

Bill Gummer presented the second of the modern President's
Prizes to Barbara Martin for her deep involvement in bringing
the Club to computer self-sufficiency. The equipment arrived
about a year ago, but plans for its location fell through.
Barbara offered it residence in her home, ensuring that Coun-
cillors and others could examine it, and arranged for operating
supplies and service contracts. In short order the requirements
for membership records and mailing labels were met, and a pro-
gram laid down for subject and schedule for the next year.

The prize was presented with emphasis on Barbara's strong
and effective efforts to introduce us properly to our new com-
puter, for housing it and making it available to others, for
ensuring its proper use, and for enabling the Club to make this
major change in conduct with so little difficulty.

Anne Hanes Natural History Award:
Clarence Frankton

President's Prize:
Barbara Martin

Photographs by Ken Taylor. n

194

Macoun What's What

Amber Stewart

The Macoun Field Club spent the month of February renovat-
ing the library, which included repairing, cataloguing and
shelving books. Also in February, Carina Cojeen, a senior
member of the Macoun Field Club, gave a seminar on the destruc-
tion of tropical rainforests.

March and April brought the themes of arctic and marine
environments to our meetings. Dr. Hugh French gave a very
interesting talk on the physical environment of the Canadian
Arctic, followed by Dr. Jim Ginns' presentation of "The Flower-
ing Plants and Fungi of the Yukon". Dr. Tony Gaston of the
Canadian Wildlife Service introduced us to his fascinating re-
search on arctic sea birds, and Dr. Brian Rust explained the
formation of the ancient rivers and mountains of the maritimes.
To complete the presentations in April, Mr. Smith, a science
teacher at Gloucester High School, spoke about his study of
plant succession along the Dolman Ridge.

During the month of May, seminars featured such topics as
life in the tropics and the arctic. Dr. Alan Emery, Director of
the National Museum of Natural Sciences, gave an interesting
talk and very colourful slide show of his trip to the Chagos
Archipelagos in the Indian Ocean and his research into coral
reefs and tropical fishes. Another senior Macouner, Heather
Hunt, presented a seminar on certain aspects of Marine Biology.
Also during May, Heidi Klein, from the Guelph Rehabilitation
Centre for Birds, brought in an injured American Kestrel and
Screech Owl for her discussion on raptors. Everybody had a
chance to handle these birds.

Notable field trips included overnight camping trips to
Mary Stewart's farm near Pakenham and Martha Camfield's cottage
in the Gatineau. There was also a spring fiddlehead hike led by
Kathleen Pryer. In addition, members participated in many out-
ings to the Macoun Study Area in the Greenbelt near Bells
Corners .

The closing meeting and party was held on June 20th, at
which time The Little Bear was distributed to the members. This
is the Macoun Field Club's annual publication, featuring various
natural history articles written by Macouners themselves. This
year the publication was 86 pages in length. n

195

The Three "Pink" Peatland Orchids*

Joyce M. Reddoch and Allan H. Reddoch

Three of the prettiest and least familiar of our orchids
can be found in Ottawa District peatlands. They are Arethusa,
Grass-pink and Rose Pogonia. With some luck, you might even
see all three species blooming together in late June.

Although they are not closely related, the flowers of the
three species have much in common. All three have purple to
pink flowers with yellow-fringed lips. The fringes serve to
attract nectar-seeking insects, but they are really false adver-
tising because these orchids have no nectar.

In spite of their similarities, it is fairly easy to iden-
tify each species, but they can be confusing when encountered
for the first time. The field guides show the differences, but
the essential features are easy to describe. Arethusa (Figure
1) has a single purple flower which is quite erect in appearance
with a sepal and two petals pointing straight up. The stem has
two or three sheaths along its length, but the single grass-like
leaf does not expand until the flower is passing. By contrast,
Grass-pink (Figure 2) has several purple flowers, and, unlike
most orchids, the flowers are presented with the lips uppermost.
The plant has a long, narrow leaf arising from the base of the
stem. Rose Pogonia (Figure 3) has a single, purplish-pink flower
which appears to point forward like an old-fashioned bonnet.

The single leaf is elliptical rather than grass-like and on
flowering plants is halfway up the stem. In addition, there is
a floral bract which resembles the leaf but is a little smaller.

Some other features of these orchids as they occur in the
Ottawa District are given in Table 1, based on herbarium collec-
tions and our field observations.

Table 1

Arethusa Grass-pink Rose Pogonia

Number of flowers

] 1-10 1

(rarely 2) (typically 2-5) (sometimes 2)

Plant height
(average )

8 - 38 cm
( 1 8 cm)

21 - 64 cm
(39 cm)

10 - 40 cm
(25 cm)

Blooming Date
(average )

Jun 3 - Jul 2 Jun 15 - Aug 6
(Jun 18) (Jul 7)

Jun 8 - Aug 14
(Jul 6)

* Part IV in a series on Ottawa District orchids

196

Figure 1. Arethusa in the
fen near Poltimore , June 25,
1976.

Figure 2. Grass-pink on the
Dolman Ridge, Mer Bleue, June
28, 1971.

Figure 3. Rose Pogonia in an abandoned sand pit on the Borth-
w ick Ridge, Mer Bleue, June 25, 1980. Photographs by the au-
thors.

197

Arethusa ( Arethusa bulbosa )

Arethusa is the least common of these three orchids and is
best described as rare and local in the Ottawa District. As far
as we know, there are only three extant colonies. There is, in
addition, a colony just beyond the District boundaries at White
Lake Fen (Reddoch 1984) and another, farther away in eastern
Ontario, at Alfred Bog (Cuddy 1983).

Arethusa is confined to fens and the minerotrophic parts of
bogs (poor fens). These sites are acidic to slightly acidic (pH
4.5 - 6.5). Here the plants grow in the sun among sedges and
mosses on the fen floor or on hummocks among some of the minero-
trophic Sphagna ( Sphagnum warnstorf ii , 5. teres, S. magellani-
cum. )

We have followed a colony in a fen near Poltimore, Quebec,
(Reddoch 1979) for 20 years. In the early years, the plants
were scattered over the open fen floor, but when the fen became
wetter, these plants disappeared and new plants appeared on
hummocks at the bases of the Tamarack, Black Spruce and White
Cedar dotting the fen. The new plants must have come from seeds
produced by the plants on the fen floor. More recently, we
discovered by marking flowering plants and looking for them
again in early fall that only a few go to seed. But every
orchid capsule contains thousands of seeds, and so maybe only a
few seed capsules are necessary to ensure the continuity of a
colony. We are more concerned that the recent logging of the
surrounding swamp (Reddoch and Reddoch 1987) will cause changes
that threaten the colony's survival.

Arethusa has been well-documented from the Mer Bleue Bog,
where it was discovered for the first time in the Ottawa Dis-
trict in 1883 (Macoun et al. 1884, Fletcher 1884). Its occur-
rence and considerable abundance near the mineral springs at
Carlsbad Springs were reported on during the next three decades
(Whyte et al. 1894, Fletcher 1896, Whyte et al. 1897 and Gibson
1908). At least 16 collections were made and distributed to
various Ontario and Quebec herbaria. The only recent observa-
tion of Arethusa that we are aware of is that of Shirley Black
(personal communication 1980), who noticed a few plants in the

bog off the Borthwick Ridge in the early 1970s. It is not known

whether this colony still survives.

A colony may be in flower for a month, but individual
plants do not stay in flower for that long, and as Ed Greenwood
has noted at the fen near Poltimore (personal communication
1987), "I found 50 in flower there on each of 4 successive

weekly visits - but a different 50 each time".

In addition to the blooming dates for Arethusa summarized
in Table 1, James Fletcher (1896) notes that "a few specimens of
this lovely Orchid were found in full flower by Mr. W.T. Macoun

198

Figure 4. Rose Pogonia at Black Lake bog, Gatineau Park.

On July 8, 1878, James Fletcher collected Rose Pogonia from
Black Lake. (The collection is in the Agriculture Canada her-
barium.) In the photograph, Allan Reddoch is shown examining
plants of Rose Pogonia at the same location a hundred gears
later.

The maximum number of flowering plants we have observed
during the last 20 gears is 80 in 1969. In 1983, beavers dammed
the outlet stream of the lake, causing the water level to rise
about a half metre. Now, only the floating outer edge of the
bog remains, and the alders at the right of the picture have
died and fallen down. This gear (1987) we managed to spot one
Rose Pogonia flower from the shore with binoculars.

199

on May the 28th. This is rather earlier than usual for the
flowers to be found."

Grass-pink ( Calopogon tuberosus )
and Rose Pogonia ( Pogonia ophioglossoides )

These two species have very similar habitat requirements
and often grow together. In fact, Braddish Billings Jr. made
the first collections for the Ottawa District of both species in
the same place, Dow's Swamp, on the same day, July 9, I860
(collections at the Fowler Herbarium, Queen's University;

Reddoch 1978). Although more widespread in the District than
Arethusa, both Grass-pink and Pogonia also prefer open fens and
the more minerotrophic parts of bogs. However, they have been
found in some other habitats as well.

Plants of Grass-pink and Rose Pogonia have grown for some
years in the moist, acidic sands (pH 4.5) of the Mer Bleue
ridges in borrow pits left after highway contruction in the
1960s (Figure 3; Dunston 1970). 1973 was a particularly good

year with 50 flowering plants of Grass-pink and 11 of Rose
Pogonia on the Dolman Ridge, and 40 flowering plants of Rose
Pogonia on the Borthwick Ridge. The Borthwick Ridge colony
built up to over a hundred flowering plants by 1977 but since
1980 has dwindled to only a few plants with increased shading.
The flowers in this colony are often heavily infested with rose
chafers. Plant numbers on the ridges vary considerably from
year to year depending on the water table. These disturbed
sands were likely first seeded from plants in the adjacent bog
and the populations replenished from the same source over the
years. However, the shade caused by the continued growth of
trees and shrubs makes it unlikely that the orchids will contin-
ue there for long.

Rose Pogonia sometimes forms colonies on floating sedge
mats along undisturbed lake edges, particularly on the Precam-
brian Shield (see, for example, Figure 4). A related habitat
was a couple of fallen cedar trees floating at a shrubby edge of
Lac Bonin in Quebec. There, Ed Dodson showed us several plants
of Rose Pogonia along with a number of other species, including
Pitcher Plant, Round-leaved Sundew and the orchid, Loesel's
Twayblade .

A more surprising, but also related, habitat for Rose
Pogonia is the boom logs on the Gatineau River. Boom logs are
enormous squared timbers chained together to hold or channel cut
logs on their way to the mills downstream. When they become
weathered and waterlogged, boom logs support a variety of plants
(Bayly 1972) including Rose Pogonia (Bayly personal communica-
tion 1977). A normal-sized flowering plant of Rose Pogonia was
collected from a boom log at Ramsey's Crossing by Martha Cam-
field in 1959 (collection at Carleton University herbarium).

200

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to those people cited in the text and the
many others who have shared their finds with us. We thank Dr.
R.R. Ireland of the National Museum of Natural Sciences for
identifying the Sphagna.

Li ter a ture Cited

Bayly, I. 1972. Boom-log plant communities. Trail & Landscape
6(3): 76-81.

Cuddy, D. 1983. Alfred Bog. Trail & Landscape 17(3): 147-163.

Dunston, J. 1970. Explorer's corner .... The Mer Bleue Bog.

Trail & Landscape 4(1): 26-30.

[Fletcher, J. ] 1884. Flore Ottawaensis (additions made in

1883). Transactions, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club 5: 127.

F[letcher], J. 1896. Botanical notes. Ottawa Naturalist
10(4): 86.

G[ibson], A. 1908. General excursion to Carlsbad Springs.
Ottawa Naturalist 22:121.

Macoun, J. , R.B. Whyte and J. Fletcher. 1884. Report of the
Botanical Branch [for 1883]. Transactions, Ottawa Field-
Naturalists' Club 5: 123.

Reddoch, J. 1978. Dow's Swamp. Trail & Landscape 12(5): 1 32—
14 1 .

Reddoch, J. 1979. Calcareous fens in the Ottawa District.

Trail & Landscape 13(1): 16-27. [Arethusa bulbosa was in-
advertently omitted from the plant list; it has been found in
the fen at Manion Corners Long Swamp and the fen near Polti-
more. ]

Reddoch, J.M. 1984. White Lake Fen. Trail & Landscape 18(3):
134-141.

Reddoch, J.M. and A.H. Reddoch. 1987. Notes on three Ottawa
District orchids. Trail & Landscape 21(1): 18-26.

Whyte, R.B., J. Craig and R.H. Cowley. 1894. Report of the
Botanical Branch, 1893. Ottawa Naturalist 8(3): 40.

Whyte, R.B., J. Craig and J.M. Macoun. 1897. Report of the
Botanical Section [for 1896]. Ottawa Naturalist 11(2): 33.

201

This is a period into which much activity is condensed.
While some overwintering birds are leaving our area, many, many
more are arriving. Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds are seen
from early March on. By month's end, thousands upon thousands
of waterfowl descend on the area. Thoughout April and May, more
migrant species arrive almost daily. And, no matter how common
a species is, the first sighting is always a joy. Then, of
course, there is the anticipation of the rare and the unusual
during this period.

The spring of 1987 produced few real rarities: a Little
Blue Heron, a possible Cinammon Teal, a Eurasian Wigeon, a
Willet, and a Worm-eating Warbler were the highlights. Only
two of these species were seen by more than a few people. But
other interesting occurrences were the large numbers of some
species: 1700 Snow Geese, over 80 Bonaparte's Gulls in a single

flock, five Little Gulls sighted at one time, and higher than
average numbers of shorebirds. Ottawa River water levels were
extremely low, so low that by April 26th the spit was already
forming at Ottawa Beach. At Britannia Point, the water was
about a metre lower than normal. This is much more like August
levels than spring, when water is normally quite high. Because
of the reduced water levels along the river and in the sewage
lagoons, an abundance of shore bird habitat was exposed. Large
numbers of shorebirds took advantage of these conditions and
some exceptionally large flocks were seen.

Few records were broken with regard to early arrivals and
late departures: a Pectoral Sandpiper and five Double-crested

Cormorants were the earliest on record.

The weather this spring was, like that of the spring of
1986, uneven. There were some very mild and warm days in March,
with a high of +16°C on the 24th. March also broke the record
for hours of sunshine with 219 hours recorded. Early April saw
snow flurries and cool, wet conditions, but Easter was excep-
tionally hot with temperatures in the mid to high 20's. May had
some warm days, but also some very cold weather, with strong
winds for much of the month, and heavy rain at times. Overall,
there were enough warm days to push many migrants right through
our area, and few good grounding days were noted.

202

Many observers commented on the lack of landbirds. Cer-
tainly, the good weather prompted many birds to continue through
without stopping, but even when they did touch down, there were
fewer than seemed normal. Some birders have said that they
believe there are fewer birds now than 10 or 20 years ago. It
seems that for the last three or four springs we've been saying
"it's just a bad spring" to explain the smaller number of birds.
But how long can we keep on saying this?

The wet, cold weather during the breeding season last year
killed off a lot of nestlings, not only here but also in a large
part of the northeast. Combine a few bad breeding years like
that with other factors, most significantly destruction of win-
ter habitat in the tropics where many of our birds go, and loss
of good habitat on breeding grounds, and you have all the ingre-
dients for disaster. Of course, one or two bad breeding years
will not alone have a significant effect on many species; ra-
ther, it is the long-term trend of habitat destruction that is
of vital importance. In conjunction with other hazards, the
impact can be enormous. Studies are already underway to deter-
mine whether or not there is a continuing decline in many pre-
viously common species, especially those wintering in tropical
rain forests.

Loons and Grebes: Common Loons started arriving in the second

week of April. Both Red-necked and Horned Grebes were reported
soon after, with high counts of both on April 23rd - with 226
Red-necked and 76 Horned. Pied-billed Grebes had returned by
early April.

Cormorants: Double-crested Cormorants were first seen very

early with five on March 26th. On May 24th, 26 cormorants were
seen along the Ottawa River, most between Britannia Point and
Bate Island; the majority were non-breeding birds. They seem to
be roosting near Kitchissippi Lookout. The numbers of these
birds have increased steadily in the past 10 years. There is
certainly a good possibility that this species will be breeding
here in the very near future.

Bitterns and Herons: The highlight heron of the period was

definitely the adult Little Blue Heron seen flying behind the
airport on May 21st. This species occasionally turns up in our
area, and April to May is a good time to be on the lookout for
one. Great Blue Herons were back by late March, and Green-
backed Herons were reported by early May. So far as is known,
no Black-crowned Night Herons have been seen. A very early
American Bittern was found on April 10th at Ramsayville Marsh,
and others were located on the 11th, 12th and 17th, showing
quite an early movement. American Bittern numbers have been
fairly high this spring, but, so far, no Least Bitterns have
been reported. A Great Egret was sighted on May 22nd flying
over the Marlborough Forest east of Dwyer Hill Road.

203

Waterfowl: Ottawa has some excellent waterfowl viewing areas

where large concentrations of geese and ducks gather during
spring migration. The stretch of Ottawa River on the Quebec
side, from Masson to Plaisance including Black Bay near Thurso,
offers good opportunities to watch waterfowl. In Ontario, the
east end of our area along the South Nation River is best, in
places such as Bear Brook, Bourget, Pendleton, Riceville and
Cobb Lake Creek. Throughout late March, waterfowl arrived in
numbers, giving winter-weary birders much to look at. The
fields around Bear Brook and Bourget to Riceville were extens-
ively flooded this spring, as were areas not normally prone to
being underwater. Fields near the Winchester Bog, for example,
were host to thousands of Canada Geese on March 24th.

Canada Goose numbers increased daily, from a mere 5,000 at
Bear Brook and another 20,000 at Riceville on March 27th, to an
estimated 125,000 at Pendleton on April 4th. Huge skeins of
geese streamed into the above areas for days, but by April 6th
many had departed north and numbers decreased considerably, al-
though large flocks remained until May. Few Canada Geese stay
here to breed - yet! The small ponds at Bell-Northern Research
at Carling Avenue and Moodie Drive have attracted several pairs
over the past few years. This year, three pairs successfully
bred there, with young noted on May 8th.

A few Snow Geese can be expected most years, and sometimes
very large flocks are found, as with the 581 east of Pendleton
in April 1985. This year, however, saw an exceptional number,
with a high of 1700 (including 18 blue phase) around Cobb Lake
Creek on April 6th. Numbers built up from a mere two on March

Snow Geese and Canada Geese in the flooded fields near Cobb Lake
Creek on April 6th, 1987. Photograph by Bruce M. Di Labio.

204

27th, to 350 the next day (when an estimated 10,000 were seen
near Montreal), 1500 on April 3rd, and 1700 on the 6th. Numbers
fell sharply after that peak, although a lone Snow Goose was at
the Alfred sewage lagoon until at least May 23rd.

No Tundra Swans were reported for the period, and only two
Greater White-fronted Geese, one near Riceville on April 2nd and
the other near the Masson Ferry on April 17th. On May 9th,
three flocks of Brant totalling about 1200 birds were observed
flying along the Ottawa River. This is early for such a large
movement. A single bird was at Stillwater Park on May 15th, and
a flock of 120 was noted from the same place on May 22nd.

Northern Pintail came in by the thousands during early
April, with at least 12,000 in the Pendleton area on April 4th.
Small numbers of this species remain in the area during the
summer. Two hundred Ring-necked Ducks were around Pendleton on
April 4th, and 15 Greater Scaups were at Riceville on March 27th
along with large numbers of the more commonly observed water-
fowl .

Away from the flooded fields, 18 White-winged Scoters were
found at Shirleys Bay on May 20th, a late Canvasback on May
16th, and between 100 and 140 Oldsquaws along the Ottawa River
on May 17th. Barrow's Goldeneyes were around until the late
date of April 28th when two females were observed near the
Champlain Bridge. Earlier, on April 6th, three adult females
and one immature male were seen at Shirleys Bay. Ruddy Ducks
were first noted on April 16th at Shirleys Bay when two were
seen. The usual east end sewage lagoons had a few Ruddy Ducks,
with a high so far of four at Alfred.

The only rarity among the waterfowl was a Eurasian Wigeon
at Shirleys Bay on April 19th. The last time this species
turned up, in 1985, it was on April 21st. Of the few records
for Eurasian Wigeon in Ottawa, four have occurred around this
same time period. An interesting find was a possible Cinammon
Teal at Grande Plaisance, Quebec, on April 17th. However, no
firm decision has yet been reached as to the correct identifica-
tion of this bird. There is a distinct possibility that it may
have been a Blue-winged Teal - Northern Shoveler hybrid. Two
Ruddy Shelducks were at Bear Brook on March 28th. These escap-
ees are becoming almost regular of late.

Raptors: Turkey Vultures were early this year with reports of

several birds on March 21st. Two male Northern Harriers observ-
ed on March 7th, one at Ottawa Airport and one near Kemptville,
were either early migrants or overwintering birds. An immature
Northern Goshawk was near the airport on March 15th, and this
species was observed sporadically throughout the period. Three
Red-shouldered Hawks were noted on March 25th in the Bear Brook
- Cobb Lake Creek area, while another was found on March 29th
near a known nesting site along the Dunrobin Ridge. Rough-
legged Hawks were observed in increasing numbers during late
March - early April as they moved northwards through our area.

On April 2nd, 26 Rough-legged Hawks were found, and 20 on April
7th.

205

Several Merlins were reported, including one on May 1st
near Carp and one on May 12th near Almonte. Peregrine Falcons
were noted at least four times; one bird on March 20th was in
the Hampton Park area, another on April 6th and again on the
16th was at Tunney's Pasture, while the fourth sighting, on May
20th, was in the Civic Hospital area. These four areas are all
very close together, and it might well be that only one bird was
actually involved.

A white-phase Gyrfalcon was apparently seen in Hull in
early March. Hawk movements were good on certain days, such as
May 1st, for example, when large numbers of Sharp-shinned, Coop-
er's and Red-tailed Hawks pushed through our region. A few
unconfirmed reports of both Golden and Bald Eagles were noted.

Gallinaceous Birds: Gray Partridge began to be seen more fre-

quently as March drew to a close. About average numbers of
these birds were reported through the period. The odd Ring-
necked Pheasant was sighted or heard, and Ruffed Grouse could be
heard drumming early on, one of the sure signs of spring.

Perhaps one of the more stupid and bizarre incidents of
late was the release of Wild Turkeys into Britannia Woods. Not
only is this particular area unsuitable and our winter climate
too severe, but also this species was never native to this area
in the first place. The same turkeys who released these turkeys
also released Ring-necked Pheasants in the Britannia area last
year! One can only wonder at the rationale behind acts of such
stupidity. Next time these people get an urge to release a non-
native bird, let's hope they first consult with those who can
offer sound advice.

Rails to Coot: Two Yellow Rails were heard, where else but the

Richmond Fen, on May 26th. Sora and Virginia Rails returned
about on time. Common Moorhens were found in various places
including Ramsayville Marsh (four on May 8th) and several sewage
lagoons. American Coots occur in small numbers around Ottawa;
over the last few years the Alfred sewage lagoon appears to be
one reliable place to see this species, spring and summer.

Shorebirds: Spring migration is not usually the time to see the

large numbers of shorebirds normally found in the fall. Very
low water levels this spring, however, provided much excellent
habitat, and shorebirds took advantage of this unusual occur-
rence. For the first time in spring since 1971, mudflats ap-
peared at Shirleys Bay. Ottawa Beach had an exposed sandbar,
unusual for the spring. The last time this happened was the
spring of 1982. Many sewage lagoons were also very low, with
one of the Almonte ponds almost dry by late May.

The highlight of the spring shorebirds was a Willet at
Shirleys Bay. It was first seen on May 16th but obligingly
stayed around until the 18th, allowing most birders a good look.
This is the seventh record for the District; the last Willet
turned up in 1979. It is interesting to note that five of the
previous six records were in the spring.

206

While some shorebirds came in fairly early, only one record
was set. A Pectoral Sandpiper was found on March 25th, the
earliest by at least three days. Other early arriving species
included a Killdeer at Britannia on March 8th, two American
Woodcock at Clyde Woods on March 22nd, and a Red-necked Phalar-
ope at Deschenes on May 19th.

Some shorebirds are more readily found in the fall, with
spring occurrences uncommon. Two Baird's Sandpipers were re-
ported on May 31st. If this report is verified, they would be a
first spring record. Three Stilt Sandpipers were found on May
18th, and several Red Knots turned up, two on May 18th and one
on May 31st, both at Ottawa Beach. A few Black-bellied Plovers
were noted, and several Whimbrels were apparently seen flying
along the Ottawa River. Late May is always "Whimbrel time", and
birders scan the river hoping to see some of these large shore-
birds fly by. Sometimes we get lucky and they land, offering a
good opportunity to get a better look.

Nine Ruddy Turnstones at Deschenes on May 31st were a
repectable number for this species in spring. Forty-five San-
derlings stopped over on the sandbar at Ottawa Beach on May
31st. Again, this species is more often noted in fall migra-
tion. Large numbers of Least Sandpipers were found, including
one flock of 292 on May 16th and 410 on May 24th. While cer-
tainly not the largest flocks to be recorded by any means, the
overall total for this species was good. About 500 or more
Semipalmated Sandpipers were at Ottawa Beach the evening of May
31st, the largest flock recorded this spring. A few White-
rumped Sandpipers were found, and a good number of Short-billed
Dowitchers, including 18 at Shirleys Bay on May 17th and nine at
the same place on May 23rd.

Wilson's Phalaropes were much in evidence this spring.
During May a check of several east end lagoons could produce
more than 50 of these birds. Thirty-one were found at St.-
Isidore-de-Prescott sewage lagoon on May 18th, and a further 14
at Alfred on the same day. Most of the sewage lagoons had at
least one or two of this beautiful little shorebird. Quite a
few could also be seen along the Jock River near Twin Elms.

Prior to 1975 this species was rare in the area, but numbers
have increased steadily since then, thanks almost exclusively to
the habitat provided by sewage lagoons.

Gulls and Terns: This period was very productive for gulls and

terns. The beginning of March saw the return of Ring-billed
Gulls. Herring Gulls were present throughout the period. Great
Black-backed Gull numbers were fairly high, with 14 on April
16th and 22 on April 28th. They could still be seen through
May, singly and mostly immature, but there was an adult seen on
May 26th at Shirleys Bay. On April 16th, one Iceland and two
Glaucous Gulls were found. Both species were also seen quite
late in the spring; an adult Glaucous was seen on May 20th, and
an immature Iceland Gull on May 26th. Only one Lesser Black-
backed Gull was seen during the period, an adult at the Nepean
Dump on May 1st. This is only the fifth or sixth record for the

207

spring; they are more likely to turn up in the fall.

This was an excellent spring for Little Gulls. The first
was a second summer bird seen on April 27th, a very early re-
cord. It was found along with 14 Bonaparte's Gulls. On May
16th, one was seen at Britannia Point. On May 17th, there were
two birds at Shirleys Bay and another two at Thurso, most likely
different birds. The Ottawa record for the most Little Gulls in
one sighting was broken on May 19th when five were observed
together at Britannia Point. This group of five was made up of
one adult, three second summer birds and one first summer bird.
The numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls were also exceptionally high
this spring, with flocks of up to 85 on May I6th, probably the
highest number recorded in one flock in the District.

To bring the total number of species of gulls for the
period to nine, an adult Franklin's Gull was found on May 18th.
It was still around three days later at the Carp Dump, and found
again on May 29th at Britannia Point.

Terns also fared well during this period. Three Arctic
Terns were seen on May 21st. Common Terns and Black Terns were
in by mid-May, with up to eight Common Terns found along the
Ottawa River at one time. A Caspian Tern was seen at Shirleys
Bay on May 24th but apparently was not seen again. Last year,
1986, three Caspians were around for a short time, and one at
least could be seen on and off for part of the summer.

Doves: Rock Doves were found in their usual abundance during

the period. It appears that Ottawa City Council would like to
do something about this abundance, namely reduce it. Anyone
with a scheme to lower the local pigeon population should apply
to City Hall. Fortunately, Mourning Doves do not appear to be
similarly threatened.

Cuckoos: Black-billed Cuckoos usually begin trickling into our

area by the end of the third week in May; therefore, the two
birds observed on May 17th were relatively early, although not
the earliest on record. Apparently no Yellow-billed Cuckoos
were found.

Owls: On a sad note, the Hawk Owl that was present at the

corner of Pink and Perry Roads from early January was found
injured in March and later died. The cause of death was not
reported, but it may have been shot. Great-horned, Barred,
Long-eared and Saw-whet Owls could be found if looked and/or
listened for in the woodlots in and around the city. Screech
Owls were present in their traditional spots: Billings Bridge,
the Arboretum and around the Nepean Dump. Three Short-eared
Owls were found in the Cobb Lake Creek area on March 25th. Two
nests of this species have been discovered in the Arnprior area.
One Snowy Owl was found very late, on May 3rd, near Casselman.

Goatsuckers: Common Nighthawks are another late arriving spe-

cies, usually noted in our area by late May, with the major
influx occurring in early June. The loud "peent" of this night-

208

hawk seems to become a part of summer nights, but during migra-
tion they can be seen and heard throughout the day. This spe-
cies arrived about the third week of May this year.

Whip-poor-wills are rarely seen, being more often heard.
Because they are crepuscular and nocturnal, however, they may
not always be encountered. It has been suggested that Whip-
poor-will numbers are down, and recently some Ottawa area bird-
ers have concurred with this. In 1986 it was again on the Blue
List, the National Audubon Society’s "early warning system" for
birds. Reports this year have been few, but perhaps more a
reflection of lack of night birding?

Swifts to Kingfishers: By the first of May, Chimney Swifts were

back, about on schedule for this area. Ruby- throated Humming-
birds began filtering in in mid-May, and their numbers increased
considerably by month's end. An early Belted Kingfisher was
observed on March 30th.

Woodpeckers: Only one report of Red-headed Woodpecker was re-

ceived, a bird in Quebec on the Spring Roundup on May 17th.
Perhaps June will have more news of this species. Last year was
poor for this species, with known locations remaining unoccu-
pied; however, one pair was present in the Gatineau. Loss of
nesting habitat in many areas of its range has meant a decrease
in the number of Red-headed Woodpeckers of late. Competition
with other cavity nesters is also a factor. In at least one
Ottawa area location, European Starlings are occupying almost
every hole in a stand of dead elms where once Red-headed Wood-
peckers nested. Two Black-backed Woodpeckers were reported, one
on the Jack Pine Trail on March 15th, and the second along the
Dunrobin Ridge on April 26th. An unusually high number of
Northern Flickers was recorded on March 30th when 16 were found.

Flycatchers: As usual, Eastern Phoebe was the first flycatcher

to move into the area, in late March. There appear to be very
good numbers of phoebes around this year, with up to 50 counted
on one day in early spring. Other flycatchers did eventually
arrive, a day or so later than usual, rather as though the last
wave of migration was slightly held up.

Horned Lark: This species is one of the earliest spring mi-

grants, usually arriving around mid-February. By March it is
present in good numbers, and on March 15th many large flocks
were observed in the area. Horned Larks are early nesters, and
by April are already on territory. However, one pair seemingly
couldn't wait and laid their eggs alongside a gravel road before
the end of March.

Swallows: By the end of April, all of the six swallow species

had returned. The warm, sunny days in late March probably
induced Purple Martins to return somewhat earlier than usual.

One bird was found on March 30th and several others a few days
later, just ahead of the cold, wet weather that also returned.

209

Tree Swallows were first noted on March 25th and one Barn
Swallow on April 11th. Cliff Swallows on April 21st were some-
what early, the majority arriving during early May.

Corvidae: Blue Jays, American Crows and Common Ravens were to

be found in the appropriate habitats throughout the period.

Chickadees, Nuthatches, Creepers: A Boreal Chickadee at the

Arboretum on April 9th was a good sighting for the date and
location. Red-breasted Nuthatches were in good numbers, seem-
ingly more abundant than their White-breasted relative this
spring. Brown Creepers are difficult to find, not because they
are scarce but because they are too often overlooked. In
spring, however, their surprisingly loud, warbler-like song
usually gives them away. That few were reported probably means
little more than that they went unnoticed by observers.

Wrens: Fifteen Sedge Wrens were present in the Richmond Fen on

May 26th. The fen is usually a reliable area for finding this
uncommon species. No other reports of Sedge Wren were received,
and several known locations outside the Ottawa District were
devoid of these birds. Marsh Wrens and Winter Wrens were found
singing in appropriate habitats, as were House Wrens.

Kinglets and Gnatcatchers: Only one report of Blue-gray Gnat-

catcher was recorded for Ottawa this spring. A single bird was
seen in Britannia Woods on May 16th. The nest site on Huntley
Town Line last year failed to produce any young, probably due to
the wet summer. With no young to return this year, it is not
surprising that gnatcatchers have not shown up at the site.
However, gnatcatchers have returned to the established site at
Lac Leamy. Golden-crowned Kinglets were around in usual numbers
throughout the period. Ruby-crowned Kinglets returned by mid-
April .

Thrushes: American Robins are, for many people, the true har-

bingers of spring, bringing promise of warmer days ahead. Al-
though some robins will overwinter, migrants begin arriving back
in mid-March. A bird found on March 10th was probably a mi-
grant, and by mid-month robins were definitely back! Eastern
Bluebirds were observed in late March with up to 10 recorded on
March 29th. Bluebirds were present at the usual sites (Dunrobin
Ridge, the Second Line of March etc.) as well as at a relatively
new location, behind the Ottawa Airport. At least three birds
were found there this spring, and nesting boxes have been placed
near Bowesville Road in an attempt to induce them to stay and
breed in the area. A few years ago, only one bird was reported
from this site, followed by an absence of several years. The
other regularly occurring thrushes were recorded more or less on
time, with Veery noted in very good numbers after May 23rd.

Mimidae: Brown Thrashers and Gray Catbirds returned on time,

with the first thrasher on April 19th and catbirds appearing by

210

early May.

A Mockingbird was singing in the Alta Vista area for three
weeks in April but has not been reported since. A pair was seen
a couple of times in the Almonte area in early May. Further
searching later in the month failed to turn them up.

Pipits: Late April through May is usually the time to see Water

Pipits migrating northward. Although some Spring Roundup parti-
cipants had good numbers of pipits on May 17th, fewer were
recorded overall this spring.

Waxwings: Bohemian Waxwings were reported as late as the first

week of April, with flocks of 60 on April 1st and 16 on April
5th. Cedar Waxwings were not as much in evidence as in other
springs, but greater numbers should arrive by June.

Shrikes: The winter of 1986-87 produced good numbers of Nor-

thern Shrikes, and this species continued to be observed into
April, with two birds on April 7th. Most Northern Shrikes leave
the area by mid-April, although sightings have occurred into May
in the past. Care should be taken to avoid confusing Northern
Shrikes with Loggerheads, which begin migrating into our area in
late March.

The first Loggerhead Shrike in the District was noted on
March 26th, a migrant. See the article following this one for a
report on the Ottawa area results of the Loggerhead Shrike
Survey undertaken this summer across Ontario.

Starlings: European Starlings could be seen any day someone

cared to look.

Vireos: On May 15th, five species of vireos were found in

Britannia Woods. Our two most common, Warbling and Red-eyed
Vireos, were found with ease by mid-month.

Warblers: In the opinion of many birders, this spring was again

a poor one for warblers. Only two really good days occurred
when many warblers could be found in decent numbers. But even a
"good" day this year meant finding only 18 species. What hap-
pened to the days when "good" signified up to 25 species? Not
only were high species counts possible, but one also expected
sheer numbers for many of the commoner species. The last few
springs (and fall periods too) have been anything but exciting
for warbler movements. Warm, even hot weather, led many birds
to fly straight through without stopping; those we eventually
did find were, often as not, already on breeding territory.

Nonetheless, small numbers of migrants did stop over, and
on May 10th and 15th there was even a "fallout" of sorts. On
May 10th, there were 18 species of warblers in Britannia Woods,
including Northern Parula, Tennessee, Magnolia and Blackpoll
Warblers, as well as an early Wilson's Warbler. A few days
later, on the 15th, in the same place, Ottawa's third ever Worm-
eating Warbler turned up. Unfortunately, only two people were

able to see this bird. The two previous sightings occurred on
May 11, 1980, at Clyde Woods and May 18, 1975, at Beechwood
Cemetery. At the same time as the Worm-eating, four Golden-
winged Warblers were found, probably the highest total at one
time for this species in spring migration. A Cerulean Warbler
completed the list of exceptional warblers for May 15th at
Britannia.

On May 12th, one Golden-winged Warbler was on the usual
breeding territory off Thomas Dolan Parkway, and four days later
three birds were heard there. A singing Cerulean Warbler was
located along the Low - Poltimore Road in Quebec on May 17th and
was still there on May 22nd. Four years ago, one spent over a
week in a small woodlot on Thomas Dolan Parkway in June of 1983.
What was probably the year's first Yel low-rumped Warbler was
found on April 17th in Vincent Massey Park. Three other Yellow-
rumpeds were at Shirleys Bay on April 21st. After this date,
they could be seen in reasonable numbers, although seemingly not
as abundant as in past springs. Ovenbirds seemed to be slightly
late and in smaller numbers. However, Yellow Warblers, Black
and White Warblers and Common Yel lowthroats were demonstrably
the most common warblers this spring in the District.

Tanager to Indigo Bunting: Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted

Grosbeaks returned on schedule. Indigo Buntings arrived slight-
ly ahead of their normal return date.

The Northern Cardinal population of Ottawa continues to
grow. Rockcliffe and Ottawa's west end, in particular, have
strong populations. Both these areas are well established and
well treed. The growth of the cardinal population, while not as
spectacular as that of the House Finch, has been steady.

Sparrows: By late April, the large flocks of Tree Sparrows had

all but disappeared, to be replaced by White-crowned Sparrows,
also northward bound. Dark-eyed Juncos became more noticeable
in April and early May as the wintering birds were joined by
larger migratory flocks. A few early sparrows arrived in the
first part of April, but no records were set. Field, Vesper,
Savannah and Swamp Sparrows were all recorded. A Fox Sparrow at
Rockcliffe Park on March 30th was slightly early. Grasshopper
Sparrows returned to their regular spot along the Leitrim Road
behind the Ottawa Airport. They appeared to be present in
greater numbers than in the past. Several new locations for
this species were found just outside the Ottawa District, in-
cluding one near Smiths Falls. Clay-coloured Sparrows were
heard around Bell-Northern Research at Carling Avenue and Moodie
Drive from May 14th through May 30th. This species was also
heard along Woodroffe Avenue near Baseline Road.

Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting: A very large flock of 90

Lapland Longspur in breeding plumage was seen on the Spring
Roundup on May 17th. This is a high number for such a late
date. Snow Buntings were seen into the first week of April.

Icterinae: Red-winged Blackbirds were the first of the black-

birds to reappear, in early March. Eastern Meadowlarks returned
as usual in late March, but in larger numbers than is normal for
that time. On March 30th, one observer had 28 meadowlarks.

These high numbers were probably due to the unusually mild
weather in late March. Common Grackles and Brown-headed Cow-
birds also became common around this time. Good numbers of
Rusty Blackbirds were observed particularly along Huntley Town
Line, around Dunrobin and at Bear Brook. Bobolinks and Northern
Orioles were common by mid-May.

"Winter" Finches: The term "winter" is somewhat erroneous since

not all finches lumped under this heading occur only in winter!
However... Pine Grosbeaks were noted through March especially
in the vicinity of the feeder on Fourth Line near Riddell Drive
in Kanata. Purple Finches were recorded only occasionally.
Although this species is present in varying numbers throughout
the year, it can be surprisingly difficult to see in some years.
House Finches continue to increase in the area with greater
numbers reported each year. Red Crossbills, an erratic species
to say the least, were much in evidence, with many reports for
the District, including Constance Bay and the Jack Pine Trail,
where a small flock was found on March 16th. There is specula-
tion that a few pairs may be breeding here. Common Redpolls
were indeed common this winter and continued to be so into
April, when at least 600 were recorded on the 7th. As far as is

known, no Hoary Redpolls were seen. Pine Siskins, yet another

erratic species, are also present in good numbers this year, and
several pairs have already fledged young. Siskins were found in
the Arboretum, Vincent Massey Park, Rockcliffe Park and Clyde
Woods, as well as in suitably treed yards. American Goldfinch
numbers increased quickly during April, and this late-breeding
finch could be heard and seen all over the place. Evening
Grosbeaks usually taper off in May, although small flocks still
occur, such as the six on May 17th on Morris Island. They don't

wander too far, many breeding to the west through Arnprior and

up past Renfrew.

House Sparrow: By early April, House Sparrows were nesting in

the eaves of Michelle's neighbour's house. It would be inter-
esting to study the impact of the House Finch on the House
Sparrow population, since they share the same habitat. The
impact may be minimal at present, but in a few years we may
notice a decline in the House Sparrow.

Acknowledgements : The sightings reported above were taken from

our own observations as well as those of many other birders. We
would like to thank the following for sharing their sightings
with us: Bob Bracken, Bruce Di Labio, Mark Gawn, Stephen Gawn,

Tom Hanrahan, Ray Holland, Paul Martin, Frank Munro, Brian
Penney and Richard Poulin. We would also like to thank Larry
Neily for providing transcripts of the Bird Status Line sight-
ings. n

213

The Loggerhead Shrike Survey

Report from Region 6

Christine Hanrahan

By now most people are aware that Loggerhead Shrikes are
suffering a population decline. In 1987, a Loggerhead Shrike
Survey and Monitoring Program was initiated in Ontario to obtain
data on the number of shrikes in the province. Of special
importance was the monitoring of breeding birds to determine
their success rate.

For purposes of the survey, Ontario was divided into 13
regions, with the Ottawa District falling in Region 6. Regional
Coordinators were found for each region, and volunteers were
recruited. Each region was further divided into 10 km x 10 km
squares as was done for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. Region
6 (Figure 1) has 152 squares and encompasses a very large area
extending west to Perth, east to the Quebec border, north to the
Ottawa River and south to the St. Lawrence River. Gananoque,
Prescott, Brockville and Cornwall are included within the area,
as are places more familiar to Ottawa birders: Manotick, Dunro-
bin, Casselman and Alfred.

With such a large area to survey, many participants were
needed. Fortunately, 32 people volunteered their time and co-
vered 62 squares - not a bad start to the project! Many of the
squares have, at best, only marginal habitat, while a number of
others are devoid of any suitable habitat; therefore, part of
our region does not require coverage. This cuts down the number
of squares be to assigned and allows more time to be spent in
the good areas. The best squares are those south of Smiths
Falls in the Toledo - Plum Hollow - Athens - Rocksprings area.
Here there is an abundance of excellent habitat, much of it
quite undisturbed.

Seven pairs of Loggerhead Shrikes were found; four of these
were confirmed as breeding (Figure 1). One pair in the Appleton
area was present from April 11th but seemingly disappeared
around the end of May. At first it was thought that they had
moved a kilometre or so down the road, but subsequent repeated
checks of the area failed to turn up the birds. Presumably they
attempted nesting but abandoned the site in the middle of the
breeding season. Unfortunately, we don't know what caused them
to leave. Another pair, in the Perth area, was present for
several weeks until they disappeared on April 23rd.

Of the four confirmed breedings, young were found at only
three sites. The fourth pair was observed repeatedly carrying
food to a hawthorn bush some distance from the road on private

Figure 1. 1987 Loggerhead Shrike breeding data for Region 6.

Note that two dots in a square indicate two separate sightings .

property. But by the time permission was given to check the
site briefly, no young could be found and the nest was empty.

The other three pairs had three, two and two young respectively.
Two families were found less than three kilometres apart in the
Toledo - Frankville area where extensive undisturbed habitat
remains. Both sites were rough pastureland with stony outcrop-
pings, hedgerows and many scattered hawthorns. Maples, oaks and
cedars were present in good numbers at these sites as well.

Three of the four pairs nested along gravel roads, while the
fourth was close to a very busy main road. Powerlines were
present at all sites and were utilized extensively by the
shrikes .

Nests were found for three of the four breeding pairs. Two
were in hawthorns approximately 1.5 m and 2.5 m high respective-
ly, while the third was about 4 m up in a White Cedar. The
fouth pair was found in an area of extensive hawthorns and
presumably nested in one of these bushes.

Eleven single birds were also sighted during the survey.
Most were seen only once, but one was observed three times in
the same area between April 24th and May 20th, leading us to
believe that a second bird was sitting on a nest close by.
However, no bird could be found after that date although re-
peated visits were made.

Nine of the sightings were at or near known breeding sites.
The rest were at locations not previously identified and for
purposes of this survey can be considered "new" sites. Other
known nesting sites were also checked this year; however, these
locations remained unoccupied.

2 15

Provincially, the picture is not encouraging. At the time
of writing, approximately 20 nests had been found: two or three
in the Kingston area, six in the Peterborough area, four in our
area, and the rest scattered across the other regions. It is to
be hoped that this survey will continue for several years in
order to give a more accurate picture of the status of the
Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario. Continued cooperation of volun-
teers is essential for the success of this project, and I would
like to thank all those who participated this year and put in so
much time and effort, n

Christine wrote the above article in mid-July while packing
for the Hanrahan's move west to Port Coquitlam, B.C. Both
Christine and Tom have made considerable contributions to Ottawa
binding. We wish them well in their new environment. JMR

Have you noticed any Canada Geese wearing coloured neck
bands lately? Cornell University has been coordinating a mas-
sive banding program designed to band over 30,000 Canada Geese
between 1983 and 1988. Various U.S. government agencies are
taking part in this program to determine the status of the
Atlantic Flyway population and its wintering grounds.

Since the 1950s Canada Goose numbers have increased by two
and a half times - which is quite a feat! Migration patterns
have also changed. Birds used to overwinter as far south as
Northern Florida but more recently have stopped at the Delaware
- Maryland peninsula. "Historically, Canada Geese migrated as
far south as was necessary to find adequate food and open water
coast sites".* Results from this massive banding program will
help to answer some of these questions as well as document their
migration, behaviour and survival patterns.

* from a two-page , undated pamphlet, Neck Banded Canada Geese in
the Atlantic Flyway by the New York Cooperative Fish and
Wildlife Research Unit, Cornell University .

Bruce M. Di Labio

Neck-band

Canada

and Barbara Campb<

216

What to look for: Eight-cm wide yellow neck bands that have a

black letter and number code placed vertically on the band.
These birds are individually coded to allow them to be followed
in different locations, as opposed to birds that have metal
bands only and have to be captured to obtain the band number.

What to report:

1. Species (this program also includes some
Snow Geese),

2. Colour of the neck band and complete code
sequence ,

3. Name, address and telephone number of the
observer ,

4. Date, time and location of sighting as exact
as possible,

5. Size of the flock and the habitat the birds
were observed in (e.g. cut corn field, wheat
field, lake, pond, marsh, park).

NOTE: even if the code is not clear, please report your finding

anyway.

Where to send sightings: Canadian Wildlife Service

Banding Office
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E7 .

The information will be forwarded to the banders and your
sighting will be acknowledged. Specific information on your
bird will be sent to you (e.g. where and when the bird was
banded, its age and sex, and additional observations on your
bird ) .

Sample Observations Submitted by Bruce Di Labio

Band it Date Observed* Date Banded; Location

Age, Sex

T7P7
T7P9
R2C 1

I 1/05/1985
1 1/05/1985
1 1/05/1985

22/01/1985 Maryland
22/01/1985 Maryland
15/02/1985 Maryland

adult, female
imm. , female
adult, male

* observations made on the Bear Brook at Regional Road 31.

Note that the two females were banded together and were still
together when observed at Ottawa; they could be a family group.

The information that you report will help to answer ques-
tions such as changes in food habits from browse to grains and
changes in habitat that could be diet-related.

The project ends in 1988, so we encourage you to watch out
for these birds and please send in your reports. n

The Ottawa Valley Spring Roundup

1987

Bruce M. Di Labio

This year's Spring Roundup was held on May 17th and was
compiled by Tony Beck and Bruce Di Labio. A record total of 191
species was recorded, surpassing the previous record of 190
species set in 1973.

The weather for the day was unsettled with intermittent
rain showers accompanied by 10 km/hr westerly winds and tempera-
tures ranging from 10.6 to 14. 1 0 C. All in all it was a dreary
day weatherwise. The overall coverage was less than adequate,
with some areas covered well and other areas lacking coverage.

A total of 33 field observers took part.

Area Section Leader No. Observers Species Recorded

southwest Bruce Di Labio 9
southeast Richard Brouillet 12
northwest John Dubois 5
northeast Jim Harris 7

165
140
137
15 1

Highlights of the count included a Willet at Shirleys Bay
(first count record), four Little Gulls, two at Shirleys Bay and
two near Thurso (also a first count record), and a male Cerulean
Warbler singing along the Low-Poltimore Road (second count re-
cord). There were a number of late records and 16 species of
shorebirds .

The Fall Roundup will be held on September 6th, the Sunday
of the Labour Day weekend. All those interested please call
Bruce Di Labio at 729-6267 as soon as you read this notice.

Ottawa District Spring Bird Count Results

Species

SW

S£

NW

NE

Total

Common Loon

10

2

4

3

19

Pied-billed Grebe

8

1

42

51

Horned Grebe

2

2

4

Double-crested Cormorant

21

4

2

27

American Bittern

1 1

4

8

23

Great Blue Heron

18

5

1 1

13

47

Green-backed Heron

3

2

5

218

Species

SW

SE

NW

NE

Total

Brant

26

14

50

90

Canada Goose

19

30

19

1 1 1

179

Wood Duck

30

9

14

12

65

Green-winged Teal

6

5

4

15

American Black Duck

66

30

3 1

27

154

Mallard

154

174

34

34

396

Northern Pintail

6

3

9

Blue-winged Teal

30

31

1 1

25

97

Northern Shoveler

1 1

16

6

33

Gadwal 1

5

4

4

13

American Wigeon

12

2

4

18

Ring-necked Duck

2

8

10

Greater Scaup

1

4

5

Lesser Scaup

28

10

12

4

54

Oldsquaw

100

2

140

15

*157

White-winged Scoter

2

2

Buf f lehead

1

1

Common Merganser

7

1

19

15

42

Red-breasted Merganser

2

28

30

Turkey Vulture

4

6

3

13

Osprey

1

5

1

7

Northern Harrier

6

42

10

58

Sharp-shinned Hawk

1

1

1

3

Red-shouldered Hawk

3

3

Broad-winged Hawk

1

2

4

7

Red-tailed Hawk

4

3

2

5

14

Rough-legged Hawk

1

1

American Kestrel

13

5

3

18

39

Merlin

1

1

2

Gray Partridge

4

4

Ring-necked Pheasant

4

4

Ruffed Grouse

13

2

10

2 1

46

Virginia Rail

15

10

1

12

38

Sora

1

5

4

10

Common Moorhen

5

2

2

60

69

American Coot

5

5

Semipalmated Plover

33

37

70

Killdeer

4 1

1 15

22

65

243

Greater Yellowlegs

10

2

1

13

Lesser Yellowlegs

17

8

1

2

28

Solitary Sandpiper

7

2

2

3

14

Willet

1

1

* Numbers do not add up

to total

given because the

same birds

were observed by different sections .

Species

Spotted Sandpiper
Upland Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin

Short-billed Dowitcher
Common Snipe
American Woodcock
Wilson's Phalarope

Little Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

Ring-billed Gull 3,

Herring Gull

Glaucous Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Common Tern

Black Tern

Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo

Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl

Common Nighthawk
Whip-poor-w ill
Chimney Swift

Ruby- throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher

Red-headed Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker

Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Alder Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe

SE

NW

NE

Total

32

23

28

108

18

3

4

27

6

1

15

314

5

975

1

4

1 1

17

18

39

17

39

122

5

3

26

38

15

18

2

4

6

63

170

676

100

4,337

23

399

10

874

1

1

1

2

1

3

5

24

1

75

108

572

64

30

972

75

25

19

177

2

1

I

5

1

3

1

1

9

2

1

3

1

1

2

3

1

5

1

1

2

2

4

1

1

17

23

1 14

40

13

639

1

3

5

16

8

9

14

40

1

2

37

1

42

7

4

16

38

3

5

8

25

69

19

37

149

1

5

8

1

2

4

3

2

6

1

2

1

5

1

7

33

I

67

1

1 13

7

15

18

47

SW

35

2

8

656

3

6

18

27

4

3

2

57

39 1

442

1

1

1

8

306

58

1

]

4

]

2

4

472

7

9

3

I 1

9

24

2

1

1

2

6

7

220

Species

Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird

Horned Lark

Purple Martin

Tree Swallow 1,

N. Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow

Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven

Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper

House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Eastern Bluebird
Veery

Gray-cheeked Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin

Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher

Water Pipit

Cedar Waxwing

Loggerhead Shrike
European Starling

Solitary Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo

SJi

NW

NE

Total

44

26

46

137

55

47

54

207

52

27

12

109

44

61

6

510

575

513

326

3,035

147

3

33

241

472

41

135

786

20

8

316

548

277

140

22 1

933

58

36

39

160

123

119

67

458

1

6

8

17

43

49

34

187

4

2

3

13

1 1

4

6

27

1

4

12

6

7

32

1

4

6

19

50

52

8

12

16

1

5

25

2

2

3

20

24

17

15

4 1
1

96

1

3

2

12

2 1

2

27

32

1 1

19

12

47

300

148

261

1,010

38

14

36

1 17

15

13

13

51

140

70

60

272

2

2

1

2

797

304

236

1,913

2

4

101

34

42

230

1

4

7

16

50

SW

2 1

51

18

399

62 1

58

138

204

295

27

149

2

61

4

6

3

7

8

2

4

3

1

23

4

3

5

301

29

10

2

1

576

2

53

1

23

221

Species

Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-thr. Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-thr. Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Black & White Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird

Northern Waterthrush
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler

Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Rufous-sided Towhee

American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White- throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco

Lapland Longspur

SE NW NE Total

I

12

1

13

62

1 16
1

1

25

32

46

1

168

1

1

3

458

69

420

1,065

20

12

68

107

6

8

19

1 1

3

3

19

5

6

13

67

47

85

334

5

7

22

50

3

6

2

14

2

1

8

1

2

5

34

2

6

54

2

1

3

1

24

9

1

63

1

1 14

1

15

7 1

99

7 1

25

63

190

10

3

5

29

1

1

2

195

1

32

76

328

1

1

1

4

1

6

1

4

16

31

15

2

21

52

23

67

187

3

2

5

2

6

129

39

1

109

1

323

43

1

3

4

5 1
1 1

3

5

6

25

242

24

64

398

4

1 1

292

101

122

629

3

2

5

84

18

204

340

126

75

80

343

45

100

88

273

1

1

2

90

90

SW

29

65

1

1 18

7

5

2

2

135

16

3

5

2

12

1

18

12

3 1

1 1

25

1

10

4

45

4

46

8

3

1 1

68

7

1 14

34

62

40

222

Species

SW

SE

NW

NE

Total

Bobol ink

256

800

179

274

1,509

Red-winged Blackbird

573

1,2 16

313

624

2,726

Eastern Meadowlark

58

87

54

4 1

240

Rusty Blackbird

1

1

Common Grackle

276

51 1

62

134

983

Brown-headed Cowbird

76

232

44

192

544

Northern Oriole

76

124

34

55

289

Purple Finch

8

6

4

22

40

House Finch

2

4

3

9

Red Crossbill

5

5

Pine Siskin

22

6

3

8

39

American Goldfinch

1 18

205

101

89

513

Evening Grosbeak

14

5

20

132

17 1

House Sparrow

152

301

52

56

561

Total Species

165

140

137

151

19 1

0

APOLOGIES FOR VERY DELAYED MAILING OF TRAIL & LANDSCAPE #2

For those of you who were missed in the second issue
mailing of Trail S Landscape and received your copy only much
later, this was because:

- Lois Cody (who receives the renewal notices) was sick for a
while ,

- Barb Campbell (who pre-processes information for the computer)
had a baby in March,

- Barb Martin (who does the computer work) went to Costa Rica
for three weeks in February and March,

- there was a change of personnel (Eleanor Bottomley took over
from Barbara Campbell).

We know our service was not up to scratch, but barring
major catastrophes, it should improve.

Barb Martin

223

September at Dow's Lake

Peter Iveson

I stepped from a bus onto a glistening meadow of fresh dew.
The rustle of passing morning rush-hour traffic passed. The
rising sun slowly emerged through the haze. No one stirred in
the handsome pavilion, while canoes and paddleboats waited. The
calm dark surface of the lake was without ripple. As the as-
phalt path snaked along the reed-bordered waterside, fronds of
weeping willows etched mysteriously against the haze of a new
autumn day.

Suddenly a large waterbird was waddling in front of me.

Long legs, gray-brown plumage with a long, swan-like neck.
Certainly not a bittern, not an egret, most likely a Great Blue
Heron. It seemed unafraid of humankind. The plumage was not
brilliant. It had a long yellow beak, but no markings or crown
of the Great Blue Heron. Perhaps an immature female. A watch-
ful eye observed me from a mere two metres away while it eyed a
slimy weedbed for a watery breakfast from a rock. I left.

Blackbirds flocked on swampside red maples, while the morn-
ing breeze tumbled the cattails of the man-made wetland. An
encroaching cirrus and mackerel sky heralded the onset of rain.
The moon hovered above the Arboretum's pines. Crows sparrows,
jays, Killdeers competed against encroaching aircraft. Slowly,
the morning light diminished, a cold east wind rippled the now
blue lake. The sedges, fragrant pink clover heads, tangled
yellow milkweed, seeding loosestrife spikes and jewelweeds
framed the now-agitated surface. Soon the cold bench and my
frosty breath made me tread onwards. n

Know Any Good Beaver Stories?

Dr. James Cameron of York University is writing a book on
the beaver's impact on the environment, both natural and man-
made. He would appreciate hearing from any members who have had
unusual or interesting experiences or who have stories to tell
about beavers.

Send your account to: Dr. James M. Cameron

Chairman, Geography Department
York University
4700 Keele Street
North York, Ontario
M3J IP3.

224

Point Pelee Excursion 1987

Frank Pope

This is a brief report on the Club excursion to Point Pelee
National Park, May 7 to 10, intended to give readers a partici-
pant's impression of the trip. To simplify the presentation, I
have rounded off the numbers slightly.

WHO WENT? Leaders Colin Gaskell, Roy John and Roger Taylor
followed by 40 "birders" of varying skill levels

COST: $250.00

WEATHER: Sunny, cool at dawn, warm at noon

BASE: Leamington

VISITED: Point Pelee, Rondeau, Stoney Point, Hillman Marsh,

Comber sewage lagoon, Harrow sewage lagoon

USE OF TIME: We left Ottawa at 6 a.m. on Thursday, returned at

9 p.m. on Sunday. Call it 90 hours away. The
90 hours were spent in the following ways:

bus travel 15 hours

sleep 15 hours

breakfast, dinner, preparation time 15 hours

in the field 45 hours.

SAW: Altogether we saw 150 species. I saw 100 species.

lister's favourite Cassin's Sparrow

everybody's favourite Prothonotary Warbler

my favourite Scarlet Tanager

ALTERNATIVE: How many of these birds could I have seen watching

birds here in Ottawa on that weekend? Reference to the same
weekend in A Birder's Checkl ist of Ottawa revealed that I could
have seen three-quarters of them, were this an average year,
some found with ease, some with effort, and some with difficul-
ty.

But have I ever set aside a long weekend and seen 100 (or
even 75) species? No! Could I find 100 species on a long
weekend without the help of all those eyes and that expertise?
No!

SIDE BENEFITS: good company, lovely walks in the woods and by

the lake, wild flowers and trees

IMPRESSION: a great experience. n

225

Spring Binding at Presqu 'ile

Colin Gaskell

For more than 20 years, members of The Ottawa Field-Natur-
alists' Club have made an annual spring pilgrimage to Presqu'ile
Provincial Park. The object of their zeal has been to witness
the sight of migratory waterfowl in the course of that timeless
journey to the northern breeding grounds.

This year's excursion was held on April 5th. An enthusias-
tic group of 44 winter-weary birders, weighed down with spotting
scopes and other paraphernalia, clambered aboard the bus at
Carlingwood Shopping Centre. A light rain signalled our 6:35
a.m. departure, but it was not enough to dampen the collective
spirit.

The bus trip down to Presqu'ile was unusually quiet, proba-
bly due to the switch to Daylight Saving Time a few hours ear-
lier. Noteworthy sightings between Ottawa and Brighton included
a pair of Great Blue Herons, a Turkey Vulture, a Red-tailed
Hawk, several American Kestrels, and a Common Raven being haras-
sed by an American Crow. Fortified with an injection of caf-
feine en route, the busload of birders reached its destination
shortly after 10 a.m.

The first scheduled stop was at a waterfowl viewing station
set up near the Camp Office. Here the calm waters of Presqu'ile
Marsh afforded excellent looks at several species of diving
ducks. Ring-necked Ducks and Redheads predominated, with limit-
ed numbers of Buffleheads, Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes,
and a lone female Canvasback interspersed among the avian flo-
tilla. Dabblers were in low attendance, with only token repre-
sentation from Mallard, American Black Duck, Gadwall, American
Wigeon and Northern Pintail.

Several White-tailed Deer dashed across Paxton Drive as the
bus proceeded to Calf Pasture Point. From this vantage spot,
the group was rewarded with marvelous views of Oldsquaws still
in their winter plumage. The long "sprigs" or central tail
feathers of the elegant males were clearly discernible from the
shoreline. A pair of Horned Grebes in breeding finery was also
visible, but they took perverse delight in diving each time
scopes were focused on them.

The plaintive call of a rain-drenched Eastern Phoebe
greeted our arrival at Presqu'ile Point, where the lunch break
was spent huddled under the overhang of the Park Museum. An
industrious Brown Creeper on the trunk of a nearby tree vied for
attention with more Oldsquaws and Common Goldeneyes riding the
wind-tossed waves along the lakefront.

226

After lunch, a brief stop at Salt Point produced a mixed
raft of both Greater and Lesser Scaups, as well as a brilliant
male Northern Cardinal. Further along Bayshore Drive, American
Coots and several male Canvasbacks were spotted drifting past
the margin of the cattail marsh.

Tradition dictated a side trip to Owen Point on the south-
west side of the peninsula. Three Herring Gulls, a single Great
Black-backed Gull, and an estimated 2,000 Ring-billed Gulls were
a mere sampling of the many thousands of birds that later in the
season make Gull and High Bluff Islands one of the largest gull
colonies in the Great Lakes region. Six Red-breasted Mergansers
resting on the water were a new addition to our list.

The rest of our sojourn was spent in a futile attempt to
locate a pair of Tundra Swans, reported hours earlier just west
of the park. Three more species of ducks, two Canada Geese and
a Common Snipe compensated somewhat for the absence of the
elusive swans. A tired but happy lot of birders boarded the bus
for the last time, and arrived back in Ottawa by 6:45 p.m.

The exceptionally mild weather in the two weeks preceding
the trip had no doubt induced many waterfowl to seek out ice-
free inland waterways beyond the park borders. However, a total
of 18 species of ducks (listed below) represents the best Club
figure since 1982. The final tally for the day comprised 51
species, of which 39 were recorded within the park.

I would like to thank in particular my co-leader, Rick
Killeen, for his valuable assistance on this outing.

Duck Species Observed at Presqu'ile Park

Wood Duck 1
Green-winged Teal 18
American Black Duck 6
Mallard 88
Northern Pintail 25
Blue-winged Teal 12
Gadwal 1 4

American Wigeon 26
Canvasback 6

* * * *

Redhead 450
Ring-necked Duck 500
Greater Scaup 300
Lesser Scaup 65
Oldsquaw 60
Common Goldeneye 45
Bufflehead 55
Common Merganser 25
Red-breasted Merganser 8

□

* * * * *

NEW BIRD STATUS LINE NUMBER: 596-4888

227

arranged by the Excursions and Lectures Committee
Ross Anderson (224-7768), Chairman

Times stated for excursions are departure times. Please
arrive earlier; leaders start promptly. If you need a ride ,
don't hesitate to ask the leader. Restricted trips will be open
to non-members only after the indicated deadlines.

Date to
be decid-
ed

MUSHROOM FIELD TRIP
Leader: Jim Ginns

Meet: Supreme Court Building, front entrance,

Wellington Street.

This outing will be limited to 25 persons. Partici-
pants must register before September 20th by tele-
phoning the Club number (722-3050 after 10 a.m.).
When a date and location have been selected,
registrants will be notified.

Saturday
5 Sept.
7:00 a.m.

SH0REBIRDS AND WATERFOWL
Leader: Ray Holland (225-9655)

Meet: Britannia Drive-In Theatre, Carling Avenue.

Ducks and shorebirds along the Ottawa River will be
the anticipated highlights. Binoculars are essential
and waterproof footwear is recommended for this half-
day outing.

Sunday
6 Sept.

FALL BIRD COUNT

Compilers: Bruce Di Labio (729-6267) and

Daniel Perrier (746-6716)

Participate in the annual count of the fall bird
population within the 50-km radius circle of the
Ottawa District. For details, telephone the compi-
lers. (See last year's November-December Trail &

Landscape for the results of the 1986 count.)

228

Tuesday
8 Sept.

8 :00 p.m.

OFNC MONTHLY MEETING
MEMBERS' SLIDE NIGHT

Meet: Salon, National Museum of Natural Sciences,

Metcalfe and McLeod Streets.

Admission: At least one natural history slide or a

50^ donation to the Alfred Bog Fund.

This popular annual event will provide an excellent
chance to share your favourite natural history slides
and reminiscences of trips, both local and far a-
field, with fellow members. Any number of slides up
to 15 will be welcome, and up to 15 minutes will be
allotted for each presentation. Those bringing the
mandatory one slide need not speak if they do not
wish to do so. Those bringing more than one or two
slides please contact Rick Leavens (835-3336) to
prearrange their presentations.

Wednesday
9 Sept.
8:00 a .m.

BIRDING WITH GEORGE

Leader: George McGee (733-1739)

Meet: entrance gate to the Britannia Filtration

Plant .

Midweek birding for the retired but not-so-tired.
(People "playing hooky" are also welcome.) Bring
binoculars and waterproof footwear.

Sunday
13 Sept.

SEVENTH ANNUAL OFNC SEEDATHON

Support the OFNC feeding operations by sponsoring a
birder on the annual Seedathon. For information,
telephone Bruce Di Labio (729-6267). Send your
pledges to: SEEDATHON, The Ottawa Field-Naturalists'

Club, Box 3264, Station C, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4J5.

Sunday
13 Sept.
8:00 a.m.

ANNUAL PICNIC: BUS TRIP TO FITZROY PROVINCIAL PARK

Meet: Sears, Carlingwood Shopping Centre, Carling

Avenue at Woodroffe Avenue.

Cost: $10.00

This beautiful spot on the banks of the Ottawa and
Carp Rivers offers a rich blend of shrub thickets,
open fields, second-growth forest, mature Bur Oaks,
Basswoods and 200-year old White Pines. Birds in
migration and the resident small mammals await your
discovery. Cheddar cheese, apples and cake will be
available, for which $1.50 will be collected. Regis-
ter by sending your cheque or money order (payable to
The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club) to Ellaine
Dickson, 2037 Honeywell Avenue, Ottawa K2A 0P7 at
least ten days in advance. If we don't have enough
people registered for the bus trip by September 11,
it will be cancelled. Please include your name,
address, telephone number and the name of the trip.

229

Sunday
20 Sept.
7:00 a .m.

FALL BIRDING FROM MORRISBURG TO CORNWALL
Leader: Bruce Di Labio (729-6267)

Participants will visit various spots along the St.
Lawrence River, including Nairne Island and the Corn-
wall power dam, to observe shorebirds, gulls and
migrating landbirds. Dress warmly, wear waterproof
footwear, and bring a lunch for this all-day outing.
Binoculars and/or scopes are essential. Transporta-
tion will be by private cars. Only a limited number
of participants will be accepted. To register and
learn further details, telephone the leader.

Saturday
3 Oct.
8:00 a.m.

DUCK WADDLE FOR BEGINNING BIRDERS
Leader: George McGee (733-1739)

Meet: entrance gate to the Britannia Filtration

Plant .

An excellent opportunity to learn to identify a va-
riety of diving and surface-feeding ducks. It is to
be hoped that participants will see Wood Ducks and
Hooded Mergansers, two of the most beautiful species.
Bring a snack and a hot drink for this half-day trip.

Sunday
4 Oct.
9:00 a.m.

AUTUMN COLOURS BUS TRIP
Leaders: Aileen Mason (722-2279) and

Ellaine Dickson (722-3050)

Meet: Supreme Court Building, front entrance,

Wellington Street.

Enjoy a scenic ride through the Outaouais region on
the way to the Forest Educative Centre at Lac-La-
Blanche. There will be some emphasis on tree identi-
fication as we explore portions of the interesting
trail system. Crisp air, a leisurely pace and the
splendour of autumn leaves will be the order of the
day. Dress warmly and bring enough food for this
all-day outing. The cost of the trip will be $8.00
per person. Make your reservation by sending a
cheque or money order (payable to The Ottawa Field-
Naturalists' Club) to Ellaine Dickson, 2037 Honeywell
Avenue, Ottawa K2A 0P7, at least ten days in
advance. Include your name, address, telephone num-
ber and the name of the outing.

Tuesday
13 Oct.
8:00 p.m.

OFNC MONTHLY MEETING

BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER NATURAL WONDERS OF
QUEENSLAND AND THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA
Speaker: Roger Taylor

Meet: Auditorium, National Museum of Natural

Sciences, Metcalfe and McLeod Streets.

In September 1986 several OFNC members embarked on a
28-day tour of Queensland and the Northern Territory

230

of Australia. The trip included visits to the tropi-
cal cities of Cairns and Darwin, Kakadu National Park
(an area sacred to the Aborigines), the Great Barrier
Reef and sub-tropical Carnarvon Gorge and Lamington
National Parks. With the aid of slides produced by
several excellent photographers in the group, tour
leader Roger Taylor will take us through many of the
visual highlights of the trip.

Fr iday

16 Oct.
7:30 p.m.
or , if
cloudy,
Saturday

17 Oct.
7:30 p.m.

VISIT TO INDIAN RIVER OBSERVATORY
Leader: Robert McCallum

Meet: Neatby Building, front entrance, Central

Experimental Farm, Carling Avenue.

Under the guidance of Robert McCallum, President of
the Ottawa Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society
of Canada, the Society's telescopes will be used for
viewing the night sky away from city lights. The
observatory is just west of the Mill of Kintail near
Almonte; maps will be provided at the meeting place.
Dress warmly and wear sturdy shoes or boots. Bring
hot refreshments and a flashlight covered with red
paper that will not interfere with your night vision.
The trip will be limited to the first 25 members
registering through the Club number (722-3050 after
10 a.m.).

Sunday
18 Oct.
9:00 a.m.

TENTH ANNUAL JOINT OUTING WITH THE OTTAWA RIDEAU
TRAIL CLUB: PERTH WILDLIFE RESERVE AND THE MILL POND

CONSERVATION AREA

Meet: Sears, Carlingwood Shopping Centre, Carling

Avenue at Woodroffe Avenue.

The Perth Wildlife Reserve is billed as a Wildlife
Management Demonstration Area, employing improvement
of habitat for birds to create variety. Carson
Thompson, the manager, will lead a tour of the re-
serve, after which he will take us to the Mill Pond
Conservation Area, which features a variety of habi-
tats. There are interesting trees and a sugar bush.
Participants will assemble at the shopping centre,
and after car pools have been organized, will set out
for the parking lot at the Perth Wildlife Reserve.

For further information, call Eileen Evans (741—
0789).

Saturday
24 Oct.
8:30 a.m.

BIRDS OF THE WEST END
Leader: Jim Harris (225-1766)

Meet: Entrance to the Britannia Filtration Plant.
The emphasis will be on ducks and fall migrants in
the west end of Ottawa. Bring a light snack and a
hot drink for this half-day outing.

23 I

Saturday GULLS AT THE CORNWALL AND BEAUHARNOIS POWER DAMS
7 Nov. Leader: Bruce Di Labio (729-6267)

8:00 a.m. Participants will visit two power dams on the St.

Lawrence River to observe gulls and late fall mi-
grants. Dress warmly, wear waterproof footwear, and
bring a hearty lunch for this all-day trip. Binocu-
lars and/or scopes are essential. Transportation
will be by private cars. Only a limited number of
participants will be accepted. To register and learn
further details, telephone the leader.

Sunday
8 Nov .
10 a.m.
- 5 p.m

SECOND ANNUAL CLUBS DAY AT THE VICTORIA MEMORIAL
MUSEUM

The National Museum of Natural Sciences extends an
invitation to OFNC members to attend its second an-
nual Clubs Day, to be held in the Museum's Salon. A
wide range of displays will be provided by various
clubs in the Ottawa area, with subjects related to
the natural sciences. Admission is free.

Tuesday
1 0 Nov .

8 :00 p.m.

OFNC MONTHLY MEETING
EXPLORING CANADA BY CANOE

Speakers: Janice Dowling and David McNicoll

Meet: Auditorium, National Museum of Natural

Sciences, Metcalfe and McLeod Streets
Join David and Janice to relive two four-month canoe
journeys along the historic fur-trade routes between
Saskatoon and Ottawa. Their slide/talk show lets us
visit the fabulous people that live along the water-
ways of our nation and view the spectacular scenery
that most Canadians may never see. Whether they are
living in the lap of luxury at a fishing resort or
clinging to the side of a wind-swept shore, their
story is one that you will want to share!

Tropical Nature Tours

For all you outdoor enthusiasts with a taste for the exotic,
Barbara Martin will be running three trips to Latin America this
winter. For details, contact TRAVEL CUTS (offices in Ottawa,
Montreal and Toronto) or contact Barbara Martin at 6)3-233-0447.

1. NATURAL HISTORY IN COSTA RICA: February 13 - 26, 1988,

$1,328 U.S. This is a repeat of the 1987 trip.

2. HIKING IN COSTA RICA: March 12 - 27, 1988, $1,350 U.S.

3. NATURAL HISTORY IN PERU: April 26 - May 12, 1988, $1,350
U.S. This trip is aimed at general nature-lovers.

232

New York Botanical Garden Library

3 5185 00267 6565

FALL RHAPSODY

On weekends from September 19 to October 12th, the National
Capital Commission is planning an interesting program of events
to celebrate fall. Last year, 16 Club members contributed to
the fun at a Bird Feeder Coundown display designed to show
people the pleasures obtained from feeding birds in winter and
the different kinds of feeders and seed available.

This year, the Club will again present this same sort of
information, this time in the Market area. If you want to help
out, please telephone Diana Thompson as soon as possible at
232-1748 (home) or 233-5653 (work).

*******

THE OTTAWA DUCK CLUB
presents its

ELEVENTH ANNUAL WILDLIFE ART SHOW AND SALE

prints - painting - carving

Friday 23 October
Saturday 24 October
Sunday 25 October

5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
10 a.m. - 10 p.m
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

at the Nepean Sportsplex

Admission $1.00

Come early for the best selection!

* * * *

* * * '

DEADLINE : Material intended for the November- December issue

must be in the Editor's hands before August 29 at the
1 a tes t .

Please note that the deadline for the follow ing issue, the
January - March 1988 issue, is October 1.

ISSN 0041-0748

TRAIL & LANDSCAPE

published by

THE OTTAWA FIELD- NATURALISTS’ CLUB

Second Class Mail - Registration Number 2777
Postage paid in cash at Ottawa

Change of Address Notices and undeliverable Copies
Box 3264 Postal Station C, Ottawa, Ont.

K1Y 4J5

Return postage guaranteed

02

02 C 2 -83208

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