' TORONTO FIELD NATURALIST- Number 377, February 1986
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COVER TO COVER: PRESIDENT•s REPORT 2 - FEBRUARY OUTINGS 3 - THIS MONTH'S COVER 4 - KEEPING IN TOUCH 5 - HAIKU 6 - ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP REPORT 7 - LIBRARY REPORT 8 - POEM 8 - FOR READING 9 - POEM 12 - TORONTO CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS 13 - TORONTO REGION BIRD RECORDS 15 - STRANGE SIGHTINGS 21 - IN THE NEWS 22 - I N CASE YOU WONDERED 25 - TFN BOARD NOMINATIONS 25 - PROJECTS 26 - HOW THE HOUSE SPARROW LOST ITS NAME 30 - THE GARDEN THAT LOOKED AFTER ITSELF 31 - HIGH LIVING AND WILDLIFE 34 - HAIKU 34 - WILD AND GARDEN FLOWERS OF SOUTH AFRICA 35 - A NATURALIST'S VIEW OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA 36 - TORONTO REGION AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE REPORT 37 - ONE MINUTE WITH A RED FOX 37 - HAIKU 37 - THE WEATHER THIS TIME LAST YEAR 38 - COMING EVENTS 39 - TFN MEETINGS 41 TFN 377 President's Report
As everyone is aware, the TFN is a group that operates for the most part within the boundaries of Metropolitan Toronto. As such, we cannot be deeply involved in problems outside the Metro area. As it is, we are sometimes spread too thin trying to cover the many issues that arise within our own boundaries. I think of this when I receive a wide variety of mail that is both interesting and occasionally astonishing.
This mail falls into three categories: mail of specific interest to the TFN as an organization, mail on subjects of interest to TFN members, and mail of little or marginal interest to us as a club. Mail in the first category is dealt with directly, or through the Board, or by forwarding it to someone in the TFN who can use it, for example, Diana Banville for the library, or Helen Juhola for the Newsletter. Mail in the second category is usually from organizations which are working towards goals we all can support. Perhaps some of you are not aware of these groups. A short list appears on page 28 with addresses and telephone numbers in case you wish to ask for more information. Third-category mail is listed for Board members but no action is taken.
We have also been getting a large number of mailings from the new Minister of the Environment for Ontario, Jim Bradley, who is deeply committed to a clean and healthy environment.
The "Brickyard" is one step nearer being saved from development. The MTRCA filed an intent to expropriate, but the developers are still confident. (See page 7.)
I have learned recently that some of you do not know that our "free" coffee is not free. We do pay for the coffee that so many of you enjoy at the general meetings. There is no charge to the TFN for the use of the auditorium.
For many years, announcements of our general meetings have been broadcast on CFRB on Art Drysdale's programme beginning at 10.00 a.m. Saturdays. We are very happy to have this publicity and thank CFRB and Art for their friendly cooperation.
It's that time again! We will soon be looking for people to join the Board of Directors in September. If you have someone to suggest, or if you want to volunteer, please get in touch with Mary Smith, 49 Thorncrest Road, Islington. M9A 1S6. Telephone 231-5302. (See page 25.)
ilfl/;, There was an UMBRELLA left behind at the November meeting. Black, folding. ~Noone claimed it at the December meeting. If you think it is yours, call me.
I think we have had good programmes this year at our general meetings. It is time to begin planning for next season. We are always pleased to have suggestions for speakers or topics. Call me or any member of the Board.
Don't forget. The meeting in February is the second Monday - the 10th. This is because the auditorium had been booked when we sent in our reservation request last June. See you then! Jean Macdonald (425-6596) D Don't forget to come to the JOINT MEETING of the TFN and RCI. ( See page 41. )
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. . , .. ,.r._~.f' c'M) l;,:f}<•t~ . Upcoming TFN .. ~t}:~ ~iii-~~ ~~~~~~,., ~ OUTINGS _r - - -::::-= -~/, RAIN or Everybody Welcome! '' .. ~[l=l]~[N]~
FEBRUARY February can be a cold and often stormy month; nevertheless, crows and horned larks start to move into the area. They form the leading edge of spring migration--a sure sign that milder temperatures are not far off. Owls are also on the move with the end of this month and the beginning of March being the best t o find the elusive boreal ONl. Toronto area woodlot~, ravines and shorelines provide excellent winter birding for Metro residents. We are very fortunate in this respect -- enjoy it. One mammal which seems to be doing well within the natural areas of Metro is the red fox. Ma ny people walking our ravines during the early morning or late after noon have seen them . What most don't realize is that February (give or take a few weeks) marks the beginning of courtship and mating for the local fox population. The yipping and yel ping of courting foxes can sometimes be heard on still winter nights. Mating t akes place near the end of the month with young cubs being born between 51 and 53 days later. Foxes tend to be shy and nervous, trying to remain hidden from sight, but if you're observant you may spot one on your next winter walk. Another animal which seems well-adapted to life in Metro woodlots and ravines is the gr eat hor ned wl. It is our most common nesting owl and a year-round resident. A group of raucous mobbing cFOws will often give away the daytime resting spot of this nocturnal raptor. Owl castings or pellets, usually found on top of the snow at the base of evergreens, can also indicate the presence of this bird. Amongst birds the great horned owl is our earliest nester and by the middle of this month pairs will have chosen a nesting territory and egg laying will be underway. Phil Joiner
@ DARK OF THE MOON (February 24) 0 FULL MOON (February 9) t> FOR OTHER OUTINGS AND EVENTS OF INTEREST THIS MONTH, SEE PAGES 39 to 41. Sunday Sherwood Park - BIRDS Feb. 2 Leader: Annabel Cathral 1 to 4 Meet on the west side of Bayview Avenue just north of the CNIB overpass (north of Eglinton, south of Lawrence) to walk west to Yonge Street. Meet at entrance to Nature Trail.
Wednesday Beltline - NATURE WALK Feb. 5 Leader: Helen Juhola 1:30 pm Meet at the southwest corner of Davisville and Yonge St. to walk west to Eglinton Avenue West.
Saturday Members' Showing - NATURE ARTS Feb. 8 Leader: Mary Cumming 10 am Meet at the Victoria Park subway station (just inside). Bring your own sketches and lunch.
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FEBRUARY OUTINGS (cont'd)
Sunday Beltline - BIRDS Toronto Feb. 9 Leader: Joan Patterson 2 pm Meet on the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue (just inside the subway entrance) to walk west to Eglinton Ave. West.
Wednesday Mt. Pleasant Cemetery - NATURE WALK Toronto Feb. 12 Leader: Helen Smith 1:30 pm Meet at the cemetery entrance on the east side of Mt. Pleasant south of Merton Street.
Sunday Mt. Pleasant Cemetery - BIRDS Toronto Feb. 16 Leader: George Fairfield 10 am Meet at the cemetery entrance on the east side of Mount Pleasant to 12 noon south of Merton Street.
Wednesday Northern District Library - NATURE ARTS Toronto Feb. 19 Leader: Betty Paul 10:30 am Meet in Room 224A where we will be looking at colour slides taken to 1 pm by members on TFN outings during the past summer. Any questions, call Betty Paul at 224-0793 or Helen Juhola at 924-5806. EVERYONE WELCOME! -- with or without slides.
Saturday Royal Ontario Museum - INSECTS Toronto Feb. 22 Leader: Re in Jaajumagi 10 am Call Phil Joiner if you want to attend this outing. (496-0735)
Sunday Thompson Park - BIRDS Scarborough Feb. 23 Leader: Karin Fawthrop 11 am Meet at the entrance to Thompson Park (on the east side of Brimley Road, north of Lawrence Avenue East).
Wednesday Prospect Cemetery - NATURE WALK York/Toronto Feb. 26 Leader: Cathy Heynes 1:30 pm Meet at the cemetery entrance on Eglinton Avenue West (west of Dufferin, east of Caledonia) to walk south to St. Clair Ave. West.
This Month's Cover ·---"Papyrus - two views"------,. (U.of T. Greenhouses L. & Allan Gardens R.) by Diana Banville In the colder months there is no dearth of plant-life in Toronto to draw. We're fortunate to have such a selection of greenhouses within Metro ••• especially when we discover that so many of the plants displayed are cousins of our native ones, and in a few cases even the same species. With its triangular culms, papyrus would be recognized by most TFN outings enthusiasts as a sedge - a giant counterpart of several familiar species in the self-same genus, Cyperus. Besides the greenhouses there are many plantings in public buildings and malls. See Mary Cumming's drawing of TFN members sketching in the Shipp Centre, page 29.
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Keeping in touch ... Dear Diana: Toronto, November 16, 1985 This is concerning your article in the October issue "On the way to the sun - Halley's Comet••. I have never seen Halley 1 s Comet myself, but when I was a little girl (in the early thirties) I often heard my mother talk about it. She was twelve years old when this comet was visible and it must have impressed her very much, as she still talked about ~t more than twenty years later. However, this was not in Ontario, or even in Canada. She lived, and still lives, in The Netherlands, also known as "Holland". Last week she turned 88. Just recently I asked her in a letter if it was known to her already that this comet was coming again. I haven't received an answer yet, but from what I understand, this time around it won't be as clear as when she was young, just as you wrote in your article. If this would not have been such a rainy day and evening we would have been able to see this phenom enon tonight, as I heard this morning from Jay Ingram on his CBC Quirks and Quarks programme. It will be a while before this is possible again, due to the coming full moon. Although the above was not a Canadian a~count, I decided to let you know anyway. With kind regards, Lenie Dymond
To Editorial Committee ... loronto, January 7, 1986
One night in May of 1910, in Barrie, Ontario, two children were awakened by their grandparents to be taken to view Halley's Comet. The children were Amol Bird, long-time TFN member, and her sister. Their parents were out of town; had they been home there would have been no question of the children being taken from their beds to go forth into the night. The Comet was quite easily visible at that time in the northern hemisphere. Amol says it was high in the sky, resembling a bright, fuzzy tennis-ball. On December 19, 1985, she tried once again, dashing off after dinner to the York University Campus where telescope-viewing was being offered. The astronomer pointed it out "right in the middle - between those two stars". But Amo·i could not see it. She's going to try again though. Perhaps she wi ll see it some night in May of 1986. as reported by Amol Bird
Dear Helen, November 23, 1985 We put out our two bird feeders for the season about ten days ago. One feeder has cracked corn and the other, on the same pole, has sunflower seeds. The usual birds arrived almost immediately -- cardinal, blue jay, chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, house finch, and, of murse, house sparrow. che latter came in the largest numbers and instead of eating the corn as they always have in the past, they proceeded to gorge themselves on the sunflower seeds. They were emptying the rather large sunflower seed feeder in less than a day. After about a week of that behaviour, and just when we began to wonder what sunflower seeds would cost in carload lots, the sparrows suddenly stopped eating sunflower seeds almost entirely, and now they are eating, much more moderately, the crack ed corn, as they did in previous winters. We wonder what got them on such a sunflower binge, and especially what got them off it after a week or so. Orris Hull Williamsville, N.Y.
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KEEPING IN TOUCH (cont'd)
To Editorial Committee, TFN ... November, 1985
Not being a naturalist, I know not whether the event I report is commonplace. But I have seen it twice now, and on each occasion have watched it in fascination for much of the day through binoculars. The most recent occurrence was Dominion Day, 1985. It occurred at our cottage, just south of Kincardine on Lake Huron, and we observed from the top of a 12 foot high cliff. On both occasions we have observed the turtle migration, the lake was exceptionally calm, with barely a ripple, Being early summer, the water was quite cool. At 10 am I noticed a V-shaped ripple in the water, about 20 yards out (in 8 ft.deep water) moving north. At first I thought it was a shoal of small fish, but on closer inspection I noticed small heads popping up out of the water and then going under again. I fetched the binoculars and could see they were turtles. They seemed to migrate in family groups, with larger turtles at the head of each group, and smaller ones tucked in behind where, presumably, there was greater protection and, possibly, they were carried along in the wake of the stronger lead swimmers. The shoal moved steadily, indeed relentlessly northward and only deviated from its course if idiots in speedboats roared nearby. I tried to count the number of turtles, and .made a rough count of 50, and possibly more if there were some small ones hidden. Three or four minutes later I spotted another shoal moving along in identical manner, but this time about 50 yards out. And looking south I could see scattered here and there V shaped ripples, schools of turtles, steadily swimming northwards. This continued for 3 hours as upwards of 20 shoals swam past. The traffic thinned out in the afternoon and the last school I saw was about 4 pm. I didn't spot any loners, though we have seen the odd one at other times of the year. Some of the biggest schools probably had 100 turtles and if I were to make an informed guess, I would say that 2,000 to 3,000 turtles in about 40 schools swam past me that day. I would be most interested to hear from naturalists if this is a common phenomenon. And if so, where do the turles come from, and where are they going? Glen Norcliffe, Maple, Ont.
Dear Helen, November 18, 1985
Filled my bird feeder at 11:15 on November 18 and within ten minutes saw the following: one flicker (perched on feeder), two blue jays, one junco, two cardinals (a male and a female), one chickadee, four red-breasted nuthatches, one white-breasted nuthatch, three house finches (two males and one female), and one goldfinch. Nine species in ten minutes! The tenth species arrived a little lat~. It was a pigeon. (I had filled the feeder with sunflower seeds . ) Ida Hanson 83 Joicey Blvd.
Conversation stopped. On the bus, we both looked out toward the flower-shop.
Haiku by Diana Banville
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP REPORT At our November meeting, Dr. Ken Howard, Professor of Hydrogeology at Scarborough College, showed slides of the Scarborough Bluffs depicting problems of erosion and recession. Contrary to popular belief, the lake is not a major contributing factor of erosion. As Dr. Howard explained, the major causes of erosion are: (1) surface water, including both rainwater and drainage systems from roads and parks that push water over the bluffs; (2) ice that creates vertical fractures in the rock~ and, most significantly, (3) ground water coming from layers of saturated sand that can be traced as far north as Barrie. Although a number of solutions are technically feasible from an engineering viewpoint, they tend to be "band aid" solutions creating other problems. The very complex· problems of ground water, surface water, ice, and construction and development would require a very massive engineering feat that might not be worth it. Dr . Howard feels that erosion at the Bluffs would best be thought of as a natural long-term phenomenon creating the distinct aesthetic appeal of the area. Items being added to the TFN Library, courtesy of Dr. Howard : "':mle Application of Basin Analysis Techniques to Glaciated Terrains: An Example from the Lake Ontario Basin, Canada" by N. Eyles, B. M. Clark, B. G. Kaye, K. W. F. Howard, and C.H. Eyles, in Geoscience Canada, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1985. "Applied ~edimentology in an Urban Environment - The Case of Scarborough Bluffs, Ontario; Canada's Most Intractable Erosion Problem" by N. Eyles, C.H. Eyles, K. Lau and B. Clark in Geoscience Canada, Vol. 12, No. 3, 1985 . Melanie Milanich
DON VALLEY BRICKWORKS UPDATE
The saga of the Don Valley Brickworks continues. It has advanced since the last report in the December issue of the TFN newsletter. Expropriation proceedings are underway. Torvalley has engaged a lawyer to defend its interests in a hearing to be held early in 1986. The hearing will be held before a provincially appointed officer. Only Torvalley (the owners of the property) and the MTRCA (which initiated the expropriation proceedings) can present evidence. Friends of the Valley cannot. An expropriation price will be set at the hearing. Torvalley may still object and may appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. However, they can only do so on an "error in law". An error in law is difficult to establish. We can expect a final decision approximately March 1986. Friends of the Valley is continuing its fight to save the property. Its efforts to date have been fantastic and many people are holding Friends of the Valley up as a model. During its struggle Friends of the Valley has incurred several debts and it wou ld like to clear these up. For those of you interested in helping out financially, Friends of the Valley's address is 5468 Dundas Street West Suite. 561, Toronto, Ontario M9B 6E3. ' t> Louise Herzberg
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TFN LIBRARY report
BOOKS IN TFN LIBRARY, Part XVI - MAMMALS These are the reference books on mammals available from the TFN Library at November 1, 1985: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE MAMMALS OF AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO - by Wm. H. Burt & Richard Grossenheider. Peterson Series. ALBUM OF NORTH AMERICAN ANIMALS - by Vera Dugdale, illustrated by Clark Bronson Rand, McNally 1966. 13 mammals covered. MAMMALS OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION by William C. Burt,' U. of Mich. Press 1957. A field guide with range maps & illustrations. Habitat, habits discussed. AMERICAN MAMMALS by W. J. Hamilton Jr., illustrated with photos, charts and line drawings by Lloyd Sandford, McGraw Hill 1939. 419 pages plus index incl. English, scientific names. Classification. Chapters on characters~ adaptation, food, migration, reproduction, hibernation &c. Resource oriented - several chapters on commercial aspects and control. THE SQUIRRELS OF CANADA by Shirley E. Woods Jr., National Museum of Natural Science Ottawa. See review TFN:345:16 FEB 82. DEER OF NOVA SCOTIA by D. A. Benson & Donald G. Dodds. Lands & Forests NS 1977. Revised 1980, 88 pages, a few photos, bibliography. AMERICA'S LAST WILD HORSES by Hope Ryden, Ballantine Books,New York 1970. 310 pages plus extensive bibliography, very well researched. THE WORLD OF THE BAT by Charles E. Mohr. J.B. Lippincott Compan~ New York 1976. Living World Book, John K. Terres Editor, one of a series. 138 pages plus extensive bibliography and index, many black & white photos. JUST BATS by M. Brock Fenton, U. of T. Press 1983. 152 pages plus index, list of English and scientific names, bibliography, black and white photos, diagrams. Biology, habits &c. of bats clearly explained for the uninitiated. See review TFN 357:24 SEPT 83.
In our resource files we also have a folder on Mammals General and we have a file on each order, for the Nearctic Faunal Region (to which our region belongs), and for the world. If you wish to arrange to borrow any library material, call 690-1963. [> DB
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
THE SNOW HAS ...
The snow has a crust like some people I know. It's deceptively hard; you learn to go slow. Risk a nudge or two first, then wriggle familiar, uncover the softness . . .
Making friends is quite similar. Karen Parker
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ARNIE THE DARLING STARLING, 1983, 231 pages, and ARNIE AND A HOUSEFUL OF COMPANY, 1985, 293 pages both by Margarete Sigl Corbo and Diane Marie Barras, illustrated by Leslie Morril (1983) and Ryan Stewart Young (1985); Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. In spite of the "cutesy" title of the first book, it contains philosophical thoughts and insights into human as well as starling behaviour . In fact every one to whom I have lent these books has wanted to go out and adopt a starling - so great is Arnie's appeal. The first book takes place in Texas where the author, Margarete Corbo, adopted a fallen nestling, raised it, taught it to fly, and to talk, and to sing. The imitative songs of starlings are well known to early spring birders but what amazed me was the way Arnie could speak intelligible sentences at appropriate moments. Even her three cats understood, "Do you want to go outside, kitties?" and lined up at the door waiting . The sequel takes place in Cape Cod where Margarete relates how she got involved with the birds and other wild animals around her old family home to which she has returned. Both books are filled with people, as well as these animals. Mrs . Corbo herself has been through many tribulations and we can take heart from her philosophical outlook on life. The people she has encountered have been charmed with Arnie who made an impact on them as he will on you, the reader. Through Mrs . Corbo's associations with and insightful comments about a wide variety of interesting friends, we gain a deeper understanding of them and of ourselves. I only wish that the books were indexed or that I had marked pertinent paragraphs. I guess I'll have to read and enjoy them again. Beth Jefferson
BIRDS OF ONTARIO by J. Murray Speirs. 2 volumes published by Natural Heritage/ Natural History Inc., Toronto, 1985. Vol. I $49.95 Vol. II $24.95. Persons with even a casual interest in birds will be captivated by Volume I. It comments on each of the more than 400 species recorded in Ontario up until the end of 1984. The author has been closely observing birds since he was six years old. Now retired, he has written a book that shows his warm feelings for his feathered subjects. Readers will find unusual delights, such as the story of the yellow rail that easily walked between two books set up on a table about an inch apart. It was very easy for the author to imagine the origin of the expression "skinny as a rail". Volume I also has 344 striking colour plates. Most of these photographs were taken by the internationally renowned Canadian, Victor Crich. This volume is not a pocket field-guide. Rather, its large format, ample to accommodate the text and photographs, makes it a work for reference or for dipping into at leisure for very pleasurable reading. Volume II has been written for the more dedicated birdwatcher, with a note for each species on the identifying features and the preferred habitats. Also there are documented sightings at representative localities in the Province grouped according to season; maps showing the average population of each species from 1967 to 1977; measurements of the birds; and an extensive bibliography. Harold Taylor
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FOR READING cont'd CHECK-LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS - prepared by The Committee on Classifica tion and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union, Sixth Edition, 1983, 809 pages plus index of scientific and English names. Endpaper maps.
The sixth edition of the checklist is based on a different concept from that of the fifth. It covers the range "Arctic through Panama including West Indies and Hawaiian Islands". Islands off the continental coast at these latitudes are included, except Greenland. (Formerly it did not cover the countries south of the U.S. except for Baja California, Mexico, or Hawaii, but did cover Greenland.) Middle America has been included because it has been connected with North America for a longer time than with South America. Hawaii has been included because it is a state of the U.S.A. and the A.O.U. checklist is used for government purposes; some of Hawaii's species are derived from New World ancestors. The islands designated as "West Indies" do not include Trinidad, Tobago or islands along the north coast of South America. Birds of that latitude are considered South American. Greenland has been omitted since there are few species unique (as Nearctic fauna) to that land mass. (Some would consider this a good reason to include them.) The line which divides the 11 Nearctic" faunal zone (ie temperate and boreal North America) from the "Palearctic" is usually drawn from north to south down the centlre of Greenland. However, Greenland birds are still represented because the entire range of every species is described (in a general way) and not just its (detailed) range within the checklist boundaries, so that if a bird occurs anywhere in North America and ranges to Greenland, this will be shown. Also birds unique as Nearctic species to Greenland appear in an appendix which is less detailed than the main text. Actually I could find only one Greenland bird in that appendix which could be described as "regular" in any case - the old world meadow pipit, which breeds in Greenland. Another departure is that subspecies are not listed. The feeling is that it would take too many years to evaluate the great mass of material available from studies in the past thirty years. However, different forms are mentioned under the headings "distribution" and "notes". For information on subspecies, the Fifth Edition (1952) together with its 32nd and 33rd supplements published in the AUK 1973 and 1976 are still recommended. More than 2000 species are included in the book - in the main text and four appendices. A list of AOU numbers is also provided, including only the forms in the United States (including Hawaii) and Canada. There are 813 ,numbers but some "sandwiched inbetween11 have decimal numbers so it comes to over a thousand numbers assigned. If you take out those which have since been rejected and those which are designated as extinct, extirpated, accidental, casual, or rare/irregular, and subspecies of birds already listed under their species names, it comes to about 800 "regular" species occurring in the U.S. and Canada, though some are still rather rare or occurring only near boundary lines. The format is systematic with bold headings in each taxonomic category from class to genus. The binomial species name appears in smaller bold type. One English name is shown for each but others are sometimes mentioned. The author of the scientific name is shown, and the original name, author, and work on
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FOR READING cont'd
which the designation was based. Habitat and distribution are discussed for each species, and sometimes extra notes on names and species status. On each right-hand page the order name is repeated; this works out well except for the Passeriformes which take about half the book and could have used further headings of family and subfamily to guide the searcher. Much of the informa tion which normally appears in bibliography, glossary, and charts is in the 20-page preface. It would have been more readily retrievable if indexed. The last paragraphs of the preface, under "future needs" recommend further collection of specimens but does not mention collection of bird-kills on beaches, roads, and below towers. There would have been room for encourage ment of field studies such as banding, atlassing, population studies, and observational notes. The A.O.U. Checklist is unique. An impossible task, defying "perfection", yet much thought has gone into every aspect of the listing; the more I look at it the more I think there is a good reason for every decision. DB Available from Allen Press, Inc. PO Box 368, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, USA. Price US$35.00 plus postage. For more information on the changes in system atics, see review TFN 356:17-19 May 1983 (ignoring incorrect assumptions about inclusion of Greenland and subspecies).
Recently published: BIRDS OF THE COTTAGE COUNTRY by William C. Mansell, McBain Publications Inc. 1985, $7.95
THE WONDER OF CANADIAN BIRDS by Candace Savage, Western Producer Prairie Books, Saskatoon, Sask., 1985, $35.00
ORNITHOLOGY IN LABORATORY AND FIELD by Olin Sewall Pettingill, Jr., Fifth Edition, Academic Press, Inc., 1985, 403 pp, $32.40 (cloth)
BIRDWATCHING, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA, Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Tourism New Brunswick, 1985, free (Gall toll free l-800-561-0123)
THE RARE VASCULAR PLANTS OF ."BRITISH COLUMBIA BY G.B. Straley et al, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, 1985, free,from Rare and Endangered Plants rroject, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa, Ont. KlA OM8
RAIN RAIN GO AWAY by Sally Leppard, Public Focus, Toronto, 1985, $1.95 (bulk rates available upon request from publisher: Public Focus, 208 Bloor St.West, Suite 603, Toronto M5S 1T8 or telephone 926-8121)
THE DOTTED DRAGON by Sally Leppard, Public Focus, Toronto, 1985, $1.95 (see above for ordering)
TREASURES IN YOUR GARBAGE BAG by Toni Ellis, Public Focus, Toronto, 1985, $2.25 (see above for ordering) The three previous publications are activity colouring books suitable for children between the ages of four and eight; the following is a book for.·aU ages.
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FOR READING (recently published) (cont'd)
CO-OPERATIVE GAMES FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO PLAY by Alan Davies, Public Focus, Toronto, 1985, $10.00 (see above for ordering)
"Butterfly Engineering" in SCIENTIFIC AMERICA, August 1985, Vol. 253, No. 2. by Joel G. Kingsolver. Mechanisms of feeding, flying and basking in the sun are analyzed as if the insect were a machine.
THE ADVENTURES OF BROUGHTON BEAR, a new nature series for children 4 to 8, by Susan Atkinson-Keen, illustrated by Nancy W. Patterson, Greey de Pencier Books, four-colour illustrations, 24 pp., paperback, $2.50. Ticles in tne series are: A Dream Becomes Real, Fun Times, Unexpected Wonders, A Whole Day of Surprises, Lost and Found, and One Thing Leads to Another. r'or further information, contact Margo Beggs, Promotion Manager, OWL Magazine, 59 Front Street East, Toronto. M5E 1B3. (416) 364-3333.
WILDFLOWER GENETICS: A FIELD GUIDE FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE PACIFIC NORTH WEST by A. Griffiths and F. Ganders; Flight Press, Vancouver, 1983, 215 pp. $10
THE PLANT OBSERVER'S GUIDEBOOK: A FIELD BOTANY MANUAL FOR THE AMATEUR NATURALIST by C.E. Roth; Prentice-Hall, N.J., 1984, 222 pp. $25
WHERE HAVE ALL THE WILDFLOWERS GONE? by R.H. Mohlenbrock; Macmillan Publishing Co, New York, 1983, 23 pp., $23
RHETORIC AND ROSES: A HISTORY OF CANADIAN GARDENING by E. von Ba.eyer; Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Markham, Ont., 1984, 197 pp, $30
OUR GREEN AND LIVING WORLD: THE WISDOM TO SAVE IT by E. Ayensu et al; Cambridge University Press, New York, 1984, 256 pp, $25
THE SEX LIFE OF FLOWERS by B. Meeuse and S. Morris; Facts on File Publications, New York, N.Y., 1984, 152 pp., $28
FROST ORIGINS
Last night the moon haphazardly hit On the edge of a cloud and its fabric was split So that moon juice splashed out and fell down from the sky.
I found it this morning but left it, for try As I might to raise that thin, cold, clear layer, Its allegiance was earth, and determined to stay there!
Karen Parker
12 TFN 377
THE 61ST TORONTO C TMAS BIRD CENSUS, DECEMBER 1985 l Great Blue Heron 2 Hairy Woodpecker 77 Black-Crowned Night-Heron 1 Northern Flicker 3 Tundra Swan 3 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Mute Swan 40 Horned Lark 40 Snow Goose 1 Blue Jay 184 Canada Goose 2,851 * Scrub Jay l>'c Wood Duck 3 American Crow 288 American Black Duck 765 Black-Capped Chickadee 1,206 Mallard 3,864 Red-Breasted Nuthatch 27 Northern Pintail 5 White-Breasted Nuthatch 200 Northern Shoveller 7 Brown Creeper 20 Gadwall 487 Winter Wren 2 American Wigeon 43 Golden-Crowned Kinglet 30 Canvasback 20 Ruby-Crowned Kinglet 1 Redhead 117 Hermit Thrush 3 Greater Scaup 1,772 American Robin 72 Lesser Scaup 7 Northern Mockingbird l Oldsquaw 383 Bohemian Waxwing l Common Goldeneye 261 Cedar Waxwing 375 Bufflehead 263 Northern Shrike 12 Hooded Merganser 1 European Starling 4,922 Common Merganser 325 Nortehrn Cardinal 328 Red-Breasted Merganser 22 Rufous -Sided Towhee l Ruddy Duck 1 American Tree Sparrow 1,129 Northern Harrier 2 Field Sparrow 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 8 Fox Sparrow l Cooper's hawk 1 Song Sparrow 51 Northern Goshawk 4 Swamp Sparrow 3 Red-Tailed Hawk 88 White-Throated Sparrow 30 Rough-Legged Hawk 11 Dark-Eyed Junco 1,052 American Kestrel 18 Snow Bunting 408 Ring-Necked Pheasant 23 Red-Winged Blackbird 10 Ruffed Grouse 5 Rusty Blackbird 7 Ring-Billed Gu 11 2,678 Common Grackle 4 Herring Gull 2,716 Brown-Headed Cowbird 27 Iceland Gull 7 Pine Grosbeak 281 Glaucous Gull 16 Purple Finch 42 Great Black-Backed Gull 63 House Finch 75 Rock Dove 1,963 Common Redpoll 489 Mourning Dove 1,519 Pine Siskin 121 Eastern Screech-Owl 2 American Goldfinch 552 Great Horned Owl 26 Evening GrosbeaK ~~ Long-Eared Owl 4 House Sparrow 2,346 Shor-Eared owl 1 Tufted Titmouse 1 Belted Kingfisher 5 Varied Thrush 1 Downy Woodpecker 165 Grey Catbird 1
There were 92 species with 35,093 individuals. Twenty-eight routes were covered by 136 participants within a 48 km radius of the Royal Ontario Museum.
* subject to review by the Ontario Ornithological Records Committee
13 TFN 377
TORONTO CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS (cont'd)
This year's count was held on Sunday, December 22, 1985. Twenty-eight routes were covered by 136 participants within a 48 km radius of the Royal Ontario Museum. The number of species counted was 92 with a total of 35,083 individuals. The previous record highs were: species 99 (1972) and individuals 46,123 (1981) . No new species were seen this year except a scrub jay whose status as a possible escapee is under review by the Ontario Ornithological Records Committee. Single sightings included snow goose, ruddy duck, hooded merganser, Cooper's hawk, scrub jay, short-eared owl, tufted titmouse, northern mockingbird, gray catbird, ruby-crowned kinglet, rufous-sided towhee, field sparrow, fox sparrow, bohemian waxwing, black-crowned night-heron and varied thrush. Species found in record high numbers were mourning dove (1,519) and sharp-shinned hawk (8). Other high numbers were great horned owl (26), cardinal (328), tree sparrow (1,128), pine grosbeak (281). Low counts included oldsquaw (383), kestrel (18 -- lowest since 1956) and blue jay (184 -- lowest since 1968). The house finch showed a slight decline since 1984 and red-tailed hawks continued what appears to be a long-term mild decline. Species missed included loons, shorebirds and snowy owl. On the count morning snow fell heavily at times. Temperatures ranged from -8.1° to -2.1°C and the wind was out of the southwest at 60 km per hour; snow depth was 6 cm and most ponds, creeks and rivers were ice-covered. Thanks to all TFN members who took part and helped make the 1985 count a success.
Participants: C. Adey. L. Anglin, H. Barnett, I. Barnett, G. Bennett, P. Black stock, F. Bodsworth, D. Borchert, D. Broughton, J. ten Bruggenkate, J. Burke, D. Burton, A. Campbell, K, Carmichael, B. Charles, G. Coady, D. Corbridge, J. Cranmer-Byng, H. Currie, J. Dales, R. Davis, M. Delorey, A. Dobson, D. Duck worth, C. Ellingwood, D. Ellingwood, J. Fairchild, G. Fairfield, J. Fairfield, A. Falls, B. Falls, T. Farley, B. Fleming, P. Fleming, J. Giffin, C. Gooch, T. Gooch, C. Goodwin, M. Gillespie, N. Hannah, R. Hannah, P. Hardy, G. Harpley, P. Harpley, R. Harris, H. Hart, G. Hembrey, W. Hewitt, L. Hindle, R. Jasiuk, B. Jefferson, E. Johns, G. Joiner, P. Joiner, J. Kalthoff, J. Kennleyside, S. Kelley, E. Kerr, H. Kerr, N. Khairallah, D. Knudsen, J. Knudsen, K. Knudsen, R. Knudsen, K, Konze, S. Kooman, J. Lamey, P Lehman, C. Lennox, T. Levere, J. Livingstone, P. Livingstone, D. Love, J. Love, J. Lowe-Wylde, L. Lowe-Wylde, J. Macey, S. Macey, D. Marvin, W. McLennan, D. McNeil, A. Montgomery, O. Moore house, W. Morris, D. Newton, K , Newton, L. Newton, D. Pace, W. Payne, D. Perks, M. Price, S. Price, P. Randall, S. Randall, C. Rapozo, J. Reynolds, K. Reynolds, J. Rising, A, Rusnell, M. Rusnell, B. Sansom, R. Sansom, G. Shemilt, H. Smith, J. Smith, M. Smith, J. Smolinski, J. Smyth, R. Speak, M. Speirs, C. Spytz, P. Spytz, J. Stevens, T. Stevens, A. Stewart, B. Stewart, M. Stewart, R. Stewart, R. Stolz, E. Strenge, R. Strenge, D. Stuckey, J. Tasker, M. Tasker, R. Tasker, I. Tate, D. Taylor, G. Tuck, I. Ward, B. Wilkinson, J. Winearls, R. Wood, J. Woodford, P. Woodford, P. Wukasch, R. Yukich, W. Duckworth
Hugh Currie, Compiler, Toronto Ornithological Club
14 'i'Ft~ 3 77
Toronto Region BIRD RECORDS
for the period Oct. 16 - Dec. 15, 1985.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Maureen Allain, Lise Anglin, Patricia Blackstock, Steve Campbell IStCl, Sandy Cappell ISaCl, Dennis Clarke, Glenn Coady, Mike DeLorey, Dennis Duckworth, Bill Edmonds, Herb Elliott, Chris Escott , Jim Fairchild, Karin Fawthrop, Phil Franklin, Clive Goodwin, Ida Hanson, Beth Jefferson, Marilyn Jenkins, Bob Johnson CBJo) , Helen & Aarne Juhola, Harry Kerr, William Mansell, Linda Marshall, Kathryn Martyn, Don McClement, Paul McGaw, Norm Murr, Maisie Newby , Gwen Or merod, Don Peuramaki, Fred Pollard, Suzanne Poodrey, Jim Rising, Dav id Stephenson (Humber Arboretum), Helen Smith, Ilmar Talvila, Toronto Field Naturalists ' Outing, Bruce Wilkinson, Elna Whiteside, Bob Vukich , Larissa Zviedris, many observers:m.ob.
EDITORIAL POLICY:
Many reports have been gratefLtl 1 y recei v edErom the abc,ve birdwatchers. Some have submitted the names of fellow birders that have been along on their trips. These names have not been included unless they have actually submitted a report to me or to one of the editors of th~ TFN Newsletter. Only the person who actually submits a report will be listed as a contributor. However it is important to us that these other people are noted as being present for our files of raw data which are available for anyone wishing to do further research. After consulting a v ariety of readers it has been decided that second-hand reports will not be acceptable for publication due to the numerous complications that coul d be involved. The observ ations that are noted below are for the most part unconfirmed or unsbtantiated. When authenticated records are deemed necessary the contributor will be so informed and that documentation forwarded to highly qualified bird watchers for confirmation before publication of same. Contributors are encour aged to submit detailed documentation of very rare sightings for future refer ence. This is not meant to discourage you from reporting. We are ver y interested_ in documenting all birds in the Toronto Region. If onl y rare birds are included in these reports it will give a false impression of what is around. One contri butor questioned that although her sightings were of fairly common species would they be of interest, further commenting that she hoped that by documenting what is seen it will enable us to note decreases in numbers of migratory birds which might lead to research into, or proof of, environmental e xplanations, i.e. the fast d isappearance of winter habitat in the tropical rain forests, or the continued use of harmful pesticides by countries in Central and South America. Therefore we thank all of you who have contributed your sightings. Space limits the use of every single report but each one does help to note trends, like the unusuall y large influx of Pine Grosbeaks this fall. Is the reason due to a poor seed crop farther north this year after an exceptionall y abundant pr oduction last year? Perhaps a botanist would care to comment on this phenom enon.
(COMMENTS: I
These continue to be of great interest to readers. Numbers are often significant . If no number i s indicated assume only 1 bird was reported. The last date a bird was observered is noted where applicable. Assume various sightings have been reported up to that date, but space again limits including ever y indi vidual record .
15 TOiONTO R~GION BIRD RECORDS (cout'd)
ABBREVIATIONS :
LSPH:Lake Shore Psychi atric Hospital, LS:Lake Shore, M:Marsh, R:River, P:Pond, Ck:Creek, B:Beach, P k : Park, V: Valley, N:Northlernl, S : South, E:East, W:West, Wa:Warbler, th:throated, cr:crowned, Ld: Last date reported
LOONS THROUGH GEESE:
Red-throated Loon Oct . 25 Swmyside BY Nov . 9~,l 7 HL1mber Bay m. ob. Common Loon Oct. l 9 Spit (4) m. ob. Whitby I 100) CG Oct.27 New Toronto (7) BJ Nov.7 York Forest (3) TFN FreqL1ent along LS (in single nL1mbers into mid- Dec. I m. ob. Pied-billed Grebe Oct.19,20,Nov.24,30: Spit NM Horned Grebe Frequent Waterfront (single nL1mbersl m. ob. Nov. 17 Humber Bay ( 4) TFN Red-necked Grebe Dct.19,20,27,Nov . 2: Spit 11-2) m. ob. Double-crested Cormorant Oct. 30 LSPH Landfill (Ldl DM Great Blue Heron Oct.19 Spit ( 15- 20) NM Oct.20 Whitby ( 20) IT Dec . 1 Humber M. 58,7 (12-15) MDL Dec.13 (Ld) MDL Green-backed Heron Oct.17 GRLord MN Black-crowned Night- Heron Occasional Humber M. S, Bay (1 - 2 immatL1resl m.ob. Dec . 3 Marie Curtis MDL Tundra Swan Oct . 20 Whitby IT Occasional HLtmber Bay m. ob. Snow Goose· Oct.20 Cranberry M. IT Canada Goose Oct. 19 Spit (631 I GC Wood DLtck Nov.21 Grenadier P(2 using Mallards for protectio~ ~, Dec. 12 ( 1 MDL Green-winged Teal Oct.19 Whitby 1501 CG FreqLtent LS~,Humber M. (2-181 m.ob. Dec . 8 Mimico Ck . (2 Ldl HS American Black Duck Frequent LS m.ob. Dec.1 GRLord (4) SC Mallard Nov.13 Etobicoke Ck. (200-- a nesting areal TFN Nov. 21 Grenadier P. (60) MDL Northern Shoveler Oct.27 Humber Bay (23) CG Nov . 5-23 Grenadier P. (20-50) m. ob, Gadwall Nov . 10 HL11nb er Bay (most dominant of dabblersl JR American Wigeon Every day New Toronto (often feeding on grass in parks) BJ Nov. 13 (40) BJ Occasional Spit (4-71 m.ob, Canvasback Oct. 2 7 Spit (20-30) m. ob, Redhead Nov . 11 New Toronto (300) BJ Dec.a Marie Curtis I 160) BJ Ring-necked Duck Oct.20 Spit NM Nov.5 Grenadier P. SP Greater ScaL1p Oct.19 Spit (53) GC Cor,tinL\OL\S LS m. ob. Lesser Scaup Oct.27 Spit I 10) TFN I nfreqL1ent LS ( 1 ess common tt-,an Greater I rn.ob.
16 TORONTO REGION BIRD RECORDS (cout'd)
Har 1 equi n DLtC t, Oct. 16 Humber Bay CG Oct.23 BJ Oldsquaw Frequent LS <1000s > m •• ob. Black Scoter Oct. 19 Spit ( 3) NM Oct. 25~~26 Humber Bay m. ob, Surf Scote1" Oct.19-26 Waterfront C 1-26) m. ob. White-winged Scoter Oct. 19-27 Waterfront < l-10 ) m. ob. Common Goldeneye Common LS&Humber R. m.o~ Ecuffleh.;.ad Frequent LS&Grenadier P. (up to 25 1 m.ob. Both Goldeneye & Bufflehead are close to Lakeshore diving into the surf duri ng storms with high waves from the east. Hooded Merganser Frequent Grenadier P., Humber M.& LS (up to 211 m.o~ Common Merganser m. ob, Nov.11 Humber Bay (800) BY Red-breasted Merganser Occasional Waterfront (Lip to 35) m. ob, Ruddy Duck InfreqL1ent (2 at the most, spending a lot of time under water> m. ob_
HAW KS, ETC.
TL1rkey Vulture Oct. lt. Duffin Ck.&401 (50 spiralling) BoJ Osprey Oct. 20 Cranberry M. IT Golden Eagle Oct. 18 Humber Bay (adult) BP
Northern Harrier Dct.19-Dec.7 LS~, Etobicoke Ck. Cup to 3) m.ob. Sharp-shinned Hawk FreqL1ent Inland (l-2) m. ob. Northern Goshawk Oct. 19S,26 Whitby ~, HLtmber Bay CG Nov.24 Spit NM Red-shoul dered Hawk Oct. 19 Whitby (6) CG Nov.30 Spit NM Broad-winged Hawk Nov.24 Chine Dr. TFN Red-tai 1 ed Hawk Frequent Ravines & inland parks Cl-21 m. ob. Oct. 19 Whitby (20) CG Rough~legged Haw k Frequent Airport ~~ Spit m.ob- Dec.15 Airport (9, all over runways & in in small trees) PF American f PHEASANTS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS~ Ring-necked Pheasant Occasional Lambton Woods, Humber M., GRLord, Humber Arboretum Cl-3, often tracks in snow ) m.ob. RL1ffed Gr·oL1se Nov .10 York Forest (2) TFN Common Mc,orhen Oct. 19 Whitby CG American Coot Grenadier- P. (2) m.ob. Oct.20 Tenth St.Pk. (2) MN Cranberry M. (5) IT Black-bellied Plover Oct.19-Nov.3 LS:Whitby-Humber Bay (up to 22) m.ob, Killdeer Dec.4 mouth of Mimico Ck. <2, Ldl JF Greater Yellowlegs Nov. 23 HLHnber M. 5 Cld) HS,BJ Lesser Yellowlegs Oct.27 Spit & Rattray(Ld) m.ob. Spotted Sandpiper Oct.19 Whitby 12,Ldl CG HL1dsoni an Godwi t Oct.19&20 Spit m.ob. Ruddy Turnstone Oct. 22 Waterfront (2) GC Sanderling Oct.19-Nov .17 (9,decreasing to 1 ) m.ob. Semipalmated Sandpiper Nov.2 Spit CLd) IT White-rumped Sandpiper Oct.19-27 Spit, Whitby <1-4) m.ob. Pectoral Sandpiper Oct.19-27 Spit-Rattray (1 -4 ) m.ob. PL1rple Sandpiper Dct.20- Nov.2 Spit (2) m.ob. 17 Trli 377 TORONTO REGION BIRD RECORDS (cont'd) DLtn l in Oct.17-Nov.3 LS Cup t o 200 on Oct . 271 m. ob. Short-billed Dowitcher Oct.19 Whitby (3) CG Comm on Snipe· CG American Woodcock Oc:t. 16 Gl e n don TFN Ocl.20 Cranberry IT JAEGERS THROUGH TERNS: Parasitic J aeger Oct . 27 Spit (male adult made a pass at a Harrier & flew on west) m. ob. Ring-billed Gull Oct.27 Spit (500) TFN Herring Gull Frequent LS m.ob, Occasional Inland:GRLo rd, Humber M. m. ob. Great Black-backed Gull Common LS& Humber R. (up to 2 0) m.ob. Black-legged Kittiwake Nov. 9 Spit CE Nov.18 Bronte LS (5) HS DOVES THROUGH OWLS: Rock Dove Abundant on city streets m. ob. MoL1rn i ng Dov e Nov.13 Etobicoke Ck . 130) HS Eastern Screech Owl Nov.12 Humber M. resident (White -breasted Nut . harrassing t he hole)BW Great Horned Owl Frequent Humber M. ,& Arboretum, Marie Curtis, Lambton Woods, Spit (1-2> m .. ob. Dec.4 Mi mi co Ck. N of Humber Bay Pk. (2) ,JF Barred Owl Oct. 20~,21 Spit m. ob. Oct. 2n,31 Lambton Woods (wi t h lovely chocolate brown eyes) PB~,GC Long-eared Owl Uncommon Centennial Pk. , Spit , Island m. ob. Short-eared Owl Nov.19 New Toronto MDLfJ Northern Saw-whet Owl Occasional Spit, Mt.Pleasant Cemet. , Marie Curtis, Island, Humbe r M. m. ob. KINGFISHERS THROUGH WOODPECKERS: Belted Kingfisher Occasional Humber M., Mimi co Ck.&Airport (1-2) m. ob, Red-bellied Woodpecker Oct.29 Lambton Woods CG Nov. 4 Humber M. HS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Oct. 26 Lambton Woods KM Downy Woodpe·cker Common Throughout m. ob. Hairy Woodpecker Nov.6 Downtown HJ FreqL1e nt Spit NM More observe d than last year when there seemed to be only a very few a round . m.ob Northern Flicker Nov. 18 Joicey Bl vd . (at a feeder) IH Pileated Woodpecker Oct.23 Gl endon TFN FLYCATCHERS THROUGH KI NGLE TS: Eastern Phoebe Oct. 19S,20 Spit (3) NM Great Crested Flycatcher Oct. 25~,27 Mt.Pleasant Cemet ary (very late) m. ob. Horned Lark Oct. 19~,26 Spit < 13) NM Blue Jay Frequent Throughout m. ob. Scrub Jay AL1g. -Dec. Mi 1 tor, (escapee or wild bird blown off cour se by hurricanes?) m. ob. Common Raven Nov .13 Marie Curtis BW,BJ Nov.19 Mimico BY American Crow Frequent Throughout m.ob. Black-capped Chickadee TL1fted Titmouse Dec.8 Col. Danforth Pk. (at a feeder) KF 18 Tl"N 3 77 TORONTO REGION BIRD RECORDS (~OHt'o) Red-breasted Nuthatch Nov . Mt.Pleasant Cemetar y (ver y common) m.ob. White-breasted Nuthatch Oct.18- Nov .1 5 West Deane feeder- (more than last year. Storing seeds in bir-d h o u ses & tr-ee bark)GO Brown Creeper Dec:. 13 Humber M.7 (daily until this Ldl HS Winter Wr-en Oct . 20 Spi·t (3) rn. ob- No v . 2 ::, Humber M.7 ILd ) BJ Golden-crowned Kingl et Dec.11 LS~,Etobicoke Ck . 16) TFN Ruby-er-owned Kinglet Dec. 1 High Par-k (Ld l BY BLUEBIRDS THROUGH STARLINGS: Eastern Bluebird Oct.20 Isl <=1nd (3) BY Nov .2 Earl Bales ( 8) Kt-1 No v .21 High Park MDL Swai nson's Thrush Oct. 20 Isl <= VIREOS & WARBLERS: Sol ita1"'y Vireo Nov. 1::. Hi gh Par-f: BY Ce1p e May l;J a r· bl e r· Late Oct. Cherr-y B. DP Ye llow-rumped Warbler Clots ) DP Oct.20 Lambton Woods ( 5 ) CG Nov .8 HLtmber Ar-boretum CLd ) DS Pine Warbler Oct. 19 High P k. BY Palm W<=1 1rbl er Oct. 20 Spit NM B<= CAR DINALS THROUGH SPARROWS: Northern Cardinal Frequent Mt.Pleasant, Spit m. ob. Rufous-sided Towhee Oct. 26 MDL Amer-ic<= 19 Tft~ 3 77 TORONTO RiGION BIRD RECORDS (cont'd) Lincoln Spat,.TOYJ Oct. 19 Spit NM Dct.20 Humb e r M. 8,Bay GC Swamp Sparr-·01-1 Oct. 19 High Pk. B'( Dec.3 Cranberry M. JF White-throated Sparrow Frequent Throughout ( 1-7) m. ob. Dec.4-6 Downtown (eating Climbing Nightshade berries ) HJ White-crowned Sparrow Oct.19-Nov.6 Spit, Mississauga, Humber Arboretum(2)mob. JUNCOS THROUGH BLACKBIRDS: Dark-eyed Junco Oct. J 9 Common throughout (flocks of up to 55)m.ob. Snow Bunting Oct.23 Commom SpitLHumber Bay <300, Oct.27) Red-winged Blackbird Oct.23-26 GRLord, Humber M. (38-50,late migration)SCJ-iS Nov.24 Spit <2, Ld l NM Eastern Meadowlark Oct.27 Claireville <7,Ldl IT RL1sty Blackbird Dec.4 Humber M.7 J~BJ Common Grackle Oct.20 Mt.Pleasant (150) HS Nov.2 Etobicoke Ck, (Ld) HS Brown-headed Cowbird Oct. 16 Gl endc,n (2+) TFN FINCHES TO HOUSE SPARROW: Pine Grosbeak Nov.10-present, great influx:Georgetown-E.Metro Ivery tame, eating ash seeds, cork berries, crab apples.--flocks of up to 20) m. ob. Purple Finch Occasional W. Metro (1-8) m. ob, HoL\:.e Finch Mt.Pleasant, Mississauga, Humber M. ( 1-2) Red Cro:.sb i 11 Nov. 17 Bronte Ck. Pk 12) WM Common F:edpol l Mid-Nov. Mt.Pleasant (2-6) m. ob Dec. 12 High Pk. (121 MDL Pine E,iskin Frequent Metro Parks (flocks of 7,20,30+,&60 ) m. ob. American Goldfinch Throughout Evening Grosbeak Oct.26-Nov.15 Frequent in wooded areas (1-100,by end of this period) m.ob. House Sparrow Everywhere, I assume, but not reported. ABERRANTS that ma y have you confused: American Robin with white wings, has been a resident in Mount Pleasant Cemetary during this time period. m.ob. Mallards that are much larger than normal are Game-farm Mallards that have escaped or been let loose, after beginning life as cute little Easter ducklings and then have grown up. JR Observed: Nov.13&27 Etobicoke Creek Cup to 6) TFN Much inter -breeding of Mallards with other ducks produces very confusing individuals for a beginning birdwatcher. Fr equentl y seen at High Park, Humber Bay, Marie Curtis m.o~ ?Goose? that looks like a Blue Goose but with many elongated dar k specks on its white neck. Frequently seen at Marie Curtis. m.ob, Is it an offspring of the "Odd Couple"--the Barnacle g, Blue-phased Snow geese that have been hanging around together there for the past couple of years? 20 TFd 377 TORONTO REGION BIRD RECORDS (cont'd ) CORRECTIONS : Yellow-throated Warbler , Aug.17,Toronto Isl a n d was r e a ll y a Common Yell o wthroat. My a pologi es to Don Pe ura ma k i for mi si n t erpret ing h is report. Red-tailed Hawk (dead, featherless and very putrid s mel ling> that Becky found washed-u p on the b e ach a t 10th St., Dec.1984, turne d out, after c loser e xamination b y t h e ROM to be a Great Horned Owl . MJ The ne>:t r e port wil l cover the p e riod Dec . 16 to Jan . 15 . P lease s end your obser~ations before Jan . 2 5 to Beth Jeff e r s on , 41 Lake Shore Dr. , Apt . 404 t> New Toronto , Ont., MBV 1Z3, or tel eph o n e 251-2998. Beth Jefferson BIF:D TR I VIA QU IZ Which species of birds is t h e most numerou s of a l l the bi r ds tha t wer e counted on t he 1984 Christmas Bird Count cove ring a ll of North Amer ica , Mi dd l e America, a nd West Indies? ANSWER: '' The single most abundant species was the Red-winged Blackbi r d wi th approximate l y 53 million i nd ivi duals. The aggressi ve Br own-headed Cowbi rd, with roughly 2 3 mil lion, and t he Common Grac kl e wi t h a b out 9 mill i o n , and European Starl i ng wi th a r ound 6 milion followed." Amer i c a n Bi r ds 85th Christmas Bi r d CoLm t , Vol . 39 , No. 4, p . 383. Strange THE RAIDING RODENT or A RAT AT THE FEEDER Sunday October 6, 1985 was a great birding day -- so much so that I ran out of time before I ran out places I wanted to visit. I had reached Grenadier Pond at the corner of the Queensway and Ellis Avenue sometime after 6:30 pm and alt h ough it was getting too dark to see very much,I could see that the people who feed the ducks had been very generous and there were still pieces of bread on the ground at the water's edge. Then suddenly there was the largest Norway rat I have ever seen! He ran along the concrete edge of the pond, then onto the gras s where he c o llected a piece of bread. I watched him return to the curb and eat the bread leisurely. Then I got out of the car to get a better look. As it was, I was only a few feet from him, but I wanted to get as close as possible. He wasn't a bit bothered by my approach. After finishing his snack, "Ratty" groome d his whiskers, casually turned around and disappeared! When I walked over to the curb I could see a good-sized hole in the ground where the earth had subsided. "Ratty' s" tail was still visible. Eventually he went right down the hole , I notice d a s i milar hole a few feet away so this rat seems to have a front door , a back do or and lots of bread to eat, No wonder he isn' t nervoust Maisie Newby 21 TFN 377 IN THE NEWS CONSERVATION AUTHORITY KEEPS ALL-NATURAL OPTION ALIVE FOR TOMMY THOMPSON PARK On November 29, 1985 the full board of the MTRCA met to discuss and vote on the acceptance of the Aquatic Park Master Plan Phase 1 report and their staff recommendation to proceed with Option 3 which would divide the park into three zones and allow extensive marina development etc. There were many· points of order questions before taefull board "received" the Water and Related Land Advisory Board report recommending Option 3. Then Mr. R. Crowe moved, and Mrs. L. Griffin seconded,that the MTRCA staff be directed as well to continue to study Option 1 (an all-natural plan for the park) in Phases II and III. The board, after discussion,voted 20 to 11 in favour of Mr. Crowe's motion. condensed from FRIENDS OF THE SPIT NEWSLETTER, December 1985 * TORONTO HARBOUR COMMISSION MARINA PROPOSAL FOR LESLIE STREET SPIT BASE The THC unveiled the Phase One Study of their marina proposal for the outer harbour to invited 111embers of the public. The design the consul tan ts are recommending consists of a new landfill arm paralleling the spit between the north shore and the spit to create a new harbour which will have a mooring capacity of 1200 boats. The average boat is assumed to be 30 feet long and to be motor and sail powered. If you wish to receive an information kit for the Outer Harbour Public Marina write to Marshal Macklin Monaghan Limited, 275 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills M3B 2Yl. Attention: H.L. French. condensed from FRIENDS OF THE SPIT NEWSLETTER, December 1985 ** WATERFRONT RECREATIONAL EXPANSION ENDORSED The Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has endorsed a new five-year program to expand recreational activities on Metro's waterfront. The plan includes gardens, a lake for swimming on the Etobicoke shoreline, a trout pond and a pond for model boats in Scarborough . The $15-million program also includes plans for more lakefront land acquisition, negotiations to assume responsibility for Frenchman's Bay, a natural harbour in Durham Region near Ajax and discussions on the transfer of Toronto's western beaches to the conservation authority. A survey by the Authority of visitors to the waterfront has shown that cold lake temperatures and water-quality problems have resulted in a demand for artificial swimming areas. There also has been some demand for lakefront playgrounds. The survey has also shown that the public is not bothered by the gulls and terns. More than 86 per cent of those surveyed said the birds made their visits to the lakefront more enjoyable or at least did not interfere with them. The five-year program includes acquisition of federally owned lands to extend tlarie Curtis Park and preparation of plans for a garden and artificial lake atSamuel Smith Park, both in Etobicoke. A small-craft harbour near the Lakeshore Road motel strip and a public pathway to the ,Palace Pier also are planned . Bluffers Park in Scarborough would get a 400-slip marina, a pedestrian walkway through Brimley Ravine and an expanded parking area. The program includes a shoreline pathway system and trails along Scarborough Bluffs near the Guild Inn property. At Scarborough's East Point Park near the mouth of Highland Creek, the program provides for the establishment of a trout pond, a model boat pond and sports fields. condensed from an article by Alden Baker in the GLOBE AND MAIL, Dec. 7, 1985 _,._ See map on page 25 . ** What do you think of this? Send questions and corrments to those on page 24 • 22 TFN 377 IN THE NEWS (cont'd) ,., BRAMPTON WATER PARK GETS GO-AHEAD The Ontario cabinet has given the green light to an Edmonton group to build the Metro area's first water theme park at the Claireville Conservation Area. Up to 250,000 people a season are expected to use the park which is slated to open iu June. Construction on the $5 million water wonderland is expected to begin in February. Preliminary plans call for the 19-hectare (48-acre) park to provide a 1,858-square-metre (20,000-square-foot) wave pool complete with a man-made beach, several winding water slides, two high-speed slides, a children's water play area, hot tubs, boat rentals, baseball and soccer fields, volleyball court, snack bar and picnic areas. The park will be just outside the Etobicoke border in Brampton, south of Steeles Avenue E. and about one mile east of Goreway Dr. Under the terms of the agreement, Leigh Simpson and Associates of Edmonton will pay all construction costs and will rent the site from the conservation authority for $75,000 a year. The company will also provide the authority with a percentage of the gate receipts. All-day admittance is expected to cost about $7.50 per person. condensed from an article in the TORONTO STAR, Dec. 7, 1985 ONE LESS FLOOR FOR POLICE STATION AFTER UNDERGROUND CREEK FOUND Metro police planners are up a creek without a paddle -- and that will cost them a f l oor in their new $61-million downtown police station. An underground creek has been found on the College and Bay Sts. building site. As a result, one of the station's five underground floors must be eliminated from the architect's plans. The creek wasn't discovered until tests were done, after the YMCA building that was on the site was torn down. The creek is thought to be part of the Taddle Creek which flows from the University of Toronto al@ost diagonally across College St., about 21 metres (70 feet) below ground. Planners had to scramble to remove a level from the basement design and to make the excavation about 6 metres (20 feet) wider to make up for the lost floor. condensed from an article in THE TORONTO STAR, November 7, 1985 (by Darcy Henton) ROAD CUT BY MUDSLIDE REMAINS STABLE Metro Toronto engineers have found no damage so far on the northbound lanes of Millwood Road and hope to have two lanes of the roadway open to traffic early next week. Most of the road's southbound lanes just south of the CP Rail overpass at Crothers Road were swept down on to the floor of the Don Valley by a mudslide on Sunday. The slide also took out 15000 telephone lines. Bank of Montreal automatic teller machines from Kingston to Windsor were out of service because some of the bank's data communications lines were lost in the Millwood Road collapse. condensed from an article in the GLOBE AND MAIL, Dec. 11, 1985 CHOPPING DOWN TREE $4,000 ERROR FOR COUPLE A North York couple's attempt to let the sun shine into their backyard has cost them $4,000. That's what Metro's parks and property department is charging Julianna and Peter Manna for the 100-year-old red oak tree they killed in August. For 17 years, the Fulwell Crescent residents believed the oak tree grew on their land which backs on to a ravine. But after chopping it down they learned it was actually sitting on Metro parks property, part of the Black Creek ravine. condensed from an article in the TORONTO STAR, December 1985 ,·, What do you think of this? Send questions and comments to those · on page 24. 23 TFN 377 IN THE NEWS (cont'd) METRO COUNCIL BACKS TAKING VALLEY LAND Metro Toronto Council has authorized the expropriation of two properties in the Don Valley: the 16-hectare brickworks site in East York owned by Torvalley Development Ltd. which wants to build 756 residential units on the site and the 9.4-hectare Hinder Estate in North York where the owners want to build a subdivision. The properties are among 13 large parcels of parkland Metro and the Ontario Government hope to buy for $48-million. condensed from an article in the GLOBE AND MAIL, Nov. 6, 1985 ROUGE PARCEL BEING SOUGHT FOR PARKLAND The Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is negotiating with the Ontario Land Corp. to acquire a 115-hectare parcel of land near the Metro Zoo that would give the authority total ownership of the Rouge River valley from Lake Ontario to Steeles Avenue. William McLean, general manager of the conservation authority, said yesterday that the acquisition of the Rouge valley lauds north of Sheppard Avenue to the Metro boundary at Steeles between Staines and Beare roads in Scarborough is part of a $48-million, Metro provincial program to obtain public ownership of the last remaining significant o~pn valley lands in Metro. He said the. authority is moving to acquire the remaining open lands because of the increasing interest of private developers in valley sites. He said the Rouge valley property would be turned over to the Metro parks department. condensed from au article by Alden Baker in the GLOBE AND MAIL, Dec. 27, 1985 * SPADINA EXPRESSWAY IS DEAD, PREMIER SAYS David Peterson is the third Ontario Premier in less than 11 months to declare the Spadina expressway dead. Although Metro Toronto Chairman Dennis Flynn has announced a study that could pave the way for a major road in the northwest corner of Metro, "Spadina is dead," Mr. Peterson told reporters yesterday. Mr. Peterson's statement means that Metro will have to find other ways of easing the growing traffic bottlenecks in the northwest of the municipality. His predecessor, Frank Miller, flirted briefly with the idea of a tunnel to carry the contro versial road south from Eglinton Avenue but promised in March that the express- way would not be extended. In February, on his last full day as premier, William Davis kept a 1O-year-old promise to end the expressway by leasing a symbolic three-foot-wide strip of land to the City of Toronto. The 99-year lease for a nominal $1 says that no roadway can be built on the land although a future Legislature could overturn the lease. condensed from an article by Duncan Mcl1onagle in the GLOBE AND MAIL, Dec. 14/85 Ed. Note. Congratulations and thanks are due to the following for the above: t> Chairman and Members of the Metropolitan Toronto Council, City Hall, Toronto, Ontario !15H ZNl The Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 5 Shoreham Drive, North York, Ontario M3N 1S4 The Honorable Vincent G. Kerrio, Minister of Natural Resources, Ontario, Whitney Block, Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario M7A 1W3 The Honorable David Peterson, Premier of Ontario, Parliament Buildings, Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario M7A lAl * The planned route for the expressway runs through Cedarvale ravine. 24 TFN 377 IN CASE YOU WONDERED···· OUTER HARBOUR EASTERN HEADLAND the metropolitan toronto and region FIG. I. conservation authority LAND OWNERSHIP "Dryland" disposal site for polluted Site of Toronto dredgeate from Keat Harbour Commission ing Char1nel and non marina ( see page 22) navig~ tional dredge- ate from Toronto _,"' Harbour •------:o1.., .,., ';;"-<."' T.H . . ' · LANDS ',219·30 ho I ', /. '', 1_.___ . . . - ..J - '\~/\ . · ------...... M.T.R.C.A. -- -~z.:\--~ · . '"--..._:ANDS - TOMMY THDMPSDt-j > • • ·•·; ...... 2:/2~~0• ______ .INCLUDES ROAO ALLOWANCE - 4·61 ho • INCLUDES ROAD ALLOWANCE -· ~-04 ho (TOTAL ACTUAL MT.RC A. LAND AREA IS 70·~7 hO) ~LANOS LEASED FROM T.H.C. ~ FOR HYDROPLANE RACES Note: Tommy Thompson Park is only about oue third of the land c urrently thought of as The Spit and does not even include the tip of l'h~ Spit . As lake filling continues in areas controlled by the Toront~ Harbour Commission (THC), the park (see page 22 for plans) wi ll become an even smaller proportion of the spit. NOMINATIONS INVITED -- TFN BOARD OF DIRECTORS TFN is looking for people interested in volunteering time, energy, and initiative, to serve as members of the Board. Please send your suggestions to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee: Mary Smith (231-5302), 49 Thorncrest Rd., t> Islington, Ont. M9A 1S6. 25 TFN 377 projects FOR BOOK LOVERS If you would like more books around you and have even a little space available, you can be a custodian for TFN Library. All our books are housed in the apart ments of members and we need more space for this purpose. You can either be active in our library, transporting a bag or two of books to the hall on "library nights" at the general meeting and helping with the lending process, or you can simply house the books and read them at will,and we can have someone pick them up and return them to you. If this interests you - or if you have ~ any other ideas about handling and circulating books - call 690-1963. V DB YOU TOO CAN HELP PROTECT NATUH.AL AREAS The Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (MTRCA) owns more than 10,400 hectares from Pickering to Mississauga and from tee Lake Ontario shoreline to Highway 9 including conservation areas, waterfront parks and education centres. All lands are posted. Part of the Authority's mandate i~ to protect and manage the natural environment so that future generations can enjoy it. Consequently, Authority enforcement officers, in co-operation with local police forces, will lay charges against people who break Authority regulations such as illegally operating all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles, poaching, stealing firewood and cutting down Christmas trees. If you see anyone disobeying regulations on MTRCA lands, call the MTRCA enforcement office at 661-6600, t> extension 218. Please note the licence number of any vehicle involved and if possible take a photograph of the activity and persons involved. NATURALISTS NEEDED IN ALGONQUIN PARK Seasonal park interpreter positions will be available for 1986 in Algonquin Provincial Park. Preference is given to qualified applicants who will be potentially available in following years (such as students in their last years of high school or the first one or two years of their university careers). The normal period of employment is from May or June (depending on academic obligations) until Labour Day. In 1986 there will be three job categories for park inter preters: Senior Park Naturalist, Junior Park Naturalist, Historical Interpreter. Requests for applications and/or additional information should be directed to: ~Park Naturalist:;. Ministry of Natural Resources, Box 219, Whitney, Out. KOJ 2MO V (telephone 705-633-5592) (Final date for applications: February 28, 1986) TFN REPORTERS If you have ideas or observations to report to the newsletter, but do not wish to write up your own material, call the TFN reporters - evenings: Judy Hernandez 967-5090 Beth Jefferson 251-2998 26 TFN 377 I LONG POINT SHORTENED! Twelve foot waves, brown water churning with silt, bits of once intact buildings and massive trees tossed about like match sticks. This was the fury of Lake Erie when the waters, pushed by near hurricane force winds, claimed the tip of Long Point on December 1 and 2, 1985. Only 24 hours before the storm hit, Bakiss L.aurent and Ted Cheskey were "rescued" from the tip. As assistant wardens with the Long Point Bird Observatory, they had been documenting the fall migration of birds at the Observatory's station. Dave Shepherd, Migration Program Manager of LPBO, fought through four foot waves in the Observatory's small boat to retrieve Laurent and Cheskey, close the station for the winter and collect the year's data. One day later, the lake closed the station, consisting of two fully equipped cabins and a research laboratory, for good. All of the buildings, and much of the land was swept into the lake, leaving only the outhouse standing as a stark reminder. The material loss, initially estimated over $20,000,will be a staggering blow to the struggling Observatory, a non-governmental charitable organization. The "tip" station had been the focal point of LPBO's activities since 1960 when it was established as the first bird observatory in North America. LPBO's achievements since its inception have placed it at the forefront of ornithology. More birds are banded there than any other observatory in North Americ~making it a truly important data bank for research. Over 10,000 of the 28,000 birds banded at LPBO's three field stations in 1985 were from the tip. Two hundred and eighty species of birds were observed at the tip in 1985. The importance of re-establishing a station at the tip is obvious. It is with this goal that donations are being solicited. To reconstruct the station, $25,000 will be needed. Contributions are tax deductible. Donations may be sent to LPBO, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, Ont. NOE lMO. condensed from a Press Release of the Long Point Bird Observatory, 1985 !BLACK CREEK PROJECT! Over the past 12 months, members of the Black Creek Project have been very busy working to preserve and enhance the natural environment of Black Creek. They have held several workdays to make physical improvements to the stream, but taost of their activities have involved trying to persuade politicians and authorities to protect water quality and habitat. A Canada Works grant enabled them to hire 3 staff and produce a detailed proposal for erosion control and bicycle paths for the entire length of the creek. Many important political decisions about the Black Creek watershed will be made in the next few months. More members are needed to help influence these decisions to protect the Black Creek and its valleylands. For more information about this group or membership (adult/group $10.00; senior/student $3.00) write to: Sandy Agnew, President, Black Cr-eek Project, t> Box 324, Station A, Downsview, Ontario M3M 3A6. 27 TFN 377 ORGANIZA'IlONS OF INTEREST TO NATUBJ..LISTS ------· -·- The Nature Conservanc of Canada, Suite 1710, 2200 Yonge Street, Toronto M4S 206 8 1011. A national non-Profit organization dedicated to the Preservation of ecologically significant natural areas, unique natural features and places of s~ecial beauty. Assists in obtaining lands which are then transferred to conservation organizations or government agenciee for management and :Protection. Pollution Probe, 12 Madison Avenue, Toronto M5R 2S1. Dedicated to the reduction of :pollutants in our environment. Their latest cam3'.>aign: Safe Water. Western Canada Wilderness Committee, 1200 Hornby Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 2E2 (664) 873-8725. nconserve Canadian Wilderness 11 Ark II, 542 Mount Pleasant Road, Suite 103, Toronto M4S 2M7. 487-4681. Organized to save Debby the baboon at the University of Western Ontario, now -~g;:1ing against a whale slaughter in the Faroe Islands. Canadian 5aturc Federation, 75 Albert Street, Suite 203, Ottawa DP 6Gl. The national organization for naturalists. Both the Canadian Nature Federation and the Nature Conservancy are taking a stand to save South Moresby islands from the logger's chainsaw. URBAN WILDERNiSS GARDSNERS : The urban wilderness group that sprung up with the flowers this year has grown into URBAN WILD:2:RNESS GA.BD~N2RS. We came together, a small number of people, to e~plore alternatives to e~panses of manicured, pesticided, fertilized, herbicided lawn. One of our founding members was alarmed by reports on the quantity and variety of harmful chemicals used to keep lawns lush and green. The alternatives we've discovered include wildflowers, a summer house, an orchard, meadow, forest, an outdoor living room, a front-yard vegetable garden. All are low-maintenance, environ mentally beneficial alternatives to neatly trimmed grass. As we put theory into practise in our yards we were amazed to discover how many people were interested in what we were doing. Others were tired of weeding and feeding and watering their ex panses of green. They too wanted something back from their properties. Information, advice, encouragement, were asked for . Membership: By joining the Urban Wilderness Gardeners you'll receive the four yearly newsletters, notice of meetings, plant digs, etc. $6.00 per year. Send name and address and cheque to: Urban Wilderness Gardeners, 227 Kenilworth Avenue, Toronto, C> Ontario, M4L 3s7. from URBAN WILDERNESS GARDENERS, Volume 1, Issue 1, Summer 1985 28 TFN 377 29 TFN 377 HOW THE LITTLE HOUSE SPARROW LOST ITS NAME (and got it back) Who would have ever thought that it would be necessary to explain what a sparrow is? The English word "sparrow" comes from the Anglo-Saxon "spearwa"; it referred to the familiar house sparrow. The name was applied with various adjectives to other closely related birds in the Old World. Problems with the name arose in the New World because many buntings were called "sparrows" by the early settlers -who associated it with their memories of the house sparrow rather than with memories of the less familiar buntings . These misnomers got into the literature and thence into official checklists for North America. At one time both buntings and Old World sparrows were thought to be part of the finch group, and some authors dubbed the family "The Sparrows" rather than "The Finches". When it was decided that the house sparrow and allies belonged to the same family as the weaverbirds, the name "The Sparrows" was retained by some for the "finch" group; the A.0.U. chose the name "Weaver Finches" to cover(, the house sparrow and European tree sparrow which had also been introduced to the contin ent. And that's how the little house sparrow lost its name. "Weaver Finch" is the most unfortunate choice of English name which the A.O.U. has ever made. It has appeared in virtually all the guide books for North America. After that not a few authors, who should have known better, went out of their way to point out that the house sparrow was "not a sparrow", and that the use of the name "sparrow" had all been a terrible mistake. This is what comes of an insular attitude. It would not, I am sure, have been the impression which the A.O.U. had intended to give. At last the little house sparrow can have its name back. The 6th edition of the A.O.U. Checklist of North American Birds (1983) gives the bird and its allies full family standing (not at all a new idea) and calls the family "Old World Sparrows". The term "True Sparrows" might have been more appropriate to draw attention to the misnomer applied to North American buntings - particu l arly since the name "New World sparrows" is no longer used. The genus name for the house sparrow and allies is Passer - from the Latin meaning "sparrow", since the house sparrow was a familiar bird to the ancient Romans. The A.O.U. uses "Passeridae" for the scientific family name. The house sparrow supplies the "type name" for the whole order of perching birds - the PASSERIFORMES (referred to in English as "the passerines")*and for the sub-order of songbirds, the PASSERES. How could the most typical of all birds ever have lost its name? Diana Banville *The term "passerines" ought really to have been reserved for cases where a systematist might wish to designate sub-families within the Passeridae - one of which would have been the "Passerinae" or in English the "passerines", following the norrral pattern of nomenclature. But that systematist had better not - for the name is taken. 30 TFN 377 THE GARDEN THAT LOOKED AFTER ITSELF Once upon a time there was a man who didn't like gardening. He liked trees and flowers and bushes very much. He even liked grass. But he didn't like gardening. His back hurt when he bent down. His knees hurt when he knelt on them. His hands ached when he used them. And everything ached after he had finished gardening. He would go out into his backyard and see all his neigh bours gardening. They had beautiful gardens. There were vegetable gardens that made his mouth water. And flowers all colours of the rainbow. Their colours were so bright you needed your sunglasses just to look at them. There were bushes that danced in the wind and perfumed everything. And there were lawns that were so smooth you could use them as billiard tables. But the man could also see all the bending and stooping and pushing and pull ing that his nei~hbours had to do. If they stopped bending and stooping and pushing and pulling, their gardens went to pot. This man would sigh deeply and sit down on his back step and feel very lonely. You see, none of his neighbours would even talk to him. They would turn their backs on him when he came out of his door. They wouldn't even say "hello" to him when he met them on the street. He could see why. When he looked around his own garden he could see that IT had gone to pot. It had been going to pot since the day he moved into the house. The neighbours regarded his garden as a threat to theirs. For his garden, so they thought, had all kinds of diseases and pests which were ready to spring on their gardens and then their gardens would go to pot and look untidy like his. "Well", he said as he sat on his step, "I really have got to do _something about this. I like plants - flowers, trees, bushes, even lawns. And I like my neighbours,too. But I don't like gardening." So he got up and squared his shoulders and walked slowly round his potty garden hoping that THAT would give him some ideas. It did. It was such a crazy idea that he began to laugh aloud. The neighbours who heard him thought he must be crazy too, and ran inside their houses. When he stopped laughing, he began to think seriously about his crazy idea. This is what he thought. What grows very well in my garden and doesn't require any gardening at all? No bending or stooping or pushing or pulling. He looked down at his feet and saw the answer. I should say that the answer was UNDER his feet. For under his feet were weeds. Weeds were the answer to his problem. Weeds are the hardiest plants of all. They come up year after year. They are pest-resistant. They survive diseases. They fight their way through concrete and asphalt and bricks. Gardeners have been pulling up and stamping on and spraying weeds ever since gardens were invented. And yet, after thousands of years, there are still weeds. You can't get rid of them unless you bend and stoop and push and pull, and even then, take two weeks' holiday, and the weeds will return triumphant. You can't put a good weed down. Yes, thought the man who didn't like gardening, I shall make myself a weed garden. In fact, I already have a weed garden. I shall specialize in weeds as gardeners specialize in azaleas and roses and irises. So he went to the public library and got out lots of books on weeds and grasses. He began to study the weeds that were already in his garden. He found out some very interesting things. Some of them were really garden plants which had escaped 31 TFN 377 THE GARDEN THAT LOOKED AFTER ITSELF - cont'd from gardens and become wild. Some were imported from overseas. You could eat some and you could drink others. There was even one weed that was taller than he was and he was six feet tall. The more the man read, the more excited he got. He began to wander around the neighbourhood with a book under his arm, ready to stop and identify a new weed. He completely forgot about his neighbours. They saw him stop and sit down in the gutter, or in a vacant lot, or in some alleyway, and begin to read. "That man is nuts," they thought and would shake their heads. When they saw him digging up what looked like a weed and planting it in his very own garden, they knew that he just had to be crazy. By the way, he didn't often transplant weeds because it involved bending and stooping. He just did it a few odd times for a very special weed. When fall came he decided to keep the leaves his trees shed because the very thought of raking them all up and piling them into bags and supermarket boxes for the garbagemen to take away made his whole body ache. Instead he sat out on his back step and enjoyed the late fall sun and smelled the quinces from a neighbour's tree three houses away. All winter he studied weeds and grasses. He made scrapbooks of the weeds he had collected and pressed during the summer. He wrote letters to university professors to help him identify weeds he couldn't identify himself. He even discovered a weed that didn't have a Latin name and after that the professors began writing to HIM. The man who didn't like gardening was the first person to go out into his garden in the spring. But he didn't go out with a bag of fertilizer in one hand and a bag of weedkiller in the other. He went out into his garden with a book under his arm. As spring progressed, he found that wild strawberries had come up through his grass. Brambles came up through his pile of dead leaves and ferns were uncurling their fronded heads beneath the cherry tree. The garden his neighbours thought had gone to pot was really a paradise of green, growing things - things that he didn't have to buy the seeds for. When it rained, the dead leaves smelled of wet earth and he would take deep breaths and enjoy each one. Later on in the summer, when he was out in the neighbourhood identifying weeds, a little boy saw him reading a book in the gutter, walked up to him and simply asked him what he was doing. He didn't just assume that the man was crazy. The man explained about weeds. The little boy was interested and he followed the man around and started trying to identify weeds himself. Then he wandered around his own garden and named the weeds aloud. The little boy's parents saw him doing this, and when they listened closely they found that their little boy was naming the weeds in Latin. They were dumbfounded. They were quite sure that the little boy's kindergarten teacher wasn't teaching her small charges the Latin names of weeds. She was creative and modern in her approach, but Latin ••• ? Weeds ••• ? So they asked the little boy how he came to know these things and the little boy explained about the man who didn't like gardening. They seemed to be so interested in the man that the little boy said "Come along with me and I'll introduce you." The four of them talked about weeds all the afternoon and t he man who didn't like gardening took them proudly into his garden and showed them his specimens. The little boy was thrilled because nobody spoke down to him and he knew weeds better than his parents did. Just 32 TFN 377 THE GARDEN THAT LOOKED AFTER ITSELF - cont'd as they were taking their leave, his father said that he hadn't learned so much from one person in one afternoon for donkey's years, and that the man who didn't like gardening was an excellent teacher. He asked him whether he might consider teaching about weeds at the local college. The man who didn't like gardening laughed. "Who would come to such a course?" he said, "I'm sure my neighbours think I'm mad." Which, of course, they did. The man thought about the idea when his visitors left. His weeds had led him to three new friends and a few professors who wrote to him regularly. Perhaps teaching a course about weeds would lead him to more friends. He was already feeling much less lonely so he tentatively approached the college - tentatively, because he had no teacher training and no letters after his name. The college said that didn't matter. He could teach as part of their Adult Education Program where you needed no degrees. All you had to do was attract sufficient students. Attracting students had high priority, because students paid fees and that made the college happy. He decided to call his course "Weeds As Friends". He started teaching it in the fall and on the very first night fifteen people arrived. You could have knocked him down with a bulrush. The little boy's parents were there and some of their friends and one of his neighbours - the one who owned the quince tree. All through the fall and winter they studied weeds and grasses and examined his scrapbooks and talked and had coffee together. When somebody suggested field trips in the spring and summer everyone got so excited that they were metaphorically pawing the ground. With the first green shoots of spring, they were off in their boots with books under their arms. One of the women in the class was a gourmet cook and she suggested that they collect edible weeds and she would prepare meals for the whole class. They held their parties at the house of the man who didn't like gardening and the little boy who first befriended him was invited to every party. At one party they had dandelions in sour cream served with bacon bits. To get sufficient dandelions for the dish they dug up every dandelion in the man's garden before it had a toehold on the ground. The man who didn't like gardening became a local celebrity. Neighbours kept turning up on his doorstep clutching weeds which they wanted identified. They no longer regarded him as crazy, only eccentric. Besides, they could be one up on their friends if they could give the Latin names of weeds in their gardens. Of course they couldn't be weaned away from their vegetables and roses and irises and billiard-table lawns, but so what? One man's weed is another man's houseplant. The man who didn't like gardening could sit on his back step and watch his neighbours bending and stooping and pushing and pulling and feel at ease with himself. He enjoyed his garden and they enjoyed theirs. They waved to each other or leaned across their back fences chatting and passing the time of day. But his garden had one advantage over theirs. He could go away on holidays or on lecturing tours for weeks at a time and he didn't have to arrange for a friend to do all the bending and stooping and pushing and pulling that was needed to stop his garden from going to pot. You see he had a garden that looked after itself. Louise Herzberg 33 TFN 377 I HIGH LIVING AND WILDLIFE I Living on the fifteenth floor of a high-rise apartment building has its advantages and disadvantages. As a birder Iirourn the fact that I cannot have a bird-feeder; as a flower-lover I mourn the garden I don't have. However, when I think about the advantages, I don't mind those losses as much. My apartment faces the lake at Sunnyside so I have a lovely view all year round. The sunsets are spectacular. I love my view of the delicate spring green of High Park, look forward to seeing the marvellous spikes of white flowers on the horse chestnut trees on the streets below, and watching the willows turn yellow along the lakeshore very early in the spring. In the fall, High Park puts on a coat of many colours and winter storms turn the lake into a sea of whitecaps . On November 15, 1985, I still had hanging baskets of ivyleaf geraniums, petunias, marigolds and snapdragons. Generally, the only birds that get up to the fifteenth floor are rock doves who are not always well-mannered, but when a big male puffs up his chest and dances along the railing to impress his ladyfriend, I have to admire his gorgeous iridescent colours and dainty pink feet . With binoculars and a scope I can see quite a variety of other birds. A white headed Canada goose turned out to be a blue goose feeding with his Canadian cousins. Though a horrid billboard bites a big piece out of my view, even this is nat all bad. I have often watched a kestrel play "king of the castle" and quarrel with crows who wanted his high perch on it. And on summer evenings, the light from the sign attracts hordes of insects who in turn attract flocks of gulls. Even expert birders I have spoken to say they have never seen gulls "on the wing" catching and eating insects. I have on several occasions! The ring-bills, too, adapt to city life and take advantage of what they can get. In the fall we see turkey vultures and blue jays migrating along the lakeshore, and flocks of scaup, old squaw and buffleheads far out on the lake, and low flying Canada geese in small v 's flying past our balcony. Somet:iJres they pass so close I can hear them chattering softly among themselves as well as their more raucous honking. I even find insects on my balcony. Among the uninvited guests I have had are aphids, white flies and June bugs. A lacewing has rested on my window and even a few monarch butterflies have fluttered by at this great height. What have I experienced besides flowers, birds and insects? Surpri singly, mammals. A little brown bat spent a week on the screen of my bedroom window and I found a dead mouse in one of my planters. I think the advantages of high living outweigh the disadvantages . Maisie Newby Mid-winter evening. Is this not unseasonal? There's a lilac sky. haiku by Diana Banville 34 TFN 377 WILD AND GARDEN FLOWERS OF SOUTH AFRICA I It is two years or more since I emigrated here (tempus fugit) and if my mind boggled when I iooked at a bird guide to Central America, it did a double boggle when I glanced at the wildflower guides to South Africa. There is no way my limited brain cells will ever absorb the names of the numerous families of flowers. Hundreds are just known by their Latin names, it ~eems, with no common names to latch on to. I have to be content with knowing what I'm look ing at some of the time. One aspect of gardening here is the possibility of having a perfectly splendid garden, growing only indigenous plants, including trees. It seems there is often not such a strong differentiation here between the wild and the cultivated. Of course gardens do grow all sorts, and people take great pride in growing roses and tulips and daffodils, but I personally wouldn't bother, when such exotic indigenous flowers abound and grow easily. Arum lilies grow wild along the streambeds in abundance in Natal. Those prized in England and sported on the altars at Easter came originally from South Africa; they grow well here when transplanted into flower beds. There is also a smaller yellow and pink arum (wild, not hybrid). Gladioli are indigenous and although many are hybrids in the gardens, the wild ones are just as beautiful, also freesias. The geranium* is indigenous to this continent and survives the droughts well, as do many of the striking aloes. Fascinating to me is the carrot tree - that does belong to the carrot family with a carrot aroma - and gr™S to six meters. Quite numerous are the tree-ferns, and I'm pleased to say those we were worried about two years ago when the stream dried up are now flourishing and quite majestic. In Natal there are five species of palm indigenous to the area. A common one, Pooenix reclinata (wild date palm), is elegant, and supposedly easy to propagate, but my efforts to grow little palms from the dates have failed. There are small remnant clumps of phragmites here along the riverbeds which remind me of Manitoba, New Jersey and, yes, southern Ontario! Red hot pokers (in the Liliaceae) grow wild in the marshes, and some of those in the gardens are wild, some hybrids. We bought two Barbeton daisies this year when we motored through Barbeton; this is the parent plant to many of the international hybrids, just to mention one of the composites. Another popular group of Compositae are the everlasting flowers which grow wild and are cultivated. There is a large milkweed here which produces large, spongy, green, hairy balls artistically placed along the branches and prized as decoration. As to be expected, the wild orchids are very numerous; two of my favourites are the leopard orchid and the yellow vlei orchid. The latter is often found growing along with an exotic plant commonly called the wild tibouchina. The gardens in Durban are colourful for months of the year with pinky mauve tibouchina, but it is a cultivated imported one. I have not mentioned proteas, heaths, strelitzias, and on and on - maybe another time. There are many more plants we hope to boggle at in Namaqualand in November if all goes according to Plan A. In closing I must mention that most of the wildflowers here in South Africa are protected, but the botanical society sends all members fifteen packets of seeds of indigenous plants each year. I have had some success with some of them. Joy Pocklington *Ed Note: familiar house plant in genus Pelargoniun. Genus Geraniun occurs on other continents, including North America. 35 TFN 377 A NATURALIST'S VIEW OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA While the main objective for most visitors to Florida in the winter is to get out on the beaches and soak up the sun, there would be some TFN members at least who would be interested in observing Nature at its best. If any readers are planning a trip to the Clearwater area, the following places of interest could be visited: Honeymoon Island State Park - Originally known as Dunedin Beach, the area has changed considerably since it became a State Park. Where formerly one could roam freely over the island, now there is an admission charge of 50¢ a person, and parking is in prescribed areas. It is an island of contrasts - the south ern tip of the island is typical Florida - sand dunes, and sea oats,* whereas the northern part gives you the feeling of being in a northern woods - tall stands of slash pine* provide a cooling shelter on a hot day. And the bird life is equally different - on the sandbanks off the southern tip are many shorebirds, terns, black skimmers, oystercatchers, and a mixture of laughing and ring-billed gulls. The pine woods on the northern tip provide security for as many as twenty osprey nests. Over 200 species of plants have been identified, and often unusual birds turn up. We have seen magnificent frigate birds soaring overhead, and among the dune grasses we once found a short-eared owl; this was a new "life-list" bird for most of the local birders. You can also take a ferry over to Caladesi Island, for an interesting day on one of the barrier islands. A refreshment stand is there for buying a quick lunch. Brooker Creek County Park - A lovely park, popular with week-end picknickers, yet it has a wide variety of plant and bird life to offer, if one is willing to look for it. Two nature trails go deep into the woods, and one can always find something of interest. The things we like to see are limpkins, which appear regularly, in spite of the week-end crowds, and pileated woodpeckers. We always think of the latter as a northern bird, yet here they are quite at home in the wooded areas. Alligators are there, and snakes, but the majority of visitors never see them. The park faces on to Lake Tarpon, and has great picnic shelters if you want to take a lunch. Moccasin Lake Nature Park - This park was developed by the City of Clearwater in an effort to retain some of the vanishing Florida wilderness. It has an interpretive centre and nature trails. An interesting aspect of this park is that it is self-sufficient in that it provides its own energy and water system. Windmills on the property plus a solar energy system are used to store energy, and the windmills also pump water into storage tanks for future use. Upper Tampa Bay County Park - A similar park to Moccasin Lake, this too has an interpretive centre, with live displays of local snakes and fish. There are quiz panels to challenge your knowledge, and by pressing buttons on a computer, you can see how much you know, as well as learn a lot more! A big table with all kinds of curios on it has a big sign saying "please touch", so people can pick the items up for closer inspection. ~ If anyone is in the Clearwater area, and wants to contact us at 725-5703, we V will be glad to give you further directions.** Don Carmichael *Sea oats: Uniola paniculata, a strictly southern dune-grass; Slash pine: Pinus elliottii, a southern pine with long needles (2-3/bundle) ~ **Don.has given us directions to each park listed, also descriptive leaflets. V I£ interested, call TFN Library (690-1963). 36 TFN 377 TORONTO REGION Amphibian & Reptile REPORT According to ZOO, the newsletter of the Metropolitan Toronto Zoological Society Oct./Nov. 1985 issue, last August Bob Johnson, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at Metro Zoo, with other Zoo personnel, were successful in naturally breeding the endangered Puerto Rican crested toad, for the first time outside of its native range. This was part of a program organized by Buffalo Zoo where breeding of the toads is induced hormonally. At Metro Zoo, veterin arian Graham Cramshaw noticed a calcium deficiency in the toads and moved them to a warmer room for observation; keeper Dianne Devison observed them breeding. Surprised,Bob Johnson raised the water level in one end of the aquarium to about six inches and introduced flowing water over the adults. Three days later 5000 eggs were laid, of which half were retained. Larger toadlets devoured smaller ones as in the wild, ensuring that the most robust survive. It is expected that about 500 of these toads which had been close to extinction will be released in the wild in Puerto Rico, where they are important ecologically. Vigilance on the part of field naturalists can help to prevent extirpation of our Toronto species of amphibians. Don't forget to send your reptile and ~ amphibian notes for 1985 to Bob Johnson c/o Metro Zoo, P.O. Box 280, V West Hill, Ontario, MlE 4RS, or phone him at 839-7139 (evenings) or 284-8181 (days). ONE MINUTE WITH A RED FOX Standing in a deep silence amongst the newly awakened trees of the upland forest of Earl Bales Park, in the spring of 1985, I was attempting to get a picture of an elusive male pheasant creeping slowly through the undergrowth. A startling sound directly behind me caught my attention, and I saw a large red fox bounding up a gully from the ravine to the tableland. The fallen leaves rustled in playful frolic. As the fox and I looked directly at one another, fear created two defensive and cautious stances. The fox retreated to a distant hilltop, while I moved quickly to get my camera, but resisted the temptation, instead using my binoculars for a closer look. The beauty of this mammal was incredible. The satin highlights of a brilliant orange-red coat and a long glamorous dark brown tail shone in the diffused forest light. Had it been on the bunt for garter snakes? They were in great abundance that day in the upland forest. Within a minute of this encounter, the fox had darted into the ravine, disappearing as promptly as it had appeared. The remembered joy of its brief presence will always bring a relaxed perspective to a rushed urban existence. Randy Romano Five fingers of cloud across the face of the moon - Heavens - what giggling~ haiku by Karen Parker 37 TFN 377 I THE WEATHER THIS TIME LAST YEAR February 1985 1 City of Toronto February started cold and was monotonously so for the first nine days with intermittent snow and wind continuing from January, but perhaps even intensified. Very cold air hovered over the prairie provinces. On the 11th, a storm approach ed from the southwest and brought high winds (Toronto Island Airport reported a gust of 89 km/h on the 12th and the International Airport had winds of 87 km/h) which were sustained through to the 16th. Although the storm did bring snow, it also brought rain and the first above-freezing temperatures since Jan. 6th. Thirty-four days of below freezing temperatures was a downtown record since 1976-77. A warming trend set in after the 17th. This brought a balmy 9 . 5°C to the city on the 24th and heavy rain which melted most of the snow (and caused widespread flooding of our rivers). So here is how the month stacked up: warmer than average for the third year in a row (though only slightly -- up by 0.4° at the City with a mean of -3. 5°C and up by 0 . 3° at the International Airport.) Mean maximums were just a touch below normal. The month was cloudy: 82 hours of sunshine were the lowest since 1981. Persistent cloudiness since December made the weather emotionally trying. February was also wet with 85.7 mm of precipitation at the City and 88.8 mm at Lester B. Pearson International Airport. Amounts of snow and rain were about equal. The City was the wettest it had been in ten years; the Airport, the wettest for twenty. February was windy: the Airport's 19.0 km/h was the highest average since 1976. The City (Island's) mean windspeed of 21 km/h was the highest since 1981. North York (personal observations) The weather on Johnston Avenue conformed to the general pattern; we also had close to 30 cm (one foot) of snow on the ground until the heavy rains of Feb. 22 to 24. The winds brought seven days with blowing or drifting snow, but it was never severe. Green tips of spring bulbs were poking up by month's end (first sighted at U of T campus Feb. 28). Gavin Miller Glaucous Gull (after a photo by Donald Gunn) 38 TFN 377 COMING EVENTS v~~"'~~,~~' I,._" ..... ,,~., ~,~~~~~~ . ~~· " ....~. ".. '-,_ \.::'-,J. .... - ~~ ROYAL CANADIAN INSTITUTE Sunday, Jan. 26 at 8 pm NORTH TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD with John and Janet Foster Convocation Hall (JOINT MEETING with TFN) Sunday, Feb. 2 at' -8 pm INTRODUCTORY TECHNOLOGY: THE CHALLENGE OF NOVELTY ? with Gorden P. Thompson t:> at Convocation Hall C:,. - Sunday, Feb. 9 at 3 pm THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION: IRAN AND IRAQU WAR with T.K. Young, Director, Royal Ontario Museum t:> Medical Sciences Auditorium Sunday, Feb. 16 at 3 pm LIFE BEFORE BIRTH: AN OVERVIEW OF PRENATAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT with K.L. Moore at Medical Sciences Auditorium Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 pm HIGH TECHNOLOGY MEDICINE: ARTIFICIAL ORGANS with Walter Zingg Medical Sciences Auditorium For further information, call 928-2096 MINERAL EXPLORATION CLASSES - free - Ministry of Natural Resources Feb. 24 to March 1, evenings 7 pm to 10 pm at Macdonald Block (Bay and Wellesley). An introductory series of talks on minerals, rocks and the geology of Ontario for naturalists and others interested in the earth beneath our feet. For further information on these six evenings call Ed Freeman at 965-7577. CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE Woodland Gardens and Wildflower Gardening Course with Frank Kershaw of the Metro Parks and Property Department. This is a five-week course starting Jan. 29 at 8 to 10 pm. For further information call 445-1552. SAVE THE ROUGE VALLEY SYSTEM Talk and slide show, "Naturalization of Urban Spaces" - Professor Suzanne Barrett, Department of Environmental Studies, York University. January 30 - 7.00 p.m. SRVS Business meeting; 8 . 30 program. All welcome to both. Location: Committee Rooms 1 and 2, Civic Centre, City of Scarborough. For details call SRVS Resource Centre 283-4286, or Lois James 284-6409. McLaughlin Planetarium Until April 27 - The Return of Cornet Halley. Telephone 586-5736 for details. Kortriaht Centre for Conservation Every Saturday and Sunday in January, and February 1, 2, 8, 9, 11.30 a.rn. and 3.00 p.m. - Winter Wildlife Detective Hike. The Kortright Centre is on Pine Valley Drive, south of Major Mackenzie Drive, west of Highway 400. Telephone 661-6600 . 39 ...- - TFN 377 COURSES OF STUDY Royal Ontario Museum Birding in the City. Course No. 1021 - Saturday, May 17, 8.00 a.m. $15.00. Spring Wildflower Walk. Course No. 1020 - Saturday, May 17, 9.00 a.m. $15.00 Fascinating Fossils. Course No. 1018 - Saturday, June 7, 1.00 p.m. $15.00 Telephone 586-5788 for further information. Seneca Colleg-e Birdwatching - Introduction. BRD 901. - March 26-29. $40.00. Waterfowl on the Toronto Lakefront. BRD 904. - April 2-5. $60.00. Birds of Prey. BRD 905. - April 23-26. $60.no. Song Birds. BRD 906. - May 7-10. $60.00. These courses will be conducted by Dan Stuckey, Ministry of Natural Resources, an artist, photographer and wellknown birder. Registration now at: Newnham Campus, 1750 Finch Ave. East, North York, Ontario. M2J 2X5. CHILDREN'S SUMMER CAMPS FON's Young Naturalists' Camp - ages 11 to 14. August 24-30, 1986. Location: Wolfe Lake, near Westport, Ontario. Nature hikes, birdwatching, wetland explorations, nature art and photography, insects, herps and more. Fee $200 . 00. For details contact: Pamela Hickman, Federation of Ontario Naturalists, 355 Lesmill Rd., Don Mills, Ontario. M3B 2W8. Telephone 444-8419. Camp Allsaw Location: Soyer Lake, opposite seven-acre Brittain Island, one mile off Highway 121, midway between Minden and Haliburton. The program covers a variety of activities, including conservation, ecology, forestry, orienteering. Periods: June 29 - July 12 July 13 - July 26 July 27 - August 9 August 10 - August 23 Fee $350. 00 per period, plus Ontario sales tax. Total $360.50. The Counsellor-in-Training Group provides an opportunity to train for staff responsibility. Senior campers 16 or 17 years old and with experience in camping are eligible for enrolment. For further information about Camp Allsaw, contact Mark Hord, (416) 429-2412. 40 TFN 377 f1EE TING:~~~,) 't1 ft- ~--· GE NE RA L ME E T I NG S Board of Education Centre, 6th Floor Auditorium 155 College Street, at Mccaul Monday, February 10, 1986. 8.00 p.m. (2nd Mondav) Coffee at 7.15. Toronto Through the Seasons: A Walk on the Wild Side - Phil Joiner, Member, Board of Directors, TFN. Illustrated with slides from the TFN slide collection. Monday, March 3, 1986. 8.00 p.m. West Along Latitude 43N - the Mediterranean Comes to Canada - Allen Paterson, Director, Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * G R O U P f'1 E E T I N GS Bird Group Wed. Feb. 19 Warblers 7.30 p.m. Location: Auditorium, Education Centre, 155 College Street, 1 block west of University Avenue...... Botany Group Fri. Feb-. '14 Plant Identification Workshop 7.30 p.m. Location: Botany Bldg., University of Toronto, Room 207, northwest corner of College and University...... Environmental Group Thur. Feb. 27 Helen Juhola and Beth Jefferson will explain 7.30 p.m. their project on Etobicoke Creek (with colour slides) Location: Huron Public School, 541 Huron Street, 1 block west of St. George subway station...... : : : Junior Club Sat. Feb. 1 Astronomy - Ron Lyons 10.00 a.m. Location: Planetarium Auditorium, immediately south of Royal Ontario Museum...... Royal Canadian Institute/Toronto Field Naturalists JOINT MEETING Sun. Jan. 26 North to the Top of the World 8 pm - John and Janet Foster Convocation Hall, U. of T. Campus Free. Everyone welcome! 41 TORONTO FIELD N-"TURALISTS TFN 377 83 Joicey Boulevard SECOND CLASS MAIL Toronto, Ontario M5M 2T4 Registration Number 6669 TORONTO FIELD NATURALIST published eight times a year by the Toronto Field Naturalists, a charitable, non profit organization, the aims of which are to stimulate public interest in natural history and to encourage the preservation of our natural heritage. Editorial Co11111ittee Helen Juhola (924-5806) #112 - 51 Alexander St., Toronto, Ont. M4Y 1B3 Diana Ban vi 11 e (690-1963) #710 - 7 Crescent Place, Toronto, Ont. M4C 5L7 Alexander Cappell (663-7738) #109 - 35 Cedarcroft Blvd., Willowdale M2R 2Z4 Eva Davis (694-8928) #203 - 1080 Kingston Rd., Scarborough MlN lNS Mildred Easto (488-0962) #416 - 28 Broadway Ave., Toronto, Ont. M4P lTS Florence Preston (483-9530) #203 - 368 Eglinton Ave. East, Toronto M4P 1L9 Mary-Louise Stewart (960-9860) #203 - 221 Russell Hill Road, Toronto M4V 2T3 Members are encouraged to submit notices, reports, articles up to 1,500 words in length and illustrations at least six weeks before the month in which the event is to take place or the material is required to appear. Other Publications TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB: TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS' RAVINE SURVEYS. S 2.00 ea. ITS HISTORY AND CONSTITUTION Survey #1-Chatsworth Ravine, 1973 by R.M. Saunders, 1965 ••...... •.. .••• $ .50 Survey 12-Brookbanks Ravine, 1974 CHECKLIST OF PLANTS IN FOUR TORONTO Survey #3-Chapman Valley Ravine, 1975 Survey #4-Wigmore Ravine, 1975 PARKS: WILKET CREEK, HIGH PARK, HUMBER Survey #5-Park Drive Ravine, 1976 VALLEY, LAMBTON WOODS, 1972 • • • •• • •• •• • • .• • .50 Survey #6-Burke Ravine, 1977 TORONTO THE GREEN, 1976 Survey #7-Taylor Creek-Woodbine Metropolitan Toronto's important natural Bridge Ravines, 1977 areas are described and recommendations Survey #8-West Don Valley, 1978 given for their conservation and manage ment; includes maps, bibliography and INDEX OF TFN NEWSLEmRS (1938-1978) .... 10.00 index • .• • • . .. •• •• •• • • •• • .• • .• • .• . . . . • •• 2.50 ANNUAL TFN INDEX ...... 25 ea. A GUIDE TO THE JIM BAILLIE NATURE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF METRO RESERVE. 1977 • •• • • • • .. . •• • .. . . •• • • . • •• •• . . 1.25 TORONTO, 1983 •• •• • • •• .• • •• • .. •• •• •• •• •• • 2. 00 FIELD CHECKLIST OF PLANTS OF SOUTHERN TORONTO REGION BIRD CHART, 1983 ••••••••• 2.00 ONTARIO, 1977 •••• 5/$1.00 or • .• • • •• •• •• • • .25 ea. A GRAPHIC GUIDE TO ONTARIO MOSSES, 1985, 2.00 TORONTO REGION VERTEBRATE LIST (fishes, amphibians,�eptiles,mammals),1985 5/$1.00 or .25 ea. TORONTO REGION BIRD LIST, 1985 5/Sl .00 or • .25 ea. Membership Fees $20 Family (2 adults same address) $15 Senior Family (2 adults 65+) $15 Single $10 Single Senior $10 Student Tax receipts issued for donations Publication orders (add 50¢ per item for postage and handling), membership fees and address changes should be sent to:- 83 Joicey Blvd., Toronto, Ontario M5M 2T4 (488-7304) ISSN 0820-683X 42