ISSN 0836-4702

FEBRUARY 2016 VOL 69 ISSUE 5

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

President’s Report Many of the club programs in 2015 were self-sustaining, dependent on good planning and years of success; examples being the monthly meetings and the field trips. Both, I would like to think, have been enjoyed by members because of continued opportunities for learning and social interaction. I have been blessed with a board that has collaborated on visioning activities to try to improve the product. These include the 2014 Survey (for which valuable feedback assisted planning into 2015); and the board’s Strategic Planning session of May 2015, identifying and verifying the key areas for work. The following are 10 selected highlights: 1.) Advocacy: continues to be a key function along the lines of environment protection (at the regional level as well as our Reserves); liaising with Ontario Nature and others and supporting their advocacy if desired (example opposing the Energy East Pipeline) on an individual basis; responding to relevant challenges arising on the Environmental Registry (examples being our official responses to the Wetland Conservation in Ontario Discussion Paper-thanks to Ted Armstrong; and the proposed amendment to Crown Use Policy to allow for Aggregate Extraction in the Ruby Lake Forest reserve).

2.) Education: as mentioned the mechanisms remain fully functional, with interesting Field Trips organized by Marian Childs (very well planned indeed, often even scouted out in advance) and programming by Rob Macey. The surveys call for birding, botany and geology as major interest areas; we feel this appetite is being satisfied. Some of the recent meeting night presentations (examples - herpetology and geology of the Sudbury meteorite impact) have drawn crowds close to 100.

3.) Speciality programs: The acquisition of the Granite Point Reserve on Black Bay (actually closed as at January 21, 2016, but the hard work and campaign being in 2015), I believe to be a monumental victory for our club and the board is indebted to Sue and Mike Bryan and their committee for a long and tenacious labour of love, with of course the help of many very generous and committed donors. (Continued on page 3)

ature Northwest is a quarterly N publication of the Thunder Bay Field In This Issue: Naturalists. Each volume (ISSN 0836- 4702) consists of four issues published in February, May, August and November. A President’s Report….…………………..1 & 4 subscription to Nature Northwest is a General Meetings………………..………...5 benefit of membership. Granite Point Grant………………………..6 Advocacy Report…………………………..8 Articles, notes, records, illustrations and Nature Conservancy Canada Conference….9 photographs of local and regional natural Field Trip Report……………………...9-10 history are welcome. Material accepted is Book Review……………………………..11 subject to editing and revision. Nature Membership Report…………………...11-12 Northwest is intended to be informative and TBD Bird Report………………………….13 thought-provoking. Articles may be edited Upcoming Field Trips...……………….16-17 and reviewed by different members of the Club Information……………...…………..19 TBFN Newsletter Committee. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists or the Editor.

Send events, stories, trip reviews, articles, pictures and observations. Your ideas and suggestions are welcome. Address all submissions to:

[email protected]

Deadline for submissions is the first day of From the Editor’s Desk… the month in which the issue will be produced. For the past seven years, I have been on the newsletter committee, serving as editor for the last three. It has been a pleasure to work with our dedicated members and others with a passion for nature, to report on activities and items of interest in Northwestern Ontario. Now I welcome Emese Boyko to the committee and the role of Contributors: editor. We are lucky to have Emese, with her background in the natural sciences, editorial experience Janet Anderson and enthusiasm for the position. Susan Bryan Marian Childs I will miss my involvement in the newsletter but will Michael Childs continue to support the wonderful conservation work of Connie Hartviksen Sue Bryan and her committee, enjoy participating in David Legge TBFN activities - and read the newsletter at my leisure. I Bruce Thacker know there are many stories to come about nature in this Christina Stricker most beautiful part of the province, so please keep Brian Ratcliff sending them in! Barbara Yurkoski -Barbara Yurkoski

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From the Editor’s Desk, continued...

I am honoured and excited to have the opportunity to edit the TBFN newsletter. Barbara Yurkoski left me with huge shoes to fill, and I am grateful to her for showing me the ropes. A member of the club for three years and the board for one, I have watched, wide-eyed, as the club has effected change while maintaining the same great programming that first got me coming to meetings.

Field trips have brought me to parts of the Thunder Bay District I may never have seen otherwise, and I have delighted in receiving the wisdoms imparted by my fellow members. Lectures hold fascinating tales of re- search, conservation work, and unique viewpoints on aspects of our natural wold I might have otherwise overlooked.

This is the first of many newsletters I am charged with, and it has been a pleasure to present so many lovely news items and reports. For more frequent updates, keep an eye on the website, at tbfn.net; the facebook page, and TBFN’s twitter: @TBayFieldNats. Enjoy, as I have, learning what your fellow naturalists have been up to—and please keep the submissions coming!

-Emese (‘Emesha’) Boyko

Cattails photo by Marian Childs

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President’s report cont’d from page 1 Many members look forward to the March 2016 field trip to this area, as led by Sue and Mike. The Thunder Cape Bird Observatory had a fine year under the chairmanship of Allan Gilbert, the on- site presence of chief bander Rinchen Boardman and a large team of dedicated committee and other volunteers. Board rep Ted Armstrong provided strong liaison. 4.) Under the leadership of Board Member Bruce Thacker, with many hours under his belt, communication, promotion and club constitution matters have been analysed and are in continuing up- grade mode. The high quality website brilliance under Rob Foster and his predecessors has been illuminated even more with the addition of recent Newsletters and the club financial report. Community activity promotion highlights in- clude media promotion by Sue Bryan concerning Granite Point, meetings and general awareness in the Chronicle Journal, and TB Newswatch, The Key, the Walleye and the City website are also assisting. Then there is the fine Facebook website manned by Connie Hartviksen. The photographic images prompt discus- sion and admiration and club promotions all reaching far and wide. Long term results can only be beneficial going forward. The Home and Garden show TBFN exhibit was again a great value. New business cards, the updated Vascular Plant list (with thanks to Erika North, Sue Bryan, Rob Foster et al) and early planning for the revised Nature Guide were also notable in 2015. 5.) Club mandate clarification was an ongoing discussion. At this time the Board is not officially seeking a change to the Letters Patent (disclosing our goals), but the following updated statement is at least one ver- sion of an unofficial paraphrase that we have been using since 2015 to express parts a) and b): “dedicated to the study, appreciation and pertinent advocacy leading to preservation of natural ecosystems in their indige- nous environment. We seek to share these values enthusiastically by active support of research, presenta- tions, publications, field trips and the acquisition of properties to be left in their natural state in perpetuity to benefit generations to come.” (Note: a very similar but slightly truncated version graces the new TBFN business card)

6.) Club finances continue in good shape with thanks to Karolyn Hoard our new treasurer, with a budget pro- cess in the offing. Club recording is also in great hands with Kathy Sakamoto as minutes-secretary and intro- ducing the club along with Rob Foster data information storage on our new ftp (file transfer) site. Keeping track of the large membership is and likely will continue to be challenging with thanks to Sharon Gilbert with a great experience handle and new board member Christina Stricker making this work. Personal touch- es such as the member welcoming efforts of the Prinselaars and the membership tags produced by Susan Robinson are appreciated. We thank retiring board member John Pentick for his work as sales and inventory chair and welcome new board member Frank Barclay on this file.

7.) Volunteering remains the key to success moving forward. The club has a list and people are coming for- ward, with thanks.

8.) TBFN Youth Naturalists is an area in transition due to numerous bone fide reasons. Fortunately, mem- bers Emily Kerton, Marian Childs, Emese Boyko and Rob Foster are looking at ways to re-invent this criti- cal area. 9.) Emese Boyko and her committee are taking on the Newsletter, viewed by a large number of members and many others in the province et al. Our thanks to retiring Editor Barb Yurkoski are sincerely meant. 10.) Succession: In this day and age, board director membership turns over fairly rapidly (tempus fugit). The board feels this is a healthy state of affairs. All of our new board members have been getting their feet wet quickly and contributing meaningfully. Thanks for your support and enjoy the club going forward in 2016.

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UPCOMING GENERAL MEETINGS

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club meets on the fourth Monday of September, October, November, January, March and April at Lunan Hall, St. Paul's United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay. Meetings begin promptly at 7:00 p.m.

Monday, March 28, 2016 Pukaskwa National Park: A wilderness sustained on Lake Superior: Christine Drake, Ecology Team Leader, Pukaskwa National Park Established in 1978, Pukaskwa National Park has been, and continues to be, a pillar of protection on the north shore of Lake Superior. As part of the longest stretch of undeveloped shoreline on any of the Great Lakes, it has a wilderness character and relatively intact surroundings compared to other parts of the Lake Superior basin. Despite this, there are challenges to ensuring the wilderness is sustained in a condition ac- ceptable to Parks Canada’s high standards.

Monday, April 25, 2016 Lake Superior Action Plan (RAP) initiatives: Jean Hall-Armstrong and Jim Bailey will give an overview of the history of the Areas of Concern (AoC) regarding Great Lakes Water Quality, progress and current issues, including mercury contamination in the north harbour. (Last meeting before summer break.)

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Major Grant Received for Granite Point

We are pleased to announce that the federal Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP) has granted Thunder Bay Field Naturalists $142,772 to assist with purchase of Granite Point Nature Reserve. The pro- gram is funded by the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change and administered by the Na- ture Conservancy of Canada (NCC). The grant to Thunder Bay Field Naturalists covers one third of the cost of the Granite Point Project. TBFN raised the remaining two thirds of the costs, including the $53,250 TBFN Endowment Fund contribution for future land stewardship required by the NACP program. The Nat- uralists will be erecting the sign shown below at the new Granite Point Nature Reserve this coming sum- mer.

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of the Environment and Climate Change Canada.

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Granite Point Purchase Completed!

On January 21, 2016 TBFN purchased the 400 acre Granite Point Nature Reserve. The new reserve is our fif- teenth, and brings the total of land protected through our reserves system up to 4,400 acres.

Thank you to the many donors who made this purchase possible. A long list of supporters was already pub- lished in the November issue of the newsletter. We are glad now to thank another long list of donors who have contributed since then. The support was tremendous! Your generous help allowed the Club to reach our target for private funds. We were able to complete the purchase. We can all be proud of this accomplishment.

Recent Granite Point Donations

Anonymous (3) Legowski, Teresa Albanese, Sean Leschishin, Mark & Barbara (in memory of Iris Allen, Jean (Chehowy) Leschishin) Barclay, Jyl & Frank (in memory of Faith Gagnon) Lorimer, Margaret Ann Bellinger, Sue Marrack Cohen, Jennifer Black, Maurice & Jackie Maw, Margaret Bryan, Rachel McGregor, Susan Carter, Mike Marrier, Susan Clark, Janet & Cam Paradis, Elizabeth (a Christmas gift for Kevin & Jiska) Denson, Molly and Ray Post, Nancy & Graham Doran, Sharon Rintamaki, Dr. Linda and Wayne Edmunds Eady, Carolle & Tim Shields, Edward Elliott, Steve Spain, Deirdre Gascoigne, Colleen van Niejenhuis, Annette Gunnell, Art Westbroek, Marijke (in memory of Martin and Corrie Siegfried) Harris & Cheng Medicine Professional Corporation Whittingham, Jennifer Heald, Janet & Lance Yurkoski, Barbara & Ron (in memory of Stephen Holenstein, Monika Cooper)

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Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Advocacy Report 2015

Issues that TBFN were involved in during 2015 included:

 Attendance by Brian McLaren, David Legge and Beatrice Metzler with 2 Trans Canada Pipeline representa- tives to learn how TCPL plans to mitigate environmental impacts of its Energy East Project.

 Based on information provided by Sue Bryan David Legge wrote a letter to OMNRF describing concerns that TBFN has with a proposal to issue a quarry permit to the Red Rock Indian Band for extraction of mar- ble in the Ruby Lake Forest Reserve. This property was to eventually become part of the TBFN Ruby Lake Reserve.

 Ted Armstrong, David Legge and Kathy Sakamoto attended a public information session on OMNRF’s Wetland Conservation Discussion Paper. Ted Armstrong wrote a comprehensive response on behalf of TBFN.

 Sue Bryan will be drafting a letter on behalf of TBFN to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation regarding the potential impact of the four-laning of Hwy 11/17 in the area of the Harvais Orchid Reserve. The Ontario Heritage Trust, which has provided past financial support for this reserve, has already written a letter of concern.

-Bruce Thacker Photo of Painted Lake by Marian Childs

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Nature Conservancy of Canada Conference

As a recipient of Environment Canada funds for land acquisition, which are allocated by the Nature Conserv- ancy of Canada, TBFN was invited to send a representative to NCC's National Conference. In January I trav- elled to Niagara-on-the-Lake to fill this role.

The conference provided the opportunity to meet staff of NCC and land trusts across the country and to learn about their plans and concerns. In the course of two days I attended a number of plenaries and break-out ses- sions. Some focused on practicalities such as tools for monitoring and advocacy, funding available from NCC through Environment Canada, and NCC's future direction. I learned that the latter will potentially be based on a calculation of biodiversity and threat scores that identify seven target areas.

Other sessions were more general. Day one opened with John Riley, author of The Once and Future Great Lakes Country, who took us through the highs and lows of the natural history of the Niagara Region and end- ed with some hopeful signs for the future. Brendon, Larson, an Environmental Science professor at the Uni- versity of Waterloo, spoke about the Anthropocene Era and the growing challenging and divisiveness of the issue of invasive species. (Did you know - the leaf depicted on the new $20 bill is Norway maple?)

Day two ended with a panel of representatives from Environment Canada, the TD Bank and Ducks Unlimited, who all envisioned new approaches to collaboration as we move forward to address the daunting challenges to our environment in the 21st century. -Barbara Yurkoski

Field Trip Report 2015

2015 was a busy year for field trips with the weather cooperating for the most part. The trips varied be- tween regular outings to a few excursions new to members. One of the highlights was exploring the Kaka- beka area with Brian Phillips and ending up enjoying a get together at the end of the day. Who knew that sandy hill at the corner of Hwy 17 and Pinecrest Road was at the mouth of the old river?

New trips involved a winter outing to the Bryan’s cottage on Lake Superior near Caldwell Lake – no or- chids, but the ice was wonderful. New outings were to the Pool 6 Grain Elevator area with Rob Foster showing how the area was rehabilitated as a fish spawning area; viewing lichens on Keith Wade’s proper- ty; one trip to William’s bog to check out the butterflies and moths with John Walas and wade across the Whitefish River to see the unique vegetation there. David Crawford took us to Ruby Lake to see the spec- tacular cliff top view. We looked for bats at Pine Bay with Stephen Kingston. It wasn’t the best night for viewing bats, but the vocalizations of 2 species were recorded and we did see a couple. Last, but not least was the exploration of some of the Wolf River watershed with Mac Squires.

Our regular outings were to Mission Marsh with Keith Wade, our annual frog walk with George Holborn, birding at Hurkett Cove with Tom Mitton, Mink Mountain with Brian Moore and Silver Islet with Bert Harding, orchids at Mills block with Bruce Childs, watching fledgling falcons with Brian Ratcliff, a trip to Painted Lake with Marian Childs, searching for fungi with Len Hutchison at Centennial Park, and looking for birds. Cont’d on page 10

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Field Trip Report Cont’d from page 9

Unfortunately the bluebirds didn’t show up for our traditional bluebird outing. In all there were 20 field trips with 222 participants plus leaders.

Pictographs at Painted Lake (February 2016): Thanks to the generosity of fellow club members Dan Karam and Linda, one was able to visit the rock paintings at Picture or Painted Lake (it is known as both) no less than 3 times this winter. Each one was magical. During the first scouting trip, the snow was piled high on the trees and the sun was shining bright- ly. The second trip was with James Raffan from the Canadian Canoe Museum, Gail Bannon from the Fort William Band and several board members, which including a smudging ceremony, while the third outing saw 30 people join Dan and Linda on snowshoe hike. The trail climbed through the snowy woods with the majestic white pines towering above, followed by a walk along the lake to the high cliffs, filled with an amazing collection of lichens and the two special cliffs that nature had scraped clean, so man could do his paintings, including the one in use by The Canadian Canoe Museum.

Thanks to all the leaders for sharing their expertise and special places. Anyone interested in leading a field trip or knows of someone who would be, can contact me at 577-1324 or via email at [email protected].

Photo: lichens and ochre on rocks at Painted Lake

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CHECKLIST of VASCULAR PLANTS of THUNDER BAY DISTRICT October 2015 Revision

Under the direction of the Canadian Botanical Association, in 1968 Walter Hartley prepared the first Checklist of Vascular Plants of Thunder Bay District which covered plants of the official judicial district of Thunder Bay. William Parker revised it in 1978 and Claude Garton, with members of Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, added the common names of the listing to make it more useful to amateur botanists in 1984. Subsequent Checklist editions in 1998 and 2003 adhered to provincial botanical standards in defining taxa. The 2015 Checklist follows the Database of Vascular Plants of Canada which is guided by the taxonomy published in Flora of North America (FNA). FNA is an online reference resource that presents the names, taxonomical rela- tionships, distribution and morphological characteristics of all native and naturalized plants north of Mexico. This is a brilliant website that is essential for any amateur botanist looking to build their knowledge of the plants of this continent.

The Vascular Plant Checklist of Thunder Bay District 2015 edition endeavours to follow the evolution of bo- tanical nomenclature because name changes reflect the current understanding of relationships among taxa. It has included former scientific names as well as alternate common names under 'Synonyms' for those plants whose nomenclature has significantly changed. The 2015 edition also includes a genus list and index of the common names of plant families which adds to its usefulness. It notes the 55 former taxa that have been re- moved because of lack of supporting evidence, misidentification, taxonomic issues or because they represent- ed non-persistent populations. The Summary chart is particularly interesting in that it gives a big picture of the state of floral populations in the Thunder Bay District over time. The Checklist has also expanded its bibliog- raphy of cited and other pertinent references for the interested amateur.

Having availability to only the two most recent publications, I am confident the 2015 edition is the most pro- fessional looking of all former Checklist publications. Its chart format makes it easy to access species' infor- mation and it is all there at a glance. My only negative comment would be that the font size used in the Intro- duction, in particular, is too small and is a challenge to read easily. Perhaps the next edition could look into the readability of types of fonts at small sizes so that to include the inevitable plants and relevant information that will be added to the Checklist in the future, TBFN can still be mindful of keeping the publication to a 60 page limit for cost considerations.

Reviewed by Janet Anderson

Membership Committee Report 2015

We have had a busy and successful 2015 as members of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club. We hope and trust that all enjoyed the Nature Northwest quarterly newsletter keeping them posted on the activities and reflections by various members. There was an assortment of varied and fascinating field trips offered explor- ing everything from dragonflies and birds to plants, lichen and rocks - even the night sky does not escape our observations and awe. Our regular program meetings (January to April and September to December) have been well attended with great interest shown in the words and pictures offered by the presenters. We have between 60 and 80 enjoying the presentations each month.

Continued on page 12

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Membership Committee Report Cont’d from page 11 In 2015, as of December 31, we had 220 members listed on our database, from all walks of life and from many parts of the world! Of course, most of our members are from Ontario, especially Thunder Bay and area, but we also have mem- bers in Minnesota, Virginia, Montana, Georgia, British Columbia and Alberta! And our past president, Brian McLaren, is currently residing in South America! We have an assortment of paid membership types: Single (43), Family (96), Senior (46), Student (2), Life (9) and Corresponding (5). We also have a number of Honorary (8) and Complimentary (12) memberships.

Our members take advantage of the different ways of paying for their membership: most members pay either at the Membership table at meetings, or by using PayPal on their computer. Some send in their requests and cheques by Canada Post. The price categories are listed in the Newsletter and on the website.

The majority of our members receive the Nature Northwest Newsletter electronically although paper copies are also available. Mailing out the paper copies grows increasingly more expensive as postal rates seem to increase every year. Several years ago a Mailing Fee of $5 per year was instituted to help to cover some of those costs. Current newsletters are also posted on the TBFN website: www.tbfn.net along with much more information about ac- tivities, the Nature Reserves, etc. Explore it today!

During 2015, the Board refined and clarified our policy with regard to complimentary memberships, which are issued at the discretion of the Board, on a case-by-case basis. Current Members are asked to make their recom- mendations directly to the Board. Non-members who have made a presentation to a general or annual meeting, or acted as a field trip leader are usually given a one-year membership in appreciation for their gifts of knowledge and leadership.

Our tireless Membership Secretary, Sharon Gilbert, continues to update and maintain the data list, among oth- er tasks serving the needs of a growing membership. New members are welcomed, receipts are issued, notices are posted and distributed via email, newsletters are gathered and shared. The chair and secretary of this com- mittee have been working towards an equitable division of labour regarding roles and responsibilities of each position, although the secretary does a tremendous amount!

Several Members wondered about using name tags at meeting so that we could get to know one another a bit better. Susan Robinson volunteered to prepare them. If you come to a meeting and there is no name tag for you, please let Susan know. Thank you for this, Susan.

While all members are invited to consider participating as volunteers for TBFN, those interested in aspects of hospitality at our regular meetings might consider offering to assist with greeting at the door, helping in the kitchen with refreshment preparation and clean up, working at the membership table, or name tag table. These are small tasks but many hands helping make them even more manageable. Speak to anyone already working in these areas if you would like to offer to help.

Thank you to all who already offer their talents and time in serving the Membership all year. Your work, in- sights and ideas are all much appreciated!

We all look forward to a busy and wonder-filled 2016 - exploring our natural environment together with friends, old and new.

-Christina Stricker, Membership Committee Chair

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Project Peregrine 2015 Report

Since 1996, Project Peregrine has been undertaking the monitoring of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) within the Ontario portion of the Lake Superior Basin, and in northwestern Ontario. With support from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry staff at District Offices at Thunder Bay, Nipigon, Wawa, Sault Ste. Marie, and Atikokan, and assistance from staff at Pukaskwa National Park, more than 100 peregrine falcon territories have now been identified. Two new sites, and one site was split into two were added in 2015.

There was hopes that funding would be provided by the Province for the 5-year National Peregrine Falcon Survey, which was conducted in 2015, but unfortunately there was no funding. Project Peregrine was fortunate that The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) Lakehead District made available some funds for a helicopter flight to check values in the District. Thirty-three peregrine falcon territories that had been occupied in previous years were checked during this day of flying. Staff at Pukaskwa National Park, Lake Superior Provincial Park, and OMNRF District Offices were able to check many sites.

Peregrines were first reported back on territory on March 24 at Squaw Bay. Reports from across the Lake Superior Ba- sin and west to Atikokan identified 42 active peregrine falcon territories in 2015. The 42 territories represented 32 terri- torial pairs, and 10 occupied territories. Of the 32 territorial pairs, 14 pairs were confirmed to have fledged 30 chicks (chick over 24 days), 9 pairs were identified as nesting pairs, and breeding success was not confirmed for 9 pairs.

Peregrine chicks were banded at ten nest sites, and a total of 25 chicks (15 males, 10 females) were banded. Banding was initiated on June 15, and ended on July 7. Only two of the twenty -five banded chicks had blow fly (Calliphoridae spp.) maggot infestation in their ears. Project Peregrine has now banded 572 chicks (all at cliff sites) since 1996.

The success of Project Peregrine can be attributed to the many hours that volunteers, Pukaskwa National Park, and OMNR staff invest in surveying cliff sites. All their efforts are greatly appreciated. To the banding team climbers: Frank Pianka, Rod Swatton, Monica Prodanyk, and Terry Prodanyk, a special thank you for your expertise and many hours of donated time. Your continued interest in this project is also greatly appreciated.

Thunder Bay District Bird Report for 2015

This report is a summary of the birds that were recorded in Thunder Bay District in 2015. The source of these records comes from birders posting their sightings on NWObirds, eBird, TBFN field trips, Dorion Canyon Country Bird Festi- val, and other reports that were sent directly to me. There were no new species added to the checklist in 2015. A com- plete Thunder Bay District Bird Checklist that identifies the 369 species of birds that have been documented (up to De- cember 31, 2015) can be viewed at the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists website: http://www.tbfn.net/bird-checklist.

In total there were 261 species of birds recorded for Thunder Bay District, one more than in 2014. Notable highlights included: Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-winged Dove (2), Barn Owl, Lark Bunting, and Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Species that were missed included: Ross's Goose, Eared Grebe, Great Egret, Thayer's Gull, Parasitic Jaeger, and Black- billed Magpie.

The table below is a summary of the rare and unusual species recorded in 2015.

I want to thank everyone who reported their bird sightings this past year and good birding in 2016.

Brian Ratcliff (Chairman)

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Start Date End Date Species Location Contact Jan.1/15 Jan. 9/15 Brown Thrasher 25 The Ol de Road Geraldton ON Cheryl A. and Lorne Gleeson Jan.1/15 Feb. 15/15 Varied Thrush Engish River Roy N. Cote Jan.1/15 Jan. 20/15 Rose-breasted Grosbeak Bucahanan Road, Red Rock Judy Swanson Jan.1/15 Mar. 24/15 Gyrfalcon Pool 2, Thunder Bay Glenn Stronks Jan.1/15 Feb. 1/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1871 Lakeshore Road, Shuniah Cheryl A. and Lorne Gleeson Jan.2/15 Jan. 6/15 Varied Thrush Dawson Lots, RR# 2 Kaministiquia Joy and Richard D. Lip- owski Jan.2/15 Mar. 5/15 Townsend's Solitaire Friendship Gardens, Victoria Ave. Glenn Stronks Thunder Bay Jan.2/15 Feb.1/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker McGregor Ave, Thunder Bay Brian J. Moore, Janet Clark Jan.3/15 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 108 Hillcrest Rd. Longlac Fred Jennings Jan.4/15 Townsend's Solitaire Cherry Ridge Rd/Chercover Ave, Susan M. Craig Thunder Bay Jan.7/15 Harris's Sparrow Marks Street, Thunder Bay Barry Atkinson Jan.20/15 Townsend's Solitaire Whitegates Place, Thunder Bay Sue and Mike Bryan Feb.7/15 Apr.3/15 Spotted Towhee 709 Thornloe Dr. Thunder Bay Brenda D. Remus Feb.15/15 Gyrfalcon Raith Brian J. Moore, Nick G. Escott Feb.16/15 Fox Sparrow 440 Amethyst Cres, Thunder Bay A. Gregg Kendall Mar.16/15 Townsend's Solitaire 536 River St. Thunder Bay Molly L. Denson Apr.4/15 Apr.13/15 Varied Thrush 750 Hwy 11/17 Dorion Ed and Betty Chambers Apr.6/15 May 30/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker 70 Klagus Road, Neebing Sandra E. Spencer Apr.15/15 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Maatta's Road, Nipigon Karrlo O. Jarvela Apr.26/15 Say's Phoebe 667 Grann Dr. Shuniah Aarre A. Ertolahti Apr.27/15 May 19/15 Black-crowned Night-Heron D'Arcy Creek, Black Bay Aarre A. Ertolahti May 4/15 Summer Tanager Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman May 5/15 Western Tanager Dorion Norma Maurice Nov. 2014 May 7/15 Spotted Towhee 4 Nicolet Dr. Marathon Walter R. Lake May 9/15 May 12/15 Eastern Towhee #745 Hwy 11/17, Dorion Deborah J. Shallow May 9/15 May 10/15 Summer Tanager 28 Ray Blvd. Thunder Bay Fritz A. Fischer May 10/15 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Hwy 11/17, Wolf River Norma Maurice May 10/15 Summer Tanager Spruce River Road Jason J. Bresele May 11/15 May 21/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker Boreal Road W. Carl and Doreen Rogers May 12/15 May 13/15 Northern Mockingbird 4941 Mapleward Road Laura M. Ganja May 13/15 Golden-winged Warbler Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman May 15/15 Western Tanager Manitouwadge Tammie and Ben Hache May 16/15 Northern Mockingbird Boreal Road W. Carl and Doreen Rogers May 18/15 Harlequin Duck Richardson's Elevator Brian J. Moore May 18/15 Willet Pool 6, Thunder Bay Brian J. Moore May 18/15 Wood Thrush Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman May 19/15 May 21/15 Northern Mockingbird Chippewa Brian J. Moore May 19/15 Red Knot Chippewa Jim S. Miller May 19/15 Eastern Towhee 1177 Boundary Dr. W. Neebing Steve & Julie A. Elliott May 22/15 Western Kingbird Farm Road, Neebing Brian J. Moore May 23/15 May 24/15 Lark Sparrow 137 Hurkett Loop Road Many Obser. May 23/15 Pine Warbler Ouimet Canyon PP Bill F. Greaves, Jeff Rob- inson

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Start Date End Date Species Location Contact May 26/15 Eastern Towhee Manitouwadge Tammie and Ben Hache May 27/15 Lark Bunting 215 Lloyd Lane, Nicol Island Rossport Rita V. Gowan May 29/15 Western Tanager Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman May 30/15 Field Sparrow Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman May 31/15 Northern Mockingbird Dorion Greg N. Stroud June 6/15 Green Heron Ouimet Canyon PP Karrlo O. Jarvela June 13/15 Pine Warbler Anders Lake Road, Dorion Bill F. Greaves June 27/15 Northern Mockingbird Ouimet Canyon Road, Dorion Allan F. Gilbert July 2/15 Northern Mockingbird Whitefish Lake Brian D. Ratcliff July 4/15 Northern Mockingbird Longlac Garry Emms Aug.13/15 Northern Mockingbird 400 Dorion Loop, Dorion Gisele N. Schaaf Sept.12/15 Lark Sparrow Hwy 587, Pass Lake area Nick G. Escott Sept.17/15 Northern Mockingbird Silver Islet Reuven Martin Sept.21/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker Mona St. Thunder Bay Brian J. Moore Sept.22/15 Yellow-billed Cuckoo Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman Sept.28/15 Yellow-billed Cuckoo Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman Sept.29/15 Townsend's Solitaire Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Rinchen N. Boardman Oct.11/15 Townsend's Solitaire Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Lena Ware Oct.11/15 Grasshopper Sparrow Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Lena Ware Oct.11/15 Field Sparrow Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Lena Ware Oct.12/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Lena Ware Oct.13/15 Oct.17/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2654 Dawson Road, Thunder Bay Barbara and Stanley Kapush Oct.15/15 Northern Mockingbird MNRF Fire Base, Geraldton Airport Philip L. Wilson Oct.16/15 Smith's Longspur Silver Islet Allan F. Gilbert Oct.16/15 Northern Mockingbird White Rose Lane, Dorion Duncan MacKay Oct.18/15 Oct.30/15 White-winged Dove 667 Grann Dr. Shuniah Aarre A. Ertolahti Oct.18/15 Barn Owl Mirage Lake ne of Upsula Hugh D. LaForrest Oct.20/15 Dec.25/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker 634 Lakeshore Drive, Shuniah Peter J. and Diane Tracz Oct.22/15 Oct.23/15 Gyrfalcon Pool 6, Thunder Bay Brian J. Moore Oct.23/15 Nov.5/15 White-winged Dove 331 North Harold Street, Thunder Bay Clinton J. Kuschak Oct.31/15 Nov.1/15 Pine Warbler Longlac Gary S. Emms Nov.7/15 Meadowlark sp Marathon Boat Launch Christine C. Drake Nov.8/15 Northern Mockingbird Hurkett Brian J. Moore Nov.10/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker 193 Maatta's Road, Nipigon Rob and Margo Swainson Nov.22.15 Cattle Egret Hwy 61, south of Hwy 608 Gary B. Davies Nov.23/15 Dec.3/15 Eastern Towhee 103 Lakeview Dr. Longlac Jude D. Tulla Dec.5/15 Dec.31/15 Eastern Towhee 182 Hacquoil Road John and Neddie Halet Dec.17/15 Dec.20/15 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 303 North Branch Road, Gorham James F. Brewer, Lorena L. Strbavy Dec.24/15 Dec.28/15 Ruddy Duck Marina Park, Thunder Bay Jeremy O. Bryan Dec.26/15 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1354 Victor Ave. Thunder Bay Brian D. Ratcliff Dec.26/15 Townsend's Solitaire 1354 Victor Ave. Thunder Bay Brian D. Ratcliff Dec.26/15 Eastern Towhee 193 Belton Street Thunder Bay Jeremy O. Bryan Dec.26/15 Harlequin Duck Island Bridge, Thunder Bay Mike Childs Dec.26/15 Glaucous Gull Thunder Bay Landfill Nick G. Escott Dec.26/15 Iceland Gull Thunder Bay Landfill Nick G. Escott Dec.31/15 Gray Catbird Chippewa A. Gregg Kendall

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Upcoming Field trips

Granite Point Nature Reserve, Black Bay – Saturday, March 12th at 10:00 am Walk the ice to TBFN’s new nature reserve on the west shore of Black Bay. See large pressure ridges, crevasses, and ice formations at the point. Bald eagles may already be returning. This is an all day adventure. Meet at 10 am, location to be determined. Bring lunch and a drink., warm clothes and winter boots are needed. Meeting location and route dependent on road and ice conditions. (Trip leader will check access weekend before the event.) Phone trip leader Sue Bryan 345-6446 or email ([email protected]) during the 5 days before the event to get exact directions. Moderately difficult. Spring Home & Garden Show – April 1-3rd Be sure to visit our display at the show. To volunteer to help staff the display contact Bruce Thacker [email protected] (or sign up aat the annual dinner in February) Birding at Mission Marsh – Saturday, April 23th Join Keith Wade for early season migrants. Take the Island Drive Bridge to Mission Island and meet at the Mission Marsh parking lot at 8:45 am. Dress warmly with waterproof boots, hats and gloves. Call 935-3092 to confirm. Baillie Bird-a-thon – any 24-hour period in May See how many species of bids you can spot in a single day. Get sponsored per bird or a flat rate and raise money for the Thunder Cape Observatory and other bird initiatives. Break the local record of species or at least have fun trying. Contact Bird Studies Canada – Baillie Bird-a-thon to register. Spring at the Tree Farm – Saturday, May 7th Meet at the southernmost entrance to the tree farm on 25th Side Road at 9:00 am. For this half day hike. We will enjoy a walk through the area of tree plantation with its spacing trials as well as hoping to catch the prairie crocuses actually in bloom. Contact Marian Childs 577-1324. Nature’s Evening Choristers – Friday, May 13th This guided walk will take place at Mills Block at 8:00 pm. We’ll look and listen for frogs and evening songsters. Meet at the Mills Block Conservation Area parking lot. Wear waterproof footwear and warm clothing. Bring a flashlight. Contact George Holborn at 622-2113 to confirm time and date. Spring Warblers – Hurkett Cove – Saturday, May 21st Meet at the Country Fair Gas Bar at 8:00am. Bring a lunch and appropriate clothing for this day outing. Confirm with leader Tom Mitton 767-6035. Dorion’s Canyon Country Birding Festival – May 28th-29th. This 7th annual event features outings to Hurkett Cove, Ouimet Canyon and the Nipigon Trail. Area birding experts including TBFN members will be acting as guides. More details are available at Http:// www.dorionbirdfest.ca/index.html. Mill’s Block Orchids - Saturday, June 4th Meet in the Mill’s Block Forest parking lot on John Street Road at 10:00 a.m. We will have an easy 4 km hike in mixed forest with some small hills. Bring insect repellent, beverages and a light lunch. Ryan LeBlanc will be our special guest. Contact leader Bruce Childs 577-1324 to confirm.

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Upcoming field trips continued from page 16

Mink Mountain – Saturday, June 11th This is an all day event to explore the trails and treasures of Mink Mountain and its birds. Bring a lunch. Meet at the Athletic Club parking lot on Arthur St. at 7:30 am. Contact Brian Moore 344-2986 to confirm. Bluebird Bonanza – Friday, June 17th Join Susan Robinson for this workshop/field trip to check on nesting bluebirds and their broods as part of TBFN;s Bluebird Recovery Program. Meet at the Arthur Street Marketplace opposite the Athletic Club at 6:00pm. Fall Birding – Thunder Bay to the border - Saturday, September 17th at 8:00 am Join Bert Harding for a full day of fall birding . Meet at the Motavi Athleic Club at 7:45 to carpool. We will explore various places along the way hoping to see some different birds. This is a full day event, so be sure to bring a lunch. Contact Bert Harding 630-4735. Kay-nah-wah-chi-wa-nung Historical Centre (burial mounds) - Sunday, June 26th An overnight trip to see the Anishinaabe burial mounds and the unique vegetation of this area, plus a trip to the visitors’ centre. This involves a stay in Fort Frances on Saturday and an outing to the Cran- berry peatlands Sunday evening. There is transportation on site. Contact Marian at 577-1324.

Photo: cedar waxwings, by Michael Childs

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Want to volunteer? Here are some ways you can get involved!

*Become a board member. *We are also looking for field trip leaders, who have special interests or special places they would like to share with members. *Participate in or lead a specific program with our junior naturalists – e.g. an outing to a local place of interest or chairing that program. *Share your special knowledge: do a presentation at a meeting or at our Sleeping Giant weekend. *Help out with the Home and Garden Show in April - be a friendly face at our display! *Take an interest in a particular nature reserve. (See Sue Bryan) *Help with the highway clean-up at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. *Make coffee or set out and putt away chairs and tables at our meetings. *Lead a workshop or help out on one a committee - see the website. *Helpers are welcome at the Thunder Cape Bird Observatory, which includes driving volunteers to the Sibley Penninsula as well as helping at the banding station. *Help with the adopt-a-highway program, looking after publication sales at our meetings, banquet plan- ning, etc. *Have specialized skills? There may be opportunity to help with our Facebook page, website and Twit- ter account. *Last, but not least, we have opportunities to help with our newsletter. If you are unsure of how to get involved, email Marian Childs at [email protected] or call 577-1324.

Membership Application/Renewal Form

Name:______(Email) ______

Address:______(Postal Code) ______Phone: (home) ______(work/cell) ______

I prefer to receive Nature Northwest by (circle one): Post mail ($5 fee) /Email (0$ fee) / Both ($5 fee)

□ Family $30 □ Single $25 □ Senior (65+) $20 □ Student $20 □ Life $350 □ Corresponding (non-voting)$16 □ Thunder Cape Bird Observatory $10 Donation of $ to (circle 1) (TBFN) (TCBO) (Jr. Nats) (Nature Reserves) (Tax receipt issued for donation)

Juniors: Name(s) + Age(s)

______

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Thunder Bay Field Naturalists --- Information for 2015

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of natural history, the wise use of resources, the preservation of natural areas, and teaching the public to understand and protect nature.

Mailing Address/Phone: Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Website: www.tbfn.net P.O. Box 10037 Thunder Bay, ON P7B6T6

Meeting Dates: 4th Monday of September, October, November, January, March, and April, 7 p.m. Annual Dinner meeting is held 4th Sunday of February

TBFN Board of Directors 2015 Contacts President & Ontario Nature Rep David Legge 983-2155 Past President Brian McLaren Vice President Marian Childs 577-1324 Secretary Kathy Sakamoto 577-1959 Treasurer Karolyn Hoard 475-5116 Vice President, Field Trips, Junior Naturalists Marian Childs 577-1324 Inventory and Sales Frank Barclay 345-0817 Junior Naturalists Emese Boyko 631-4011 Membership Chair Christina Stricker 683-6696 Publicity and Promotion Bruce Thacker 344-2279 Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Ted Armstrong 577-3997

TBFN Standing Committees & Support Newsletter Editor Emese Boyko 613-692-0916 Webmaster Bruce Thacker 346-4950 Thunder Cape Bird Observatory Allan Gilbert 768-8582 Bird Records Committee Chair, Project Peregrine Chair Brian Ratcliff 768-8408 Bluebird Committee Chair Susan Robinson 344-1739 Nature Reserves Committee Chair Sue Bryan 345-6446

TBFN Reps on Community Committees MNR LCC Spruce River Forest Brian Moore 344-2986 MNR LCC Dog Lake/Mattawan River Forests Connie Hartviksen 983-2688 MNR LCC Lakehead Forest Gerry Stricker 683-6696 Public Advisory Committee to the Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan Jean Hall Armstrong 577-3997 Thunder Bay District Stewardship Council Jean Hall Armstrong 577-3997 MNR Fisheries Management Zone 9 Advisory Council Walter Momot

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Thunder Bay Field Naturalists at Painted Lake Photo by Michael Childs

Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Publications Agreement PO Box 10037 No 41362520 Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6T6

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