© Barry Armstrong - hamiltonnature.orghamiltonnature.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/wood-duck/wood-duck-2013-10.pdf · A Green Gem Indeed David Galbraith 29 The Junior Naturalists Club

JOURNAL OF THE HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUB Volume 67 Number 2 October, 2013

© Barry Armstrong

I n T h i s I s s u e :Differentiating Touch-Me-Nots

Great Blue Skimmer: New for the Hamilton Study AreaNoteworthy Bird Records April 2013

The Junior Naturalists ProgramThe Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System

Burlington Heights Heritage Lands Committee ReportMember Profile – Denys Gardiner

Membership Director’s Report

The Great Blue Skimmer is a spectacular looking dragonfly as the above photo shows. This individual was photographed at the pond complex on the south side of 8th Concession West, 400m west of where Spencer Creek crosses 8th Concession. This was the first record of this rare Ontario species for the Hamilton Study Area. Tim King photographed this individual on 6 August 2012 at this location. Several people arrived there the next day almost expecting to see the skimmer. However they were disappointed as this was a “one-day-wonder”.

© photo Tim King

The Wood Duck - October, 2013Page 26

Table of Contents

From the Editor...... Bill Lamond 28A Green Gem Indeed David Galbraith 29The Junior Naturalists Club for 2013-14 Barb McKean 30HNC Member Profile – Denys Gardiner Bill Lamond 31

Killdeer – Part of the Plover Family June Hitchcox 32A Tale of Two Touch-Me-Nots Paul D. & Anna-Marie Smith 33HNC Receives Ontario Trillium Grant Jen Baker 35Dates to Remember – October/November Fran Hicks/Liz Rabishaw 36Dragon’s Den – A Great Blue Skimmer in Flamborough (Hamilton) Bill Lamond 38And Now for Some Good News! – Kirtland’s Warbler Bill Lamond 40Membership Director’s Report for 2012-13 Maggie Simms 41Buck and Crows – A Strange Encounter Joanna Chapman 41Noteworthy Bird Records April 2013 Rob Dobos 42Burlington Heights Heritage Lands Committee Report Giuliana Casimirri 46Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark Sysytem Jen Baker 47

Naturalists discuss a stream and wetland restoration site at the Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve northwest of Newmarket during Ontario Nature’s 82nd annual AGM June 8, 2013. A dam was built on this site in the 1960s to create a recreational pond. Over the years, the structure

gradually fell into disrepair and was in danger of collapsing. A collapsed dam would have resulted in a catastrophic flood, damaging downstream habitats and properties. Soon after Ontario Nature acquired this property, the decision was made to drain the pond, remove the derelict dam and

restore the stream so that it would flow freely. The project was completed in August 2008. In terms of the ecological benefits of the removal, the dam acted as a barrier to aquatic organisms, and the pond warmed the downstream water during the summer months, degrading those habitats. The removal of the dam and pond was an important step in restoring this aquatic system to its natural state – a coldwater, free-flowing stream. Wetland meadows along the stream are now returning. Such meadows are important to the

survival of various arthropods, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals and fish. The species of native fish in Ontario’s streams that require swift-flowing water to complete their life cycle are known as fluvial specialists. They

include White Sucker, Blacknose Dace, Emerald Shiner and Common Shiner. Some freshwater mussels also require flowing water. They include the Purple Wartyback, the Elktoe and the Snuffbox. The Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve, situated just north of the Oak Ridges Moraine, offers spectacular rolling hills and forested ridges that are a wildlife sanctuary. In addition to the restored wetland, the reserve supports a variety of

habitats including mixed forests of beech, maple and hemlocks. Fields are also regenerating naturally, bringing forth a lush mix of grasses and a cornucopia of flowers dominated by goldenrods, milkweed and asters - photo Gord McNulty.

The Wood Duck - October, 2013 Page 27

Publications Committee: Rob Dobos, Kevin McLaughlin, Don McLean, Michael Fischer, Herman van Barneveld, Jean & Jim Stollard. The Wood Duck is the official publication of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and produced by members of the Club. It is published nine

times a year from September to May, inclusive. Deadline for receipt of material is the 5th of the month preceding publication date. As long as credit lines are included, articles may be reprinted without permission, unless otherwise specified. Opinions expressed in

the Wood Duck are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club.The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club promotes public interest in the study, conservation and appreciation of our natural heritage.

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

HNC BOARD 2012 - 2013 Executive

Past President:President:

Vice-President:Secretary: Treasurer:

Bill LamondMichael Fischer

Jim HeslopJoyce LitsterJim Heslop

519 756 9546905 526 0325905 648 5770905 627 1203905 648 5770

[email protected]@sympatico.ca

[email protected] [email protected]@cogeco.ca

Directors

Bird Study Group:Conservation & Ed:

Field Events:Director-at-Large:

Membership: Programs:Publicity:

Sanctuary:Volunteers:

Wood Duck Editor:

George HollandTerry Carleton

Fran HicksGord McNultyMaggie Sims

Peter ScholtensLindsay Burtenshaw

Warren BeachamDoris Southwell

Bill Lamond

905 945 3962905 515 4101905 304 5998905 525 9927905 331-1496 905 388 6415289 389 9074905 627 3343905 632 4358519 756 9546

[email protected]@utoronto.ca

[email protected]@[email protected]

[email protected]@gmail.com

[email protected]@skylinc.net

[email protected]

Coordinators

Website Coordinator:Social Coordinator:Junior Naturalists:

Mailing:Land Trust Program:

Clarence BosCatharine Flatt

Brian WylieJean Stollard

Jen Baker

905 544 5843905 627 4601905 634 3538905 524 3339

[email protected]

[email protected]@sympatico.ca

[email protected]

Report rare bird sightings to: Cheryl Edgecombe 905-637-5923

Send Noteworthy Bird Records to: Rob Dobos, 21 Sunrise Cres., Dundas, L9H 3S1 email: [email protected] FEES – Please remit to

The Membership Director, Hamilton Naturalists’ ClubP.O.Box 89052, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4R5

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

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

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

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

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

free Naturally Hamilton - Guide to Green Spaces free

Checklist of Ontario Butterflies $1.50

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

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

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

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

Honorary Life Member n/a Reptiles and Amphibians of Ham. Area (check local library)

Volume 67 Number 2 CN ISSN 0049-7886 http://www.hamiltonnature.org

October, 2013 - Publications Mail Contract No. 40048074 [email protected]


Annual General MeetingMonday, October 7, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

Speaker: Kyle Horner

Topic: Madagascar!Separated from mainland Africa by hundreds of miles and millions of years, Madagascar is home to some of the strangest creatures on Earth! And with an endemism rate of over 90%, it hosts countless species that can be seen nowhere else in the world. This presentation will journey through the eastern highlands of this unique country and explore a diverse selection of its spectacular wildlife, all illustrated by colourful photos of course!

Kyle Horner is a naturalist, environmental educator and nature photographer from Guelph, Ontario. He earned a degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Guelph, and has worked or volunteered throughout Canada, the United States, Costa Rica and Madagascar. A lifelong birder, Kyle’s latent fascination with reptiles, amphibians and bugs exploded in university and became more obsession than interest. When he’s not chasing dragonflies with a giant camera, he is working his day job at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

From The Editor…..

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Bill Lamond and I am the new Editor of the Wood

Duck. I am also the current Past President so I am wearing two hats on the HNC Board although Past President is not a very demanding portfolio – at least compared to being Editor.

For the last few years I have been interested in becoming the Editor and I decided to take the plunge this past spring when the previous Editor, Herman van Barneveld, decided to step down after two years of being on the Wood Duck file. I thank Herman for his fine service as he did a wonderful job of bringing the Wood Duck into the “colour age”. Herman has succeeded in producing a very fine looking product and I hope to emulate his work the best I can. However, this is all new to me and it has been a very steep learning curve. I thank Herman for schooling me on the Adobe InDesign CS6 program the Club has to produce the “Duck”. Nonetheless, there is still a huge amount of capability with this program that I am incapable of using. For the time being I will be producing a very basic-looking Wood Duck. So bear with me.

Every Editor has his/her own ideas of how they would like to do things. I’m sure many of you would like to see different things in the Wood Duck. I am no different, and I have a few ideas for recurring columns in the Wood Duck. Two small features that I would like to include in each issue are a Member’s Profile and a “good news” column. The former is pretty self-explanatory. Every month I would like to see one HNC member profiled. Just a small note about the member; birthplace, early years, years of membership, interests, what they do for a living, where they

reside. I would also like to include a photo of the member. Now the Club has over 600 members, so at nine profiles a year it might take a century or so to profile everyone! Feel free to send in your own profile or better still, write a profile on a member you know. Hopefully this is not a “tooth-pulling” exercise. I have started the ball rolling in this issue by profiling my father-in-law Denys Gardiner (no nepotism here). Hopefully he will be amused. This will give all of you an idea what I am looking for.

The second recurring feature I would like to introduce is a “good news” column which I will entitle, “And Now For Some Good News!” There is so much bad news; threatened species, destroyed habitats, environmental disasters, decimated fish stocks, not to mention Global Warming. I think in order to keep our spirits up, to fight on as it were, we need to be encouraged and “good news” stories provide some “fuel’ to keep us motivated. There are “good news” stories out there on the environmental front and we just need to promote them and be inspired by them. Of course our own HNC and the Head-of-the-Lake Land Trust is a very good news story. This month I have written the first article with a column on the resurgence of the Kirtland’s Warbler. Any ideas or articles for future columns on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Please!

The Monthly Meeting this month is the Annual General Meeting which is always great fun. Seriously though, it is something we have to do and I think we want and need to do it, to keep our organization on track. The actual AGM is fairly short and the speaker afterwards – Kyle Horner speaking on Madagascar –should be really interesting so please come out. You will be asked to vote on accepting the Minutes of the last AGM (please see page 32) and you will be asked to accept the Treasurer’s Report from 1 May 2012 to 30 April 2013. A paper copy of this report will be available for everyone to view at the meeting.


A Green Gem Indeed David Galbraith Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens Chair, Steering Committee, Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System Project

It is easy to overlook something in your own back yard. How often have you spoken with someone from Toronto who has

never visited the CN Tower or the ROM, or from Hamilton who has never been to Dundurn Castle, or to the Steam Museum? We seem to be more interested in things that are far off. Perhaps they seem more exotic, rarer, more elusive.

What could be more amazing, though, than a place in Ontario where some 1,000 years ago people congregated in the summer to gather food and share in some of the first agriculture practices in the province, and where 9,000 years before that, people were hunting and fishing, shortly after the retreat of the glaciers? A place that is listed as an Important Bird Area, an Important Amphibian and Reptile Area, an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest, and is even scheduled in the Ontario Endangered Species Act as critical habitat for endangered plants? And that this place is right in the heart of the Hamilton-Burlington conurbation? A place protected by amazing foresight and the work of civic leaders like Thomas Baker McQuesten and groups like the Hamilton Bird Protection Society? A place where for the first time ever, Bald Eagles have come to nest and raise chicks along this part of the Lake Ontario shore?

This place is, of course, Cootes Paradise Marsh and the surrounding terrestrial lands that together are the nature sanctuaries owned and managed by Royal Botanical Gardens. The more we look into these amazing properties the more stories there are to tell, of rich natural and cultural heritage, and of communities today that make use of this green space as an important part of a healthy urban life. Research in the past decade has led to the description of these lands as the plant biodiversity hotspot for all of Canada, because such a large proportion of the plant species of the country is growing wild in these wetlands, prairie, and forested habitats.

As wonderful as these lands are, the reality is that they are fragmented, and land-locked by growing urban areas. Habitat fragmentation is a major threat to biodiversity at all levels. Even though the RBG nature sanctuaries seem large, covering more than 900 hectares, we also know that they have lost plant species over the past half-century, most likely because of the effects of fragmentation.

Is it possible to “fight the fragmentation?” I believe that some of the effects of fragmentation can be opposed if good planning can be applied. For more than 20 years people have been working toward ensuring that ecological corridors in our area are recognized, protected, and strengthened, precisely to help

support life within the patches of intact habitat we still have. That effort has led over time to the development of the proposal for the Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System, a permanent collaboration or network of natural areas and recreational trails that includes RBG’s natural lands as well as properties owned by the other participating agecies:

The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club, the City of Hamilton, City of Burlington, Halton Region, the Hamilton Conservation Authority, Conservation Halton, the Bruce Trail Conservancy, and McMaster University (with great support from the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan Office).

Agreeing to form the ecopark system is a voluntary step for these agencies. The goal is to work better together to conserve and restore natural areas and also to provide for better recreational experiences on our respective trails. Following lots of input from the public and stakeholders, in 2009 the participants formulated a vision for the Ecopark system:

Our vision for the Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System is that it will be known internationally as a protected, permanent and connected natural lands sanctuary from the Harbour to the Escarpment that promotes ecosystem and human health within Ontario’s Greenbelt.

This vision continues to guide the development of the ecopark system, through an extensive strategic plan. Although the development of this Ecopark system has been, until 2013, a “project,” we have now formalized its existence through an agreement among the participating agencies. There has already been terrific progress on cooperation on trails and other management issues, and in both Hamilton and Burlington, new lands have been added to the ecopark system through purchases or donations in 2013. In Hamilton, the Hamilton Conservation Authority Foundation has launched a campaign for fund-raising for both land purchases and also the remediation of HCA property along the Desjardins Canal. The Ecopark Campaign has already resulted in the purchase of the York Road Acreage, about 50 acres adjacent to RBG’s North Shore nature sanctuary. In Burlington the Holland Family has made a very generous donation of 37 acres of open space to the city, for inclusion under the umbrella of the Ecopark system.

We are looking forward to making this vision a reality. The founders of the RBG had amazing foresight in the 1920s to protect Cootes Paradise Marsh and its surroundings, and the


Junior Naturalists Program for 2013-2014 Starting NowDon’t Miss Out on the Fun! Enrol Your Kids Today

Program HighlightsMeets 4th Saturday of each month, September 2013 – May 2014

For Ages 7 to 12Fee: $80/first child, $70/each additional child

A joint HNC/RBG program with RBG in charge of program delivery.

Since the Club was formed in 1986, it has provided children with learning experiences that generate a life-long respect and appreciation of the natural world. Learn the art of nature photography, be a part of hands-on conservation projects, and identify, track, learn and explore! We are pleased to announce that Barb McKean, RBG’s Head of Education, will be returning to be involved with the Jr. Nats! Note: For children to be eligible, parents must be either Hamilton Naturalists’ Club or Royal Botanical Gardens members.

RegistrationTo register your children, go to the RBG ticketing website http://tickets.rbg.ca/PEO. Sign in or create an online account by clicking “My Account” (top right-hand of screen). In the left sidebar, click on “For Kids, Families & Teachers”. Scroll down to Junior Naturalists Club and register. Or you can call 905-527-1158 ext. 270 and speak to Liz Rabishaw.

Naturalist Helpers NeededWe will need additional naturalist helpers to assist the RBG staff with this program. It’s a rewarding experience to share your knowledge with the Jr. Nats so please consider volunteering to help. Our Club needs to do its share to help with this program. To volunteer or get more information, call 905-527-1158 ext. 247 and speak to Barb McKean.

Special Note: For Ages 12 to 15, RBG has a new program they are calling RBG Outdoors Club. For more information and registration see the Fall 2013 issue of the RBG magazine Paradise Found, follow the procedure for Junior Naturalists registration detailed above or call 905-527-1158 ext. 270.

Great Egret at Brant Park Conservation Area, Brantford - 10 Aug 2013 photo Robert Porter.

Grindstone Creek Valley in Aldershot, too. Today we are seeking to keep that vision alive, and ensure that generations to come see our area as a healthy, sustainable, and enjoyable place to live, work, and raise families, with connected to the nature that is right in our own area.

References

Galbraith, D. A., Iwanycki, N. E., McGoey, B. V., McGregor, J., Pringle, J. S., Rothfels, C. J., and Smith, T. W. 2011. The Evolving Role of Botanical Gardens and Natural Areas: A Floristic Case Study

from Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada. Plant Diversity and Resources 33(1): 123-131. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1143.2011.10235

Laking, Leslie (2006). Love, sweat and soil: a history of Royal Botanical Gardens from 1930 to 1981. Hamilton, ON: Royal Botanical Gardens Auxiliary. ISBN 978-0-9691759-4-0.

All of the reports and background documents for the Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System can be found on-line at: http://www.cootestoescarpmentpark.ca

Northern Ribbon Snake - 15 July 2013 - Grass Lake, Waterloo Region photo Bill Lamond.


November HNC Monthly MeetingDate: Monday, November 4, 2013

Speaker: Rick LudkinTopic: The Matangwe (Kenya) Bird Studies Club

In January/February 2013 Rick spent 4 weeks in a small village in rural western Kenya. This was the beginning of what he hopes will be a long term project. Using donated guide books and binoculars he taught grade 6, 7 & 8 stu-dents how to watch/identify, monitor and then band the birds in their area with a view, in the long run, to de-veloping an expertise that they can use to participate in research and or the growing eco-tourism business. The Matangwe Bird Club grew out of this project. The talk will be an outline of the results, to date, of that project.Donations from the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and

from members of the Club helped to fund this initiative.

Rick Ludkin’s “work” background is in the field of Chil-dren’s Mental Health. For over forty years Rick managed the Hamilton-based treatment programs for Woodview Children’s Centre. Rick has always been interested in birds and began bird banding in the mid-70s. In the Fall of 1995 has started and continues to run a migration monitoring banding station at Ruthven Park National Historic Site, just outside of Cayuga.

A few years prior to his retirement in 2010, Rick began to do bird-based field work in the Canadian Arctic. He spent part of one summer on Devon Island (studying Northern Fulmars and Snow Buntings) and four sum-mers on Southampton Island (studying Common Eiders and Snow Buntings). After that he spent two summers in Svalbard (studying Thick-billed Murres).

Member Profile - Denys Gardinerby Bill Lamond

Denys Gardiner was born in Simcoe on 26 December 1939 to parents Ralph & Mabel. Soon afterwards, his family

moved to Fort Erie where he was raised along with his three siblings – two older brothers and a younger sister. His dad introduced Denys to bird-watching at the young age of seven and birding soon became his life-long passion.

He went to Wintemute elementary school and to Fort Erie High School and graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1963 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Denys’ first job was with the Abitibi Power and Paper Company in Sault Ste. Marie in 1964. It is there that he met his future wife Sharon Malloy in 1965 and they were married a year later in 1966. He worked for Abitibi for three years and later as a consulting engineer for Proctor & Redfern, also in the Soo. He moved back to Fort Erie in 1967 where he worked in the Works Department for the City of St Catharines. In 1969, Denys moved to Burlington with his new job in the Building Department of the City of Burlington where he was employed until 1988.

In 1973, Denys joined the HNC when encouraged to do so by Chauncey Wood. Denys was a very active birder in the Hamilton area as the Noteworthy Bird Records of that time will show. Many birders will thank Denys for adding American Oystercatcher and Swainson’s Warbler to their life-lists which Denys found at Windermere Basin and at Long Point, respectively. Denys led several Club hikes over the years and was part of the original Hamilton Bird Records Committee and was a co-author to both editions of the Date Guide to the Birds of the Hamilton Area. He also designed the 1988 and

2000 Checklist of the Birds of the Hamilton Area. In 1988, Denys moved to Brantford with his new job as Chief Building Official with that City. He retired with glee in 1995. He has been less active in HNC circles since his move to Brantford but he is still a very active birder, making almost daily lists of the birds he has seen whether in the field or at his feeder. Denys & Sharon have two children, Kathleen [my wife] and son Chris, and two grandchildren, Sarah (age 17) and Eric (age 16) [my kids]. They are expecting their third grandchild in April 2014 from Chris and his wife Kara.

Denys and family have spent time at Point Pelee in May annually since 1972. It is the highlight of his birding year. He also vacations almost annually in Florida and in Elizabeth, Maine, mostly for the birds. Denys had some artistic training when younger and used to paint a fair bit. His drawing of a Wood Frog can be found in The Reptiles and Amphibians of the Hamilton Area. When not birding, Denys is an avid reader, crossword puzzler, gardener and can be found encouraging his grandchildren at their soccer, hockey and rugby games.

Currently Denys lives in Brantford with wife Sharon. He spends a fair bit of the summer on Lake Erie at his cottage at Peacock Point and he will be found annually at Point Pelee during the first two weeks of May.

Denys Gardiner at Point Pelee, 13 May 2012

photo Glenda Slessor.


KILLDEER, Part of the Plover FamilyBy June Hitchcox

It is a little late in the season to be talking about nesting Killdeer but they are fascinating shorebirds. I have been watching a

pair nesting at the Bronte Marine Park all summer and thought that you might be interested. Killdeer are the same colour all year: brown above, white below; 9”- 11.25” long; 2 black breast-bands (juvenile has just one); black bill; rusty-orange on rump and tail. They eat grubs, insects, worms – suddenly sprinting across the ground and coming to a sudden stop to eat.

They nest on the ground right out in the open: golf courses; pastures; roof tops; fields; sandy beaches; gravel paths and parking lots – just a scrape in the ground, sparsely lined with bits of grass – 4 pale-buff, spotted eggs that blend well with the surroundings. Both parents share the 24 +- day incubation (the large amount of yolk in Killdeer eggs require a longer incubation than, for instance, the eggs of songbirds) - and 25 days until fledged. Chicks have stripes on the back for camouflage. Nesting begins as early as April – cold – and they often have a second brood. To keep the eggs warm, when sitting on the eggs, they let down a patch of feathers known as “brood patch” to allow their warm skin to contact the eggs to keep them warm.

Killdeer have devised several tricks to keep intruders away: “broken wing” - they feign a broken wing, dragging it and limping along while running away from the nest area, showing their orange rump and tail which resemble blood, with the intruder in full pursuit – then they fly away when far from the nest. Another trick is to sit on an imaginary nest – then fly away. They also are very noisy – screaming “kill-dee”, which distracts an intruder from looking for the nest and that is the call which gave it its name. Smart bird, the Killdeer.

Killdeer, juvenile - 19 September 2004 - Townsend Sewage Lagoons photo Brandon Holden

MINUTES of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGof the HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUB

October 1, 2012

1. Call to OrderHNC President Michael Fischer called to order the Annual General Meeting of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club at 7:35 p.m. at the Royal Botanical Gardens Centre auditorium.

2. Appointment of Chairperson and SecretaryPeter Scholtens moved that Michael Fischer act as Chairperson and Joyce Litster act as Secretary for the meeting. Jim Stollard seconded the motion. Motion carried.

3. QuorumNotice having been given to all members by means of the E-newsletter and word of mouth, and there being at least 30 members present, the chair declared that the Annual General Meeting was duly constituted.

4. Minutes of the Last Annual General MeetingWarren Beacham moved that the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on October 3, 2011 be accepted as distributed. The motion was seconded by John Fischer. Motion carried.

5. Club Activities for the Past YearSummary of the Club’s activities for the past year appeared in the September and October Wood Duck. There being no questions concerning those activities or about the Club’s activities in

general, the balance of the meeting was confined to the legal requirements of our Annual General Meeting.

6. Treasurer’s Reporta) Financial StatementsThe Chairperson called upon the Treasurer, Jim Heslop, to present the Financial Statements for the year ending April 30, 2012. Following the presentation of the Financial Statements for the fiscal year starting May 1, 2011 and ending April 30, 2012, Jim Stollard moved that the Treasurer’s Report be accepted as distributed by paper copy at this meeting. J. Neysmith seconded the motion. Motion carried.

b) Appointment of AuditorThe Chairperson again called upon Jim Heslop to appoint the Club’s auditor. Jim moved that Gibb Widdis, Chartered Accountants, be nominated as auditor of the Corporation for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2013 at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board of Directors, and the Board be hereby authorized to fix such remuneration. Glenda Slessor seconded the motion. Motion carried.

7. Nomination Committee ReportThe Chairperson presented the report of the Nominating Committee. No further nominations having been received by the Secretary prior to October 1, 2012, as required by the Club bylaws, Michael Fischer moved and Jean Stollard seconded that the following list of persons, who had previously consented to act, be elected as Directors of the (continued on page 39)


A Tale of Two Touch-Me-NotsBy Paul D. & Anna-Marie Smith

It all began in our friends’ yard in Greensville. From just inside their front gate, touch-me-nots grow in profusion along the

fence, down the slope to their back yard and again on the slope down into the floodplain of the Spencer Creek. Even on the first visit in mid-spring, before the flowers had appeared, they were unmistakeable with their tall succulent stems, covered in a silvery bloom. But there was something different about these plants, compared to the ones that grow in similar profusion around our

yard in Flamborough. These leaves were more finely toothed, like the serrated edge of a knife, instead of the more coarse rounded teeth of our Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis). Our friends confirmed most of their plants were indeed Pale Touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida). Although familiar with both plants, we had not paid much attention to the leaves since the plants are so easy to tell apart by their blooms. The flower of the Spotted Touch-me-not (Figure 1) is typically a rich orange colour with reddish brown spots. The flower of the Pale Touch-me-not is a pale yellow with fewer spots and with a shorter, wider shape see below). It had never come to mind that the plants could be distinguished by their leaves alone.

Checking Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide and Peterson’s A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern & Northcentral North America, we found no mention of the leaves in either account. Even the more technical references Gray’s Manual of Botany and Britton & Brown’s An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Adjacent Canada make no mention of any difference between the leaves. In his Field Manual of Michigan Flora, Voss very emphatically states that these two species “are impossible to distinguish in the absence of flowers”. Was the difference we noticed a coincidence or was there a consistent difference between the species? A further search on line brought us to “The Northern Plant Database” an online resource for identifying plants in northern Ontario. In their account, they describe the larger leaves of the Pale Touch-me-not as having more regularly toothed margins.

This sent us on a quest to find as many different and widely spread patches of both touch-me-not species as we could within the Hamilton Study Area (HSA). We found plants in bloom from Halton Hills to Cayuga and from Glen Morris to Oakville. In the end we collected 117 leaves from 39 plants of the Spotted

Figure 1. Spotted Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens capensis) flower. 19 August 2009 - photo Paul D. Smith

Figure 2. Pale Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens pallida) flower - 21 August 2009 - photo Paul D. Smith.

Figure 3. Leaf variation in Pale Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens pallida). (Clockwise from top left Aug. 21, July 2, July 2 and Aug. 27 2009 - photos Paul D. Smith.

Figure 4. Leaf variation in Spotted Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens capensis). (Clockwise from top left Aug. 19, Aug. 30, 30, & 30 2009 - photos Paul D. Smith.


Touch-me-not from 13 sites and 108 leaves from 36 plants of the Pale Touch-me-not from 12 sites. We pressed all 225 leaves and measured their length, width, and counted total number of teeth and the number of teeth per centimetre. We even visited the herbarium at the Royal Botanical Gardens to look at plants from further a field. They were also very helpful in providing access to some of the more technical references we looked at.

And what did we find? In the end all that measuring told us very little. The leaves of the Pale Touch-me-not averaged longer and wider but weren’t significantly so. There was virtually no difference in the proportion of length to width or in the number of teeth per centimetre of leaf margin.

But despite the lack of significant difference in these easily measured characteristics there seemed to be something visibly different in the leaves of these 2 species. The Pale Touch-me-not appeared to have more obvious, deeper veining and the teeth appeared to be finer (Figure 3). The impression of the Spotted Touch-me-not was of a smoother, more subtly veined leaf (Figure 4). It may not always be possible to make the distinction, but certainly in the two places we found them together, at Stoney Creek Battlefield House along a tributary of Stoney Creek, and in the Spencer Creek flood plain in the Kinsmen Park in Greensville, it was easy.

Now it has become a bit of a game for us each year, to guess from the leaves which species they are, whenever we come upon a patch of touch-me-not plants not yet in bloom. Try it yourself and see if you can tell the difference.

References

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb. Little, Brown & Company. 1977.A Wildflower Guide to Flowers of Northeastern & Northcentral North America by Roger Tory Peterson & Margaret McKenny, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1968.

Gray’s Manual of Botany by Merrit L. Fernald. D. Van Nostrand Co. 1970

An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Adjacent Canada, 2nd Edition, by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Addison Brown. In 3 volumes. Dover Publications, Inc., 1970

Field Manual of Michigan Flora by Edward G. Voss and Anton A. Reznickek, University of Michigan, U of Michigan, 2012

Northern Ontario Plant Database Website, by S.J. Meades, D. Schnare, K. Lawrence and C. Faulkner. (2004 onwards). Version 1, January 2004. Algoma University College and Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada., Accessed at http://www.northernontarioflora.ca/, February 27,2013.

Male Golden-winged Warbler - 19 May 2013- Dyer’s Bay Road at Bartley Drive, Bruce Peninsula - photo Tom Thomas. This beautiful warbler is all but gone from the Hamilton Study Area, having had it genes swamped by the closely related Blue-winged Warbler. A few Golden-wings are still seen in migration and usually one pure (?) bird is seen every year in the breeding season. Surely not for much longer.

Adult Northern Gannet along Stoney Creek lakeshore at Green Road on 1 September 2013. This is the earliest record for the HSA by a month and the first ever adult for Hamilton! You just never know what can turn up at the western end of Lake Ontario within the HSA. There is a good chance that the next new bird for Hamilton will be found at Lake Ontario.

(Brown-chested Martin anyone?) - photo Brandon Holden.

© photo Brandon Holden

Next Bird Study Group Meeting - Monday, 21 OctoberJoin us for a lively evening of bird chatter and interesting information from the bird world. On this night we will be joined by Erica Lagios who will be discussing recovery efforts for the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, a Provincially and Nationly Endangered passerine. Erica has a BSc from the University of Toronto in Environmental Science & Zoology, and a Natural Resource Planning & Management Certificate from the Canadian Centre for Environmental Educa-tion and Royal Roads University. Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Burlington Senior’s Centre, Auditorium B, 2285

New St, Burlington. Come early for treats and bird-friendly coffee.


HNC Receives Ontario Trillium Grant to Create Volunteer Program The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club has a long and proud

history of accomplishments due, in large part, to the active engagement of volunteers in its work. Emerging trends in volunteerism indicate that motivations for volunteering are growing and changing. Busy lifestyles, multiple generations in the workforce, a rise in corporate social responsibility, an emphasis in community service learning in post-secondary institutions, a diverse population base, and a new vision of retirement demands that volunteer programs adapt to ensure the continued influx of volunteers. Like many nonprofit organizations today, the HNC faces these challenges in engaging and retaining quality volunteers from the community at large, and in some cases, from within its membership. The HNC is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to develop a volunteer management program to enhance its ability to attract and engage volunteers.

For those of you not familiar with volunteer management, it is, in essence, a cousin to Human Resources. A well-managed volunteer program enables nonprofit organizations to recruit, train, and strategically engage volunteers. It is designed to attract highly qualified volunteers and facilitate their integration into an organization and its work.

The first phase of work will take place from June 2013 to June 2014. The second, less intensive phase will take place from July 2014-June 2015. Lee Jones, a volunteer management consultant, has been hired to provide leadership and expertise for the project. She will work under the direct supervision of Jen Baker (HNC Land Trust Coordinator), and an advisory committee of Warren Beacham (Sanctuary Director) and Doris Southwell (Volunteer Director). Volunteers and members interested in joining the advisory committee are welcome. Meetings are open and anyone wishing to attend should contact Jen Baker.

The HNC volunteer program will be set up to meet the standards of the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement. The Code was developed by Volunteer Canada and the Canadian Administrators of Volunteers in 2002 to articulate the value and benefits of volunteers, provide a framework for decision-making, promote standards for involving individuals in meaningful ways, and creating conditions whereby volunteers are integrated strategically into the work of an organization. The Code has 14 components - Mission Based Approach, Human Resources, Policy and Procedures, Volunteer Administration, Risk Management and Quality Assurance, Volunteer Roles, Recruitment, Screening, Orientation and Training, Support and Supervision, Records Management, Technology, Recognition, and Evaluation.A master project plan has been created for the project. Initial steps have included an assessment of current volunteer coordination

infrastructures and practices at the HNC; a recommendation for adding or revising HNC policies and procedures relevant to volunteers; an inventory of volunteer roles (80 and counting!), and the development of role descriptions. Risk management assessments and risk mitigation strategies will follow. A general orientation presentation has been drafted. Orientation and training for specific roles, committees and/or projects will also be created. An initial review of technology options for records management is done and will be revisited in more detail later.

Once the foundations are laid, active targeted recruitment will get underway. We are aiming to connect with new partners and attract new volunteers from the diversity that characterizes the Hamilton region. We are also hoping that the articulation and communication of volunteer roles within the HNC will entice members who may not have volunteered in the past to expand their contribution to the HNC in this way in the future.

The overarching strategy for the project is the creation of a program that is sustainable by Club volunteers. The Trillium grant includes the cost of the volunteer management staff for the development phase of the project only. In order to keep the program functioning after this phase, a Volunteer Engagement Team (VET), consisting of volunteers with roles dedicated to various functions within the volunteer program, will be created. The VET will be led by the Director Volunteers. Many of you will meet Lee over the coming months. She welcomes input, feedback and questions about the development of the volunteer program. In the interim if you would like more information, or have questions about the project, please direct your inquiries through Jen Baker who can be reached at 905-524-3339 or [email protected]

by Jen Baker

Presentation of cheque from the Trillium Foundation for Volunteer Program at HNC Monthly Meeting on 9 September 2013. Left to right, Lee Jones, Jen Baker and Nancy McGibbon-Gray from Trillium Foundation - photo Angie McNulty.


D A T E S T O R E M E M B E R - O c t o b e r 2 0 1 3

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HNC HIKESAll of our leaders are volunteers who enjoy sharing their knowledge and time. The HNC assumes no responsibility for injuries of any kind sustained by anyone as a result of participating in any of these activities. Please assess your own ability to participate. Hikes are sometimes cancelled or rescheduled. You are advised to check the HNC website (www.hamiltonnature.org) before setting out to ensure that the hike has not been rescheduled. Generally, pets on hikes are discouraged as they startle wildlife, damage nests, and interfere with the enjoyment of others. Contact the leader before bringing your pet or for other questions.

We also publicize Royal Botanical Gardens hikes and events: “Learning at the Gardens” programs of interest to Naturalists; more information and on-line registration available at http://tickets.rbg.ca/PEO/. Most programs require pre-registration one week prior. Please note there is often a charge for these activities. although RBG members receive a discount on most programs. Questions? Please call 905-527-1158 ext 270. Check RBG website for meeting locations for hikes which are not listed below.

6 Oct. (Sunday) 2 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hikes: Every Sunday (Sept - May, including holiday weekends). Free RBG Nature Hike (donations welcome). This week: Hendrie Valley. Meet at Cherry Hill Gate parking lot on Plains Road.

6 Oct. (Sunday) 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. HNC - VISIT TO THE DONKEY SANCTUARY IN GUELPH. Meet and be charmed by these donkeys in their world. Brush a donkey and discover the wonder of connecting with one of these marvellous animals. Learn about the day-to-day lives of donkeys and what is involved in their lifelong care at the DSC. Hike the Nature Trails, enjoy a picnic by the pond, and stop at the Long Ears Boutique. The Sanctuary is located on Concession Road 4 in Guelph. Contact Fran Hicks at [email protected] for details or questions about carpooling.

7 Oct. (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC Annual General Meeting. Also with speaker Kyle Horner: Topic: Madagascar! Separated from mainland Africa by hundreds of miles and millions of years, Madagascar is home to some of the strangest creatures on Earth! And with an endemism rate of over 90%, it hosts countless species that can be seen nowhere else in the world. This presentation will journey through the eastern highlands of this unique country and explore a diverse selection of its spectacular wildlife, all illustrated by colourful photos of course! Come early for social and refreshments. Royal Botanical Gardens, Main Center, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington.

12 Oct. (Saturday) 9 a.m. to noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday to January 2014. RBG Nature Centre. Eco-stewardship based projects, excursions, activities. Fee: $235 for Fall/Winter. (Winter /Spring also available.)

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

19 Oct. (Saturday) 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. SPOOKY HOLLOW VISIT AND FALL WORK DAY. It’s off to our Carolinian forest sanctuary for a day out exploring the woods and doing trail maintenance. Bring a lunch and dress accordingly. Contact: Warren Beacham, [email protected]. Rain date is Oct. 20.

20 Oct. (Sunday) 2 - 4 p.m. Fall for Autumn, Family Program at the Nature Centre. A guided hike answering questions about why leaves change colour, migrating birds, then gather leaves and make a masterpiece to take home. $12 (family rate $30).

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

21 Oct. (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC - Bird Study Group meeting. This month: Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program with Erica Lagios. Burlington Senior’s Centre, Auditorium B, 2285 New St, Burlington.

23 Oct - 6 Nov. (Wednesdays) 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Creative Photography by Night, a three-part course at the RBG Nature Centre. Indoor classroom time, lessons practiced outdoors. Fee: $90

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

26 Oct. (Saturday) 9 a.m. to noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday to January 2014. RBG Nature Centre. Eco-stewardship based projects, excursions, activities. Fee: $235 for Fall/Winter. (Winter /Spring also available.)

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


D A T E S T O R E M E M B E R - N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 3

2 Nov. (Saturday) 1:30 p.m. HNC - Looking for Late Wildflowers. Join Dean Gugler and Fleur-Ange Lamothe for a late season wildflower hike at Princess Point parking lot. The warm waters of the Hamilton Harbour and the extra light from the street lights keep the flowers blooming longer than one might expect. Contact Dean Gugler and Fleur-Ange Lamothe: (519) 647-2371. Princess Point Parking Lot, Pay to Park. Waterfront Trail.

3 Nov. (Sunday) Hamilton Fall Bird Count. This will be the 40th fall bird count. Quite a milestone. Believe it our not, there is one birder who has participated on every count so far. Let’s hope the streak continues! Bill Lamond is the compiler of the fall bird count. Call him or email to confirm you are participating this year. [email protected] or 519-756-9546.

3 Nov. (Sunday) 2 - 4 p.m. An Apple a Day, RBG Family Program the Nature Centre. Participants drink apple cider, hike out to see wild apples, and, to finish, apple pie! Fee: $12 (family rate $30).

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

4 Nov. (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC Monthly Meeting. Speaker: Rick Ludkin. Topic: The Matangwe (Kenya) Bird Studies Club. In Jan/Feb. 2013, Rick spent 4 weeks in a small village in rural western Kenya. This was the beginning of what he hopes will be a long term project. Using donated guide books and binoculars he taught grade 6, 7 & 8 students how to watch/identify, monitor and then band the birds in their area with a view, in the long run, to developing an expertise that they can use to participate in research and or the growing eco-tourism business. The Matangwe Bird Club grew out of this project. The talk will be an outline of the results, to date, of that project.

5 Nov. (Tuesday) 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Once and Future Great Lakes Country - An evening with John Riley, Senior Science Advisor, Nature Conservancy of Canada. At RBG Main Centre. Fee: $15.

9 Nov. (Saturday) 9 a.m. to noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday to January 2014. RBG Nature Centre. Eco-stewardship based projects, excursions, activities. Fee: $235 for Fall/Winter. (Winter /Spring also available).

10 Nov. (Sunday) 2 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Meet at Princess Point parking area.

16 Nov. (Saturday) 8 a.m. to noon. HNC - Lakeshore Birding - Van Wagner’s to 50 Point. Kevin McLaughlin has been leading fall birding outings for the HNC for more than 30 years and recently has been focusing more on waterbirds. There will be stops at various points along the lake during this popular annual excursion. This is a morning walk that may stretch into the afternoon if conditions are good. Meet in the parking lot just north of Hutch’s Restaurant (Van Wagner’s Road). Contact Kevin at [email protected]

17 Nov. (Sunday) 2 p.m. Get Back to Nature Hike: Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Cootes North Shore. Meet at Nature Centre.

18 Nov. (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC - Bird Study Group Meeting. This month: Forest Birds at Risk with Jody Allair from Bird Studies Canada. Burlington Senior’s Centre, 2285 New Street, Burlington, Auditorium B. Lots of free parking near the New Central Library.

23 Nov. (Saturday) 9 a.m. to noon. RBG Outdoors Club, ages 12 to 15, every other Saturday to January 2014. RBG Nature Centre. Eco-stewardship based projects, excursions, activities. Fee: $235 for Fall/Winter. (Winter /Spring also available).

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

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


T h e D r a g o n ’ s D e n

A Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) in Flamborough (Hamilton) and a Summary of Ontario Recordsby Bill Lamond

The Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) is a large, very attractive dragonfly. It is rare in Ontario and only occurs in

extreme south-western Ontario. Thus, a record in the Hamilton Study Area (HSA) is highly significant. On 6 August 2012, Tim King found and photographed a male Great Blue Skimmer along 8th Concession West, Flamborough, near Spencer Creek (see cover). This was the first record of vibrans for the HSA and perhaps the northern-most record of this southern species in Ontario. The Great Blue Skimmer was first recorded in Ontario (and Canada) at Point Pelee on 21 June 1951 by Eric Thorn. This individual was considered to be a non-breeding stray (Walker & Corbett 1975). This species was not recorded again in the Province until 1987 when Paul Pratt recorded it from Pelee Island and also at Ojibway Park, Windsor. In 1993, Pratt found this species at Rondeau Provincial Park, Kent County, the first Ontario record away from Essex County. This species was recorded again in Kent County on 6 July 1999 when Paul Catling, Cory Catling and Vivian Brownell – in a survey of odonata of Wheatley Provincial Park – found 15 Great Blue Skimmers within the park. The large numbers and presence of ovipositing females at Wheatley strongly suggested that this was a resident population (Catling, Brownell & Catling 2000).

Records of this species became more frequent in the following decade, either a real change in distribution or an artefact of more knowledgeable naturalists. Steve Marshall observed this species at St. Clair National Wildlife Area on 9 July 2002, the first record for Lambton County. Another Lambton County record was at Port Franks where R. DiFruscia reported a female on 11 September 2004. In 2007, this species seemed to stage an incursion into Ontario as individuals were seen at four new locations as well as at Ojibway Park again. These new locations were: 1) Clearville, Kent County [northeast of Rondeau P.P.] 22 June, one male (James Holdsworth, Dave Martin, Linda Wladarski); 2) Bickford Woods, Lambton County 11 July, one male (James Holdsworth); 3) Amherst Point, Essex County [mouth of Detroit River] 30 July (Paul Pratt); and 4) Gobles Bog, near Gobles, Oxford County [first Oxford County record] 4 August, four males (James Holdsworth). The following year a female was observed at the Tip of Point Pelee on 14 June 2008 by Alan Wormington, probably a migrating/dispersing individual.

More recently, vibrans was recorded at six sites in 2012, three of these being previous locations: 1) at Ojibway Park (Paul Pratt); 2) a female on the West Beach of Point Pelee on 29 July (Blake Mann); and 3) a female at Fish Point, Pelee Island on 6 August (Lucas Foerster). The other three records were at new locations: 4) Blake Mann observed a female at Skunk’s Misery on 1 July [first Middlesex County record]; 5) Paul Pratt observed this species at LaSalle, Essex County on 18 August; and 6) of course, the record from Tim King on 6 August in Flamborough [first record for Hamilton-Wentworth].

Tim King observed this individual at the pond complex along 8th Concession West on the south side of the road, about 400m west of where Spencer Creek crosses the road. The Great Blue Skimmer was in the pond that is set within the forest closest to the road (see photo next page). From Tim:

At first I thought it was an Eastern Pondhawk but the “S3-10” looked rather long and the overall dragon looked too big and it flew nothing like an Eastern Pondhawk. It was being territorial and was chasing Twelve-spotted Skimmers and Common Whitetails.”

Tim King notified a couple of Hamilton dragonfly enthusiasts that night about his exciting find. He sent around some photos too which made us drool with anticipation of seeing this dragon the next day. I fully expected to see it when I arrived the next morning. I met Brian Wylie there around 10 a.m. but it was rather cool. We waited for things to heat up and get the dragons active. The dragonflies did become more active with time, but by noon-hour, it was apparent that the Great Blue Skimmer was not present – at least not where it was the previous day. This pond complex is large and most of it is inaccessible by foot so it may have been present. Bob Curry arrived later that afternoon with similar expectations of seeing it but came up empty – a one day wonder.

This year (2013) Paul Pratt found a population of 5-6 vibrans at a wooded slough at Holiday Beach Conservation Area, Essex County on 21 August. This location was not too far away from the well-known hawk-watch tower. I, along with Bob Curry and Brian Wylie, visited this site two days later and were delighted to see at least four Great Blue Skimmers in this same slough – a


life sighting for Brian and me. A few other oders went to see this same population shortly thereafter and were similarly thrilled.

Despite all the records of Great Blue Skimmer at various locations over the last 26 years, this species has not completely established itself in the Province. It is not known whether the species is still regular at Wheatley Provincial Park. Although it has been seen frequently at Ojibway Park over the years, it is not seen there every year — it has been seen in only five years of the last 12. At the Gobles Bog, where four males were seen on 4 August 2007, no individuals were seen at this “colony” the following week when surveyed again by James Holdsworth. Probably an ovipositing female had been at Gobles earlier in the year to account for the four males, but these males seemed to disperse rapidly. I’ll give the last word to Paul Pratt on the current Ontario status of the Great Blue Skimmer:

“I strongly suspect that this species is present at several sites every year in Essex/Kent. I haven’t gone out looking for odes in recent years and yet I still bump into it with regularity. I’ve seen females ovipositing at Ojibway several years and saw one ovipositing at Holiday Beach this year. I’m sure if people were out looking it would be found every year.”

AcknowledgementsI would like to thank Paul Pratt for providing me detailed information on Essex County and Kent County records. James Holdsworth, Blake Mann and Bob Curry provided information on records from other counties.

Catling, P.M. and V.R. Brownell, C.H. Catling. 2000. Notes on the Odonata of Wheatley Provincial Park. Pp. 20-21 In P.M. Catling, C.D. Jones, P. Pratt (eds), Ontario Odonata, Vol. 1, Toronto Entomologists’ Association, Toronto, Ontario.

Walker, E.M. and P.S. Corbett. 1975. The Odonata of Canada and Alaska. Universirty of Toronto Press. 307 pp.

Great Blue Skimmer, male - 6 August 2012 - 8th Concession West, Flamborough, 400m west of Spencer Creek - photo Tim King.

Location of Great Blue Skimmer (green arrow) on 6 August 2012. Note Spencer Creek on the right of the picture about 400m east of location.

Image from googlemaps.

(continued from page 32) Corporation until the first annual general meeting of the Corporation or until their successors have been elected or appointed, subject to the provisions of the bylaws of the Corporation and the Business Corporations Act of Ontario 1982, namely:

Michael FischerJim HeslopJoyce LitsterBill LamondFran Hicks, Field Events DirectorWarren Beacham, Sanctuary DirectorPeter Scholtens, Program DirectorGeorge Holland, Bird Studies GroupElaine Serena, Volunteer DirectorHerman van Barneveld, Wood Duck Editor Gord McNulty, Director at LargeLindsay Burtenshaw, Publicity Director

The majority of members voted for the motion and none voted against. Motion carried. The proposed slate of Board

members was declared duly elected.

Jim Stollard moved and Kathy Leisti seconded that the following persons be nominated to hold office in the Club for the following year or until their successors are elected or appointed:

Michael Fischer PresidentJim Heslop Vice-PresidentJoyce Litster SecretaryJim Heslop TreasurerBill Lamond Past President The majority of the members voted for the motion and none voted against. Motion carried. The proposed slate of officers was declared accepted.

8. AdjournmentOn a motion from Gord McNulty, seconded by Peter Scholtens, the members voted to adjourn the Annual General Meeting at 8:05 p.m.


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

The Recovery of the Kirtland’s Warblerby Bill Lamond

The Kirtland’s Warbler is a good news story. Despite it being one of the rarest birds in North America, it is far more common

now than it was just a short time ago. Man’s manipulation of the landscape had pushed it to the brink of extinction in the middle of the 20th century. Ironically however, intensive conservation efforts in the last 40 years likely saved this species from joining the Passenger Pigeon, Labrador Duck and Bachman’s Warbler on a most distressing list. The Kirtland’s Warbler was probably never a very common bird in North America, at least in the last millennia. It has quite specific habitat requirements that limit its distribution. Breeding habitat is typically in Jack Pine Barrens – particularly sub-mature stands – and much of this habitat is well to the north, well beyond the current range of this species. The former breeding range of this species is not precisely known, although it is known to have

nested (rarely) in southern Ontario until about 1950. After that time its range contracted to a fairly small area in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Even though this species may not have been common before Europeans, early settlers did not do this species any favours as forests were cleared including Jack Pine forests. In addition, fire suppression was “king” in the early part of the past century and Jack Pine stands are naturally maintained by periodic fire – Jack Pine is adapted to fire and, as a consequence, so is the Kirtland’s Warbler. Fire suppression efforts greatly reduced available habitat for this species and as populations dropped, Kirtland’s Warbler became vulnerable to nest parasitism from Brown-headed Cowbirds. This species reached a low water mark in 1974 when a census revealed only 167 singing males – a total global population of less than 500 birds! Subsequently the species was listed as Endangered (U.S.) in the same year.

It was clear that Jack Pine habitat would have to managed for the Kirtland’s Warbler to increase. In Michigan during the mid 1970s, 54,000 hectares of Jack Pine was designated for management as Kirtland’s Warbler nesting habitat. These lands were intensively managed by controlled burns. One of these “controlled burns” got out of control which created a huge amount of future nesting habitat. However it was concluded that logging and replanting on a 50 year rotational basis would replace the burns. The other half of the management equation was controlling Brown-headed Cowbirds, a very frequent nest parasite of this warbler. Studies proved that cowbirds were seriously affecting warbler chicks and cowbird parasitism was believed to be a major factor in the species decline. In 1972 the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service began controlling cowbirds with large live traps. Any caught cowbirds were euthanized. Kirtland’s Warbler nesting success improved dramatcally as a result. Nest parasitism has declined from 69% to

less than 5%. The average number of young warblers fledged/nest has increased from less than one to almost three birds. As distasteful as the cowbird control program may be to many people, it has surely helped in the recovery.

For several years after 1974 the population remained low. Again in 1987 only 167 singing males were recorded. However since then, these intensive manipulations have met with great success. A census of singing males in Michigan in 2012 revealed 2,090 males, an astonishing figure, 12 times the population of 25 years ago. Not surprisingly, with this rapid increase the species has started to spread out and expand its range. Those who frequent Point Pelee will know that it is now annual as a migrant. It has been recorded almost every year since 2002, with multiple individuals in some years. And of course there is the recent Hamilton record from 5 May 2012 at Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek. But more importantly, this species has re-occupied some of its former breeding

range in Ontario. Starting in 2006, three singing males were found at CFB Petawawa, the very location that the last breeding individuals were encountered in Ontario almost 60 years ago. The following year a nest was found with two young successfully fledging. Since then this species has been recorded annually at Petawawa with nests found in a few years. The species has also spread to the north and west with at least 24 singing males being recorded in 2012 in five counties of Wisconsin and several males on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In Ontario the MNR has begun some forest management with Kirtland’s Warbler as the focus. In Algonquin Park, poplar saplings have been removed in a few square kilometres to favour Jack Pine stands, and in the Pembroke area, a new forest management plan includes specific strategies to create habitat for Kirtland’s Warblers.

The Kirtland’s Warbler has been saved from extinction. However, due to its strict habitat requirements it will always be a rare bird. Nonetheless its survival is something to celebrate.

Kirtland’s Warbler at Edgelake Park on 5 May 2012. This bird was seen by many area birders who added it to their HSA lists. Several Hamilton birders at Point Pelee at the time missed it, but based on this species rapid population growth, there will be others. This was the 3rd record for Hamilton and the first since 1969 - photo Barry Cherriere.


Membership Director’s Report for 2012-2013By Maggie Sims, Membership Director

The HNC was very pleased to welcome 44 new members during the 2012-2013 membership year including 14

student memberships – this is particularly exciting news as our younger members help to keep our Club vibrant. Currently we have 659 named members in 457 memberships. This includes 48 life members. In reality, we have more members than this but I know I am missing some information, particularly from those who have family memberships. Our database automatically counts single and joint memberships accurately. However, family memberships often include more than two people but I do not always receive those details. If you are renewing a family membership this year, it would be most helpful if you would write in the names of all the people included in the membership so I can update the database and we can have a more accurate count.

The key benefit of membership is a mailed copy of our monthly colour publication, the Wood Duck. In addition, members also receive the President’s monthly e-newsletter provided

you include your email address with your membership information. This newsletter highlights various items of interest and details about future Club activities and outings.

Please remember that our membership year runs from September 1st through August 31st. It is important to renew as soon as possible for the 2012-2013 year to ensure you do not miss any issues of the Wood Duck. If you have not renewed by the beginning of November then, unfortunately, the November issue will be your last. Renewals can be made electronically through PayPal via our website, by mail, or in person at any of our Monthly Meetings.

In the Spring the Board voted to purchase a new, modern database to help us manage our membership information as the old system is very outdated. I am looking forward to getting all the details transferred over so that I will be better able to keep your information up to date and accurate!

Buck and Crows – A Strange Encounterby Joanna Chapman

My house sits at the base of a hillside in Dundas, in a perfect location to study wildlife. On Friday, March 18th 2011, I

watched one of the strangest wildlife interactions I have ever seen.

For several years there has been a buck White-tailed Deer who crosses along the hillside and often sleeps quite near the house. His muzzle is now white from age, his eyes are a little droopy, and he moves more slowly than he used to. For the past month he has

been travelling with a much younger buck, one that has a badly injured hind leg, with a visible wound. The older one seems to be guarding the young one, standing aside to make sure he eats, and generally appearing to be looking out for his “buddy”.

Yesterday afternoon they were both lying down close to each other and resting. As I watched, four American Crows moved into the trees nearby and began cawing softly. They then flew down to the ground beside the young injured buck. For a couple of minutes the crows walked around, then one began to peck at the buck. At first I was horrified, and almost ran out to scare

the crows away, but then I remembered that although the buck is injured, he gets around fairly well, and can be on his feet in a hurry if he wants to.

As I watched more closely, I could see that the crow was pecking gently at the wound and if the buck moved its head towards the leg, that crow would move back and another crow would take over. This process continued for about five minutes, and then the crows flew off. After a moment or two, the buck stood up and wandered about a little before settling down again. Throughout this strange episode, the older buck

appeared to show no particular interest.

The following day I looked at the injured leg through my binoculars. The wound was no worse – maybe it even looked slightly better, time will tell. Were the crows cleaning the wound? Were they removing maggots? I have no idea.


NOTEWORTHY BIRD RECORDS – APRIL 2013By Rob DobosTotal number of species recorded in the HSA during 2013 to April 30: 209. Underlined species or dates require documentation by the Hamilton Bird Records Committee. Capitalized species require documentation by the Ontario Bird Records Committee. For species marked with “#”, all reported records are listed. For all other species, only highlights are listed. Note that the species order follows the most recent American Ornithologists’ Union checklist and supplements.

Observers: Frances Alvo (FAv), Jack Alvo (JAv), Phil Armishaw (PAr), Paul Baldassi (PBa), Kim Barrett (KBa), Gerry Binsfeld (GBi), Dave Brewer (DBr), Duane Brown (DBn), George Bryant (GBy), Wayne Bullock (WB), Chris Burris (CBu), Mike Cadman (MCa), Barb Charlton (BC), Barry Cherriere (BCh), Barry Coombs (BCo), Antonio Coral (ACo), Sara De Cloet (SDC), Karl Dix (KD), Rob Dobos (RD), Dave R. Don (DD), Judy Eberspaecher (JE), Cheryl Edgecombe (CE), Gavin Edmondstone (GE), Brian Enter (BEn), Dave Flook (DF), Janet Forjan (JFo), Brett Fried (BF), Denys Gardiner (DG), Brandon Holden (BH), George Holland (GH), Ellen Horak (EHk), Jackson Hudecki (JHu), Mourad Jabra (MJa), Eugene Jankowski (EJ), Beth Jefferson (BJe), Mark Jennings (MJ), Adam Jutrznia (AJu), Kevin Kerr (KKe), Bonnie Kinder (BKi), Ethan Kistler (EK), Billi Krochuk (BKr), Gordo Laidlaw (GLa), Bill Lamond (BL), Bruce Mackenzie (BM), Len Manning (LMa), Lou Marsh (LMr), Arlene McCaw (AMC), Jim McCaw (JMC), Kevin McLaughlin (KM), Lois McNaught (LMN), Matt Mills (MM), Brian Mishell (BMi), Dave Moore (DMo), Bill Morden (BMo), Ken Newcombe (KN), Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH), Josh Nieuwenhuis (JNs), Ed O’Connor (EOC), Terry Osborne (TO), Mark Peck (MP), Richard Poort (RPo), Rob Porter (RPr), David Pryor (DPr), Joanne Redwood (JRe), Dorlisa Robinson (DRo), Dan Salisbury (DS), Aaron Schat (ASc), Caleb Scholtens (CSc), Peter Scholtens (PSc), Jim Sigurdson (JSi), Janet Sippel (JSp), Paul Smith (PS), Dave Smitley (DSm), Mike Street (MS), John Struger (JSt), Bruce Taylor (BT), Lisa Teskey (LTe), Peter Thoem (PT), Tom Thomas (TT), Fred Urie (FU), Liz Vanderwoude (LV), Mike Veltri (MV), Mike Waldhuber (MWa), Rob Waldhuber (RW), Jim Watt (JWa), Glenn Welbourn (GWn), Angie Williams (AWi), Ken Williams (KWi), Brian Wyatt (BWt), many observers (m.obs.).

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

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

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

Snow Goose#: On Apr 13, one white morph + one blue morph at Stormwater Pond at Hwy 407 S of Britannia Rd [PL] (DPr), then at James Snow Parkway & Britannia Rd [HL] (MP) and later at 4th Line & Britannia Rd [HL] (LMa,LTe). Ross’s Goose#: One white morph at 8th Line & Britannia Rd [HL] Apr 12-14L (EJ; m.obs.).Brant#: One at CCIW [HL] (DMo; JSt) then later on Hamilton Harbour off LaSalle Marina [HM] (BKr,EK; m.obs.) Apr 22 was a very early migrant.Cackling Goose#: Two at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 1 L (MP). Tundra Swan: Two at Ofield Rd N of Hwy 5 [HM] Apr 6 L (RD,CE).Wood Duck: 20 at Hendrie Valley [HL] Apr 4 (LMa,BCo). Gadwall: 70 at NE Shore of Harbour [HM] Apr 6 (RD); 10 at Pusinch Lake [WL] Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Eurasian Wigeon#: One m. at Green Mt Rd Quarry Pond [HM] Apr 2 L (FU).Eurasian x American Wigeon hybrid#: An apparent hybrid m. at Puslinch Lake [WL] Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).American Wigeon: Five at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 23 (CE).

Blue-winged Teal: Four at Ofield Rd & Conc 4 [HM] and three at Middletown Rd S of Conc 4 [HM] Apr 10 (BC); three past Fifty Rd [HM] Apr 13 (KM); four at Valley Inn [HL] Apr 16 (KN); five at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 24 (RD).Northern Shoveler: Two past Beamer C.A., Grimsby [NG] Apr 4 F (NPH); 50 at Windermere Basin [HM] Apr 8 (RD,CE); six at Ofield Rd & Conc 4 Apr 10 (BC); 12 at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 13 (RD); 37 past Bronte [HL] Apr 16 (MJ).Northern Pintail: Two at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 13 (RD).Green-winged Teal: 26 off Van Wagners Beach [HM] Apr 7 (RD et al.); 34 at Ridge Rd E of 8th Rd E [HM] Apr 19 (CE,DD); 35 at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 29 (RD); 14 at Windermere Basin Apr 26 (RD,CE). Redhead: 14 off Van Wagners Beach Apr 7 (RD et al.); 44 at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Ring-necked Duck: Seven at Dundas Marsh [HM] Apr 17 (RD); seven at Green Mt Rd Quarry Pond [HM] Apr 21 (RD). Lesser Scaup: 104 at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).King Eider#: One 1st yr. m. off Green Rd [HM] Apr 20-21L (BH).Surf Scoter: 130 off Millen Rd [HM] Apr 25 (RD).Black Scoter: One 1st yr. m. off Millen Rd Apr 25 (RD).


Long-tailed Duck: One at Mountsberg C.A. [HM/WL] Apr 13 (RD).Ruddy Duck: 50 off Woodland Cemetery [HM] Apr 14 (RD et al.); 35 at Tollgate Pond [HM] Apr 16 (RD); 162 at Dundas Marsh Apr 147 (RD); 117 at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Ring-necked Pheasant#: One m. + one f. at Mud St & 7th Rd E [HM] Apr 26 (MS).Ruffed Grouse#: Up to three at Westover Rd N of Conc 8 [HM] Mar 1-Apr 22 (PS); one f. at Valens Rd N of Conc 6 [HM] Apr 5 (PS).Wild Turkey: Up to 11 at Westover Rd N of Conc 8 Mar 1-Apr 29 (PS); 45 at Hwy 5 N of Parkside Dr [HM] Mar 26 (PS). Red-throated Loon#: Two off Burlington Beachstrip [HL] Apr 9 (CE,RD); one past Fifty Rd [HM] and one off Peace Park, Grimsby [NG] Apr 13 (KM); seven off Grays Rd [HM] Apr 23 (KM), and two there Apr 25-26 (LMa et al.); nine over Dundas Valley C.A. [HM] Apr 28 (CE et al.).Common Loon: Birds past Beamer C.A.: 6 –Apr 7, 17 –Apr 18, 8 –Apr 23 (NPH); birds on Apr 13: 8 –Fifty Rd (KM), 15 –Green Rd (BH), 3 –Mountsberg C.A. (RD).Pied-billed Grebe: One at Desjardins Canal, Dundas [HM] Apr 1-14 (JRe); two off LaSalle Marina Apr 1-10 (JRe,LMa), and two there Apt 28 (KN et al.); four at Grand River at Wilkes Dam, Brantford [BR] Apr 6 (BL); two off Bayfront Park, Hamilton [HM] Apr 19 (LMN); 20 at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Horned Grebe: Two off Confederation Park [HM] Apr 7 (RD et al.); five off Burloak Waterfront Park [HL] Apr 9 (CE); two at Mountsberg C.A. and one at Clappisons Corners Wetland [HM] Apr 13 (RD); eight off Bronte Cemetery [HL] Apr 21 (RD et al.); 19 at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt); eight off LaSalle Marina Apr 28 (RD et al.). Red-necked Grebe: 19 off Burloak Waterfront Park Apr 9 (CE); 60 off Fifty Rd Apr 13 (KM); 35 off Green Rd Apr 13 (BH); 14 off Bronte Harbour Apr 14 (RD et al.); a terr. pair at Burloak Waterfront Park Apr 21-on (RD et al.); one at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Eared Grebe#: Two off LaSalle Marina Apr 28*-30 (GBi,ACo; m.obs.).American Bittern#: One at Dundas Hydro Pond [HM] Apr 14 * (JFo); one past Frances Ave, Stoney Creek [HM] Apr 19 (GH).Great Blue Heron: Birds past Beamer C.A.: 7 –Apr 7, 10 –Apr 14, 10 –Apr 18 (NPH); seven past Van Wagners Beach Apr 7 (RD et al.); nine past Fifty Rd Apr 13 (KM); approx. 60 occupied nests NE of Lower Baseline Rd & Trafalgar Rd [HL] Apr 13 (RD). Great Egret#: One past Beamer C.A. Apr 13 * (NPH); one at Bronte Marsh [HM] Apr 16 (MJ); one at Confederation Park Apr 16-26 (RW,MWa); two over Valley Inn Apr 21 (KN); two past Green Rd Apr 26 (GH); one at Hendrie Valley Apr 27-29 (LMN); three past Winona Rd [HM] Apr 28 (KD).Egret species#: One unidentified small white egret past Winona Rd Apr 28 (KD).Green Heron: One over Henderson Survey, Brantford [BR] Apr 24 * (BL); one at Clappisons Corners Wetland [HM] Apr 26 (TT); one at Appleby Creek at Pineland School [HL] Apr 30 (CE).Black-crowned Night-Heron: One ad. past CCIW Apr 11 F (RD); three at Confederation Park Apr 16 (GH).Black Vulture#: One at Dufferin Quarry, Milton [HL] Apr 10 * (GLa); four at Beamer C.A. Apr 23 flew past west then later flew east (NPH) and may have been birds from the wintering flock at Queenston.Turkey Vulture: 400 over High Level Bridge [HM] Apr 5 (TO); 622 at Beamer C.A. Apr 6 (NPH).

Osprey: A terr. pair at Mountsberg C.A. Apr 7 (EK); a pair nesting on a cell tower at Hwy 403 & Hwy 6 N [HL] Apr 9-30 (RD; m.obs.); 12 at Beamer C.A. Apr 14 (NPH); a pair nesting on a cell tower at Hwy 8 W of Christie C.A. [HM] Apr 16-on (fide BM); one terr. at a nest at Tyneside Rd S of White Church Rd [HM] Apr 28 (RPo).Bald Eagle: A total of 29 counted at Beamer C.A. Apr 1-28 (NPH); one ad. at King St & Red Hill Parkway [HM] Apr 1 (RW); the nesting pair at N Shore of Cootes Paradise [HM] tended two chicks Apr 1-30 (m.obs.); three chicks hatched from a nest at Brant C.A. [BR] Apr 4 (DBn); one at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Northern Harrier: 14 at Beamer C.A. Apr 9 (NPH).Sharp-shinned Hawk: Birds at Beamer C.A.: 106 –Apr 8, 147 –Apr 9, 222 –Apr 15 (NPH).Cooper’s Hawk: A pair nesting at Edgelake Park [HM] Apr 17-30 (RD; m.obs.); a pair nesting at Shell Park [HL] Apr 21-on (CE et al.).Northern Goshawk#: Birds at Beamer C.A.: 1 –Apr 6, 1 –Apr 13, 1 –Apr 21 (NPH); one over Shoreacres [HL] Apr 25 (DF). Red-shouldered Hawk: Birds at Beamer C.A.: 68 –Apr 4, 44 –Apr 6, 19 –Apr 17 (NPH).Broad-winged Hawk: Birds at Beamer C.A.: 1 –Apr 13 *, 335 –Apr 17, 420 –Apr 23 (NPH).Rough-legged Hawk: Ten at Beamer C.A. Apr 6 (NPH).Golden Eagle#: Birds at Beamer C.A.: 1ad. + 1 2nd yr. –Apr 6, 3ad. –Apr 8 (NPH). Virginia Rail#: One at Kerncliff Park, Burlington [HL] Apr 16 * (DD); one terr. at Dundas Hydro Pond Apr 23 (JFo); one terr. at Dundas Marsh Apr 26 (RD).Sora#: One at Middletown Marsh [HM] Apr 19 * (BC); one terr. at Dundas Hydro Pond Apr 23 (JFo); one terr. at Dundas Marsh Apr 26 (DPr; RD).American Coot: Eight at Windermere Basin Apr 8 (RD); three at CCIW Apr 17 (RD); 14 off LaSalle Marina Apr 30 (RD).Sandhill Crane#: A terr. pair at Grass Lake [WT] Apr 7-30 (BEn; m.obs.); birds past Beamer C.A.: 3 –Apr 13, 3 –Apr 15, 3 –Apr 21, 1 –Apr 22, 2 –Apr 27 (NPH); two over Hwy 6 N of Parkside Dr Apr 13 (PS); two over Westover Rd N of Conc 8 Apr 17 (PS); unknown number heard calling overhead N of Westover [HM] Apr 23 (DBr); four at Dundas Marsh Apr 26 (JHu et al.).American Avocet#: A flock of 16 heading W over High Level Bridge Apr 16 * (KN) provided the earliest record for the HSA.Spotted Sandpiper: One at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Apr 12 * (BT); one at Red Hill Parkway & QEW Stormwater Pond [HM] Apr 17 (RD), and seven there Apr 26 (RD,CE).Solitary Sandpiper: One at 8th Line N of Britannia Rd Apr 18*-24 (JSi; RD); two at Binbrook [HM] Apr 26 (LV); one at 5th Rd E N of Green Mt Rd [HM] Apr 30 (KM).Greater Yellowlegs: Two at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 1 * (MP), and 12 there Apr 23 (CE); three at Campbellville Rd W of Milburough Line [HM] Apr 7 (EK); seven at Woodhill Rd S of Hwy 5 [HM] Apr 13 (EHk); 10 at Ridge Rd E of 8th Rd E [HM] Apr 19 (CE,DD); 13 at 5th Rd E N of Green Mt Rd Apr 27-30 (KM); seven at Middletown Rd S of Conc 4 Apr 29 (BC; m.obs.).Willet#: One at Windermere Basin Apr 22*-30 (JAv,FAv; m.obs.).Lesser Yellowlegs: Two at 5th Rd E N of Green Mt Rd Apr 15 * (DD), and 25 there Apr 30 (KM); 11 at 8th Line & Britannia Rd Apr 24 (RD); seven at Middletown Rd S of Conc 4 Apr 29 (RD; m.obs.); four at Windermere Basin Apr 30 (KM).Upland Sandpiper#: Four at 11th Rd E & Mud St [HM] Apr 22 * (MV), and two there Apr 23-27 (LMa; m.obs.).


Least Sandpiper: Two at Windermere Basin Apr 30 * (KM).Pectoral Sandpiper: Birds at 8th Line & Britannia Rd: 2 –Apr 3 * (DPr), 15 –Apr 21 (DRo), 4 –Apr 23 (CE); 20 at 5th Rd E N of Green Mt Rd Apr 27 (RD et al.), and 27 there Apr 28 (LMa,PBa,AJu).Dunlin: Birds at Windermere Basin: 2 –Apr 8 * (RD,CE), 5 –Apr 9 (GBy,DS), 11 –Apr 21 (BCh); two at 5th Rd E N of Green Mt Rd Apr 28 (LMa,PBa,AJu), and three there Apr 30 (KM).Long-billed Dowitcher#: Three at Middletown Rd S of Conc 4 Apr 29 * (BC; m.obs.).Wilson’s Snipe: Two at Middletown Rd S of Conc 4 Apr 6 (RD,CE); birds at 5th Rd E N of Green Mt Rd: 17 –Apr 6 (RPo), 18 –Apr 9 (DD), 32 –Apr 21 (RD), 25 –Apr 27 (KM).Little Gull#: One ad. off Green Rd Apr 21 * (BH; GH); two ad. off Oakes Rd, Grimsby [NG] Apr 27 (KM).Bonaparte’s Gull: 20 off Van Wagners Beach (RD et al.) and 12 past Green Rd (GH) Apr 7 F; 50 off Green Rd Apr 13 (BH); 25 at Windermere Basin Apr 14 (LMa,BCo,DSm); 39 at Bronte Apr 16 (MJ); 30 over Dundas Apr 16 (RD); 50 over High Level Bridge Apr 17 (BCo); 1000 off Green Rd Apr 21 (BH; GH); 190 off Burloak Waterfront Park Apr 21 (RD et al.); 700 off Oakes Rd, Grimsby Apr 27 (KM).Thayer’s Gull#: One ad. + one 2nd ba. off Green Rd Apr 13 (BH), and one ad. there Apr 16 (GH).Iceland Gull: One off Green Rd Apr 7 (GH), and one ad. + one imm. there Apr 13 (BH; GH); one 1st ba. at Bronte Harbour Apr 11 (MJ); one 1st ba. off Shoreacres Apr 13 (DD); one 1st ba. over Woodland Cemetery Apr 14 (MM et al.); two ad. at Windermere Basin Apr 14 (LMa,BCo,DSm); one ad. at Suncor Pier, Bronte [HL] Apr 25 (MJ); one 1st ba. off Fifty Rd Apr 27 (KM). Lesser Black-backed Gull#: One ad. + one 1st ba. + two 2nd ba. off Green Rd Apr 13 (BH); one ad. at Windermere Basin Apr 14 (LMa,BCo,DSm), and one 1st ba. there Apr 16 (RD); one ad. + one 3rd ba. at Suncor Pier, Bronte Apr 25 (MJ).Glaucous Gull: One imm. off CCIW Apr 10 (RD); birds off Green Rd: 2ad. + 2 1st ba. –Apr 13 (BH), 1ad. –Apr 24 (GH), 1 imm. –Apr 26 (GH); one 2nd alt. at Windermere Basin Apr 23 (KM,DPr); two 1st ba. at Suncor Pier, Bronte Apr 25 (MJ).Great Black-backed Gull: One 1st. ba. at Suncor Pier, Bronte Apr 25 (MJ).Caspian Tern: One past CCIW Apr 3 (RD); 17 at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Common Tern: One off Green Rd (BH) and one off LaSalle Marina (BCo,DSm,EOC) Apr 13 *; 16 at Bronte Harbour Apr 16 (MJ); 24 off Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby [NG] Apr 19 (CE,DD); 75 past Green Rd Apr 21 (GH); one at Puslinch Lake Apr 21 (MCa,BWt).Forster’s Tern#: Nine past Fifty Rd Apr 13 * (KM, RPo); two at Bronte Harbour Apr 14 (GE; RD et al.), and two there Apr 17 (BCh et al.); one off LaSalle Marina Apr 15 (RD); birds on Apr 16: 7 –Bronte Harbour (MJ), 2 –LaSalle Marina (EK; RPo), 5 –Valley Inn (KN; PSc,CSc).Barred Owl#: One terr. at Preservation Park, Guelph [WL] Apr 12-21 (FU; KKe).Northern Saw-whet Owl#: One at Enmore Ave, Ancaster [HM] Apr 27-28L (fide MS).Chimney Swift: One at Appleby College, Oakville [HL] (CE) and two at Beamer C.A. (NPH) Apr 18 *; one at Confederation Park (CE,DD) and one at Aurora Cres, Burlington [HL] (CE) Apr 19; one at Bronte Apr 21 (CE et al.); four at Dundas Hydro Pond Apr 25 (LMa et al.).Belted Kingfisher: Four at Beamer C.A. Apr 18 (NPH).

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Five at Edgelake Park and four at Confederation Park Apr 7 (RD et al.); five at Riverview Park, Oakville [HL] Apr 8 (DD); seven at Sherwood Forest Park [HL] (CE) and 15 at Confederation Park (GBy,DS) Apr 9; five at Woodland Cemetery and eight at Sherwood Forest Park Apr 14 (RD et al.). Northern Flicker: 20 at Confederation Park Apr 9 (GBy,DS); 63 past Frances Ave, Stoney Creek [HM] Apr 16 (GH); 32 at Beamer C.A. Apr 18 (NPH).Pileated Woodpecker: One at St. George St, Brantford [BR] Apr 19 (BL); one at Shell Park Apr 21 (RD et al.).Merlin: A terr. pair at Howe Ave, Hamilton Mountain [HM] Apr 1 (JRe); one at Valley Inn Apr 2-3 (RPo; JNs); nine counted at Beamer C.A. Apr 4-23 (NPH); one terr. at James Hillier School, Brantford [BR] Apr 6 (BL); one at Bronte Harbour Apr 11-21 (MJ; RD et al.); one past Fifty Rd (KM) and two past Green Rd (BH) Apr 13; one at Aurora Cres, Burlington Apr 19 (CE). Peregrine Falcon#: A terr. pair at Burlington Lift Bridge [HL/HM] Apr 1-30 (RD; m.obs.); one at Beamer C.A. Apr 15 (NPH); one at James Hillier School, Brantford Apr 22 (BL); two over Edgelake Park Apr 25 (RD). Eastern Phoebe: One at 8th Rd E & Dofasco Trail [HM] Apr 2 F (LMa,LTe); one at Hendrie Valley Apr 4 (LMa,BCo) was likely the overwintering bird; three at Edgelake Park and four at Confederation Park Apr 7 (RD et al.); 12 at Confederation Park Apr 9 (GBy,DS).Great Crested Flycatcher: One at Confederation Park Apr 30 * (BKi).Eastern Kingbird: One at Binbrook C.A. [HM] Apr 21 * (PAr) was the second earliest for the HSA; one at Confederation Park Apr 23 (JWa) provided the third earliest record for the HSA.White-eyed Vireo#: One at Fifty Point C.A. Apr 27 * (CE,RD,DD).Blue-headed Vireo: One at Shell Park Apr 24 * (EK).Warbling Vireo: One at Confederation Park Apr 30 * (GH).FISH CROW#: Two over LaSalle Marina Apr 15 * (RD); one at Bronte Harbour Apr 16-18 (MJ; m.obs.); one at Shell Park Apr 28 (CBu).Common Raven#: A nesting pair at Vinemount Quarry, 10th Rd E & Green Mt Rd [HM] Apr 1-30 (m.obs.); birds at Beamer C.A.: 1 –Apr 6, 1 –Apr 18, 1 –Apr 25 (NPH); one near Sedgewick Forest Park, Oakville [HL] Apr 10 (BJe); one at Dalkeith Dr, Brantford [BR] Apr 29 (DD).Horned Lark: One ad. at a nest w/three eggs at NW Brantford [BR] Apr 7 (BL).Purple Martin: Two at Hwy 8, Grimsby [NG] Apr 7 * (BM); four at 10th Rd E S of Ridge Rd [HM] Apr 21 (RD).Tree Swallow: 24 at Bronte Harbour Apr 1 (MJ); 260 off Suncor Pier, Bronte Apr 11 (MJ).Northern Rough-winged Swallow: one at Van Wagners Ponds [HM] Apr * 10 (EK).Bank Swallow: Birds on Apr 16 *: 1 –Bronte (MJ), 1 –Valley Inn (PSc,CSc), 1 –Mountsberg C.A. (MCa).Cliff Swallow: One at Bronte Apr 16 * (MJ).Barn Swallow: One at Bronte Harbour Apr 1 F (MJ).Tufted Titmouse#: One SM at Crieff [WL] Mar 15-Apr 15 (DBr); one at Kelson Ave at Lake [NG] Apr 28 (LMa,PBa,AJu).Red-breasted Nuthatch: Two at Edgelake Park and three at Confederation Park Apr 7 F (RD et al.).Brown Creeper: One at Edgelake park and two at Confederation Park Apr 7 F (RD et al.); 12 at Shoreacres Apr 18 (RD,CE).


House Wren: One at Inglewood Dr & Gloucester Rd, Hamilton [HM] Apr 3 * (BCo) provided the third earliest record for the HSA.Winter Wren: One at Chedoke Radial Trail W of Dundurn St [HM] Apr 9 F (PSc).Marsh Wren#: One at Confederation Park Apr 25 * (CSc et al.) provided the second earliest record for the HSA.Golden-crowned Kinglet: Birds on Apr 7: 8 –Edgelake Park (RD et al.), 14 –Confederation Park (RD et al.), 12 –Shell Park (AMC,JMC); 32 at Riverview Park, Oakville Apr 8 (DD).Ruby-crowned Kinglet: One at Beamer C.A. Apr 7 F (BF); 20 at Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby and 15 at Shoreacres Apr 19 (CE,DD); 27 at Shell Park Apr 21 (RD et al.).Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Two at Shell Park Apr 14 * (BMi).Eastern Bluebird: One m. at Confederation Park Apr 7 (RD et al.). Veery: One at Shoreacres Apr 29 * (WB).Hermit Thrush: One at Kerncliff Park, Burlington Apr 5 F (EK); eight at Shoreacres and four at Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby Apr 19 (CE,DD); nine at Shell Park Apr 21 (RD et al.). Wood Thrush: One at Confederation Park Apr 25 * (BCo).Gray Catbird: One at Iroquoia Heights C.A. [HM] Apr 24 * (WB); one at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Apr 26-27 (JHu et al.); one terr. at Dundas Valley C.A. Apr 28 (RD et al.).Brown Thrasher: One at Beamer C.A. Apr 7 F (BF); two at Inglewood Dr & Gloucester Rd, Hamilton [HM] Apr 16 (LMa); one at E 15th St & Mountville Ave, Hamilton [HM] Apr 16 (GWn).American Pipit: One past Beamer C.A. Apr 27 F (NPH).Bohemian Waxwing#: Birds at Olympic Park, Dundas [HM]: 20 –Apr 8 (RD), 40 –Apr 11 (RD), 200 –Apr 14 (RPo); 25 at Centennial Park, Dundas [HM] Apr 9-10 (JHu; m.obs.); 14 at Nassagaweya 4th Line & Sideroad 15 [HL] Apr 10 (LMr); 150 at Grand River at Wilkes Dam, Brantford Apr 12 (BL,DG); 150 at University Plaza, Dundas [HM] Apr 13-14 (TO; m.obs.); 100 at Mohawk Rd & Rice Ave, Hamilton [HM] Apr 14 (LMa,LTe); 30 at York St & Baldwin St, Dundas [HM] Apr 21 L (JHu).Snow Bunting: One at NW Brantford [BR] Apr 7 L (BL).Northern Waterthrush: One at Confederation Park Apr 23*-27 (EK; RD,CE,DD); two SM at Westover Rd N of Conc 8 Apr 28-30 (PS).Blue-winged Warbler: One at Shoreacres Apr 30 * (MJa).Black-and-white Warbler: One at Shoreacres Apr 28*-29 (AMC,JMC; CE); one at Sherwood Forest Park Apr 29 (CE).Common Yellowthroat: One at Van Wagners Ponds Apr 22 * (GH) provided the second earliest record for the HSA.Yellow Warbler: One at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Apr 27 * (JHu et al.).Black-throated Blue Warbler: Two m. at Sedgewick Forest Park Apr 30 * (CE).Palm Warbler: One at Shoreacres Apr 17 * (RPo), and one hypochrysea there Apr 28 (AMC,JMC); one hypochrysea at South Shell Waterfront Park [HL] Apr 20 (MJ).Pine Warbler: Two at LaSalle Park Apr 16 F (RPo), and six there Apr 17 (BKr); 10 at Bronte Creek Prov. Park [HL] Apr 19 (BMo).Yellow-rumped Warbler: Birds on Apr 7 F: 1 –Beamer C.A. (NPH), 1 –Confederation Park (MM et al.), 1 –Shell Park (AMC,JMC); five at Riverview Park, Oakville Apr 8 (DD); six at Arkendo Park, Oakville [HL] Apr 9 (JWa); 30 at Shoreacres Apr 18 (RD,CE); 26 at Sedgewick Forest Park Apr 30 (CE).Black-throated Green Warbler: One at Edgelake Park Apr 26 * (GH).

Eastern Towhee: One at Edgelake Park Apr 7 F (RD).American Tree Sparrow: One at Van Wagners Ponds Apr 27 L (RD,CE,DD).Chipping Sparrow: One at Dunning Ct, Dundas [HM] Apr 6 (MM); 50 at Confederation Park Apr 19 (CE,DD).Clay-colored Sparrow#: One at Shoreacres Apr 23 * (JSi) was record early for the HSA.Field Sparrow: Two at Riverview Park, Oakville Apr 8 F (DD).Vesper Sparrow: One SM at 11th Rd E S of Mud St Apr 27 F (KM; RD,CE,DD); one at Britannia Rd W of Guelph Line [HL] Apr 26 (KBa); two at Middletown Rd S of Conc 4 Apr 29 (DD).Savannah Sparrow: Two at 8th Rd E & Green Mt Rd Apr 21 F (RD).Fox Sparrow: Two at Beamer C.A. Apr 2F-6 and four there Apr 7 (NPH); four at Edgelake Park and two at Confederation Park Apr 7 (RD et al.); four at Lakeside Park, Mississauga [PL] Apr 9 (JWa); five at Sherwood Forest Park Apr 14 (RD et al.).Song Sparrow: 200 at Confederation Park Apr 9 (GBy,DS).Swamp Sparrow: One SM at Valens Rd & Conc 6 [HM] Apr 17 F (RD,CE); three at Shoreacres Apr 23 (RD,CE).White-throated Sparrow: One at Sherwood Forest Park Apr 14 F (RD et al.); four at Beamer C.A. (NPH) and seven at Shell Park (AMC,JMC) Apr 18; 15 at Van Wagners Ponds Apr 19 (RD).Harris’s Sparrow#: One ad. continued at Ellis Rd W of Wellington Rd 32 [WL] Apr 1-27L (m.obs.; JSp).White-crowned Sparrow: One at Brant Rd 22 & Sawmill Rd [BR] Apr 24 F (ASc); one at Beamer C.A. Apr 28 (NPH). Dark-eyed Junco: 60 at Confederation Park Apr 19 (CE,DD).Rose-breasted Grosbeak: One m. at Brant Rd 22 & Sawmill Rd Apr 24 * (ASc); one m. at Ray & Peter Sts, Hamilton [HM] Apr 30 (BCo).Bobolink: One m. at Burloak Waterfront Park Apr 20*-21 (MJ; m.obs.) was record early for the HSA; one terr. m. at 10th Rd E & Dofasco Trail Apr 27 (RD,CE,DD).Eastern Meadowlark: One at Windermere Basin Apr 8-26 (RD et al.).Rusty Blackbird: Two at Fifty Point C.A. Apr 28 (RD,CE,DD); four at Kelson Ave at Lake Apr 28 (LMa,PBa,AJu). Baltimore Oriole: One m. at Frances Ave, Stoney Creek [HM] Apr 14 * (GH) provided te second earliest record for the HSA; one m. at N Shore of Cootes Paradise Apr 25 (PT).Purple Finch: One at Inglewood Ave & Gloucester Rd, Hamilton Apr 16 F (LMa); four at Beamer C.A. Apr 23 (NPH); two SM at Westover Rd N of Conc 8 Apr 24-27 (PS); one m. + one f. at Sunrise Cres, Dundas [HM] Apr 25-27 (RD).Red Crossbill#: One m. + one f. at Confederation Park Apr 7*-26 were found to be nesting (AWi,KWi; m.obs.).White-winged Crossbill: One m. + one f. at Confederation Park Apr 7 (RD et al.). Common Redpoll: Up to 65 at Westover Rd Mar 5-Apr 4 and one f. there Apr 15 (PS); one at Confederation Park Apr 8 (LMa).Pine Siskin: Up to seven at Sunrise Cres, Dundas Apr 1-30 (RD); 13 at Beamer C.A. Apr 18 (NPH); three near Victoria Park, Hamilton [HM] Apr 30 (SDC).Evening Grosbeak#: One past Beamer C.A. Apr 15 F (NPH).

Please send your bird records for May 2013 by Oct 5 to: Rob Dobos, 21 Sunrise Cres., Dundas, Ont., L9H 3S1; ph: (905) 628-0297; e-mail: [email protected]


Launch of the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System, June 22, 2013, Camilla and Peter Dalglish Atrium, Royal Botanical Gardens. photo by David Galbraith (see articles on pages 29, 46 and 47).

Burlington Heights Heritage Lands Stakeholder Advisory Committee Report Giuliana Casimirri - [email protected]

The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System (CEEPS) ‘Burlington Heights Heritage Lands’ stakeholder advisory

committee met on June 25th. The ‘Burlington Heights Heritage Lands’ is one of six core natural areas in the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System and is the first area for which a management plan is being developed with multiple partners. A draft report entitled ‘Burlington Heights Heritage Lands Management Plan Inventory and Issues Report’ is available at: http://www.cootestoescarpmentpark.ca/Burlington-Heights-Management-Plan#SAG. Based on a desk review of available inventories and reports, this draft report summarizes the vegetation communities, as well as significant fauna in the area (pages 30-45 focus specifically on the natural heritage of the area and issues of concern).At this stage, the consultants preparing the management plan are interested in any and all ideas (both big and small) about issues or opportunities related to the protection, restoration or enhancement of the area. I am sure many of you are familiar with these forests and wetlands and naturalists’ local knowledge and insights are especially relevant. In the next few months, a land classification and zoning system based on the Niagara Escarpment Parks and Open Space

System (NEPOSS) will be developed as part of the management planning process. More information on the NEPOSS planning system can be obtained from: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LUEPS/Publication/STDPROD_096481.html). HNC members are invited to participate in this management planning process in a number of ways:1. Provide comments and feedback on the draft report directly to:

Deborah Herbert Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System Project Manager Royal Botanical Gardens PO Box 399 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N 3H8 Tel: 905-527-1158 ext 225 Fax: 905-577-0375 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

2. Attend future community and stakeholder presentations and meetings. A meeting to review draft land classification zones is planned for mid-October 2013. The CEEPS website will list these events http://www.cootestoescarpmentpark.ca/ I look forward to continuing to participate in this innovative collaborative planning process and I will keep you up to date. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.


Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System – Canada’s newest EcoPark!

On June 21, 2013 the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System became a reality when the 10 partners signed

the Memorandum of Understanding (see photo page 46) and created a unique partnership that will work to reconnect, restore and protect valuable, environmentally sensitive lands while creating a lasting legacy for current and future generations. Larger than Central Park, the Bois de Boulogne or Hyde Park, the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System is one of the largest near-urban parks on earth (see map below).

The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System is a collaborative initiative to protect, restore and connect over 2,000 hectares of publicly-owned natural lands at the western end of Lake On-tario. This is one of the most biologically rich areas of Canada, home to nearly a quarter of the country’s wild plants and more than 50 species at risk. It is also the last intact ecological con-nection between Cootes Paradise wetlands and the Niagara Es-carpment. The environmental and cultural importance of the natural lands has been widely recognized. Designations include UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve (Niagara Escarpment), Provincially Significant Wetland (Cootes Paradise and Lambs Hollow Wetland on Grindstone Creek), Important Bird Area of national significance (Cootes Paradise), Important Am-phibian and Reptile Area (Cootes Paradise, Carroll’s Bay and Grindstone Valley nature sanctuaries), as well as several Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest and Environmentally Signifi-cant/Sensitive Areas.

These natural lands are also situated in the Hamilton-Burling-ton region, one of Canada’s most vibrant and rapidly growing urban regions. Economic growth and urban development have caused the natural areas to become fragmented by roads, rail lines and other features of urbanization. The result is a discon-nected patchwork of smaller protected areas, each valuable but isolated and ultimately unsustainable. Fortunately there are still tremendous opportunities for the partners to protect and re-store natural lands.

As a collaboration between ten local government and non-profit organizations, the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System is an innovative project with land-owning agencies working together to protect and restore their natural lands, secure additional lands to create ecological corridors, and deliver sustainable recreation and education opportunities. We are already seeing the benefits of the partnership with natural lands being secured both west and east of Highway 6, the development of the Burlington Heights Management Plan, and coordinated invasive species management.

The project is made possible through funding from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, along with financial and in-kind contributions from the ten partner organizations.

If you have questions or would like more details about this exciting and innovative initiative, please visit www.cootestoescarpmentpark.ca, or contact Jen Baker at [email protected] or 905-524-3339.

by Jen Baker

Join The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club Board !There are positions open on your Board of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club. I strongly encourage you to consider joining the HNC Board as it is a very rewarding experience to become part of this dynamic organization. I have said it before, but we are the best naturalists’ club in this province. If you have thought before about becoming part of the Board now is the time to join. You will become part of a 94 year old organization that values nature

and the protection of nature as our mission. Our slogan says it all, “Protecting Nature Since 1919”. Currently the positions available are Secretary, Director at Large, Conservation & Education Director, and Trea-surer. These are important positions for the HNC and although these positions may appear challenging, you will have others to guide you in fitting into your role. You will become part of the decision making process of this 600+ member Club from minor decisions about paper purchasing to major issues such as the Club’s finances. As well, you will become involved in land purchase issues in association with our Head-of-the-Lake Land Trust.If you are interested in joining the Board contact Past President Bill Lamond (page 27) or any other member of

the HNC Board. Who knows? — maybe some day you’ll end up being the President!

Affix Label Here

40048074Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:

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

Luna Moth at the HNC’s Cartwright Nature Sanctuary on the very late date of 7 August 2013. This must be a second brood individual, a brood that has rarely been recorded in Ontario — a strange year for that to occur with the cool summer we had. “Wasn’t there a photo of a Luna Moth in the last issue?” Well, yes there was, but this species is so rare in the area that I just

couldn’t resist putting in another photo of this so very photogenic moth. What better way to document the record than to publish it in the Wood Duck! photo Herman van Barneveld.

© Photo by Herman van Barneveld

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© Barry Armstrong - hamiltonnature.orghamiltonnature.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/wood-duck/wood-duck-2013-10.pdf · A Green Gem Indeed David Galbraith 29 The Junior Naturalists Club