Trail & landscape

A PUBLICATION CONCERNED WITH
NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION

TRAIL & LANDSCAPE Vol.10 No.3 p.49-80 Ottawa, May-August 1976

TRAIL & LANDSCAPE

Editors: Anne Hanes

18 Briarcliffe Drive,

Ottawa, Ont. K1J 6E4
Sharon Godkin
Joyce Reddoch

Business and Production Manager: Harry A. Thomson

THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB
- Founded 1879 -

President: Dr. Ewen C.D. Todd, 1818 Paisley Ave., Ottawa

Corr. Secretary: P.J. Narraway, Box 3264 Stn. C, Ottawa

Objectives of the Club : To promote the appreciation,
preservation and conservation 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 organiz¬
ations engaged in preserving, maintaining or restoring
environments of high quality for living things.

Club Publications : THE CANADIAN FIEIP-NATURAL1ST,
devoted to publishing research in natural history.

TRAIL 6 LANDSCAPE , a non-technical publication of
general interest to local naturalists.

Field Trips , Lectures and other natural history
activities are arranged for local members.

See inside back cover.

Membership Fees :

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP: (per year) $7.00

FAMILY MEMBERSHIP: (per year) $9.00

SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP: (per year) $25.00

LIFE MEMBERSHIP: (one payment) $200.00

Libraries and other institutions may subscribe to
Trail & Landscape at the rate of $7.00 per year (Vol.)

Apply for Membership to :

THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE,

Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club,

Box 3264, Postal Station ”C f! ,

Ottawa, Canada K1Y 4J5

Production Staff:
Marjorie Bond
Leone Brown
Dorothy Greene
Rosemary Wallbank

Second Class Mail - Registration #2777

Vol 10 No 3

Published

by

THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS' CLUB
Box 3264 Postal Station C,
Ottawa, Ontario
KlY 4J5

The Very Beginning ------ 50

S. Pawley

Food Trees of the Beaver 54

C. Billington

FISHES IV. Tadpole Madtom - 56

D. McAllister, B. Coad

Birds of January and February 1976 - - 58

B. Morin

More Scrambled Eggs ----- 62

A. Hanes

The First Ottawa Field-Naturalist - - 63

F. R. Latchford

Water Moulds - -- -- -- 64

A. M. Aubin

Historical Boulders ----- 68

J. Reddoch

On Behalf of the Starlings 74

B. Morin

OFNC Summer Program ----- 77

49

COUNTDOWN TO ’79

OFNC members can hardly be unaware that in a few
more years our club will be one hundred years old. We
hope there is at least another century before us! We
fully concur in Joyce Reddoch’s plea (T&L 10:1) that our
Centennial be an occasion to look ahead. We invite
other members to consider the coming years and tell us
their hopes for OFNC’s future.

Yet, as 1979 approaches we all wonder about that
first century; surely our character is strongly influ¬
enced by 1879 and all that. When we try to change that
character (as it seems we must), an awareness of how we
got here may prove helpful in seeing clearly those
established customs by which we must not "let ourselves
be encumbered".

There is good entertainment in our records, too.

T&L will bring you glimpses of the past from time to
time. These accounts are being put together by an
enthusiastic club member who is burrowing into the
Archives, tracking bits of history wherever they lead,
and mining the memories of longtime members. (To the
latter who haven’t been contacted yet: we’d like to hear
from you.) Here is the first result of her continuing
effort; where better to begin than with (A H)

fhe Yefy (Beginning

by Sally Pawley

It seems a fitting sign of the times that the
Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club should have been formed
in 1879. This was a very growing time in Ottawa’s
history.

Only 22 years before, the little frontier town,
then called Bytown, had been proclaimed the seat of
Government for the united Province of Canada by Queen
Victoria. Renamed Ottawa, the little lumber and market

50

town changed its complexion overnight. Then just 12
years before the formation of the club, Ottawa became
the capital of the new federal Dominion of Canada.

These changes in status along with two new railways,
the Intercolonial and the Canadian Pacific, brought new
life to Ottawa in the 1860 T s and f 70 f s: new people,
money, attitudes and ideas.

Perhaps it was this influx of newness which created
in Ottawa’s residents a desire to record the old and to
study the natural history of the day. With a growing
population of over 20,000, nothing was going to remain
the same for long. For whatever combination of reasons,
the Naturalists 1 Club was formed on an evening in March,
1879. The meeting was opened by the enthusiastic James
Fletcher, a man with enough driving force to interest
40 men in attending the formation of the club.

This driving force of the "founding father" grew
from a great love of and interest in both the natural
environment and his fellow man. Mr. Fletcher gave his
time and interest quite freely for he felt:

"... The best companion in the country must be a
naturalist, who can point out objects of interest
and explain their beauties and wonders. No one
looks upon the world so kindly as he does; no one
else gives so much attention to, or takes so much
enjoyment from, the country as he does, and he
holds a more vital relation to nature, because he
is freer, and his mind is more at leisure."

He also believed:

"... a stick, a piece of straw, a leaf or a
stone, it matters not what, if properly examined
and understood, they are all wonderful and lovely."

Less philosophical business, however, had to be attended
to on the evening of the first meeting. A long discus¬
sion took place as to whether or not the club was to be
connected with the Literary and Scientific Society.

51

(An earlier Natural History Society formed in 1863 had
merged with the OL&S Society in 1869). Finally it was
decided that in return for the duplicate specimens that
the club would "gladly contribute to the museum of the
OL&S Society and thereby revive its present dormant
condition", the club would request that they be
"... under the auspices of the Said Society and may be
allowed the use of the museum for the purpose of holding
such meetings as may be necessary for their proceedings".

Lt. Col. White became the club f s first President
with James Fletcher as First Vice-President and Professor
W.F. Riddell as Second Vice-President. There was a
council of five. These were dedicated men — within
the next two months they were to hold six council
meetings and two general meetings!

At the second general meeting on April 8, 1879,
it was decided "the Ottawa Field-Naturalists 1 Club"
would be the official name and "its object be the study
of the natural history of this locality". This end was
to be effected by summer study excursions into the field
and winter "soirees" when lectures on natural history
topics would be delivered to members.

"Previous to 1879", H. Beaumont Small pointed out
in a later address to the club, "natural history in
Ottawa ran at random ... very little work of any local
value had been handed down to us; no effort had been
made to study the resources of this neighbourhood;
there had been no practical working parties, no co¬
operation of forces; each student followed his own
bent, and in many cases trod an unencouraged and un¬
sympathetic path". The formation of the club, then,
was an effort to unite these poor "unencouraged
students" under one sympathetic roof.

Other governings were carried out at the second
general meeting:

"Ladies and Gentlemen desiring to join the Club

shall send a written application signed by the

applicant and two members..."

and

52

"The annual membership fee shall be 50 cents
payable in advance.... and no member in arrears
shall be entitled to any of the privileges of
the Club..."

and

"... special tickets for non-members who may
wish to join an excursion may be granted... under
such limitations as the Council may prescribe...".

The club’s first planned excursion aroused great
excitement. Two council meetings were spent discussing
this coming event and the topic created much interested
discussion at the general meetings. Should prizes be
awarded at the end of the day for specimens? How would
the day be "layed out"? What time should the bus leave?

The excursion was to be held at "Kingsmere",

Township of Hull. Tickets were 40 cents each. A post
card was printed and sent to each member:

"I beg to inform you that the first Excursion
of the Field-Naturalists’ Club will take place
on Thursday 22nd... The Club trams will leave
the rooms of the Ottawa Literary and Scientific
Society 106(?) Sparks Street at 8:45 punctually.
Members can obtain tickets for themselves and
friends... Members to provide their own provisions."

At a general meeting on the 19th of May, three days before
the Kingsmere trip, plans for the coming day completely
took up the meeting agenda. Proposed resolutions were:

- that there would be no reduction in cost for children

- that as many vans as could be filled would leave from
Sandy Hill (Mr. Anderson’s house)

- that if a bus load can be got up to start at 1 p.m.
tickets may be sold especially marked for that purpose

- that regular buses should leave for home at 5 p.m., and

- that the committee should not do anything in the way of
providing boiling water for tea making.

The resolutions were passed and the meeting adjourned.

The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club was under way.

53

OF THE

Charles Billington

While working in the forests of the Carp Hills
last summer, I was constantly reminded of the presence
of the other workers there. These relative newcomers
to the hills were rarely seen in the flesh although they
left ample evidence of their existence. The smoothly-
chiselled stumps, the lodge, the dam and pond left no
doubt that beaver had set up shop.

Those beavered stumps were most interesting to me
since they represented an obvious form of disturbance
to the forest. As a result, I walked around three
beaver ponds and, at regular intervals, recorded the
size and species of the closest beavered stumps.

Around the ponds that I studied, the trees most
often harvested were, in order of preference: red maple
sugar maple, alder, white birch, elm, poplar, and young
oaks. But it is difficult to say which tree is really
the favourite because it is not only a matter of the
number of cut stems of each species (which is the basis
of the above list), but also the number of available
stems of each species. For instance, of the 480 sampled
stumps, 101 were red maple, but that species was also
the most abundant in the surrounding, undisturbed forest
It would be expected that this species would rank highly
as a beaver food simply because it is readily available.
Poplar, on the other hand, ranks fourteenth in abundance
in the surrounding forest but jumps up to sixth in the
list of preferred beaver foods. It seems that beaver
selectively cut poplar trees whenever they are found in
a suitable location and size class. Which then is the
preferred food, the tree which is very abundant and cut
often as a staple diet item, or the less abundant but
almost never-left-standing poplar?

54

Around other ponds in the hills, there was an
abundance of poplar. I have seen large poplar groves
virtually clear-cut by beaver, with the surrounding red
maples left untouched. This ability to switch from the
use of one species of tree as the primary food source
to another, gives the beaver a great advantage when
spreading into areas only marginally suitable for them,
as they are now doing in the Ottawa area.

A Carp Hills beaver pond

Joyce Reddoch

Beaver in the Carp Hills appear to be opportunistic
and very adaptable in terms of diet. Besides the seven
most favoured species listed above, ash, willow, cedar,
ironwood, basswood, cherry, bitternut hickory, juneberry
and hawthorn were harvested by beaver for food and
building purposes.

It is little wonder that beaver can establish
themselves so quickly in a new area with such a variety
of acceptable food items available.

55

from: FISHES OF CANADA’S NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

by D. E. McAllister and B. W. Coad

TADPOLE MADTOM Noturus gyrinus (Mitchill)

Distinguishing features This small, stout-bodied
catfish has a continuous fleshy adipose fin, connected
to the tail fin. Pectoral spines are sharp, pointed,
and lack saw teeth on hind edge. Upper and lower jaws
are about equal in length. No lateral extensions are
present on the premaxillary band of teeth.

Description Body deep anteriorly and tadpole-like in
general shape. Depth of body enters standard length 3.2-
4.8 times, anal fin base enters 5.1-6.6 times, and caudal
peduncle enters 5.8-7.8 times. There are 5-8 dorsal rays
including short dorsal spine. There are 12-15 soft anal
rays, 6 or 7 gill rakers. Color uniformly gray or brown
on back and sides, and white on belly. Chin barbels
light gray. There is a distinct black line along side,
with branches clearly defining muscle segments. Maximum
length found in the area is 3.4 inches, elsewhere in
Canada to 4.3 inches. Described from 17 specimens.

Origin The tadpole madtom probably entered the area
from a Mississippian refugium via the St. Lawrence River.

Biology This is a species generally found in smaller
streams. It prefers quiet waters with dense aquatic
vegetation and muddy bottoms. In an Ohio lake food
consisted of cladocera, ostracods, amphipods, chironomids,
and debris. In Manitoba it was found to be relatively
sedentary in a small stream where it was studied. Little
is known concerning its reproduction. They are thought
to spawn about the last week in July in Michigan and to
lay 50-100 eggs. Madtoms attain an age of 2 years. They
possess a gland at the base of each spine containing a
toxin which is capable of immobilizing predatory fish
such as northern pike. (Peter Rubec)

Source: The National Museum of Natural Sciences of the

National Museums of Canada. Reproduced by
permission of Information Canada and N M N S

56

MILES MILLES

0 5 10

0 5 10 15 20

KILOMETRES KILOMETERS

NATIONAL
0 MUSEUM SPECIMENS
OTTAWA U. 4

A NATION RIVER SURVEYS,
SERVICE DE LA FAUNE
LITERATURE

R.O.M. SPECIMENS

OF JANUARY
AND FEBRUARY

Brian Morin

Because of the generally harsh conditions that pre¬
vail during January and February, and as food supplies
dwindle to their lowest ebb, the number of species as
well as the number of individuals tapers off as winter
draws to a close. By the middle of February, one may be
hard pressed to locate 15 species of birds on an after¬
noon outing. Feeder watchers will note, too, that their
lingering waifs, such as Whitethroats, Robins and Black¬
birds, rarely come through the winter unscathed. They
may fall victim to a predator, or they may simply die
from the cold. Even the regulars are down in numbers by
the time spring finally rolls around. It's small wonder
that many of us prefer to spend more of our winter hours
inside than out.

The big news of the season hails not from the
immediate Ottawa area, but from points east and south
of us. However, due to the large numbers of Ottawa
birders that endeavoured to add these exotics to their
lists, they are worth noting here briefly:

- a Fieldfare (very rare European thrush) was frequenting
a feeder at Rigaud, Quebec, 75 miles east of Ottawa
from January through March.

- 3 Ivory Gulls were regulars at the Beauharnois Power
Dam near Montreal.

- a Phainopepla was seen in London, Ont. This bird
hails from the desert U.S.

- a White-winged Dove was spotted in Port Hope.

- a Townsend’s Solitaire turned up in Toronto.

The rash of rare bird sightings was getting to the point
that a flip-of-the-coin was almost required to decide
where to go next.

58

Except for the usual hardy Blacks, Mallards,
Goldeneye and Common Mergansers, few other duck species
were recorded for the period. Both the Barrow’s Golden¬
eye and the Harlequin, noted in the previous issue of
T&L, were still around, but the Harlequin disappeared on
January 17. Single appearances were recorded for Scaup,
Oldsquaw, Bufflehead and Canada Goose on January 1 but
not again. Only an early Lesser Scaup, observed on
Moodie Drive January 23 to 26, and up to 9 Canvasbacks
plying the waters between the Champlain Bridge and
Britannia, served to improve the duck scene in Ottawa
this winter. Outside the city, another Canvasback win¬
tered with the Mallards at Manotick and a Red-breasted
Merganser was located at Black Rapids February 8.

As usual, few hawks were reported, reflecting the
slim pickings of our Ottawa winters. The Pine Road area
behind the airport was the most productine location,
with Red-tail, Kestrel, Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, and
a surprise appearance from a Red-shouldered Hawk on
January 31 — a very rare winter find. A Merlin spotted
at the Nepean dump on February 8 was the only other
sighting of note.

Winter’s snows make searching for Ottawa’s elusive
Pheasants more practical. In addition to the regulars
at Green Valley, individuals were seen in Blossom Park
and surprisingly, North Gower as well. Hungarian
Partridge have also been observed in scattered flocks
throughout the area.

Successive warm periods in late February brought
the first returning gulls: a Great Black-backed on
February 18 and a Herring on February 22. Visitors to
the Cedarview Road area on January 1 got quite a shock
when they saw an incredible flock of 150 Mourning Doves.
In parts of Southern Ontario, winter flocking is not
uncommon but here in Ottawa it was quite a treat. The
flock was seen on several occasions afterwards, as were
individuals in other parts of the city.

59

Most northern owls were conspicuous by their
absence, as only one Great Gray was reported, and it
was unconfirmed. Snowies put on a pretty good showing,
though, and one observer was able to tally 10 individu¬
als on the afternoon of January 18. One of the most
promising areas for a variety of owl species seems to
be south of the Ottawa River from Shirley’s Bay to the
Harwood Plains. Long-eared (Feb. 8), Short-eared
(Feb. 15) and Great Horned Owls were all reported from
a woods behind Shirley’s Bay. In the Cosntance Lake
region. Barred Owls were very co-operative, being regu¬
larly spotted along roadsides or obligingly squeaking
in. The only Screech Owl reported was one of the
Billings Bridge birds on February 24.

It is questionable whether a Flicker is capable
of passing through a complete winter in this harsh en¬
vironment, so it is not unexpected that we record the
last date of the one in south Ottawa as January 15,
just about the time we were all shivering from the cold.
On the other hand. Three-toed Woodpeckers are used to
our winter weather and a few holdovers from the minor
invasion of the fall were still around. One Northern
was seen January 25 at Munster and one February 3 at
Aylmer. Black-backs were numerous, with scattered
reports generally.

A few Gray Jays were still present: 2 at the
Moodie Drive feeder, a third was a roadkill. Ravens
were regular in Quebec, particularly in the north around
Poltimore (20), but the bird spotted February 16 at

i — 1

cd

PQ

£

cd

•

33

U

•

CD

o

U

CD

a

•H

i—1

u

2

o

O

s

43

CO

c

l

cd

•H

<D

U

PQ

Dunrobin was interesting. Another straggler from fall
migration, a Robin in Manordale, perished in late January.

A few Boreal Chickadees were seen at the north end
of the Champlain Bridge around The Country Club up to
February 3, and the Carolina Wren was still present on
Fraser Street January 3 (photographed). Unfortunately,
no Mockingbirds to report but there were good sized
flocks of Bohemian Waxwings (60 Jan. 4; 95 Feb. 15).
Migrant Redwings began to appear February 22, a little
after the Horned Larks and Crows. Little did these
species realize that winter wasn’t going to give up its
hold on us so easily. The other blackbird species were
present as stragglers, mostly at feeders: one Grackle
January 4; 2 Rusty Blackbirds (one for the entire period);
and a couple of Cowbirds in Glen Cairn, January 28 and
Lucerne, January 15. The flock in Stittsville February
29 was probably migrant.

In any winter, there will be an abundance of some
finches and an absence of others. This year there was
a good number of Pine Grosbeaks and a fair number of
Evenings but an almost complete lack of Crossbills and
Purple Finches. Only the Redpolls were present in very
good numbers, and it was possible on most days to see
large flocks of them. Predictions for Hoary Redpolls
made in the previous issue of T&L paid off, because
there were probably around 25 individuals seen over the
course of the winter in and around Ottawa. When the
birds remained mainly in the fields early in the winter,
identification was pretty difficult, but as more and
more began frequenting feeders, it became a matter of
patience rather than skill. Cardinals were still around
in the strong numbers noted on the Christmas Bird Census.
Several Juncos were seen among flocks of Tree Sparrows,
mostly at feeders, while 2 individuals of both White-
crowned and White-throated Sparrows spent some time at
feeders as well. Most either didn’t remain for or
survive the winter. Snow Buntings were reported in
somewhat smaller numbers than usual but a flock of 200
was observed on January 24 at Lucerne. A single Lapland
Longspur ushered in the new year January 1.

In the last issue we neglected to mention a
Chipping Sparrow that was seen at a feeder on the
Christmas Census. This was an extremely good winter
find.

61

SCRAMBLED ?GGS

Rearrange letters in the totally misleading egg-words
to form correct current names of Ottawa birds.

LOON law:\
spare ship

LARK with
a deed >

62

THE FIRST OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALIST

Three centuries ago, late in July, 1623, several
parties of Hurons at intervals of a few days passed
upward over theportage by the Falls of the Chaudiere,
on what was then often called La Riviere des Prairies...
Dispersed among the Indians were three followers of
that great nature lover, St. Francis of Assissi —

Fathers Joseph le Caron and Nicholas Viel, and Brother
Gabriel Sagard-Theodat, with eleven Frenchmen...

Sagard, as he is commonly called, was the chronicler
of the expedition. His Grand_Voyage au_Pays des Hurons
is a fascinating story. It was published in 1632....

In his book, Sagard relates that in passing the
Falls —’’the most admirable, dangerous and terrifying
of all he had seen”— he noted that the rocks were
covered with what seemed to be small stone snails
(petits limas en pierre). "I am”, he says, ’’unable to
account for this, unless it is owing to the nature of
the stone itself, or that the result had been produced
by mist from the falling waters.” His uncertainty as
to the origin of fossils, abounding now as then in the
vicinity, is not surprising in view of the state of
natural science at the time. Da Vinci’s conjectures
were doubtless unknown to him; and John Ray and Martin
Lister’s correct theories as to the origin of fossils
were not advanced until half a century afterward.

Sagard mentions also that he found ”at this place” —
along the portage, no doubt — ’’plants of a scarlet
lily which had but two flowers on each stalk.” ...

The lily noticed by Sagard at the Chaudiere is
known botanically as Lilium philadelphicurn ... It has
persisted there since Sagard’s time... A few plants
may still be found among the red cedars south of the
Aylmer Road, and on Lemieux Island; and it abounds on
thin soil over limestone along the Canadian Pacific
Railway west of Stittsville.

Champlain had previously (1613) noted the occur¬
rence of the red cedar on the islands at Les Chats; but
Sagard is better entitled to be considered the first
Ottawa Field-Naturalist. — F. R. Latchford

from THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST, Vol 38 No 7 (1924)

63

A. Maureen Aubin, ELBA, Carleton University

The next time you're on a nature walk, fill a 250-
milliliter jar with water - pond, river, stream, or even
ditch water will do. What do you see? Bits of debris,
sand particles, perhaps some algae floating on the
surface. But add a couple of flax seed halves and in
two or three days a whole unnoticed sector of aquatic
life appears before your eyes - the world of the
aquatic fungi.

64

Plentiful in Ottawa waters, the water moulds or
aquatic phycomycetes exist as motile, microscopic
zoospores in the absence of a suitable substrate.

When an adequate food supply is found and temperature
and other physical parameters permit, the zoospore
encysts and hyphal strands begin to grow out from the
nutrient source. These hyphae are visible to the human
eye and range in appearance from fuzzy grey masses, to
clear distinct strands, (see photo) to round white
pustules on fruits. Within three to five days,
examination of the fungi under a dissecting microscope
or under the low power lens of a compound microscope
should reveal an interesting variety of reproductive
structures both asexual and sexual. These features are
used as the main distinguishing factors in phycomycete
keys. For example, Saprolegnia turfosa is unique in its
oogonial wall structure - its thick, heavily pitted walls
are striking under low power as illustrated by the
accompanying figure.

To collect these fungi requires little equipment.
Filamentous forms are retrievable by simply collecting
water samples and adding a couple of flax seed halves
to the jar. Sometimes it is profitable to transfer the
water samples to shallow dishes to allow for better
aeration. Within two days you should notice the white

65

filaments growing on the seed and you can examine their
progress from there. The best way of retrieving the
greyish Monoblepharidales organisms and the non-
filamentous forms is by a direct baiting method. Small
bags of flexible fibre-glass screening can easily be
fashioned by cutting strips of appropriate sizes (about
20 x 10 cm) and stapling the sides together. Attach a
strong string (nylon fishing line is good) or light wire
to the bag, and fill the bag with "bait" - substrata
likely to be colonized by the water moulds. It's good
to include bits of water-logged birch or ash twigs,
along with small, hard skinned fruits (I have found
crabapples to be the preferred diet of several of
these fungi). Deposit the bags in a chosen body of
water and secure the other end of the line firmly and
invisibly on shore. In four weeks retrieve the bag and
some of the forms should be visible on the bait.

Another method is to simply collect debris directly
from the water - twigs, floating fruits, dead insects
and fish - and examine for fungi.

The water moulds are most plentiful in spring and
early summer, while waters are fresh, aerated and less
likely to be contaminated by other organisms that might
compete for suitable nutrient substrata. You'll find
them in any body of water around Ottawa - so far, they
have been found in waters ranging from a greenhouse tank
at Carleton U. to the fast flowing Ottawa River, and
from a stagnant pond to the Mer Bleue sphagnum bog. Look
for them - they're too unusual and fascinating to miss.'

Oogonia of Saprolegnia turfosa
with heavily pitted walls

66

THE FORESTS OF GATINEAU PARK

THE FORESTS OF GATINEAU PARK is a recent, bilingual
publication from Environment Canada. This fold-out
brochure is crammed with useful and attractively pre¬
sented features. Predominant is a large (1:50,000
scale) map of the park color-coded to twelve land and
forest types. Nine forest types are described - hard¬
woods, mixed woods, and softwoods - each on dry, moist
and wet sites. Each forest type is illustrated by two
color photographs, one an inside view of the woods, the
other an overview. There are, in addition, color photo¬
graphs of the three other categories which are mapped:
dry open land, wet open land, and open water. (The
color shown for the code for dry open land is misprinted
as yellow instead of white as this land type is repre¬
sented on the map.)

Additional useful information is contained in the
drawings of characteristic features of the 25 most com¬
mon species of native trees which grow in the park (out
of a total of 34 species found there).

A concise vegetative history of the park is given;
also presented is a brief discription of size, rain¬
fall, elevation, temperature and soils.

THE FORESTS OF GATINEAU PARK gives us a surprising¬
ly detailed view of the park’s vegetative cover. Con¬
cise descriptions of forest types combine with well-
chosen photographs to show what the different kinds of
woods are really like.

And, the publication has an added bonus. It’s free
You can obtain a copy from

Publications Distribution,
Forest Management Institute,
396 Cooper Street,

Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0W2

Joyce Reddoch

Joyce Reddoch

Last fall Ewen Todd received this memo from Bill
Baldwin, a former president (1955, 1956).

"Subject: Inscriptions on OF-NC markers at McKay Lake

"The first marker is near the bridge at the outlet
(north end) of the lake. It is a boulder (granitic
glacial erratic?) on the south (lakeshore) side of the
road (Hillsdale), near the west end of roadside fence
to the rear of a post. One. face of the stone has been
flattened and inscribed:-

THE AGE OF MCKAY LAKE

DATES FROM THE CLOSE OF

THE OTTAWA VALLEY MARINE

SUBMERGENCE. KINGSMERE

AND MOST OTHER LAKES IN

THIS REGION DATE FROM AN

EARLIER EVENT. - THE END OF

THE GLACIAL PERIOD.

(*) OTTAWA FIELD-NAT. CLUB

"The first boulder is upright, although partly ob¬
scured by a fence post, and the bottom line of text (*)
is buried.

68

tm nmi other; - : ia

,5f?UEB EVERT. THE:

The first marker is easily read from the edge of the road,

The inscription on the second marker is obscured by the
mottled nature of the rock. photos by Joyce Reddoch

69

"The second marker is a few chains northeastward
from the bridge where the road has curved to the north.
It lies at the edge of a small grassy field a few steps
down from the east side of the paved road touching the
stump of an elm tree that was sawn down probably within
the 1975 growing season and has about 42 annual rings.

"Inscription on second stone reads

THE LEVEL OF MCKAY LAKE

STOOD AT AROUND THE LEVEL
(**)

OF THIS MARKER A FEW THOU¬
SAND YEARS AGO. THE WHITE
MARL FORMED AT THAT TIME
WITH ITS FRESHWATER SHELLS
MAY BE SEEN A FEW RODS
SOUTHEAST OF THIS POINT
OTTAWA FIELD-NAT. CLUB

"I saw no sign of marl bed. Someone told me that
it had been worked commercially. It may have been
buried by landscaping. The marker may have been moved.

"The second boulder appears to be a little larger
(30" dimension) than the first. The surface of the
stone was likewise flattened. This marker has been
tilted, possibly by growth of the tree now represented
by cut stump. The inscription is clear except for
some chipping (at the letter A in MARKER) (**).

"The second marker is on National Capital Commission
property, I believe, but I am not sure what corporation
is responsible for the roadside verge where the first
one stands."

Intrigued, a group of us went over to McKay Lake
to see the markers for ourselves. We wondered when the
markers had been put there, and by whom. The markers

70

looked old, although how old was old?

The Club’s early history is well-documented in
The Canadian Field-Naturalist and its predecessors
Transactions of The Ottawa Field-Na tura lis ts ’__Club
(1879-1886) and The Ottawa Naturalist (1887-1919).

So the idea was to begin at the beginning and see what
could be found on the subject of marl beds at McKay
(Hemlock) Lake.

It quickly became obvious that the marlbeds were
well-known to early Ottawa residents. The beds were
mentioned in the Geological Survey of Canada Report for
1845-46. In 1887 H. M. Ami wrote of using the marl to
make white brick. R. W. Ells included the beds in a
list of 23 marl deposits in Ontario in 1901.

Over the years numerous excursions were arranged
by the Club to look for freshwater shells and to examine
the sand and gravel strate there. Here are excerpts
from the report of a 1910 outing which will also give
you some idea of how excursions were organized then.

"MCKAY’S LAKE. - The excursion to McKay’s Lake was
held on Saturday, May 28th. The weather was delightful,
and in spite of the fact that very few were able to be
present, the afternoon proved to be an exceptionally
profitable one. In the absence of the President, Mr.
Kingston was in charge of the party, which assembled at
the Bridge at 3 p.m. Two delightful hours were spent
in the woods and on the shores of the lake, and at 5 o’
clock all assembled at the appointed place, to compare
notes, and to hear the short addresses which were given
by the Leaders of the various branches.

".... Mr. Wilson was then called upon to give an
account of his afternoon’s studies in geology. Those
particularly interested examined the marl deposits on
the shores of the lake, finding there many things of
engrossing interest. These deposits are of considerable
thickness, varying from one to ten feet, as seen in re¬
cent exposures. They are fifteen feet or more above
the present water-level in the lake, and show that it
formerly stood at a higher level, and occupied a larger
area than it now covers. The marl is composed of fresh
water shells, many of which are in a perfect state of

71

preservation. Eight species, belonging to six genera,
were collected and identified, viz.: - Planorbis camp an -
ulatus, P. bicarinatus , parvus , Physa heterostropha ,
Limnaea galbana , Valveta tricarinata , Amnicola porata ,
and Pisidium abditum. These shells are all abundant
except the last named. Besides the species here enumer¬
ated there are a few rare ones which have been collected
at this place, but were not found on Saturday. Below
the marl beds there is in most places, a bed of coarse
gravel, and under this several feet of pure sand bedded
in layers of varying thickness. Some of these layers
illustrate "false bedding 11 ; the layers being composed
of a number of laminae lying at a steep angle, while
the main beds are horizontal. It was pointed out that
the tilted layers were probably laid down on a sloping
bank by a swift current, and that this was followed by
a period of still water, when the horizontal bed was
deposited on top. It is interesting to note that this
sand contains marine shells, indicating that an arm of
the sea invaded this area when it was deposited. At¬
tention was directed to the cut terraces surrounding
the lake, and also to the gully cut by the present out¬
let, which has reduced the water to its present level."

The marl beds are at the southeast corner of the
lake, the other side of the lake from where the markers
were placed. Marl is a deposit of calcium carbonate
which is formed on lake bottoms over the centuries. It
is composed of a large proportion of shell remains in
a matrix of very fine powder which may be of bacterial
and algal origin. E. J. Whittaker studied the fossil
marl fauna of McKay Lake and published his results in
1918. He collected specimens by the thousands by soak¬
ing blocks of marl in pails of water. As the marl dis¬
integrated the shells floated to the surface and were
collected in a sieve. He stated that the fresh water
shell remains were the most recent in the area and were
from the late Pleistocene or early Recent periods.
Indeed, he found many descendants of these early forms
still living in the lake.

On to 1931, and there, in the 52nd Annual Report
(for 1930), Item 7 reads

72

"ROAD-SIDE MARKERS. - The Ottawa Field-Naturalists'

Club has undertaken to point out to the public by means
of Road-side Markers, some of the interesting changes
which have accompanied the geological development of
the district. In this connection two markers were
placed on the Government Driveway by permission of the
Federal District Commission, adjacent to Mackay Lake.

This was done through the personal efforts of Dr. E. M.
Kindle. These stones were made by Messrs. C. M. Stern¬
berg and A. Miles. We extend the grateful thanks of
the Club to these gentlemen."

In 1930 Dr. Kindle was president and Dr. Sternberg
was first vice-president. Dr. Kindle was a geologist
remembered for his pioneering work north of the Arctic
Circle. He died in 1940 but his family continues to
live in the Ottawa area.

Dr. Sternberg joined the Club in 1914 and was made
an Honorary Member in 1971 in recognition of his contri¬
butions in Palaeontology, particularly his fossil finds
in Alberta and the dinosaur collection in the National
Museum. Dr. Sternberg is probably the Club's oldest
member. He lives in Ottawa and was happy to share some
of his memories of the Club's earlier years. At the time
the markers were put in place the streetcar line ran
out through Rockcliffe Park and turned around on the
flats north of the lake. The view towards St. Laurent
Boulevard was across open fields . There were no houses
on the east side of the lake.

Dr. Sternberg also recalled that Mr. A. Miles was
an artist with the Palaeontology Section of the Geologi¬
cal Survey who drew specimens for Mr. Lambe. At that
time, the majority of Club members were employees of
the National Museum.

Needless to say, we will make the National Capital
Commission aware of the existence of these historical
markers. Hopefully, the markers will survive for many
more decades, and maybe, this time, their presence and
past history will not be forgotten by members of the
Club.

73

On

a If of flic

rlinjjs

by Brian Morin illustration: Bob Bracken

They’ve been condemned as a nuisance, and yet,
they are much like us. Highly adaptable, they can survive
under the most absurd conditions, flourishing where no
others could (or would want to).

The Starling is certainly one European import that
has made it big on this continent, but no one seems to
be raving on its behalf, unless you qualify those that
are raving mad. From 0 to 3 billion in less than a

74

century and still going strong. That’s a pretty good
indication of how they’ve fared in this land that
offers opportunity for all. But are they all that bad?

I guess it depends on whom you talk to. You’ll never
hear a kind word uttered for them by a Bluebird, Red¬
headed Woodpecker or any of a dozen other species whose
tree nest homes have been seized. "Send them back
where they belong", they would cry, but to no avail.

The Starling is here to stay.

They must be good for something. Well, the folks
in Washington don’t seem to think so, what with tens
of thousands of the little critters roosting on the
very seat of government. The idea! Just think, if
they could talk, the stories they might tell. They’re
pretty good at doing impressions, though. While I’ve
never heard one do any noteworthy political personages,
I’ve surely been taken aback by the cry of a Killdeer,
Whitethroat or Pewee in mid-January.

Sanitation departments can thank them for helping
to keep our cities clean, and we should all give them a
hand for doing their prat to introduce biological con¬
trols to agriculture. Granted, they will never win a
beauty contest, but they might walk (or fly) away with
the bird equivalent of a Nobel prize for sheer ingenuity.
What other species would think of making its home in
almost every conceivable nook, from street lights to
eaves troughs, to be fed on the leftovers of a throw¬
away society, and still be able to increase in number
year after year?

I guess only man could be put in the same class.

We are definitely as numerous as the Starling and
there’s no sign of any cutbacks in the immediate future.
We certainly do eat a lot of garbage, and judging by
the appalling conditions in which we allow the people
of Third World countries to live, we humans are capable
of surviving almost anything.

The next time you swear at a Starling, stop for
a moment and think, because it was man that made the
Starling what it is today. And yet, is it not very
much like us all?

75

FIELD TRIP PROGRAM FOR

THE CANADIAN NATURE FEDERATION

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The following trips have been arranged for the CNF Annual Conference. The
Presqu’ile excursion is limited to 42 people; all others are limited to 85.
Conference attendees will be given priority until May 10. After that date
OFNC members can fill any vacancies. All trips depart from and return to
Carleton University. If you wish to go on any of these trips send a postcard
to the following address, noting (1) you are an OFNC member, (2) trips you
are interested in, in order of preference, (3) your telephone number. Do
not include payment. - Canadian Conference for Nature, Box 155, Station "B”,
Ottawa, Ontario.

Wednesday May 19 j
Thursday May 20

PRESQU T ILE PROVINCIAL PARK

Overnight excursion. Departs 8:00 a.m., returns
6:30 p.m. Cost $35 (includes accommodation and
box lunch on Wednesday).

GATINEAU PARK HIKE

Sunday May 23 A 9 mile hike from Champlain Lookout to Luskville

Falls. Depart 8:30 a.m., return 6:00 p.m.

Cost $6.00 (with box lunch).

BOTANICAL OUTING

South March Highlands and Constance Bay area.

Depart 8:45 a.m., return 5:30 p.m. Cost $4.00
(with box lunch).

OTTER LAKE

Monday May 24 An exciting lake area near Kingston. Excellent birding

and botany. Depart 8:00 a.m., return 8:00 p.m.

Cost $12.00 (with box lunch).

GATINEAU PARK HIKE

A hike to study the natural history of many of the
park’s habitats. Depart 9:00 a.m., return 6:00 p.m.
Cost $4.00 (with box lunch).

BIRDING TOUR

76

A tour of many of Ottawa’s most productive birding
areas. Depart 6.00 a.m., return 6.00 p.m. Cost
$10 (with box breakfast and lunch).

THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS' CLUB

£1

arranged by the Excursions and Lectures Committee
Roger Taylor (731-9270), Chairman

Tuesday
11 May

OFNC MONTHLY MEETING

SOME ASPECTS OF GATINEAU PARK MINERALOGY
Speaker: Dr. D. Hogarth

Meet: Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library

Laurier and Metcalfe Streets
Time: 8:00 p.m.

Saturday A MINERALOGICAL EXCURSION IN GATINEAU PARK
15 May Leader: Dr. D. Hogarth (741-4202)

Meet: Supreme Court, Wellington Street

Time: 9:00 a.m.

A morning trip; bring a snack.

BIRD WALKS AT VINCENT MASSEY PARK
An introduction to the basics of bird identification

Saturday
1 May
8 May
15 May
29 May

Leader: Brian Morin (824-8606)

Leader: Arnet Sheppard (722-0991)
Leader: Roger Taylor (731-9270)
Leader: Steve O’Donnell (737-5270)

Meet: Vincent Massey parking lot by

Heron Road bridge
Time: 7:30 a.m.

BIRD WALKS AT RAMSAYVILLE MARSH

Sunday

2 May

Leader:

Steve O’Donnell (737-5270)

9 May

Leader:

Brian Morin (824-8606)

16 May

Leader:

Roger Foxall (745-7791)

Meet:

Anderson Road at CNR tracks north

of Russell Road

Time:

7:00 a.m.

Walks last

till noon

. Bring waterproof footwear.

77

MAY EVENING WALKS

Informal walks of general interest. Meet at 6:30 p.m.,
weather permitting. Insect repellent may be useful.

Wednesday OTTAWA-CARLETON CONSERVATION AREA
5 May Leader: Hue MacKenzie (226-1997)

Meet: parking lot, west side Moodie Drive

north of Jack Pine Trail

Thursday BRITANNIA

13 May Leader: Arnet Sheppard

Meet: Britannia Filtration Plant

Tuesday PLEASANT PARK WOODS

18 May Leader: Joyce Reddoch (749-5363)

Meet: Pleasant Park School parking lot on

Pleasant Park Rd. near Lynda Lane

Wednesday MACOUN CLUB STUDY AREA
26 May Leaders: Members of the Macoun Field Club
Meet: United Church,

Richmond Road/Moodie Drive

CANADIAN NATURE FEDERATION FIELD TRIPS
Wednesday 19 May, Sunday 23 May, Monday 24 May. Details p. 76

SPRING WILDFLOWERS
Leader: Don Lafontaine (829-7273)

Meet: Supreme Court, Wellington Street

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Bring lunch and insect repellent.

BIRDING AROUND SHIRLEY f S BAY
Leader: Monty Brigham (777-1675)

Meet: parking lot at river, Shirley’s Bay

Time: 7:00 a.m.

Late migrants and breeding species (including Bluebirds)

ORCHIDS AND OTHER THINGS
Leader: Jim Wickware (225-2658)

Meet: Loblaws, Carlingwood Shop. Centre

Time: 8:00 a.m.

All day trip to Rideau Lakes district. Bring Lunch

and insect repellent.

Sunday
6 June

Sunday
30 May

Saturday
29 May

78

OFNC MONTHLY MEETING
BIRD ROUND-UP

Meet: Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library

Laurier and Metcalfe Streets
Time: 8:00 p.m.

An informal gathering at the end of the spring migration.
Slides very welcome.

Tuesday
8 June

BUTTERFLIES

Leader: Don Lafontaine (829-7273)

Meet: Supreme Court, Wellington Street

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Bring lunch and insect repellent.

EXPLORATORY BREEDING BIRD WALK
Leader: Roger Foxall (745-7791)

Meet: Loblaws, Carlingwood Shop. Centre

Time: 5:00 a.m.

A working, but fun, excursion to investigate the birds
breeding in an area that we know little about. Be
prepared for wet habitats; old clothes are recommended.
Bring lunch and lots of insect repellent.

Sunday
13 June

Saturday
12 June

BOTANICAL TRIP: CREEK VALLEYS, LAROSE FOREST
Leader: Albert Dugal (821-2586)

Meet: Elmvale Shopping Centre,

St. Laurent Blvd. at Smyth Road
Time: 9:00 a.m.

A multitude of ferns among other things.

Bring lunch and insect repellent.

Sunday
20 June

Saturday GENERAL EXCURSION TO THE GATINEAU HILLS
26 June Leader: Ewen Todd (225-4316)

Meet: Supreme Court, Wellington Street

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Bring lunch and insect repellent.

Sunday
4 July

GENERAL EXCURSION TO THE LIMERICK FOREST
Leaders: to be arranged

Meet: Loblaws, Carlingwood Shop. Centre

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Bring lunch and insect repellent.

79

Saturday GENERAL EXCURSION TO THE CARP HILLS
10 July Leader: Arnet Sheppard (722-0991)

Meet: Loblaws, Carlingwood Shop. Centre

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Bring lunch and insect repellent.

A WETLANDS FIELD TRIP-SEMINAR
Leader: Isobel Bayly (827-2369)

Meet: Supreme Court, Wellington Street

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Wear suitable footwear. Bring snack, insect repellent.

Sunday
25 July

Saturday INSECT OUTING
7 August Leader: Monty Wood

Meet: Loblaws, Carlingwood Shop. Centre
Time: 9:00 a.m.

Bring a snack.

Saturday
28 August

FALL MIGRANTS AT SHIRLEY'S BAY
Leader: Rick Poulin

Meet: Britannia Drive-In Theatre

Time: 7:00 a.m.

80

0 F N C PUBLICATIONS

available in the "Boutique" at
the National Museum, McLeod St.

A Guide to the Geology of the

Ottawa District - Wilson $1.50

A Guide to the Geology of the

Gatineau-Lievre District - Hogarth $1.50

Checklist of the Birds in the

Ottawa-Hull Area (1970) 2 for 5q

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

Lithographed by
John Marquardt, Printer