THE OSPREY
Nature Journal of Newfoundland and Labrador
Summer 2010 Volume 41 number 3
Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR P.O. Box 1013, St. John’s, NL A1C 5M3 www.nhs.nf.ca e-mail: [email protected]
The Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, first formed in 1910 and incorporated in 1972, is the oldest active natu- ralist and conservation organization in the province. The society is active in promoting natural history and protecting the environment. The society, a registered charity, is the provincial affiliate of Nature Canada, a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to protect and conserve wildlife and habitats in Canada by engaging people and advocating on behalf of nature.
Board of Directors 2010 - 11 Executive HOME WORK Michael Collins President [email protected] 737-7522 726-7236 Rita Anderson Past President 895-2564 737-8771 Marjorie Evans Treasurer [email protected] 722-1925 [email protected] 754-0455 689-4613
Directors 745-5534 737-4738 Osprey R. J. (John) Gibson Fish 726-2498 Len Zedel Oil 754-3321 737-3106 Allan Stein [email protected] 895-2056 John Jacobs [email protected] 738-3147 737-8194 Raoul Andersen [email protected] 722-3192 737-8964
Reade Davis [email protected] 722-3790 737-8866
ISSN 0710-4847; Mail Registration # 8302
The Osprey - -
The Osprey,
On our cover: Fall Oyster (Panellus serotinus). Photo by H. Mann (see article, page 17)
The Osprey 2 contents
4 Outdoors: The Editor’s Note Ed Hayden
5 Letters to the Editor
6 Society Matters Ed Hayden
8 Congratulations: Julie Huntington - Environmental Award Derek Keats - University Appointment
9 Tribute to Bill Pruitt Don Steele
12 NAACAP Update: Northeast Avalon Rivers Dan Ficken
13 Mealy Mountains / Akamiuapishku National Park John Jacobs
17 From the Mushroom Basket: Two Loaves are Better than One Henry Mann
19 Ochrolechia frigida (Swartz) Lynge : A Cool Lichen Andrus Voitk
21 Essay: In Delight of Nature Laura McFarlane Tranquilla
22 Bee Species of Newfoundland Barry J. Hicks
26 Privilege and the Protection of the Grand Bank Bill Montevecchi Ocean: Presentation to St John’s Rotary Club
29 The Inequity of Compensation for Destroyed Lakes R. John Gibson
39 The Night Sky: July, August and September Fred Smith
41 St. Pierre et Miquelon Birds: Spring Migration Roger Etcheberry
46 Update: Humber Natural History Society Lois Bateman
47 Gift Ideas and Membership Renewal Next Edition In the next edition of The Osprey we’ll celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary articles selected from our archive over the past four decades.
The Osprey 3 THE OSPREY NATURE JOURNAL OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Volume 41 Number 3 Summer 2010
Outdoors
David Phillips, senior climatologist at yet encountered, steadily bobbing and going Environment Canada, has declared spring 2010 round in a tight circle in the pond at a mad clip, on the northeast Avalon to be the wettest on apparently picking insect larvae and other prey record, with about 600 millimetres of rainfall. from the surface. Local birder Doug Hynes Here at The Osprey’s nest, no matter how snug in an eyrie of articles and books on natural adult breeding Red-necked Phalarope. What an history, we don’t let the weather interfere with amazing sight! getting outdoors. My dog Jupe, happy to see me in not-work clothes on weekend mornings, sits at my door, rain or shine, always ready for a hike fuzzy male catkins emerge from willows on the along the East Coast Trail. south side of Long Pond; listening to robins sing their variations on a tune of Cheerio, I’m a landlord again! A pair of Tree Swallows Cheerio, Cheerily; inhaling the aroma of early- returned to check out our nest box in the blooming Mountain Alder in the night air along backyard (in the east end of St. John’s) on May the Virginia Trail; and, on the summer solstice, 19 and, much to our delight, has moved in. From receiving an email from fellow naturalist John Gibson pining the end of excellent blooms of with their straw and feathers has brought us great Rhodora and Chuckley Pear this year on a path joy, particularly in watching them turn their beaks below Signal Hill. The terns are back at Forest sideways to manoeuvre the longer pieces through Pond, and numerous mushrooms are poking the entrance. Today, at the summer solstice, the through my shade garden, no doubt from the missus is still on the nest while the mister keeps horse manure from the Goulds that I shoveled guard on the nearby telephone wire, swooping there last spring. These are the joys of watching down to chase off potential marauders, especially spring arrive, settle in a spell and move on. starlings, at the merest hint of coming too close. In the next edition of The Osprey, we’ll celebrate Having attended a birdsong workshop with Dave the centenary of the Natural History Society Brown this spring, I’ve been strolling country of NL, initially formed in 1910, by including lanes on weekend mornings since May, listening reprints of a variety of natural history articles to the warblers return. I’m dreadful at identifying from the four decades in our archive. Until then, birds, especially by sound, but occasionally I do drop me a line. I enjoy hearing from you. get one, and these are satisfying moments to be savoured, indeed. A huge treat this spring Ed Hayden, Editor came on May 10 when my wife and I stopped [email protected] by for a casual glance at the Ruby Line Pond and saw in front of us the wackiest bird we have
The Osprey 4 Letters to the Editor
plans, rather than done later, as is usually the case. The real problem is the armouring of the banks of streams with large boulders. This prevents any evolution of the stream and, thus, it remains forever a ditch, as was illustrated in the picture on the cover. The flow is confined, and during spates the water can only rise vertically and increase flooding downstream. Since in many cases the boulders are installed incorrectly, on top of each other to create a vertical wall rather than a series of steps, they are inherently unsafe as well. Someone is going to fall in during a Recently ‘armourized, channelized’ Virginia River at spate and be swept away by the fast flowing water. Coaker’s Meadow, St. John’s. Photo by John Gibson Don Steele ------Barbarous Treatment of Virginia River The Osprey is Beautiful! Sir: I was taken aback with my first sight of the I am so impressed with the Osprey now that Ed picture on the cover of the Fall 2009 issue of the Hayden is in charge. It is professional, contains very Osprey. The picture itself, showing an armourized, interesting, varied articles, and the illustrations, channelized stream, is attractive, but to me it colours and layout are really beautifully done. gives the impression that the NHS supports such The NHS should be congratulated, but I think barbarous treatment of a river. The caption doesn’t Ed Hayden in particular should get an award! appear until page 3 and would be missed by a casual He’s doing a fabulous job. It was fun to read reader. I believe the NHS should promote natural the article on Minipi, and of course the picture streams rather than such armourized, channelized by Dick Haedrich of the bear standing there as streams. The picture was presumably chosen to though waiting for a bus is a riot! The children’s accompany the article on Index Electrofishing page on butterflies and moths is interesting, and (pp.32-37) and particularly paragraph 2 on page I hope Newfoundland and Labrador teachers will 36, which discusses channelization and stream see the magazine and get it for their schools. The armouring. Since these sites were not sampled, this picture of the eagle zeroing in on an otter with portion of the article is out of place and should be a trout is electrifying. I feel sorry for the otter! dealt with separately. Perhaps a copy directed to the science curriculum Channelization itself is not all bad since it can committee for junior high schools and high schools develop into a natural stream if there is enough could persuade some of the committee to ask the time and natural processes are allowed to take government for funds to purchase a subscription for place. Moreover, small yearlings can survive each school library. with the controlled flow and an absence of the Also, the magazine should be made available at the large predatory fish that are found in the deeper Fluvarium...with the provincial government paying pools. Pools and meanders will develop with time, for an intitial run of copies to put on display. especially with the assistance provided in the past Judy Gibson by the Natural History Society and the Salmonid ------Association of Eastern Newfoundland (SAEN). Enjoy the Range of Natural History Topics This has been demonstrated and documented Edmund, Thanks for including the Canadian repeatedly in Learys Brook and Juniper Brook. Of Institute of Forestry article in your latest issue. I course, it would be better to leave streams in their enjoy the balance in articles and range of natural natural states, but they are not always where we history topics presented. Cheers. would like them to be. If they need to be moved, Bill Clarke then rehabilitation should be incorporated into the
The Osprey 5 Society Matters Compiled by Ed Hayden The society presents a free indoor program on the third Thursday of each month, except July and August, at the MUN Botanical Garden at 7:30 p.m. (note earlier starting time beginning September 2010) and field events at various locations throughout the year. Recent Society Activities A welcome addition was assistance on the water The Nature of Northern California provided by Narcissus Walsh in wetsuit and canoe. Ken Knowles gave an outstanding presentation on He hauled out some large items that could only April 15 at the Botanical Garden on the nature of be seen or reached by water. As part of this year’s Northern California, including mostly birds but, effort, the clean-up crew was joined by a tree- also, some flowers and mammals. Following the planting team, led by Bruce Roberts (Trees Canada) presentation, Ken answered questions about the and Julie Huntington (NAACP director and a gorgeous wilderness cabins that he stayed in, as well member of the NHSNL Board). They planted white as on cameras and lenses and how to plan these de- spruce seedlings around the south margin of the lightful trips. Ken included photos of Bristle Cone pond in hopes of enhancing the arboreal cover on Pine, the oldest living thing in the world. that side of the pond.
Environmental Aspects of Offshore Petroleum By about 12:30 the crews had mostly dispersed, Development: Earth Day Special Presentation leaving garbage bags and other objects in several On April 22, Ken Taylor, Environmental Compli- locations to be picked up by a truck dispatched by ance Office with the Canada-Newfoundland and St. John’s Clean and Beautiful. As always, some Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, gave a presen- trash remained hidden in the grass, reeds, and tation at MUN on offshore petroleum activities, sediments, but participants took comfort in having from preliminary stages through the development made a significant dent in the accumulation of the phase and the potential environmental hazards. past year. This introduction to the stages of offshore oil development included information about seismic Virginia River Walk exploration, exploratory environmental risks and On the bitingly cold, windy morning of Saturday, protection for each stage. The presentation was May 15, John Gibson led a walk along the Virginia co-sponsored by the society and the Canadian Parks River sponsored by the Natural History Society and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-NL). and the Northeast Avalon Atlantic Coastal Action Program (NAACAP), from the Quidi Vidi parking Long Pond Clean-up lot at the outlet of the Virginia River to Coaker’s On May Day morning, a dozen or more hardy Meadow, just south of Wedgewood Park. Ken Han- souls representing the Natural History Society, naford joined us and shared interesting information Northeast Avalon Atlantic Canada Action Plan, about the restoration of the river and pointed out Friends of Pippy Park and the Tumblehome Canoe the many plantings of willow, dogwood, cattail and Club turned out for the annual Long Pond clean- other plants along here as part of a conservation up. It was a cool, misty morning, following an early and restoration effort in the mid-80’s carried out by morning dump of snow that left more than 5 cm his group, the Virginia River Conservation Soci- on higher ground. Fortunately, the locally warm ety. At Coaker’s Meadow, John pointed out, and climate of the Long Pond area meant any snow participants were dismayed by, the dead areas of the there had melted by the time work got underway river caused by the channelization and rock walls around 9:30, and crews were able to work without erected by the Grand Concourse Authority (see Let- hindrance. ter to the Editor from Don Steele in this edition).
The Osprey 6 Judy Gibson’s welcome wagon was waiting for us at dance in flower. Pin cherries and corn lilies were Wedgewood Park to give us a ride back to the lake. also in bloom and photos of those as well may be seen next March at the members slide evening! Photographer’s Eye on Newfoundland and Labrador Sandy Pond Alliance to Protect Canadian Waters On May 20 at the Botanical Garden, Jean Knowles The Sandy Pond Alliance, made up of members of took us on a photographic journey to share her the Natural History Society, Nature Canada, Min- images and stories of our wild places. Jean comes ing Watch Canada, the Council of Canadians and from a long tradition of involvement in the natu- the Sierra Club Atlantic, held a press conference on ral world: her uncle Harrison Flint Lewis was the June 4th at the Fluvarium to announce that a legal founder of the Canadian Wildlife Service, and Jean challenge has been launched in federal court regard- has enjoyed stints as a cruise ship naturalist, whale ing the use of Sandy Pond as a tailings impound- holiday leader, newspaper columnist and volunteer ment area. A hearing is anticipated in St. John’s in on oiled seabird clean ups. Her photography can be the fall. The society donated $100 to the alliance to found in select St. John’s studios and in a variety of support its work. publications and photographic collections. The society sent a resolution to Nature Canada for Bird Songs Across Canada approval at its AGM to support the work of the San- On June 17 at MUN’s Science Building, John dy Pond Alliance in opposing Vale Inco’s proposed Neville, nature recorder and President of Nature use of Sandy Pond as a tailings impoundment area BC, gave a fascinating presentation on bird songs for disposal of mineral wastes at Long Harbour and he recorded from a variety of habitats across Can- destroying it in the process. ada. John has produced fourteen regional sound guides to birding identification and is currently Environmental Oil Spill Risk Assessment working on a guide for eastern Canada, including The society sent a letter to the Telegram, prepared NL. John’s recordings, done on location with birds by Allan Stein and published June 23, regarding the in their natural habitat, accompanied by a slide danger of deep sea drilling on the Grand Banks. show, were quite a treat for experienced birders and The letter concludes that an oil spill in Placentia novices alike. To listen to interviews and sample Bay is more likely than a blow out in exploration birdsongs or to purchase John’s CD’s and down- or production. However, because of the possible loads, including the Beginner’s Guide to Bird Songs extreme scale and difficulty of confronting a deep of North America, check out his website at http:// water blowout in the harsh North Atlantic, should www.nevillerecording.com/ it occur, Canada should declare a moratorium on deep sea drilling until such time as we decide it can Charlie Horwood Memorial be done with acceptable risk. Pink Lady Slipper Orchid Walk On June 19 at 2 p.m., Allan Stein led the annual Nature Canada orchid walk along Mount Scio, and 16 or 17 par- Suffield National Wildlife Area In April the society ticipants were delighted with seeing 300+ of the joined the Suffield Coalition and other members orchids in bloom in this area. There were hun- of the Canadian Nature Network in calling on the dreds more hidden among the trees and shrubs but federal government to close the door on any further participants were sated with the lovely pink orchids industrial development within Suffield National and did not wish to continue searching. Scores of Wildlife Area, bordering the South Saskatchewan photos were taken. Though about ten days later River. The request, dated April 26 to ministers than the last couple of years, there was an abun- McKay and Prentice, calls on the government to
The Osprey 7 ensure the long-term conservation of Suffield as and observe firsthand our natural history at its best! one of the most important areas of native grasslands And don’t forget that there will be some summer remaining in Canada and North America. field trips to enjoy – you will be informed of these by e-mail. Finances Michael Collins, President Jackie Feltham, the society’s former treasurer, ap- peared in provincial court June 18 and pleaded guilty to theft of approximately $12,000 from the New Start Time for Monthly Natural History Society as well as theft from other volunteer groups, including Friends of the Garden Meetings At our AGM in May it was agreed that as of Sep- and Brighter Futures. The hearing will continue in tember we would begin our meetings at 7:30 p.m. July. rather than at 8 p.m. Our regular monthly meeting in September will, therefore, start at 7:30 p.m. Celebrating our Centenary This fall we will be celebrating the hundredth anni- versary of the founding of the first Natural History Congratulations to Society in the province in 1910. To celebrate this very special anniversary the Natural History Society Julie Huntington: of Newfoundland and Labrador is collaborating Environmentalist of the Year with The Rooms to offer a number of events related Congratulations to Julie Huntington on being to Newfoundland and Labrador Natural History in recognized for her accomplishments by being October and November. named provincial Environmentalist of the Year. Julie received the distinction by being named in In October Dr. Luise Hermanutz will speak on the individual category in a statement given in the the endemic plants of the limestone barrens of the House of Assembly during Environment Week by Great Northern Peninsula, including species that the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of En- are found nowhere else in the world; and Dr. John vironment and Conservation. The Environmental Jacobs will talk about Labrador’s changing (natural) Awards program is an annual celebration of envi- landscapes. In November, Mr. John Maunder will ronmental achievements in the province and raises speak about the Newfoundland Wolf, a topic of par- awareness of the individuals, groups and businesses ticular interest to our society since we have loaned that are taking action to protect and sustain our our wolf specimen for display at The Rooms. That environment. It is a joint initiative sponsored by the same month Dr. Yolanda Wiersma will give a talk Department of Environment and Conservation, the about coyotes, caribou and other critters, wildlife re- Multi-Materials Stewardship Board and the New- search and citizen science. Because of these special foundland and Labrador Women’s Institutes. presentations, which will take place at The Rooms, our meeting times in October will be changed Julie continues to be an acrtive and will not be held on the third Thursdays of the environmentalist. She is the Executive Director month. More news about these talks and other of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in special events will be found in the Fall issue of the Newfoundland and Labrador (CPAWS--NL) and Osprey. is on the board of directors of the Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the meantime let me wish you all a good sum- mer and hope you have the opportunity to get out
The Osprey 8 Former President of the Natural History Society appointed to prestigious position Friends and colleagues of Derek Keats will wish him well in his new position as first Deputy Vice- chancellor of Knowledge and Information Management at the University of Witwatersand (Wits), South Africa. He will be responsible for libraries, computer and network services, information management and e- learning. His announced goal is to see Wits in the list of top universities in the world by 2022 by revamping the science and technology sectors of the university. Derek is a native of Gambo and a graduate in Biology of Memorial University. Along the way, Derek served as the president of the Natural History Society for a number of years and was the lead author of the first report to question DFO’s analyses of Northern Cod (Keats et al 1986). This may have had the unfortunate effect of precluding his employment in Newfoundland, although he authored a number of peer-reviewed publications on sea urchins, marine fish and algae. Derek taught school in Zimbabwe and spent the last twenty years at the University of Western Cape, where he studied coralline algae. However, he also published three children’s books on marine biology. Gradually, his focus shifted to information technology. Although I wish him well, I am sorry that he has left the field of marine biology behind. Don Steele ------
A Tribute to William (Bill) Pruitt Jr., Dead at Age 87 Don Steele Remembers
- Friends of Bill Pruitt, who was an Associate Professor of Biology and served as Vice-president of the Natural History Society for several years, will be saddened to learn of his recent death. Bill came to Memorial from the University of Alaska where, because of his opposition to the proposed experimental use of atomic bombs for excavating (Project Chariot), his contract was not renewed. As a result, Bill then found himself black-listed for any university position in the U.S.A. The whole sad episode has been described in “The Firecracker Boys” written by Dan O’Neill and published by St. Martin’s Press. As a result, Bill was hired by Memorial University to teach Boreal Ecology in 1965. This is one instance when the university, in my opinion, did the right thing. Bill bought a house just down the street from mine. It is marked today and I guess permanently by a large boulder he planted in the front lawn. He arrived in St. John’s with his family and a large, malamute husky. This was a beautiful dog which had lived its whole life, up to this point, outdoors. However, the new house did not yet have a fence, so they were forced to keep the dog in the basement during the night so that it would not wander off. When the property was fenced in, they were astonished to discover that the dog refused to spend the night outside. Apparently having learned there were better things in life than sleeping outdoors, it refused to go back to the old ways. Bill’s interest and expertise was in the ecology of snow and that of northern mammals, including caribou and moose. He could often be found just outside the Science Building dissecting a moose that had been killed on the highway. Every winter he took his class to Terra Nova National Park on a field trip. Inevitably a blizzard followed their departure and the questions in the Biology Department were “How far did they get?” and “Are they sitting on the side of the road somewhere?” But, there was never any real problem. Bill was particularly taken with the Long Range Mountains, which he often said were superior to
The Osprey 9 anything east of the Bow River in Wyoming and mammalogist, and he kept repeating to me, “What he bought property on the shores of Bonne Bay. am I doing here?” and “Why am I here?” Privately, One of his goals was to hike along the tops of the I thought he was there to keep an eye on me, but I mountains, and this he finally did. He actively said nothing. promoted an enlargement of the proposed Gros When it came time to find accommodations for Morne National Park. For this, the citizens the night, Bill declared that the Holiday Inn and of the Province should be extremely grateful. the Glynmill Mill were too grand for the likes of Unfortunately Bill did not get along well with the us and insisted that we should find a cheaper place new head of the Biology Department, and after to stay. This we did. Since the McGill Professor three years moved permanently to the University of insisted on having a private room, Bill and I shared Manitoba in Winnipeg. another. Since this account is so dry, I have appended a Next morning I was surprised to find that my condensed account of the trip we took to the west arms had a number of itching red welts. I thought coast of Newfoundland in search of a site for a no more about it until a large flea crawled out from marine laboratory. I hope that this describes the under my sweater when we were driving the next real Bill. morning. Since Bill had no welts at all, he thought In 1957 the world woke up to hear with the whole episode was hilarious. astonishment the beep of the Russian sputnik Finally we selected a house near the shore of that was now circling the globe. Since this was at Bonne Bay. This is the location of the current the height of the cold war, the Americans became Marine Station. We drove back to Deer Lake and rather hysterical with the thought that they lagged caught the plane for St. John’s, but we only got as behind the Soviets in rocketry, and science in far as Gander because of the weather in St. John’s. general. Thus we entered the era of big science All of the passengers were put on a yellow school when money became available for big projects. In bus to continue. Halfway there the windshield Biology this developed into the the idea of the wiper gave out. Ever resourceful, strings were tied International Biological Programme (IBP). to the driver’s wiper which was then pulled from Part of this programme was to compare the side to side by passengers. productivity of comparable ecosystems at different Bill was of medium height and stocky. He had latitudes. The Gulf of St. Lawrence was selected as deep-set hooded eyes that had a permanent squint one marine site, and McGill University was put in from his years in the north when he was looking for charge of the operation. Most of the sampling was caribou on snow and ice. He had a long beard and done at sea, but there was also a need for a shore wore what remained of his hair very long, almost to station and this was to be established on the west his shoulders. coast of Newfoundland. Accordingly, myself and Progress on the bus was slow, and the fellow Bill Pruitt from Memorial University were recruited in the seat behind Bill consumed a small bottle to travel to the west coast to find a suitable location. of rum. As he became more and more happy, he After the IBP terminated, the laboratory was to started patting Bill’s long hair and, at the same revert to Memorial University. We flew to Deer time, commenting how nice it was. Bill was quiet Lake, where we met the department head of biology for a while, but then exploded. He turned around from McGill. We spent the next two days driving and told the offender to stop or he would put his around between Western Brook and Lark Harbour lights out, or words to that effect. I have no doubt looking for a suitable building that could be he meant every word and would have done it. purchased. Since the buildings we saw ranged from However, the man was suitably cowed and made abandoned fish plants to houses with collapsed only whimpering sounds for the rest of the trip. roofs, our search was depressing. Bill was not a marine biologist but a terrestrial
The Osprey 10
The Osprey 11 NAACAP Update: News about our Northeast Avalon Rivers
By Dan Ficken
Currently, the Northeast Avalon Atlantic that are important in distributing nutrients in the Coastal Action Program (NAACAP) is completing ecosystem. They make up an important part of several scientific studies on various aspects the aquatic food chain. Assemblages of particular of watershed monitoring, one of which is a benthic macroinvertebrates, which often consist of comprehensive study of the water quality in the aquatic insect larvae, are also important indicators Paddy’s Pond watershed as it related to a significant of water quality and aquatic biological health. Three cyanobacteria bloom that occurred in 2007 and sites were chosen, one on each of South Brook, again in 2008. Given the right Virginia River and Broad Cove environmental conditions, which Preliminary findings Brook. Biological samples were can sometimes be influenced by taken to study the assemblages human activity, cyanobacteria, suggest that the of benthic macroinvertebrates single-celled organisms that make healthier benthic in each stream. Although more up part of the natural fauna in communities were samples will need to be taken for phytoplankton, can proliferate and confirmation, the preliminary multiply to form a potentially toxic observed in the streams findings suggest that the healthier bloom resembling a large green- with less development benthic communities were coloured algae mass. at, and upstream of, observed in the streams with less Water samples were taken in development at, and upstream of, all water bodies from Thomas Pond, the sampling site the sampling site. The baseline located just east of the Foxtrap data collected on benthic macro- Access Road on the Trans Canada Highway, to invertebrates in these streams will help to define Topsail Pond, located in Paradise, including in potential reference sites to be used for comparison several drainage outlets and connecting rivers during future sampling, when more urbanized or between Cochrane Pond and Paddy’s Pond. downstream sites might be selected. The environmental data collected helped us to Additionally, a report on the water quality understand the current condition of this watershed and effects of urban development and runoff and how the cyanobacteria blooms may have on three urban streams is currently in the works occurred. The water quality of this area is fairly and anticipated to be released later this year. good, although, with increasing development, there Sample sites were chosen along the lengths of is a lot of environmental pressure on the watershed. the Waterford River, Leary’s Brook and Virginia The quality of Paddy’s Pond is slightly lower than River and compared with reference sites at their in some of the other areas because there are many respective (minimally developed) headwaters to culverts and different types of land use in and determine the extent and type of pollution that may around this body of water. Generally speaking, it be occurring in the rivers due to anthropogenic was found that Paddy’s Pond has a higher level of disturbances and discharges. phosphorus than the other ponds. Another study currently being completed is a preliminary benthic macro-invertebrate monitoring program in the headwaters of various urban rivers. Benthic macroinvertebrates are bottom-dwelling (benthic) invertebrate organisms The Osprey 12 Mealy Mountains / Akamiuapishku National Park
Smaller than hoped for but closer to being realized!
By John D. Jacobs The Mealy Mountains and surrounding area, Canadian Nature Federation (now Nature Canada), including the headwaters of the Eagle River and the Protected Areas Association of Newfoundland the Porcupine Strand, have long been recognized and Labrador (PAA), Natural History Society of as a special natural area, worthy of being protected NL, and Mountain Equipment Co-op, called upon (Poole, 1991; Goudie, 2006; Lethbridge, 2006). members and the public to “…tell the premier Although first formally considered by Parks Canada of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Prime for national park status through public hearings in Minister you want a Mealy Mountains National 1977, it wasn’t until 2001 that a feasibility study was Park established by 2004 (and that) you support full
u
launched toward creation of Mealy Mountains – interim protection for the park study area.” Akamiuapishku National Park. A “study area” area The Labrador Innu Nation, whose traditional of some 21,000 km2 was delineated in a map from ancestral territory includes Akamiuapishku, was Parks Canada (Fig. 1), and hopes were raised among on record as supporting the establishment of the the conservationist community that significant park. The area to be designated and the terms of representative areas of five of Labrador’s ten any retained rights were to be part of ongoing land ecoregions would be protected in the new national claims negotiations between the Innu Nation and park1. A widely-circulated poster, produced by the the Province.
The Osprey 13 Despite the general perception of widespread Over the next two years, concerned individuals and support in Labrador for the park concept, groups continued to press for completion of the subsequent progress seemed slow. Meanwhile, park establishment process - through interviews, completion of the Trans-Labrador Highway (TLH) articles and letters to government and the media was near, and the route proposed for the final Phase (Jackson, 2007). A survey conducted in Labrador III section in the initial Environmental Impact by PAA showed almost unanimous support for Statement passed far inside the proposed national the park. In February 2008, the Protected Areas park study area. Objections came from a number Association, Natural History Society of NL and the of directions, including the Natural History Society Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society convened (Jacobs, 2004), with the result that a more southerly a public meeting in St. John’s to encourage support route was decided upon. (That final section of the Trans Labrador Highway between the Churchill River and Cartwright Junction was completed in the fall of 2009. It follows a route around the southern margin of the Mealy Mountains – Eagle River Plateau area, as shown in Figure 1) Meanwhile, with little information being released about the park planning process and the issues raised during the community consultations, rumours and questions circulated about conflicting interests - for example, that the mineral and hydroelectric potential Figure 2. Early summer in the heart of the Mealy Mountains. Photo by J. of the area would be “given Jacobs away to Ottawa” if the park went ahead. Parks Canada responded in the there. As part of that well-attended session, summer of 2005 with a newsletter that explained postcards urging movement on the national park why a national park was being considered for the process were signed and sent to Premier Williams. Mealy Mountains and how the process worked. It described progress to date, presented answers to In May 2008, information came from reliable “frequently asked questions” and outlined the next sources that, while community consultations were steps. Those steps, and the statement that “the going well, the final area selected for the park was feasibility study is expected to take approximately much reduced from what had been delineated in two years from this date to complete” (Parks the park study area. At that time, I wrote Premier Canada, 2005), renewed hopes that the park would Williams and Minister of Environment and be declared in a timely manner. Conservation Charlene Johnson, urging that the heavily forested upper Kenamu River watershed, the
The Osprey 14 Eagle River watershed and the Porcupine Strand kilometers…. be included within the boundaries of the new The full release and accompanying backgrounder park. Minister Johnson responded, “…The Steering (Government of NL, 2010) provided further details Committee has completed its deliberations and of the proposed park reserve. Significant points recently brought forward its recommendations. include: These recommendations are currently being The 10,700 km2 area reviewed by both the of the Mealy Mountains provincial and federal – Akamiuapishku governments. The National Park Reserve province is committed includes approximately to the establishment 50 % of the area of a national park in delineated in 2001 as a the Mealy Mountains national park study area. and we will be It includes some coastal guided by the work/ islands but apparently recommendations of the not any marine areas. Steering Committee…..” (Johnson, 2008). As proposed In February 2010, a in the initial park news conference was planning information, held in Goose Bay five of Labrador’s relating to the proposed Figure 3. Aerial view of the eastern Mealy ten ecoregions are Mealy Mountains Mountains rising from the Lake Melville coastal represented in the plain. Photo by J. Jacobs. National Park. The designated area: High subsequent news release Subarctic Tundra, High began as follows: Boreal Forest, Mid Boreal The Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Forest, String Bog (Eagle River Plateau) and Environment Minister and Minister Coastal Barrens. Responsible for Parks Canada, and The proposed national park reserve the Honourable Charlene Johnson, contains a major part of the range of the Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister threatened Mealy Mountains caribou herd. of Environment and Conservation, today This includes coastal caribou habitat as well announced that they have agreed to take the as certain offshore islands where caribou necessary steps to establish a new national may be found. park reserve in the Mealy Mountains area of Labrador. The park reserve will As called for by many interested parties, protect roughly 10,700 square kilometres, the reserve area is to include the Porcupine which will make it the largest national Strand (or ‘Wunderstrand’) and much of park in eastern Canada. The Provincial the wetlands of the Eagle River Plateau. Government also announced its intent to establish a waterway provincial park to Only a small part of the upper Eagle River protect the Eagle River, adjacent to the headwaters is within the national park proposed national park reserve. Together, reserve area; however, the Eagle River and these areas will protect over 13,000 square part of its headwaters will receive “partial protection” in a proposed waterway
The Osprey 15 provincial park with an area of about 3,000 References km2. Goudie, J. 2006. Forward, in Stories of the Mealy While the national park area contains Mountains – Akamiuapishku , Them Days 30(2): 4. elements of the Mid Boreal and High Boreal ecoregions, it excludes the rich boreal forest Government of NL, 2010. Canada and of the upper Kenamu River watershed. Newfoundland and Labrador Commit to As with other national parks in the Creating New National Park Reserve in the Mealy North, some hunting and trapping may Mountains, Labrador. News Release, Dept of be permitted. More explicitly, “traditional Environment and Conservation, 5 February 2010, land use activities by Labradorians will be http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2010/ permitted to continue within the national env/0205n08.htm park reserve, managed to emphasize ecological integrity and conservation Jackson, Laura, 2007. Mealy Mountains National measures.” Park: The dream is fresh in Labrador hearts. Osprey, December 2007, Vol. 38(4): 120-121.
As of this writing, no further news releases appear Jacobs, J. D., 2004. Letter on behalf of the Natural to have been issued by either the federal or History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador provincial governments regarding the proposed to Tom Osborne, Minister of Environment NL Mealy Mountain National Park Reserve and Eagle regarding TLH Phase III Addendum. River Waterway Provincial Park. It should be remembered that it was only a memorandum of Johnson, C. 2008. E-mail of 16 June 2008 in understanding that was signed by the federal and response to e-mail of 1 May 2008 from J. Jacobs to NL governments in February 2010. Creation of Premier Danny Williams and Charlene Johnson. the national park reserve will require that a federal- provincial land transfer agreement be negotiated Lethbridge, C. 2006. An excellent idea, in Stories of and enabling legislation enacted. It has been a the Mealy Mountains – Akamiuapishku , Them Days long process - but when the new parks finally come 30(2): 6-10. into existence, the gains for conservation and biodiversity protection will justify the efforts of all Parks Canada, 2005. Mealy Mountains – us who have worked to make it happen. Akamiuapishku National Park Feasibility Study Newsletter #1 Summer 2005, 9 pp. Footnote Poole, C. F. (editor), 1991. Mealy Mountains, The ecoregions of Newfoundland and Labrador are Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, Vol. 3: described in the document Protecting our Natural 488. Heritage: A Strategy to Protect Newfoundland and Labrador’s Natural Areas, NL Parks and Natural Areas, 2000. A map showing these ecoregions is available on the NL Government website at http:// www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/parks/maps.html.
The Osprey 16 From the Mushroom Basket: Two loaves are better than one! (Fall Oyster) (Luminescent Panellus)
After several half-hearted ventures years ago into the world of mushrooms, I decided that fungi were just too strange and complex, and that the green world could more easily be understood and appreciated. So it has been. However, in the last seven years attendance at local mushroom forays has somewhat changed my perspective about these denizens of the nether world. Out of the bewildering array of fruit- ing bodies found in our fields and woods, the wood decay fungi have rekindled a modicum of interest. One of the neatest and “coolest” of these is the Fall Oyster Mushroom.
Panellus serotinus waits for the first autumn frost before it bursts forth from dead and often fallen woody stems, usually of alder and birch. It forms seemingly stem-less plump brackets as viewed from above, brownish to olive-green in colour sometimes with a hint of violet sheen. Individual brackets have been seen in the Pasadena woods up to 8 cm across. Figure 1. Panellus serotinus (Fall Oyster) Photo by H. Mann While fresh and developing they may appear some- what tacky or slippery in wet weather, but brownish at maturity and slightly rough to the touch when dry. At first glance they could be mistaken for plump, semi-soft polypores, but the undersides with their prominent thin gills and rudimentary stalks tell us this is one of the gilled wood decay fungi. In fact, recent phylogenetic research has placed the two Panellus species very close to the mycena mush- rooms, another genus of gilled wood decayers. On the under-surface the in-rolled margin, yellow gills and lateral stalk are characteristic especially the sharp margin between the gills and the reduced stalk. Rapid growth late in the season when slugs, bugs and other thugs are relatively inactive, probably account in part for its fresh and clean appearance. Figure 2. Panellus serotinus (Fall Oyster) Photo by H. Mann Production of some thug repellent is an additional possibility. Fall Oyster Mushroom is said to be edible but somewhat rubbery unless thoroughly
The Osprey 17 cooked over low heat for extended time.
Another common Panellus of the Pasadena woods is P. stipticus, the Luminescent Panellus, also found most commonly on alder and birch. It can be located throughout the year, even in winter. The overlapping brackets are smaller than those of the Fall Oyster, each usually only 1 – 3 cm across. The upper surface of the fruiting body is tan coloured fading to off-white, often with a mottled appearance. Beneath it is struc- turally similar to its larger relative. Thin neat brown gills end abruptly at the base of the reduced stalk, as is characteristic of many species of the genus. P. stipticus is not edible, but is reported to have biolumines- cent gills. I have never been able to coax even a nano-lumen from any of my freshly collected specimens,
Figure 3. Panellus stipticus (Luminescent Panellus) Photo by H. Mann. even after spending times of peaceful contemplation with them in a blacked-out basement! Neither, to my knowledge, has anybody else in this province. Possibly both maturity and weather conditions are impor- tant in this regard, but it is also possible that we may harbour a cryptic non-luminescent variant.
Other Panellus species are encountered less commonly in Newfoundland and Labrador. The name Panel- lus (little loaf) refers to the plump rounded appearance of the fruiting bodies, apparently resembling little loaves of bread. “Serotinus” means “late,” that is, fruiting late in the season. “Stipticus” means haemo- static, indicating that it has been used to staunch blood flow from cuts, although its actual effectiveness is unknown to me. Both species produce a white spore print.
Thanks to Andrus Voitk for encouragement and suggestions!
The Osprey 18 Ochrolechia frigida (Swartz) Lynge a cool lichen Andrus Voitk, Humber Village, NL
Ochrolechia frigida covering Betula nana and other vegetative matter on a barren mountaintop above the Arctic Circle in Norway. The yellow cups are the ascomata, or fruitbodies, for sporulation. The crust is made up of granules (soredia), containing both fungus and alga. From it arise several spiky projections- made up of fungus, which has been shown to spread over all available vegetation in relatively short order. Soon, however, normal thalli form, indicating that it has met up with and incorporated a suitable algal part- ner. The fungus is able to penetrate and kill vegetative host cells, which it does alone. When broken off and carried to other vegetation, what is not killed directly will die once covered, and then be decomposed by the fungus. (Photo: Maria Voitk)
In May we spent a week in Tromsø, Norway, visiting our son and grandson well above the Arctic Circle. Each day we explored the countryside, noting unexpected similarities and surprising differences with our own mountains and barrens. Especially noticeable was the vast array of lichens, filling the Arctic landscape with colour at a time when most wildflowers had not started to bloom yet. However, the lichen that caught our eye was not a colorful one, but the white, crustose Ochrolechia frigida (Swatrz) Lynge. As with any new “discovery,” soon we saw it everywhere on the tundra, easily recognized by patches of dead vegetation, varying from a few cm to several m in diameter, covered with a gray-white crust. All vegetation was covered indiscriminately: dwarf birches, mosses, lichens and other plants, whether live or dead. Actually, this was moot, because whatever was living soon died, when covered. Usually a white crust, on occasion it also had striking yellow saucer-like fruitbodies, hence its common names, Arctic saucer lichen or cold crabseye lichen. Mycophiles are familiar with mycorrhizal mushrooms that form a partnership with photosynthesizing plants to supply their energy needs. A lichen is a fungus that has formed a similar association with photosynthesizing algae, bacteria or both to help supply its energy needs. Despite this obvious similarity, the world of lichens has been kept so separate and distant from the world of mushrooms that a student of one is not necessarily familiar with the other. Excluding a few lichenized basidiomycetes, lichens are almost totally unknown to me, so “discovering” this organism provided an opportunity to learn. I was so unfamiliar with lichens that I was unable to key it out in my lichen text. Thinking it a Scandinavian organism familiar to local experts, I asked Teuvo Ahti, a lichenologist with probably the largest collection of Newfoundland and Labrador lichens in the world. He identified it from the photo and told me that it was a common lichen in our province, represented in his herbarium by 50 collections from NL. Given a name, I was able to direct my reading and learn more about this organism. What I gleaned from reading was checked with Teuvo for accuracy.
The Osprey 19 Ochrolechia frigida has developed several coping mechanisms to enable it to thrive in what is normally a hostile en- vironment. So effective have these mechanisms been that Ochrolechia frigida is found on mountaintops, tundra and extremely cold regions the world over, almost literally from pole to pole. The partners for most lichens have lived together so long that in the majority of instances they are unable to exist alone. Isolated colonies of Trebouxia, the algal partner of Ochrolechia frigida, have been described from nature, although some experts challenge these reports. At least under experimental conditions, the fungal partner has also been shown to be able to exist independently, albeit not reproduce. The lichen’s many spiky branches are composed only of the fungal partner. These have been shown to break off and be carried elsewhere with wind or other vectors. They are able to colonize new host vegeta- tive matter independently and have been shown to penetrate and kill host cells, as well as cover all host tissue. Just like most lichens, the fungus Ochrolechia frigida derives its energy from its algal partner. But unlike some lichens, the fungus can also derive its energy from saprophytic activity, and unlike most lichens, from parasitic activity. Since it decomposes all vegetative organisms, including other lichens, and since Trebouxia is the commonest algal partner of Arctic lichens, presumably the fungus can find a new algal partner in this way, even if established as a pure fungus. However, generally broken fragments include small granular soredia, which carry algal cells with them. Ochrolechia frigida is particularly known for its ability to survive in extreme windy habitats (like hummock tops) where the snow cover may periodically disappear in the middle of the dark winter. Trebouxia is somewhat light intolerant. It is a good partner for a fungus located in dark polar regions and cold climates, covered by snow a large part of the time. The white pigment of the lichen thallus is most apt for the sunny days, because it reflects most of the light, protecting the photosynthetic partner. In the summer, mountaintops spend a lot of time in cloud and fog; lichens are excellent absorbers of atmospheric moisture, growing well in such weather in what would otherwise be very dry locales. Thus, this lichen is very flexible, with alternative ways of getting energy and water and alternative methods of spread: particulate spread as fungal particles and sexual spread from spores. It utilizes these in different habitats, as circum- stances allow. Saprophytic and parasitic augmentation of photosynthetic feeding is used in situations with ample vegetative material (e.g., very common in coastal and mountain heaths of Newfoundland and Labrador) and pho- tosynthetic feeding alone where there is little vegetation (e.g., Antarctica). This is reflected in its morphology: many fungal spikes in Newfoundland and Labrador and mostly granules containing both partners in Antarctica. Its sapro- parasitic feeding is suited for the Arctic setting, where growth is slow. Ochrolechia frigida is absent from more temper- ate settings, where it is outcompeted by rapid vegetative growth. In boreal forest Ochrolechia frigida is only found on hummocks of larger open bogs, like in the interior of Newfoundland. Clearly, this lichen is quite destructive of its environment. Vegetation slows down evaporation and its roots stabilize the thin Arctic soil. If all living vegetative matter is killed, the thin soil layer dries and becomes unstable against erosion by wind, rain, ice and snow. In the fragile Arctic, where reestablishing growth may take decades or even centuries, this can be a major catastrophe. Thus, it is a parasite both in the narrow sense (damaging its host) and the wide sense (damaging its environment). Its function or place in the Arctic ecosystem is not obvious. Although it is a decomposer, recycling carbon, doing so with living organisms is not necessarily a service. Much about this fungus re- mains a mystery, at least to me. It is considered a fine source of dye. Lichens commonly contain specific lichen acids, in this case gyrophoric acid, which cause a strong red reaction if the lichen is touched with a drop of hypochlorite solution, such as any bleaching agent used in washing clothes. If you found this glimpse into lichens interesting and want to know more, you have two alternatives to climbing a mountaintop above the Arctic Circle in Norway to get to know a common Newfoundland and Labrador lichen. You can attend Mac Pitcher’s Much About Lichens Workshop at the Brother Brennan Environmental Education Centre September 17-19, 2010 (see www.brotherbrennancentre.ca for more information). And, beginning 2011, you can learn about lichens at our mushroom foray. Realizing that lichens are a parallel form to mycorrhizal mushrooms, Foray Newfoundland & Labrador decided to add a lichen branch to our foray, to be organized by Mac Pitcher, with expertise offered by Teuvo Ahti, Stephen Clayden and other lichenologists. Meanwhile, you can join the Viking Foray on the Great Northern Peninsula, September, 10-12, 2010, to get prepared (see the Foray website
The Osprey 20 In Delight of Nature
By Laura McFarlane Tranquilla
“Ooh, that’s a Tricewatops, my fav-wit!” squeals my two-year-old daughter. “Yah, but MY favorites are Ankylosaurus and Heterodontosaurus,” one-ups her five-year-old brother. They are flipping through an encyclopedic volume on dinosaurs recently acquired from their generous grandfather. At two and five, they are already captivated by the idea of these dangerous, fantastical, gigantic creatures that once actually did roam the earth…not like unicorns or dragons, a point which caused great consternation and perplexion on my son’s part, and I can see his point: if there was an Ankylosaurus, why not a unicorn?
It’s not only dinosaurs that make up a great part of their daily conversation. They are interested in all Kingdom Animalia, from the mundane to the rare to the downright weird and wonderful. Bears, moose, mice, cats, dogs, bats, kangaroos, giraffes, sloths, crocodiles, scorpions, black-widow spiders, green mantises, sharks, jellyfish; both children can name, on sight, a vast number of creatures. Have we ever actually SEEN any of these animals? NO! With the exception of cats and dogs, our animal knowledge comes from books, photographs, television, and video games. We went to a zoo once. We have peered through the thick glass at an aquarium a few times. But generally, the lack of a living, real-time connection seems not to diminish their interest.
As a parent, I find it amazing how their little brains sponge up this information, like a massive trivia project. As a biologist, I find it equally fascinating that their interests are so focused, from a tiny age, on other living creatures. I know my two are not alone in this fascination. Most tiny tots I know have an equally encyclopedic knowledge of animal creatures. But to me, it seems more than just the cold hard facts they are drawn to. It is a connection to other life. Kids seem to have a pre-conscious, deep-seated desire to learn about and connect with other living creatures. E.O Wilson says that it’s not surprising that people are drawn to nature and natural places (and I’m paraphrasing here); we seek to be in places that feel comfortable within the confines of our tangled evolutionary history, places where we can feel wind and water, gaze upon trees and mountains, and maybe glimpse another living creature. It makes sense. That’s where we came from. That’s where our bodies feel at ease. That’s where we feel at home.
This kind of natural setting is in stark contrast to the daily reality for most of us humans. We may have started out like my two toddlers, looking for animals in every nook and cranny, but somewhere along the way, we got busied up with life, moved to cities and stopped seeing the forests AND the trees. We here in North America make “weekend getaways” to the cabin (if we are lucky enough to get time off work), go “adventure touring,” roar across some natural landscape or fly to a “sun destination” for March break. Most of us fill our visual day with bricks and pavement, buildings and cars, computers and television screens. And mostly this is okay, this is how humans live these days. But underneath it all, I think it’s safe to say we feel a little bit disconnected. A few of us might take a pensive look out the window and wonder what animals are out there, what they are doing, how they are making their living. But I wonder: exactly when in our development did we lose that toddler’s all-encompassing desire to know and connect with other animals?
It doesn’t help that most land mammals are either elusive, nocturnal or active only at dawn and dusk. These animals, by virtue of being delicious or furry, have learned to stay out of humans’ way as best they can. We really have to go out of our way to get to the ocean, so there’s not much chance of glimpsing an aquatic animal on the way to work. Reptiles get our cold shoulder, tripping across an amphibian is rare in continued on page 28 The Osprey 21 The Bee Species of Newfoundland Important for Pollination
By Barry J. Hicks
Many animals frequent flowers to obtain energy-rich nectar, often their sole source of energy. In the process they inadvertently transfer pollen between flowers. While these animals include birds, bats and insects (bees, butterflies, moths, flies and beetles), it is the bees that have become the most important of all of the pollinators. They collect pollen and nectar from flowers to feed their offspring and have evolved morphological structures that assist them in carrying out their pollination duties. Almost all pollen-collecting bees are covered in dense branched hairs where the pollen grains get trapped. The bees, bumblebees for example, have modified leg segments that allow them to remove the pollen from the body hair and to store it as small balls on their hind legs for transport. There are some other bees that carry the pollen on other specialized structures on their bodies (e.g., on the underside of their abdomens, as in the leafcutting bees).
The pollination activities of bees cannot be underestimated. It takes honeybee workers, for example, Newfoundland 10 million flower visits to gather enough nectar to make 0.5 kg of and Labrador honey. The most well-known bees are the honeybees and bumblebees. These are social insects that live in colonies. Each colony has a single has about egg-laying queen bee and many sterile daughters, called workers. 47 recorded The number of workers in the colony depends on the bee species, species of bees ranging from up to 150 for some bumblebee species to as high as 20,000 individuals for a honeybee hive. Males (drones) are produced only at times of the year when they are required. They contribute nothing to food gathering and other nest activities; their only vocation is to mate with newly emerged queens.
There are about 20,000 species of bees known throughout the world (Finnamore and Michener 1993). The vast majority of bee species are solitary and do not produce the large colonies as do honeybees and bumblebees. Some bees may live close together where there is some sharing of the space, but each female gathers pollen and nectar herself to feed her offspring. These females collect enough provisions for the entire larval life of their offspring. Most of these solitary bees construct their own nests: they provision the cells with the pollen and nectar and then lay an egg in each one.
Newfoundland and Labrador has about 47 recorded species of bees (Hicks 2009). They are found in 5 bee families: digger bees (Family: Andrenidae), sweat bees (Family: Halictidae), cellophane bees (Family: Colletidae), leafcutting bees (Family: Megachilidae) and bumblebees (Family: Apidae). Figure 1 shows four examples of some common bees in Newfoundland. The honeybee Apis mellifera is an introduced species to Newfoundland and does not survive as feral colonies. If you encounter a honeybee on a flower in Newfoundland, there must be someone nearby who is raising and looking after them.
The bee populations in Newfoundland do not appear to be declining as we see in other areas of the globe. As an island, Newfoundland is somewhat isolated from the other parts of North America, and since there is not a lot of intensive pesticide-based agriculture here, our location has most likely buffered our bee populations somewhat. As J. Jacobs (2010) mentioned in the last edition of The Osprey, many bee species’ abundances are considerably lower than in the past in other Canadian jurisdictions. He asked whether Bombus terricola is still to be found here in Newfoundland. I can report that the population of this bee appears to be in good shape. I have records for many localities in Newfoundland. It is difficult to say at this time whether the bee abundances have declined over time, as I=m unaware of any systematic inventories of Newfoundland bees.
The Osprey 22 Figure 1. Examples of Newfoundland bee families. A – Apidae (Bombus terricola); B – Megachilidae (Osmia proxima); C – Halictidae (Lasioglossum Dialictus sp); and D – Andrenidae (Andrena sp.). Scale bar = 5 mm.
Anecdotal observations by blueberry producers on the Avalon reiterate that they think that bee populations have declined over time. There is a need for more studies on the diversity and abundance of native bees in all regions of the province.
It is my experience that many farmers only make observations on bumblebees, as these are large and conspicuous. Most of the bee species are much smaller in size but have higher abundances in many habitats. In an attempt to uncover which bee species are the most important pollinators of lowbush blueberries in Newfoundland, I performed an exclusion experiment in the summer of 2009.
The Osprey 23 Methodology
Thirty exclusion cages with different-sized mesh were constructed from tomato cages (30 cm diameter on bottom and 24 cm high) (Figure 2). Ten of the cages were constructed with a Afine@ mesh (typical window fly screen) (Figure 2B); 10 cages had plastic mesh with Amedium@ squares (5mm) (Figure 2C); and 10 cages had no mesh at all and were designated as Aopen.@ All of the cages were placed into a managed blueberry farm before the flower buds opened (Figure 2A). The fields were located off Roaches Line near Colliers (47o25’15”N; 53o17’36”W). All of the flower buds that occurred on the inside of the cage were counted. The cages where placed over the top of the plants and stapled to the ground. After pollination and when fruit started to develop, each cage was removed and the number of fruit that developed from the flowers was counted.
Figure 2. The bee exclusion cages on a blueberry farm near Colliers, medium mesh.
Results and Discussion The cages with the very fine mesh had a very low percentage of fruit developing from the flowers, with only 2.5% fruit set (Table 1). This was not unexpected, as the fine mesh eliminated all but the tiniest of insects from gaining access to the blueberry flowers. The medium sized mesh had a fruit set of 29.6%, while the
The Osprey 24 open cages had 51% fruit developing from the flowers.
in bee exclusion cages (Number of observations are in brackets) Mesh Size Fruit-set Contribution of Bee Size to blueberry pollination
Fine 2.5% (10) -
Medium 29.6% (10) 27.1%
Open 51.0% (10) 21.4%
The results obtained showed that it is the smaller bees that are able to fit through the 5mm mesh and are contributing greatly to the pollination of blueberry. The contribution of these smaller bees to the overall pollination was 27.1%, while the larger bees contributed 21.4%. The smaller bees are at least as important, if not more important, to the pollination of lowbush blueberry than the large conspicuous bumblebees. Many people do not recognize these smaller bees on the flowers, and some regard them as being insignificant. The smaller bees are normally found in greater abundance than the bumblebees. The data from this study shows that, while bumblebees do contribute to blueberry pollination, one cannot disregard the smaller and more abundant bees. All of these smaller bees are solitary bees and most nest in the ground. It is important that farmers take steps to conserve suitable ground nesting habitat for these bees.
In conclusion, many people do not see the smaller bees that are more abundant but inconspicuous. Instead, much of the attention is put toward the large bumblebees that are easy to see and identify. It is important that we take the time to look at all of the pollinators, no matter their size.
References cited Finnamore A.T., Michener C.D. 1993. Superfamily Apoidea. In, Hymenoptera of the World: an identification guide to families, Goulet, H. and J.T. Huber (eds.) 279-357pp, Agriculture Canada publication 1894/E.
Hicks, B. 2009. Observations of the nest structure of Osmia inermis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) from Newfoundland, Canada. Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society 5:12-18.
Jacobs J.D. 2010. Some Questions about Bees. The Osprey 41:13-14.
Barry Hicks College of the North Atlantic 4 Pike=s Lane, Carbonear, NL A1Y 1A8 [email protected]
The Osprey 25 Privilege and the Protection of the Grand Bank Ocean
Presentation by Bill Montevecchi
To The St John’s Rotary Club, 20 May 2010
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak here and disaster are assistance and compassion. Yet, today. It is rather humbling to meet with the sometimes, bad news is just too much. Last Rotary Club and to acknowledge the many Friday, I was driving a friend to the airport. There magnificent contributions that you make to our were 3 news stories on the radio: 1 – a woman society - so many of which focus on health care and shot her husband on a hunting trip, apparently on helping the less privileged help themselves. It is thinking he was a bear; 2 – a crime involving sexual on privilege that I will try to focus much of what I exploitation; and 3 – a crime involving child abuse. say here today. This was followed by a grim weather report. I was thinking “where are we?” My very socially conscious daughter, Gioia, showed me a Chinese proverb yesterday in a book that she Why aren’t we interested that 6th grader Johnny is reading on food security. It read, “A person who Edwards at Beachy Cove Elementary got an “A” in has food and water has many problems. A person Math, up from a “B“ in the previous semester. For who has no food and water has only one.” Owing example – CBC - “Wow, Johnny – how did you do to the privileges that we have, it is both obvious and it?” Johnny - “My Mom told me I couldn’t play appropriate that we have many, many problems. hockey if I didn’t put in more time with my math What turns privilege into honour is how privilege studies and improve my grade.” CBC – “Johnny – is used for greater well-being and good. The activity do you think that you discovered a new educational of the Rotary and of so many of you shine in this paradigm?” “Well, I got a goal and an assist in my respect. Dennis (+ Susan) Knight have so inspired last game.” CBC - “It just goes to show you can my daughter Gioia whom I just mentioned. shoot goals in different games without taking any penalties. This is Raj reporting live at Beachy Cove John McNicholas’s work with eye care issues and School in Portugal Cove. Back to you Peter. problems have been outstanding. It’s a long list. Peter - “Thanks Raj, this one’s got legs, and we’ll be Because of the privileges that I have, there is often following up in the days ahead.” opportunity to make statements and some very modest efforts about environmental concerns and Well, we just don’t seem to be all that interested protection. Yet all too often for personal comfort, in those sorts of good news stories and human such effort involves being the conveyor of grim triumphs. So let’s consider the ongoing oil blowout news or showing up to react when there is a disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. I will take this opportunity like the current oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. to contrast what is happening in the US with what Trust me, I have no intention of dwelling on black is happening here in Canada and in Newfoundland news for its own sake. and Labrador.
Yet it strikes me how bad news really attracts our The long reach of the oil disaster struck home attention and appears to be our modus operandi. vividly for me in the images of the first oiled bird As a psychologist and biologist, I think that this recovered – a heavily oiled gannet from eastern could derive from some very basic human capacity Canada, perhaps Cape St. Mary’s or Bonaventure to respond to emergency and disaster and to want Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the Gulf to reach out to help. It is clear that the initial of Mexico, as here, major concern focuses on the and most powerful human responses to tragedy damage oil can create when it hits the shore. What
The Osprey 26 we do not see and do not experience first hand relatively benign waters of the Gulf of Mexico but, does not bother us nearly as much as what we rather, 430 km NE of Newfoundland in iceberg experience. Oftentimes when there are oil spills alley in the harsh and often unforgiving conditions offshore, the initial reports are that there are no of the North Atlantic Ocean. This drilling oiled birds. Yet these statements are usually made is proceeding with assurances from Chevron, in the absence of evidence and, more critically, in the Prime Minister, our Premier Williams, our the absence of an adequate search for evidence. Minister of Natural Resources and the Canada- This is a deadly serious problem to which I will Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum return. Board (CNLOPB) of low risk and minimal environmental concern. On what basis are their But first, there is another very important and basic assurances any more substantive than those offered piece of misinformation about what is ongoing by British Petroleum and the Mines and Mineral in the Gulf of Mexico that needs to be corrected. Service? Senator Carney of BC said on Tuesday What is happening is not an accident. It’s an that nothing has ever gone wrong in the offshore of engineering error. There is only one time that a Newfoundland and Labrador – a total fabrication, blowout preventer is supposed to work. That is, presumably aimed to add to our assurances of when there is a blowout. The blowout preventer minimal risk. of the Deepwater Horizon failed. Subsequent to this failure, the Remote Operating Vehicle back- In terms of finding a solution, what can we do, up to the blowout preventer also failed. These to do better? We have known from day 1, before are not accidents, and in order to address them Hibernia came on line, that in order to have appropriately they need to be assessed in their legitimate assessment and accountability there proper context. has to be independent arms-length observation and interrogation. It’s not rocket science, it’s There is an inevitable but, to a large extent, common sense. In a 1999 report commissioned by preventable uncertainty involved in these incredible the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers engineering feats. To better assess these, the (CAPP), colleagues of mine and I made this President of the United States has called a time recommendation. It was not acted upon. The out on offshore drilling until there is a better Terra Nova Environmental Assessment Panel understanding of what went wrong. Keep in chaired by Dr. Leslie Harris and championed by mind that what went wrong did so in the face Dr. Jon Lien made similar recommendations. They of confident assurances of low risk and little have not been acted upon. environmental concern from British Petroleum and from the Mines and Minerals Service, the regulator In a 2004–2005 research report for the Energy of offshore drilling in the US. Board of Canada that involved support vessel surveys of seabirds to and from offshore platforms, In Canada and in Newfoundland and Labrador, we my research associate and I pointed out the need are drilling a well that is 2.6 km below the ocean for better protocols and even questioned if existing surface. That is - 3,000 feet deeper than the site environmental protocols were being followed. As of Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. A you might imagine, the report was poorly received marvel of an engineering feat for sure, but what is by oil industry environmental consultants, and the the certainty that the highest level of engineering Environmental Affairs Officer of the CNLOPB tolerances and backups are in place? made extraordinary requests that the emails in the report detailing these requests be removed. They The ongoing drilling is not in the warm and were not. The requests and recommendations went
The Osprey 27 unanswered. conclude by saying that while the use of privilege So why is it that we do not have independent can indeed be an honourable gesture, the misuse of observers on platforms? Why are there no privilege can, in contrast, indeed be criminal. independent observers about the Stena Carron in Thank you very much for your time. the Orphan Basin? We know that self-reporting is ------the weakest form of regulation and accountability. Delight, continued from page 21 That is why there are observers on fishing vessels and why there are independent auditors of the extreme, and the only animals that actually TRY economic expenditures by government, and so on. to spend time with us (or which don’t care if they Why is it that during the Terra Nova spill of happen to cohabit with us, to wit, a few rodents and November 2004 did the regulator, CNLOPB, all insects), we trap, squish, swat, spray or poison. essentially reiterate the press releases of Petro- So what are we left with? What completely wild Canada? creature can flit past the window, draw our eyes from the computer screen, and catalyze a Thoreau- In the US, the President has referred to the esque moment of pensive wonder and appreciation relationship between government regulator, the for the natural world? What melodious trill can Mines and Mineral Service, and oil companies as penetrate the grey fug of office computing and turn too cozy. Cozy is an overstatement for what is our attention to the outdoors? going on here. I could go on but I will spare you the details. Suffice it to say that you don’t have to I’m speaking, of course, about birds. Birds are take my word for this. There are lots of voices and pretty generous in their habits: most are active in lots of evidence. Assessments can be made of the the day, colorful and lively, don’t mind sharing the frequencies of surveillance flights over offshore backyard with us, are often seen on after-work walks platforms and over shipping lanes and how these to the park or on those weekend getaways to the have changed over time with the detection of oil cabin, and especially, get our jealous admiration slicks. Of course, CNLOPB does not release this for being able to fly. They also offer the element information. of mystery: how can that tiny chickadee survive the Canadian winter? And exactly what exotic The regulatory body responsible for protecting location has been the overwinter home of your the great Grand Bank Ocean of the Humpback neighborhood robin? Many people are closet Whales, the cod, the seals and seabirds, has created birders. I think it’s because birds are so accessible, a systemic practice of covert information, self- so widespread. We can see them even on our reporting and self-monitoring by the industry. busiest day, even on the commute to work, even in As oil continues to gush in massive and unknown the backyard without having to leave home. And quantities into the Gulf of Mexico, the US has if we care to notice them far and wide, the diversity called a time out on offshore drilling. Here in of birds offers endless opportunity for exploration Newfoundland and Labrador – we have not taken and insight, not just insight into the natural world, that precaution. The lack of transparency and but I would hazard to suggest, in ourselves. They accountability about offshore oil activities in the are reminders that we share a big Earth with a great Grand Bank Ocean of the Humpback Whales, lot of other creatures – whether we see them or the cod, the seals and the seabirds has led us to a not. Watching birds helps us cling to that early complacency and an erosion of public trust that is childhood wonder and delight in nature. truly environmentally and life-threatening. What birds have you seen today? We know better. We have to act better. Let me
The Osprey 28 The Inequity of compensation for destroyed lakes
By R. John Gibson ([email protected]) Sandy Pond Alliance to Protect Canadian Waters ([email protected])
Introduction long been recognized (e.g. New Scientist 1992), The first Canadian Fisheries Act (1857) but emphasis remains on economic growth at required the construction of fishways to permit fish, the expense of the natural environment, an specifically salmon, passage around dams. Since unsustainable situation. that time the habitat provisions of the Fisheries Boyd (2003), in a review of the Canadian Act have been strengthened considerably, with a Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) major overhaul in 1976, and later amendments ‘examines the theory of Environmental Assessment in 1991, increasing emphasis on the protection of (EA), the federal and provincial EA laws, and the fish habitat. The following are prohibitions under court cases that have interpreted and shaped the the Act: obstruction of fish migration (sections 22 laws.’ He notes that ‘despite paying lip service to and 26); destruction of fish (section 32); harmful the concept of sustainable development, CEAA alteration, disruption or destruction (HADD) appears to be implemented in a manner that to fish habitat (section 35) favours development over unless authorized; and sustainability. According to deposition of substances Emphasis remains on the CEAA, approximately deleterious to fish in waters economic growth at the twenty-five thousand projects frequented by fish (section expense of the natural were reviewed between 36). In 1986 the Policy for the environment, an 1995 and 2000. More than Management of Fish Habitat 99.9% of proposed projects was implemented to ensure unsustainable situation were approved.’ Public sustainable development by consultation is mandatory requiring authorized HADDs for comprehensive studies, to be offset by legally binding although it is limited to habitat compensation (DFO 1986). The policy receiving notice about a project and being given is intended to ‘increase the natural productive an opportunity to provide written comments. For capacity of habitats for the nation’s fisheries review panels the public has an opportunity to resources to benefit present and future generations take part in public hearings by presenting evidence of Canadians.’ Key to this policy is the principle and questioning the proponent’s experts. ‘Like the of ‘no net loss of the productive capacity of fish CEAA, provincial laws may mention sustainable habitats’ with regard to works and undertakings. development but development dominates. Few Under this principle, the Department of Fisheries projects are ever turned down as a result of and Oceans (DFO) strives to ‘balance unavoidable provincial EA processes.’ A tremendous gulf exists habitat losses with habitat replacement on a between the theory of EA and the reality of on-the- project-by-project basis so that further reductions to ground practices in Canada. A report prepared for Canada’s fisheries resources due to habitat loss or the federal government concluded that the main damage may be prevented.’ weakness of EA in Canada is at the implementation Despite explicit regulations under the stage. Canada is faring poorly in comparison to Fisheries Act to the contrary, erosion of natural the rest of the industrialized world in terms of aquatic ecosystems continue, aggravating losses protecting the environment, and Canada’s record of the essential services these ecosystems provide on the majority of environmental indicators is for human health and survival. The attrition and getting worse (Boyd 2003). Major changes in deterioration of the Canadian environment has governmental attitudes are required to improve
The Osprey 29 Canada=s environmental standing and to conserve be adequate compensation. biodiversity and ecological health. Harper and Quigley (2006) attempted to Case Studies determine success of 124 authorizations under the (1) Star Lake was a large (15.7 km2) lake in Fisheries Act Section 35 (2) for compensation of west central Newfoundland. Two species only of impacted habitats. The compensation most often fish were present, a race of brook trout (Salvelinus selected was the creation of in-kind habitat, which, fontinalis) that matured late, was relatively long in theory, should be the most effective option in lived (6+), and grew to a large size (> 486 mm in maintaining or increasing the productive capacity of fork length), and a very small arctic char (Salvelinus the affected habitat type. However, they were unable alpinus) (< 157 mm in fork length), which was to determine whether proponents were compliant a major prey item for the brook trout. In 1997 with mitigation and compensatory requirements the lake was transformed into a fluctuating (8 m since file quality and record keeping was generally over winter) reservoir for hydroelectric (15 MW) poor, so that determination of ‘no net loss’ could generation. The impoundment was projected to only be made in 14% of the cases. In total 67% (35) cover 25 km2, but by mistake an extra 2.2 km2 of projects resulted in net losses of habitat area. was flooded. Spawning and rearing areas, at the Mean compliance with mitigation requirements lake outlet for the large trout, and littoral areas was 77%. Similarly a federal commission (Maxwell for the arctic char, were lost. The fish habitat 2009) found efforts to protect fish habitat were compensation agreement (January 1998) to inadequate. mitigate for this habitat loss committed the Star Compensation for degraded or destroyed Lake Hydro Partnership (Abitibi-Consolidated habitats may be equivocal, but in the case of Inc. and CHI Hydroelectric Company Inc.) to complete ecosystems may not be possible. We give use artificial propagation and rearing of Star Lake examples of lakes and their ecosystems which have fish, with the hatchery designed for stocking up to or are about to be lost, four in Newfoundland, 100,000 fingerlings annually, and “for long-term and one in British Columbia, where the proposed maintenance of the genetic variability in the wild compensations were inadequate: Star Lake; Trout fish populations of Star Lake.” Hatcheries have Pond plus an adjacent unnamed lake; and Sandy failed elsewhere to conserve unique genetic stocks Pond in Newfoundland; and Fish Lake in British (Vrllestad and Hesthagan 2001) and frequently Columbia. Star Lake was harnessed for generation result in reduction or loss of wild stocks (Myers et of hydroelectricity, and the others have been or are al. 2004). Therefore such management measures planned to be used as toxic waste sites for mining are unsuitable for maintaining genetic integrity. activities (Tailings Impoundment Areas). In relation In Newfoundland and Labrador it is likely that to habitat compensation under the Fisheries Act, numerous but so far unquantified evolutionary a sentence reads, “Compensation is not an option significant units or stocks remain (Adams and for the loss of critical habitats or for the loss of Hutchings 2003; van Zyll De Jong et al. 2004), and habitat productive capacity due to deposition of Star Lake represented a unique fish community, deleterious substances in any type of habitat.” with possibly the largest brook trout on the island. Traditionally, mining companies built their own The Environmental Impact Statement tailings ponds. However, in 2002 an amendment (EIS) predicted that effects on fish would be minor, was made to the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations mitigable, and in fact positive. The international (Schedule 2) whereby a pristine lake can be scientific literature illustrating the consequences reclassified from being a natural lake to being a of water level regulation - the oligotrophication Tailings Impoundment Area (TIA), whereby toxic process, the loss of littoral invertebrates, and the effluents can be discharged into such a lake if there indirect loss of benthic and large salmonid fish - is
The Osprey 30 monumental (e.g., Stockner et al. 2000), but these documents that: angling effort had declined in the principles were not acknowledged or treated as previous two years (2004 and 2005) and success highly likely consequences. Based on the projected rates had fallen off considerably over the same increase in flooded area and in a “trophic upsurge” period. The Catch per Unit Effort (fish/h) from from increased dissolved nutrients, a theoretical standardised deeply set gill net sets for brook trout net gain of productive habitats was emphasised. declined from 2.50 to 0.00, and for Arctic char However, it was ignored that after some original this CPUE in the same period declined from 3.50 “trophic upsurge,” numerous studies have shown to 0.00. Insufficient broodstocks were collected that productivity of reservoirs declines after several in 2004 and 2005, in spite of greatly increased years to below original productivity of the lake. levels of effort in time spent and gear deployed in In addition the littoral areas of a lake are the both years. In 2005 only 14,560 trout eggs were most productive for plant, algal, littoral plankton collected (collection target 100,000 eggs). The mean and benthic invertebrates, and have the highest length at age of the trout increased from 1999, but biodiversity of the lake, and these food items are subsequently there has been a decrease in mean impoverished and some eliminated by fluctuating lengths. For the three year and four year old trout in water regimes (e.g. Smith et al. 1987). It is known 2003 mean (fork) lengths were 217 mm for the 3+ that with new reservoirs over acidic rocks, as and 285 mm for the 4+ fish. There was a decrease in Precambrian formations, methyl mercury, a after this time, and in 2005 the fork lengths were neurotoxin, is generated, to be accumulated up the 172 mm for 3+ and 219 mm for 4+ trout. In food chain and can reach levels in piscivorous fish addition, annual mean Fulton’s condition factor of to make them unhealthy as food, lasting for more both species (weight related to length) has declined than twenty years (Anderson et al. 1995; Bodaly et significantly, indicating that oligotrophication has al. 1997); nevertheless it was stated that “mercury now followed any trophic upsurge. The condition content in sport fish will remain unchanged”. factor for brook trout declined from 1.09 in 1999 In fact since 2000 both the brook trout and the to 0.88 in 2005. That for arctic char declined from arctic char have acquired high levels of mercury, 1.09 in 1999 to 0.68 in 2004. Thus the lack of restricting them for consumption (annual advisories adequate forage is now quite clear. The degradation by Health Canada). The actual levels of mercury of a formerly pristine area, and elimination of the are not publicly available. New roads increased valuable trophy trout fishery, are seen as a sad losses access and angling pressure, so that a decreased to local communities (Byrne 2002). season and reduced bag limits are now imposed. The example of Star Lake is a classical Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) appeared and example of the changes to be expected by have become abundant, probably introduced in conversion of a lake into a fluctuating reservoir. nets used for an annual monitoring programme. At the stage of the Environmental Impact Study, An annual monitoring programme, “to determine several scientists, including one who had done the suitability and success of the brook trout research in the lake, and many local people, breeding programme, the long term survival of expressed concern about the negative changes the fingerlings, and the assessment of the status of that would probably occur. However, federal and brook and arctic char in Star Lake” is carried out by provincial authorities accepted an inadequate study, the proponent, the Star Lake Hydro Partnership, despite considerable criticism from scientists and on behalf of DFO. public groups (Gibson et al. 1999, 2008), who Recent assessments submitted to DFO by predicted the present outcome. A large amount of the partnership have shown collapse of the arctic data was collected for the EIS, but not presented char population, and that few large brook trout or collected in a scientific manner to answer the remain (Jacques Whitford 2006a).The report important scientific questions. An EIS is conducted The Osprey 31 and financed by the proponent, which appears fair, salmon river, and placement of some gravel areas but may not be the best solution, since frequently for spawning (Jacques Whitford 2006b). Harpoon the science is poor and biased in favour of the Brook Steady had been dammed to hold pulp wood project proceeding, often claiming falsely, as in this in the days when pulp wood was driven downriver example at Star Lake, that, in fact, the resource in the annual high spring river discharge, resulting would be improved (Campbell and Parnrong 2000). in numerous drowned logs. Loss of 291,032 m2 of Environmental law and policy were bent lacustrine habitat would be compensated with 2800 and interpreted to agree with a conclusion reached m2 of riverine habitat. The biomass in the lost lakes before any studies were undertaken. A political was estimated to be 124 kg. The 124 kg of target decision was made at an early stage to proceed production (the terms ‘production’, ‘standing stock’ with the project, scientific advice was ignored, and ‘biomass’ were used interchangeably) would be and the later Acompensation@ plan in reality was met with 1,078 stream units (a ‘unit’ being 100 m2) a public relations strategy. The Environmental in Harpoon Brook Steady, using an average fluvial Impact Assessment for Star Lake was regarded as a salmonid production (they meant biomass) on the bureaucratic formality. island of 115 g/unit. A proportion of the fish in (2) A similar example is the case of Trout Trout Pond was transferred to Harpoon Steady. A Pond in central Newfoundland (Coumans 2006; fishway for anadromous Atlantic salmon around Paquet et al. 2006). Aur Resources (Teck Resources the dam had been constructed, but the dam was Ltd since August 2007) have developed a copper- later removed, so no obstruction to fish migration zinc mine near Buchans (Duck Pond project). was present. They requested use of Trout Pond, (37 ha), and The compensation plan is in fact a smaller adjacent lake (2 ha) as the ATailings scientifically unsound. It was “assumed that Management Area@. Aur enlisted the help of the Harpoon Brook Steady has nil fish production at Mining Association of Canada in steering the Duck present,” despite no fish estimates being made or Pond project through new federal legislation for water chemistry assessed. No reasons were given depositing tailings in a natural pond. The lakes for this unlikely assumption, and it makes future and their outlet streams contained brook trout monitoring of the effects of the enhancement and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), three spine (removal of logging debris and placing spawning sticklebacks and possibly eels (Anguilla rostrata), substrate) invalid. Juvenile salmon can migrate which species would be killed by the toxic mine many kilometers both upstream and downstream, wastes. Since there would be ‘harmful alteration, and there is no evidence that spawning substrate disruption or destruction of fish habitat,’ to comply was limiting and therefore should be installed. with the Fisheries Act Section 35 (2), losses of The annual planned monitoring by electrofishing habitat caused by the project would have to be would adjust the standing stock estimates upwards compensated by gains elsewhere. As in the case to include smolt (juvenile salmon migrating to sea) of Star Lake, the industry was given permission that had migrated, plus estimates of large fish that to proceed, with the compensation strategy to be had escaped the electrofishing, which is fallacious devised later. The ‘compensation’ plans were based since the smolt (plus their overwinter mortality) on weakly designed impact studies that presented would have been estimated as large parr (juvenile very crude and preliminary estimates of fish freshwater stage of salmon) the previous year, and biomass and productive capacity of the habitat in in fact it is possible to estimate large fish present by question. The >compensation= agreed to consisted in using appropriate methods. removal of old logging debris downstream in a slow Compensation plans should take into water section of Harpoon Brook (Harpoon Brook account the true value of the full range of uses and Steady), a tributary of the Exploits River, a major services provided by intact ecosystems, not just The Osprey 32 units of fish and fish habitat. We believe that Teck major weakening of the Fisheries Act, as mining Resources are sincere with their compensation companies across the country can now apply for the plans, and admit that habitat of Harpoon Brook same treatment. Two formerly pristine lakes have may have been enhanced for salmonids, but been turned into permanent toxic waste dumps, nevertheless the present enhancement could not legalized by federal and provincial authorities, compensate for loss of a unique ecosystem, and for the economic benefit of a mining company. in reality was an excuse to allow the lake (plus Scientific information and biological wealth a smaller adjacent one), to be destroyed (Glynn have been lost, and future angling, hunting and 2006; also an article on the web: http://www. recreational opportunities destroyed. dominionpaper.ca/environment/2006/12/05/ (3). Sandy Pond. Vale Inco are building a where_have.html). The fish community would hydrometallurgical processing plant on the south have evolved life history tactics to cope with their side of Long Harbour, Placentia Bay. The company ecosystem, and the fish are likely to be genetically proposes to deposit toxic slurry wastes, of 375,000 distinct from fish of neighbouring systems tonnes per year, for at least 15 years, into Sandy (Adams and Hutchings 2003). Lakes provide Pond, 4 km east of the plant site. All life would be important services to the ecosystem, hydrologically, extinguished in the lake. Two adjacent small lakes physically, chemically and biologically (Gibson would also be affected. This would be cheaper for 2002), which were not taken into consideration the company ($62 million) than building a tailings for compensation. The loss of wildlife habitat impoundment ($490 million). Vale has a market was not taken into consideration. The proposed capitalization of more than US $ 125 billion, and compensation for lost lake habitat by fluvial habitat had sales last year of US $ 8 billion (http://www. in Harpoon Brook Steady is a sham because this inco.com/. The federal departments of Fisheries habitat is presently fish habitat already, and in fact and Oceans and of Environment have given no new habitat is being created to compensate for permission for these waters to be destroyed under that being destroyed. The present enhancement the auspices of Schedule 2 of the Metal Mining could have been done under the goals of the policy Effluent Regulations, a retrograde amendment of ‘net gain’ of productive capacity of fish habitats, made in 2002, allowing mining companies to and such work is done by DFO and local groups destroy pristine lakes, under the condition that outside of any “compensation” (e.g., Scruton et al. there be adequate compensation. 1998). Sandy Pond has a surface area of 37.83 ha, Tailings impoundments can be constructed and a mean depth of 7.5 m, with a maximum depth but are more expensive than using an existing of 16.5 m. Fish species in the lake are brook trout, lake. The destruction of the two lakes was not Salvelinus fontinalis, rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, an ‘unavoidable loss;’ alternatives exist but were and American eel, Anguilla rostrata. Sandy Brook, not adequately explored. The legal obligation the outlet stream, would be dewatered, resulting in of the proponent and of local Environment the additional loss of 14,460 m2 of fluvial habitat. Canada authorities to explore alternative mine Two small adjacent lakes, Pond 26 (Moore’s Pond), waste disposal options was not taken seriously. of 4.10 ha, and Pond 27, of 1.62 ha, would be Trout Pond was re-scheduled in the Metal Mining dewatered. Effluent Regulations to go into Schedule 2, which Compensation for the destruction and allow a pristine lake to be polluted, previously alteration of fish habitat was calculated as 18.11 illegal under the Fisheries Act, and without ha of lacustrine habitat to be created. This would scientific support, and contrary to much public be done by: (1) creating a pond 2 – 8 m deep, by opposition (Paquet et al. 2006). Trout Pond is the impounding a nearby valley; and (2) expanding and first pristine lake to be so re-scheduled. This is a rehabilitating existing infilled ponds. “Vale Inco NL
The Osprey 33 would relocate/transfer all appropriate species to accept that the habitat ratings generally are based the newly created habitats” (AMEC 2008). on good observed data, although somewhat coarse, With (1), two small ponds, P31 and P32, but they may not be applicable in all situations. For are in the valley to be impounded, and contain example, brook trout are generally more abundant small brook trout, the only fish species present. The in littoral regions of lakes, and over coarse substrate, impoundment would provide an additional 15.0 and littoral regions of a lake are the most productive ha. “The present outflow stream from the valley region of the lake and have greater biodiversity flows intermittently and traverses underground than the pelagic region. However, the brook trout for a portion of its length to Rattling Brook”. of Sandy Pond apparently have evolved an ecotype “….drainage from the small valley is minimal to to use the pelagic region. Local knowledge (e.g. maintain stream habitat”. “….the low-head barrier Andrew Murphy, resident of Long Harbour) tells us will have fish passage along the downstream face that Sandy Pond is known for its large trout of 3 – 5 to allow those fish within the valley to access any lbs, which feed on the dwarf smelt, and attracted available existing stream habitat.” As stated in fishing tournaments from Placentia. The trout are the two previous sentences, stream habitat will be lighter coloured than the usual colouration of trout, minimal, so fish movements up or downstream similar in silvery colouration to sea trout, although would be unlikely. resident. This indicates that these trout use the With (2), “a number of small shallow pelagic region of the lake. Smelt are essentially and bog ponds have been slowly infilling with schooling pelagic fishes inhabiting mid-waters of organics and vegetation. …These ponds/pools will lakes. Therefore, since the pelagic zone is the major have shorelines expanded and excess vegetation habitat of the smelt, and the source of food for the removed to regain lost water and depth.” Therefore, piscivorous trout, the pelagic zone of Sandy Pond a total of 5.0 ha of pond habitat can be expanded/ should be given a much higher rating than was rehabilitated. Since these shallow ponds were filling given in the INCO EIS (AMEC 2007). In this latter in naturally, and will revegetate, what is to stop report brook trout were given a habitat suitability them filling in again? of 0.11 for the pelagic zone, and the smelt 0.33. The calculation requiring only 18.11 Additionally ratings for eel should be higher since ha of lacustrine habitat as compensation of the eels inhabit successfully most habitat types, from destruction of Sandy Pond is based on the DFO the coarse substrate of fast water riffles to mud document, Bradbury et al. 2001. The document substrate of lake bottoms (Bradbury et al. 1999; describes how to assign ratings to habitat features Gibson 1987, 2007). The area of littoral zone in for each fish species. Ratings are: high 1.0; medium Sandy Pond is 13.91 ha, and the profundal zone 0.67; low 0.33; nil 0.00. For example, for brook 23.92 ha. trout, depths from 0 to 5 metres have a rating of Addition of habitat equivalent units 1.0, substrate of rubble to gravel has a rating of 1.0, for the three species in Table 9.32 (p.109) AMEC but silt 0.33. Pelagic habitat has a rating of 0.33. (2007) gives 323,090 for the littoral regions, and An average of the habitat ratings gives the Habitat 184,182 for the pelagic regions, with a total of Suitability Index. This Habitat Suitability Index 507,262 habitat equivalent units. It is not clear is then multiplied by the area in question to give how this is boiled down to 18.11 ha of lacustrine Habitat Equivalent Units. The ratings for preferred habitat requiring compensation, although for brook habitats are derived from an extensive literature trout the mean ratings are calculated as 0.56 for the review for fishes in Newfoundland and Labrador littoral region and 0.11 for the pelagic region, with (Bradbury et al. 1999). total habitat equivalent units of 11.7 ha. We believe the compensation proposal is In the summer of 2006 fish samples taken naïve and inadequate for a number of reasons. We were: 49 brook trout (80 – 320 mm); 5 eels (690 –
The Osprey 34 910 mm); and 22 smelt (88 – 126 mm). Apparently, genetic diversity between populations of ecosystems none of the very large brook trout was caught. An as a result of the historical isolation and adaptive attempt was made to make population estimates evolution of the phenotypes. Therefore, the in September-October 2007. Sixty-nine brook discrete populations of each species should be trout were marked, with one possible recapture. considered as separate conservation units to protect If this were a recapture, which it may not have the genetic diversity in the province, not just the been, a population estimate of 303 brook trout species per se. Consequently, every effort should was made. Similarly, 161 smelt were marked, with be made to define and manage conservation units no recaptures, but a population estimate (guess) within species. Sandy Pond would have evolved a was made of 3,603 smelt. No eels were caught. In community structure for the highest efficiency for fact, with no definite recaptures, no population the system. AWA (1992) quotes a pers. comm. from estimates of any of the species can be made. It was W.Bruce (DFO) that “ice fishing has produced suggested that angling pressure had depleted the many good sized trout that were in good shape and brook trout population. However, at that time of very good eating from Sandy Pond. Rainbow smelt year (September-October) the brook trout would have been found in Sandy Pond and are probably a be spawning, or had finished spawning, so possibly major food item for the large trout taken from the were in other parts of the lake, or were in deeper pond.” water with cooling temperatures. Cooler water Such a system cannot simply be transposed. temperature would probably explain the lack of eels For example, at Indian Bay the trout there have in the catch. genetic differences suited for individual lakes, even Two adjacent ponds to Sandy Pond, within the same system (Adams and Hutchings Pond 26 (4.10 ha) and Pond 27 (1.62 ha) will be 2003). In Sandy Pond the trout are known to spawn dewatered. Pond 27 contains brook trout. Pond 26 in at least two sites, at opposite ends of the lake had no fish, a situation commonly found in recently (pers. comm. Andrw Murphy), so it is possible that glaciated areas. Because Pond 26 had no fish it is more than one race exists in the lake. American “not considered as fish habitat.” This is despite eel has been listed as ‘a species of concern’ by the fact that conditions are good for stocking of a COSEWIC. The eel populations of the Sandy salmonid for angling, or for lake rearing of salmon Pond watershed would be eliminated, and would smolts for supplementing a salmon run, the success be unlikely to persist in the new ponds, since of which has been demonstrated by G. Power access would be limited. Although the proposed and students at Matamek, Quebec (Rimmer and compensation would create aquatic habitat, it is Power 1978), and by DFO (Pepper et al. 1985). The unlikely that the original community structure of intrinsic value of Pond 26 should not be ignored. Sandy Pond could be replicated. The structure and The intention is to “relocate/transfer function of the new lakes would be different than all appropriate species.” Presumably this means that of Sandy Pond. Genetic diversity of Sandy the brook trout, smelt and eels. There are no Pond fish would be diminished in the smaller suggestions as to how these species would interact ponds, and possibly one or more species would in the newly created habitat of the smaller ponds. be eliminated. On (1), the 15 ha reservoir, it is It is likely the brook trout and the smelt have been planned to build a low head barrier, impounding selected for genotypes to most efficiently use Sandy two small ponds. A small man-made stream with Pond, and it is unlikely the community composition a simple notch weir would meander downstream and large size of trout would persist in the new from the weir. This present stream is intermittent, shallow ponds. Natural lakes in Newfoundland have and may not allow migration of eels, as suggested been evolving since the glaciers retreated (i.e.,~ by the present lack of eels in the present two small 10,000 years ago). There is likely to be considerable ponds. The presently large piscivorous trout in the
The Osprey 35 deeper Sandy Pond possibly would be replaced by Creek. Rainbow trout production in Fish Lake was a smaller littoral insectivorus strain, and if smelt estimated as 24.1 kg/ha/y. A reservoir of 113 ha were successful would possibly compete with these (Prosperity Lake) would be constructed upslope of trout. For example, in some lakes near St. John’s the Tailings Storage Facility as compensation for smelt were introduced as a ‘forage species’ with the elimination of Fish Lake and Little Fish Lake the intention of increasing the size of the resident (117.6 ha), and would have 49 ha (43%) littoral trout, but the trout were insectivorous, and instead habitat and 64 ha (57%) pelagic habitat, compared became fewer as a result of competition with the to 90.1 ha (77%) littoral area in Fish and Little smelt (van Zyll de Jong et al. 2004). In addition, Fish Lakes. Two km of inlet stream of Prosperity new reservoirs create greenhouse gases for a number Lake would be an engineered spawning channel to of years. A problem also is that in acid terrain, as in provide spawning habitat. Hatchery trout would this instance, methyl mercury is generated in new be stocked to maintain the genetic integrity of reservoirs, which passes up the food chain, so that Fish Lake trout, and would be stocked annually the trout would be unhealthy to eat for 20 to 30 into other lakes in the region, preferably at present years (Bodaly et al. 1997; Lucotte et al. 1999). stocked, and into Prosperity Lake. Prosperity Lake The loss of Sandy Pond would result in is predicted to eventually support a self sustaining major losses of habitat and biological diversity, population of approximately 20,000 to 25,000 and degradation of recreational opportunities. The fish, and to have a fish production of 15 /kg/ proposed compensation is inadequate for loss of a ha/y (Triton 2009). Levy (2009) points out that complete ecosystem. In fact, we believe the exercise the compensation proposal is inadequate and is a public relations strategy for the benefit of a does not account for differences in littoral habitat wealthy company, similar to the “compensation” for area between Fish and Prosperity lakes, time lags the recent losses of Star Lake and Trout Pond. in artificial lake functionality, inherently lower (4). Fish Lake (Teztan Biny). Taseko Mines trout production in Prosperity Lake and predicted Ltd. plans to construct an open-pit copper and reduction in Prosperity Lake productivity over time. gold mine in Tsilhqot’in Territory, 125 km west Rainbow trout production in Prosperity Lake would of Williams Lake, B.C., with a life of twenty years. likely depend on littoral zone habitat capacity, The project would: drain Fish Lake (Teztan Biny); which is greatly reduced compared to Fish/Little eliminate cultural sites dating to at least 5,500 years Fish Lake. When these factors are considered, the ago; create an open pit 500 m deep and 1600 m in compensation ratio (compensation habitat: affected diameter; create 480 million tonnes of tailings and habitat) is 0.23:1, suggesting that Prosperity Lake 328 million tonnes of waste rock; deposit waste would need to be 4-5 times larger than proposed to in the Upper Fish Creek watershed, eliminating meet the “no net loss” principle of the DFO Policy the creek, Little Fish Lake and terrestrial habitat for the Management of Fish Habitat. Further, the of grizzly bears; create a reservoir adjacent to the fisheries compensation plan does not address the tailings impoundment in order to compensate for loss of rainbow trout stream habitats in Lower and the permanent loss of fish habitat; put a permanent Middle Fish Creek. Fish bearing instream habitat liability in the headwaters of Fish Creek, a tributary of 34,800m2 in Fish Creek would be permanently of the Taseko and Fraser Rivers (http://www. lost. In addition, natural lakes have enhancing miningwatch.ca/en/proposed-prosperity-gold- properties on biotic production downstream copper-mine). The EIS has been approved by the (Gibson 2002), property that would be lost if Fish province, but is still under review by DFO. Lake were destroyed. It is estimated that there are 85,000 resident rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Fish Lake, Discussion 5,000 in Little Fish Lake and about 80,000 in Fish All of the examples given above illustrate
The Osprey 36 that compensation for whole lake systems is difficult Impact Statement: Part 1 Issues and Concerns. to implement, especially if these represent unique NF call number TD 195/P472/A38/1992c.1 ecosystems. Decisions are most likely political ones Page 4-48: 4.2.7. for socio-economic reasons, and the Department Bodaly, R.A., V.L. St. Louis, M.J. Paterson, R.J.P. Fudge, of Fisheries and Oceans is pressured to accept such B.D. Hall, D.M Rosenberg, J.W.M. Rudd. 1997. Bioaccumulation of mercury in the aquatic food “compensations,” even if not scientifically tenable. chain in newly flooded areas. In, Mercury and It is unlikely any of the proposals for compensations its effects on environment and biology. Edited above would pass valid scientific peer reviews. by, H. Sigel and A. Sigel. Marcel Dekker, New In general, we deplore the ability of York. Pp. 259-287. corporate lobbying, for their economic advantage, Boyd, D.R. 2003. Unnatural Law: Rethinking Canadian to influence the mandates of federal departments. Environmental Law and Policy, (with a The Department of Fisheries and Oceans should Foreword by Thomas R. Berger), University of ensure conservation and enhancement of our British Columbia Press, 469 pp. fisheries resources for the benefit of the citizens of Bradbury, C., M.M. Roberge and C.K. Minns. 1999. Canada, and resist attempts to sully their mandate. Life history characteristics of freshwater fishes Mining companies now are regarding as occurring in Newfoundland and Labrador, with major emphasis on lake habitat characteristics. normal the ability to use pristine lakes as toxic Can. MS Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2485. (http:// waste dumps. “According to a June 2008 CBC www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/235358.pdf) report, a total of 18 Canadian lakes are already Bradbury, C., A.S. Power and M.M. Roberge. 2001. slated to be officially but quietly reclassified as Standard Methods guide for the Classification/ toxic dump sites for mines” (http://www.canadians. Quantification of lacustrine habitat in org/action/2008/11-Jul-08.html). This is likely Newfoundland and Labrador. Fisheries and to increase if the Fisheries Act continues to be Oceans, St. John’s, NF. 60 p. perverted by means of Schedule 2 of the MMER. Byrne, M. 2002. Star Lake remembered - then and now. Our natural heritage is being gradually destroyed to Spawner 2002, 66-67. subsidize wealthy mining companies, and this must Campbell, I.C. and S. Parnrong. 2000. stop. Limnology in Thailand: present status and future needs. International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology (Verh. References Verein. Limnol.) 27, 2135-2141. Adams, B.K. and J.A. Hutchings. 2003. Coumans, C. 2006. Issues of concern regarding Aur Microgeographical population structure of Resources’ proposed Duck Pond mine in brook charr: a comparison of microsatellite and Central Newfoundland. Item 10. MiningWatch mark-recapture data. J. of Fish Biol. 62: 517-533. Canada, MMER/MAG ENGO Perspective AMEC 2007. Commercial Processing Plant – Freshwater Report May 2006 FINAL, 36-38. Component Study. Submitted to Voisey’s Bay DFO (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). 1986. Policy Nickel Company Limited, St. John’s, NL. for the management of fish habitat. Ottawa, AMEC 2008. Sandy Pond Freshwater Fish Habitat Ontario. 28 pp. compensation Strategy, Long Harbour, NL. Vale Gibson, R.J. 2002. The effects of fluvial processes and Inco NL, TF7106241. 18p. habitat heterogeneity on distribution, growth Anderson, M.R., D.A. Scruton, U.P. Williams, & J.F. and densities of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo Payne. 1995. Mercury in fish in the Smallwood salar L.), with consequences on the abundance Reservoir, Labrador, twenty one years after of the adult fish. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 11, impoundment. Water, Air & Soil Pollution. 80, 207-222. 927-930. Gibson, R. J., T. R. Porter, and K. G. Hillier. 1987. AWA 1992. (Albright and Wilson Americas). Long Juvenile salmonid production in the Harbour Decommissioning Environmental Highlands River, St. George’s Bay,
The Osprey 37 Newfoundland. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sustainable Development to the House of Sci. 1538: v + 109 p. Commons. Office of the Auditor General of Gibson, R.J., J. Hammar, and G. Mitchell. 1999. The Canada, 52p. Star Lake hydroelectric project - an example Myers, R. A., S. A. Levin, R. Lande, F. C. James, W. W. of the failure of the Canadian Environmental Murdoch, and R. T. Paine. 2004. Hatcheries and Assessment Act. p. 147-176. In: Ryan, P.M. endangered salmon. Science 303, 1980. (ed.) Assessments and impacts of megaprojects. New Scientist. 1992. Canada, land of dying lakes and Proceedings of the 38th Annual Meeting of the forests. 25 April 1992, issue 1818, p.9. Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists Paquet, M., J. Parkman, C. Coumans, R. Fleming. in collaboration with the Newfoundland and 2006. ENGO Perspective Report in respect of Labrador Environment Network, St. John’s, Environment Canada – sponsored review process Nfld. Canada, October 1-3, 1998. Canadian on amendments to the Metal Mining Effluent Society of Environmental Biologists. Toronto. X Regulations (MMER). Cotract # K2270-05-0001. + 233 p. MMER/MAG ENGO Perspective Report May 2006 Gibson, R.J. 2007. From tow to eel. The Osprey 38 (2): FINAL 38 pp. 43-45. Pepper, V.A., N.P. Oliver and R. Blundon. 1985. Gibson, R.J., R.L. Haedrich, J.C. Kennedy, K. Vodden, Evaluation of an experiment in lacustrine C.M. Wernerheim. 2008. Promoting, blocking rearing of juvenile anadromous Atlantic and diverting the flow of knowledge: four case salmon. North American Journal of Fisheries studies from Newfoundland and Labrador. Management. 5: 507-525. Chapter 9, pp. 155 – 177, in, Making and Rimmer, D. and G. Power. 1978. Rearing Atlantic Moving Knowledge: Interdisciplinary and salmon (Salmo salar L.) in fishless lakes of the Community-based Research for a world on the Matamek river system, Quebec. Canadian Field Edge. Editors John Sutton Lutz and Barbara Naturalist. 92 (1): 1-9. Neis. McGill-Queen’s University Press. Scruton, D.A., T.C. Anderson, L.W. King. 1998. Glynn, T. 2006. Where have all the fishes gone? The Pamehac Brook: a case study of the restoration Dominion. Issue 41. Section; Environment, of a Newfoundland, Canada, river impacted by 6-14. flow diversion for pulpwood transportation. Harper, D.J. and J.T. Quigley. 2006. No net loss of Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater fish habitat: a review and analysis of habitat Ecosystems 8,145-157. compensation in Canada. Environmental Smith, B. D., P. S. Maitland, and S. M. Pennock. 1987. Management 36, 343-355. A comparative study of water level regimes and Jacques Whitford. 2006a. Star Lake Reservoir. 2005 littoral benthic communities in Scottish lochs. Habitat Compensation Year-End Report. JWL Biological Conservation 39, 291-316. Project FS 10253. 85 pp + 34 pp Appendices. Stockner, J. G., E. Rydin, and P. Hyenstrand. 2000. Jacques Whitford 2006b. Duck Pond copper-zinc project Cultural oligotrophication: causes and consequences lacustrine fish habitat compensation plan. JWL for fisheries resources. Fisheries 25 (5), 7-14. Project 10099. 20 pp + 82 pp Appendices. Triton 2009. Taseko Prosperity Gold-Copper Project, Levy, D.A. 2009. Review of the Prosperity Mine aquatic fish habitat compensation. Knight Piésold impact assessment. Levy Research Services Ltd. Consulting, Vancouver B.C. 21 p. http://www.miningwatch.ca/en/proposed- van Zyll de Jong, M.C., R.J. Gibson, and I.G. Cowx. prosperity-gold-copper-mine 2004. Impacts of stocking and introductions on Lucotte, M., R. Schetagne, N. Thérien, C. Langlois, A. freshwater fisheries of Newfoundland and Labrador. Tremblay (eds.) Mercury in the Biogeochemical Fisheries Management and Ecology. 11, 183-193. cycle: Natural Environments and Hydroelectric Vrllestad, L.A. and T. Hesthagan. 2001. Standing stock reservoirs. Springer – Verlag Berlin; Heidelberg of freshwater fish in Norway: management goals New York. and effects. Nordic Journal of Freshwater Research Maxwell, N. 2009. Protecting Fish Habitat. Report 75,143-152. of the Commissioner of the Environment and
The Osprey 38 THE NIGHT SKY 31 July and 1 September 2010 By Fred Smith
The Eastern Newfoundland Sky 31 July2010 11:30 pm
The charts will be useful for July, August and September. You will notice that the charts show East on the left and West on the right. The charts are intended to be held over the head looking up at the sky. Hold a chart up to the sky and rotate the chart until North on the chart points towards North from your location. Note the Moon subtends an angle of 0.5 degrees and since the moon is easy to identify it is used as a reference in the chart commentary. WARNING: Never point binoculars or telescopes at the sun. Serious eye damage will result.
The Eastern Newfoundland Sky 1 September 2010 10:00pm
The Osprey 39
4 Jupiter is 7O is S of 1 Mars 1.9O S of 1 Moon 0.8O South of Moon; Moon Last Saturn the Pleiades; Quarter Moon Last Quarter Moon Last Quarter 6 Earth is at aphelion Moon 0.6O South of Moon at perigee 8 Moon 0.6O south of the Pleiades (expect large tides); the Pleiades Venus 3O South of New Moon Venus 1.1O north of Saturn; New Moon; Saturn 8O north of Regulus Moon at perigee, Moon 11 New Moon expect large tides Mars 5O North of 13 Mercury 4O north of Mercury 2o North of Moon; Venus 0.3O moon and just north Moon North of Moon of the Beehive cluster Peak of Perseid Moon First Quarter of stars (binoculars) meteor shower; 21 Moon at apogee Venus 6O north of Saturn 8O north of Equinox; Full Moon Moon; Venus 5O Moon; Jupiter 7o 16 Mars 6O north of North of Moon; South of Moon Moon; Saturn 8o Mars 6O North of Moon 1.1O South of North of Moon Moon the Pleiades 18 Moon first quarter 16 First Quarter 29 Venus 6O South 26 Full Moon Venus 2O S of Mars of Mars Mercury 0.3O South Full Moon (Moon of Regulus (smallest for year) Moon at apogee Moon at apogee Jupiter7O S of Moon may be visible in the may be visible near the will be visible in the western sky in the last weeks of the beginning of the month but is Eastern sky before sunrise. The best month. Don’t use binoculars while getting too close to the sun for time to observe it will be in the last the sun is still up. viewing. half of the month. will be bright but low in the is in the west in the evening. is low in the Western sky by west at sunset. In the first half of the month Venus, sunset. Mercury and Saturn can be seen at will be moving from Leo into the same time through binoculars. is low in the Western sky in Virgo. It will be on the upper left of Look for the crescent moon on the evening, not far from Venus at Venus. You can watch Mars, Venus August 12 and 13. the beginning of the month. You and Saturn move closer together may need binoculars to distinguish during this month. is dimmer use binoculars to it from the star Spike which is find it in the Western sky after fainter. rises in the East near mid- sunset, S of Saturn at the beginning night and by dawn it is high in the of August and N of Venus near the rises in the mid-evening sky and bright. end of the month and is visible all night. On the 21st Jupiter is just 33 light minutes from is in the west at sunset and rises in the East late in the Earth and will appear to have the sets after mid-night. evening and should be easy to spot largest diameter in 12 years. Try until sunrise. using binoculars to see dim Uranus just 1.75 degrees from Jupiter. is low in the West in the evening near Mars and Venus. Hard is not visible. to find by the end of the month.
The Osprey 40 The Spring Migration (2010) in St-Pierre et Miquelon By Roger Etcheberry
March was acceptable with little snow left on the ground. April was ok while May was cold and windy. If the diversity of birds was interesting the numbers of passerines was once again rather low. We have had a few interesting species. Red-throated Loon: Two sightings only : one photographed on the North-eastern corner of the Isthmus on May 3 (FPA) and two birds off the west coast of the Isthmus on May 10 (LJ). Common Loon: Few reports ! 6 off Mirande lake on April 3 (RE/DL) and 6 off the Cape Miquelon on April 8 (RE). There were five off the west coast of Miquelon on May 23 and one in breeding plumage, same area, on May 27 (RE). Red-necked Grebe: Where are the concentrations we had a few year ago ? Two were off the West coast of St. Pierre on March 23 and 15 on April 8 (JD). A visit to the Cape Miquelon where hundreds were present a few years ago, did not reveal a single bird on April 4 (RE/DL). Greater Shearwater: Three birds were seen at sea south of St. Pierre on April 12 (JD). Manx Shearwater: One was seen near Colombier island (where they probably breed) on May 13 and about 150 south of St. Pierre on May 27 (JD). Northern Gannet: About twenty, south of St. Pierre on April 12 were 9 days earlier than average. Few reports of few birds between May 10 and May 30 (JD/RE). Double-crested Cormorant: The first 6 were seen on Mirande lake on April 21 (RE/DL), 9 days earlier than average. One bird was in St. Pierre on April 29 and 15 on May 1 (PA). About 12 birds were also in St. Pierre on May 10 (JD). Seen regularly in Miquelon throughout the rest of the season (RE). Great Cormorant: One report only (that’s few for a resident bird ! ) about 20 on the usual rock on the northern coast of Cape Miquelon on April 4 (RE/DL). American Bittern: One bird was seen in St. Pierre by LJ on May 7 and 8. Great Blue Heron: One was near the village of Miquelon on May 2 (JMO) and photographed by Vicky De Arburn. Great Egret: One bird was in St. Pierre on April 30 (JD) and throughout the month of May (FLG/ SA/PB/LJ/PHA). Tricolored Heron: One bird was on a marsh of the Isthmus on May 10 and11 (RE/DL). This is our 5th record, all in spring, the first one in April (20, 1979), all others in May. Snow Goose: This is probably the last time I’ll mention this bird, present in St. Pierre on the same pond for close to two years now. Canada Goose: The first birds (8) were reported on the Isthmus by Thierry Gautier on March 7. There were 56 on March 20 (A. et G. Deveaux). There was a total of 116 birds on the Isthmus on March 28 (RE). Regularly seen thereafter, Last year’s birds being more common than breeding adults. There was a brood of 3, aged about 10 days, on May 14 on the Isthmus, and another brood, same area, with 3 young aged a few days on May 26 (RE/DL). Wood Duck: One male was seen irregularly in a pond of St. Pierre between March 27 and April 14 (SA/PB/PHA/JD). Two males and one female were near the west coast of Miquelon on May 14 (LJ). Possibly another one was in St. Pierre between May 15 and 27 (PB/PHA). One male was near the north-east coast of Miquelon on May 30 (JMO). American Black duck: Fairly numerous and scattered on the marshes of the Isthmus to the end of the period. There was a brood of 6 tiny ducklings in St. Pierre on May 6 (LJ) and a brood of 9 on May 13 (SA). On the southern part of the Isthmus there was a brood of 2 only, aged probably more than two weeks on May 18 and a brood of 9 ducklings aged a few days on May 19 (RE). There was a nest with 7 eggs on “Belle-Rivière” valley at Langlade on May 18 (RE/DL). Unusual were 133 birds on the lagoon of Grand Barachois on May 19 (RE). Mallard: There was a female near the town of St. Pierre between March 1 and 16 (PB/SA/PA). And one pair between April 21 and May 8 (PB/SA/PHA/LJ/JD). There was also a male in St. Pierre on May 23 and 24 (PB/JD). Blue-winged Teal: One pair was in St. Pierre between May 1 and 9 (PHA/LJ/JD). Northern Shoveler: Two males were near the village of Miquelon on May 29 (RE/DL). Northern Pintail: The first pair was seen in St. Pierre on March 27 (LJ/PB/SA) and the first male on the Isthmus on March 28 (RE). Fairly common thereafter throughout the rest of the season. SA is reporting a brood of 7, aged a few days in St. Pierre on May 13. LJ found a nest with 9 eggs not far from the north shore of Grand Barachois on May 15. Green-winged Teal: The first birds were seen simultaneously in St. Pierre and in Miquelon : One male near the village of Miquelon (RE) and two pairs in St. Pierre on April 22 (PB/SA). Few other reports of few birds at a time in St. Pierre and on the Isthmus up to May 14 (m. ob.). Redhead: One male was in St. Pierre between April 14 and 23 (SA/LJ/PHA/PB). This is the 3rd record for our islands. It had been photographed the first year by PA on May 28, 2000. This year, beautiful photos were obtained. One is visible at : http:// www.spmaviavis.com/discus/messages/15/3140.html?1271272838 Ring-necked Duck: The first male was seen in St-Pierre on April 12 (LJ/SA) then on April 20 (JD). Two males were in St- Pierre on April 21 (JD) while we had 6 males and one female on the Isthmus the next day and two males near the west coast of The Osprey 41 Miquelon on April 23 (RE/DL). On April 30 there were one probably has over-wintered. The first migrant appeared on pair and 5 males and one female in St-Pierre. PA had 3 males May 1 in St. Pierre (LJ). 3 males were there on May 6 (LJ). One and one female on May 5 and 2 males and one female on May pair was copulating in St. Pierre on May 7 (LJ). The first ones 13. Maximum seen at one time is 9 males and 2 females on seen in Miquelon were one on May 11 and 16 near Mirande the Isthmus on May 2 (RE/DL). lake. One was in St. Pierre throughout the month of May (JD). Greater Scaup: There was a maximum of 78 birds on the salt Peregrine Falcon: One adult was on western Langlade on pond near the village on March 23 (LJ) and 50 to 40 between March 28 and one immature on the Isthmus the next day April 8 and 15 (RE/LJ) and about 20, same area to May 8 and (JD). just a few afterwards to May 16 (RE). In St-Pierre there was American Coot: One bird was on the Isthmus on May 10 one male only on May 2 (DG). A few others here and there (RE) and May 13 (LJ). in Mirande lake and marshes of the Isthmus to the end of the Black-bellied Plover: Two individuals near Grand Barachois period (RE). on May 25 (LJ) is the only report. Lesser Scaup: The bird that was in St. Pierre in December and Semipalmated Plover: None reported so far ! … January was still there in March (PA), last seen On April 14 Piping Plover : The first bird was seen by Emmanuel (PB). Lemallier (fide JD) on the southern part of the Isthmus on Common Eider: There was a total of about 4500 birds off the April 26. There was 2 birds in the same area on May 14 and 2 Isthmus and Miquelon on April 14 (LJ). There were about a near the Gully of Grand Barachois on May 25 (LJ). thousand birds off the south-west coast of Miquelon on April Killdeer: One in St. Pierre seen only on May 25 (PB). 23 (RE). About 150 were still off the east coast of Miquelon Greater Yellowlegs: The first one was in St. Pierre on April on May 22 (RE/DL), and just a few birds off St. Pierre on May 23 (PHA), 2 days earlier than average. The first one was near 22 and 28 (LJ). Mirande lake on April 25 and 26 (RE). There was a maximum Harlequin Duck: Reported for western St. Pierre only of 5 birds in St. Pierre on May 8 (LJ/JD) and 4 near the village between March 14 and May 5 only, for a maximum of 58 of Miquelon on May 15 (LJ) appears on the low side as noted birds on March 14 (JD/PHA/LJ) and up to 6 birds between already last spring ! … May 18 to 24 (LJ). Willet: One was near the village on May 15 (LJ) and one in St. Long-tailed Duck: 25 were off north-western Langlade on Pierre on May 18 (LJ) and possibly the same on May 22 and March 28 (JD), about 15 were off the west coast of the Isthmus 23 (PB). on April 2. And a molting female, same area on May 27 (RE). Spotted Sandpiper: 3 were on the northern shore of Grand Possibly underreported or on the low side ! … Barachois on May 15 (LJ), 2 days earlier than average. 2 were Common Goldeneye: They were quite numerous at Grand in St. Pierre (LJ) on May 18. We saw our first ones near the Barachois on April 2 (RE/DL). There was a maximum of 43 village on May 25 (RE/DL). A few here and there then to the birds there on April 15 (LJ). Last seen one male on a marsh of end of the period. the Isthmus on April 23 (RE). Whimbrel: One of the American subspecies was near the Common Merganser: Seen in St. Pierre two years in a row, village between May 14 and 21 (RE/DL/LJ). There are just 2 this time a male only between May 22 and 30 (JD/PB/LJ/SA). unconfirmed report for this subspecies in spring. Red-breasted Merganser: Very common as usual on Mirande Red Knot: Two of the over-wintering little group was seen lake, at Grand Barachois, off the Isthmus and the west coast near the village on March 27 (RE/DL). of Miquelon etc. etc. (m. ob.). Sanderling: 11 were on the Isthmus on April 11 (LJ) and 6, Osprey: One bird near the east coast of Miquelon on May 10 same area on May 14. They over-winter rather regularly in (LJ). 5 days earlier than average. One is reported by Ph. Hacala small numbers in our islands. to PA at Langlade on May 8. Least Sandpiper: One on the southern shore of Grand Bald Eagle : 10 reports between March 14 and May 23, in the Barachois on May 25 (LJ) and one in St. Pierre on May 29 three islands. One to 2 birds at a time, except 3 adult males (PHA) are the only reports. flying in the same direction at Langlade on May 18 (RE/DL). Pectoral Sandpiper: One bird was seen and photographed Northern Harrier: The first one, a male, was seen near the near Grand Barachois on May 3 (FPA). west coast of Miquelon on April 18 (LJ). There was a female Purple Sandpiper: About 40 birds were in St. Pierre harbour in St. Pierre on April 21 and one male on May 1 (LJ). Several on March 1 (PB) and 161 at Grand Barachois on March 25 other observations up to May 27 either male or female in (LJ). About 50 were on the Isthmus on April 13 (LJ). Miquelon, the Isthmus and St. Pierre. Dunlin: 6 over-winterers were seen at Grand Barachois on Sharp-shinned Hawk: St. Pierre only : one on March 9 (SA) April 13 and May 25 (LJ). and 1 between March 1 and 10 (PHA). Wilson’s Snipe: One in St. Pierre on April 7 was probably Northern Goshawk: One bird on April 15 and two adults the an over-winterer (we had a mild winter !). The first migrant next day on western Langlade (LJ). was reported from St. Pierre on April 21 (SA) Fairly common Merlin: The one seen in St. Pierre on April 3 and 7 (JD) thereafter in the three islands. We found a nest with 4 eggs at
The Osprey 42 Langlade on May 18 (RE/DL). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: One bird was seen in St. Pierre on Laughing Gull: One bird was seen and photographed by FPA May 13 and 17 (JD). on the south-eastern corner of the Isthmus on May 14. Black-backed Woodpecker: One bird was seen in St. Pierre on Black-headed Gull: None reported from St. Pierre, this is May 22 (Thibaut Vergoz, fide JD). unusual !... One immature was at Grand Barachois on May 10 Northern Flicker: The one seen in St. Pierre on March 16 (RE). (FD/SA) was probably an over-winterer. The first migrant was Ring-billed Gull: The first two were seen at Grand Barachois seen on March 29 (FLG). Regularly then, few birds at a time on March 23 (LJ) while two were near the village on March to May 19, in the 3 islands (m. ob.). 26 (RE). Several dozens were on a recent nesting area on the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: The first two were seen in St. Pierre north-eastern corner of Miquelon on April 3 (RE/DL). About on May 24 (PB) 7 days earlier than average. One was in Cape 200 were on the Isthmus by May 26. Probably much more Miquelon on May 30 (RE/DL). PHA reports at least 6 birds were among the thousands of gulls at Grand Barachois as around his property in St. Pierre from May 24 to the end of usual in spring. the period. Iceland Gull: Several immature were still around, near the Eastern Kingbird: Seen in St. Pierre only between May 13 (6 village, on May 13 (RE). days earlier than average) and May 31, one to two birds at a Black-legged Kittiwake: A few hundreds were on the nesting time (PHA/JD/LJ). The only one seen in Miquelon on May cliffs of cape Miquelon on April 4 (RE/DL). As compared to 25 in the woods of Miquelon was dead without apparent several years ago, the number there are rather low as seen on injury (RE/DL). May 29 (RE/DL). Northern Shrike: One was on north-western Langlade on Caspian Tern: 3 birds in flight were seen at Grand Barachois March 23 and 25 and 29 (LJ/JD) and one in St. Pierre on on May 15 (LJ). April 3 (JD). Common/Arctic Tern: 23 individuals were above one marsh Blue-headed Vireo: Three birds in St. Pierre on May 5 (JD) of the Isthmus on May 12 (LJ) 3 days earlier than average. were 17 days earlier than average and missed the record early They were fairly common from May 18 on, on the Isthmus, by one day (May 4, 2001). One to two birds were seen in St. near Mirande lake and in Miquelon’s north-east coast. Part of Pierre between that date and May 30 (m. ob.). The first one in a flock near the Gully of Grand Barachois was photographed Miquelon was seen on May 19 as well as one at Langlade (RE). on May 27, giving a total estimation of about 300 birds. One was seen again in Miquelon on May 25 (RE). Common Murre: About 100 birds were south of St. Pierre on Philadelphia Vireo: Two were seen in St. Pierre on May 30 April 12 (JD). (LJ). Razorbill: About a thousand birds were around Grand Red-eyed Vireo: One in southern St. Pierre on May 19 (PB/ Colombier on April 10 (JD). PHA) and one, same area, on May 23 (LJ). Black Guillemot: Fairly common around the islands about as Blue Jay: There were from 2 to 8 birds at JD’s feeder in St. usual. Pierre throughout the month of March and 2 to 4 in April Atlantic Puffin: The first two were seen at Grand Colombier and May. Two were at PHA’s feeder in April and 3 everyday in on April 10 (JD). No formal report for this species, doing very May. There was one adult at Langlade on May 18 (RE/JD) and well on Grand Colombier for the last few years. one near Mirande lake on May 27 (RE/DL). Mourning Dove: Few birds were at feeders this winter and Common Raven: There was at least 4 nests on the western spring. From various reports, less than 10 birds were present, part of Cape Miquelon, and at least one further east (on and only in St. Pierre during the winter (JD/PHA/SA). Two seen carrying food in that direction). None reported from birds were copulating on May 4 near PHA’s feeder. One was elsewhere ! in the village of Miquelon on April 24 (JMO). Horned Lark: A few over-wintered in Miquelon-Langlade. Snowy Owl: 2 observations only, one bird at a time, on March 3 near the east coast of St. Pierre on April 3 were probably 14 (JD) and April 19 (PHA/PB) in St. Pierre. migrants (LJ). They were fairly numerous on the Isthmus on Boreal Owl: One in St. Pierre on March 30 (JD) was heard May 27 (RE). singing on April 14 (SA). One brood on a nesting box near Purple Martin: One was in St. Pierre on April 28 (FPA) and JD’ place had 6 feathered young on may 15. The last one left 29 (PA) and two on May 2 (LJ). the nest on May 29. Tree Swallow: The first one was in St. Pierre only on April 25 Chimney Swift: One was briefly seen near the east coast of (PHA/JD/LJ) 13 days earlier than average. A few, up to about Miquelon on May 22 (RE). 10 were seen regularly in St. Pierre from May 7 to the end of Belted Kingfisher: One in St. Pierre (LJ) was a week earlier the period (LJ/SA). 3 or 4 were near the village on May 22 than average on April 23 (LJ). Regularly in St. Pierre to the (RE/DL) and one in the village on May 23 (JMO). end of the period with a maximum of 3 birds in the same area Bank Swallow: There were from 2 to 7 birds in St. Pierre on May 13 (JD). One was at Langlade on May 5 (JMO) and between May 7 and 13 (LJ/PHA/JD). May 16 (LJ). Cliff Swallow: One was in St. Pierre on May 13 (SA) and May
The Osprey 43 15 (PHA). 31 are the only reports ! All for St. Pierre. Barn Swallow: There was one in company with the Tree Tennessee Warbler: 7 observations, one bird at a time swallows in St. Pierre on April 25 (JD/LJ). One was in the between May 19 and 31 all in St. Pierre (LJ/SA/JD/PHA). village of Miquelon well described to RE on April 29. A few This is more than in recent years ! mostly in St. Pierre through the end of the period (m.ob.). Orange-crowned Warbler: One in St. Pierre on May 30 (LJ). One was in the village on May 1 (JMO) and 2 on the Isthmus Nashville Warbler: All in St. Pierre, one bird at a time the next day (RE/DL). A few were seen occasionally in between May 25 and 27 (LJ/PB/SA/PHA/JD). Miquelon between May 8 and 22 (RE/DL). Northern Parula: About ten birds around PHA’s property Black-capped Chickadee: The SINGLE individual resident in between May 20 and 31 is unprecedented, at least as a report ! our islands is still here, seen in St. Pierre on May 7 by LJ. I … One was near Mirande lake on May 25 (RE/DL). There is a guess there is very little hope it becomes hermaphrodite ! … couple of other reports for St. Pierre in late May. Boreal Chickadee: A few here and there, possibly Yellow Warbler: Several in St. Pierre on May 23 (LJ) were 5 underreported ! days later than average. The first ones were heard and seen Red-breasted Nuthatch: A single report : two individuals at near Mirande lake on May 25 (RE/DL) Fairly common Langlade on April 14 (LJ). thereafter although not in numbers we have known in the Winter Wren: One or two birds were not far from Mirande past. lake in Miquelon between April 25 and May 4 (RE/DL). Two Magnolia Warbler: First seen in St. Pierre on May 22 (LJ/ were heard at Langlade on May 18 (RE/DL). Two were in St. PB/JD) and in Miquelon on May 24 (RE/DL) A few here and Pierre on May 23 (JD) and one on May 29 (JD). there throughout the rest of the season (m. ob.). Golden-crowned Kinglet: 6 reports only, between March 1 Cape May Warbler: PHA had 3 birds around his property and May 22 ! Few birds at a time (PHA/JD/RE/DL/SA). between May 20 to 31. One male was near Mirande lake on Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Two in St. Pierre on April 22 (JD) May 22 (RE/DL). There was a female in St. Pierre on May 22 were four days earlier than average. Fairly common and well (JD). One male also in St. Pierre on May 24 (SA). reported throughout the season (m. ob.). Black-throated Blue Warbler: One female was in St. Pierre on Veery : This is really the year of the Veery ! The first one was May 22 (JD) and one (sex ?) on May 24 (PHA). There are only seen by LJ on April 30. 8 others reports to May 22 (LJ/JD/ 2 records in May and 2 in June for the species. PB/SA/PHA). Three birds were seen in St. Pierre between Yellow-rumped Warbler: The first male was seen in St. Pierre May 5 and 8 (LJ) and May 15 (2 or 3), same area on May 15 on April 23 (LJ) 6 days earlier than average ! Fairly common (PPB). None seen in Miquelon or Langlade. thereafter throughout the rest of the season (m. ob.) although Gray-cheeked Thrush: Seen in St. Pierre only ! So surprising in much lower number than in the past. for a species so common in the past ! … One to two birds seen Black-throated Green Warbler: One male in St. Pierre between April 29 and May 22 (FPA/LJ/JD). on May 13 (PHA) was 9 days earlier than average. 5 other Swainson’s Thrush: One near Mirande lake on May 25 and sightings reported only up to May 31, in St. Pierre and in 30 (RE/DL). Two in St. Pierre between May 24 and 21 (PHA). Miquelon. Hermit Thrush: First seen in St. Pierre on April 23 in three Blackburnian Warbler: One bird was in St. Pierre on May different areas (JD/LJ/SA). Regular thereafter throughout the 24 (PHA), 6 days earlier than average. Three other sightings, rest of the season with more birds seen in St. Pierre (where including 2 individuals on May 26 and 27 (LJ), not seen after most birders live ! …) They were termed numerous there on that date. May 19 (SA). This is now the commonest (or less rare !) Palm Warbler: First seen, one male in St. Pierre on April Thrush in our islands. 23 (LJ) was 10 days earlier than average About ten in PHA’s American Robin: Two in St. Pierre on March 16 where property between May 1 and 17. A few here and there in probably migrants (SA). They were quite numerous in St. Miquelon and St. Pierre (m. ob.) last seen May 18 at Langlade Pierre on March 21 (RE/JD/SA). A few were near Mirande (RE/DL). lake on March 26 (RE). Common thereafter, about as usual. Bay-breasted Warbler: At least two in St. Pierre on May 25 (m. ob.). was seen the previous day by Philippe Lahiton (PB). These two Gray Catbird: One in St. Pierre on May 13 (FLG) was ten birds were seen only for 3 days (JD/SA/PHA). Last seen : one days earlier than average. 10 other observations, one bird at on May 28 (JD). a time in St. Pierre up to the end of the period (JD/PB/SA/ Blackpoll Warbler: 9 reports only between May 15 and 31 (m. PHA/FPA). One only was in Miquelon, near Mirande lake on ob.) This is rather low for a species that was quite common a May 30 (RE/DL). few years ago ! American Pipit: One only was seen and photographed in St. Black-and-white Warbler: About 10 were present in St. Pierre Pierre on April 14 (PB). on May 15 (2 days earlier than average). Very numerous in St. Cedar Waxwing: One only on May 21 (PB), also one on JD’s Pierre on May 23 (JD). A few in Miquelon, near Mirande lake property on May 23 and 24. Four, near PHA’S feeder on May and at Langlade from May 18 on (RE/DL).
The Osprey 44 American Redstart: The first male was seen in St. Pierre on (JD/PHA). May 19 (SA) was a week earlier than average. One pair was Lincoln’s Sparrow: 7 reports, one bird at a time, between in Miquelon’s east coast on May 22 (RE/DL). Several other May 18 and 30 (RE/DL/JD/SA/PHA) in St-Pierre and in reports (m. ob.) to the end of the period for a species that Miquelon. seems to make a small recovery these last years. Swamp Sparrow: One briefly heard near Mirande lake on PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: One bird was first seen May 10 and 11 (RE) was two days later than average. First in St. Pierre by FPA on May 1 and was still present on May 6 reported in St-Pierre on May 13 (JD). Few reports, possibly less (FPA/LJ/JD). This is the first photographic confirmation for common than usual ! the species. There was one hypothetical too brief observation White-throated Sparrow: One bird at Langlade on March 25 by PA on October 19, 1996 and another report of two to three and April 15 was probably an over-winterer ! Two where at birds at Langlade on Sept. 12, 2008 by Michel J. Borotra. JD’s feeder in March. On was seen for the first time at SA’s Photos could be seen at : feeder on April 23. Fairly common and well reported after http://www.spmaviavis.com/discus/messages/15/3193. May 1st in the three island (m. ob.). html?1273100608 White-crowned Sparrow: One at JD’s feeder on May 16 and Northern Waterthrush: One in St-Pierre on May 13 (JD) was 17 and 18. 3 were near the west coast of St-Pierre on May 17 2 days earlier than average. A few were heard at Langlade on (JD) and one near Mirande lake on May 23 (RE/DL). May 18 (RE/DL). Very few reports except those of RE/DL ! … Dark-eyed Junco: Fairly common at feeders, mostly in St- The species is much less common than in the past ! Pierre (PHA/JD) throughout the season. One near the village Mourning Warbler: One was seen in St-Pierre on May 27 of Miquelon and one on the isthmus on April 22 suggest a (PB). migration (RE/DL). A few were in a river valley at Langlade Common Yellowthroat: On in St-Pierre on May 18 (LJ) was on May 18 (RE/DL). 2 days earlier than average. The next one was seen on May 22 Snow Bunting: Common of course during the winter, last (SA) while the first one, a female, was near Mirande lake on seen a few near the west coast of Grand Barachois on April 2 May 24 (RE/DL). Few other reports for Saint-Pierre and a few (RE/DL). in Miquelon to the end of the period. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: One male and one female in St. Wilson’s Warbler: The first one was in St-Pierre on May Pierre on April 29 (LJ) was about 2 weeks earlier than average 18 (LJ) 6 days earlier than average. Several other reports for and seen in spring 31 years out of 37. FPA had 2 females and Miquelon and Saint-Pierre throughout the rest of the season a male, in a different area also on April 29. There was a male (m. ob.). photographed by Michel Orsiny in the village of Miquelon Canada Warbler : One male was seen and photographed in on May 1 (fide RE). Three males were in St. Pierre on May 6 St. Pierre on May 25 (PB) and one male was also seen and (LJ) and one adult for a few days on north-eastern Langlade photographed in the village of Miquelon the next day (JMO). around May 18 (E. Artano fide RE). PHA is reporting 1 adult Two birds were present for a few day only in St. Pierre last male one young male and one female regularly at his feeder in seen May 27 (LJ/JD/SA/PHA/PB). The species was seen twice May. in May (1995 and 1998) and three times in June (1976, 1985 Indigo Bunting: One male was in St. Pierre on April 28 and and 1988). one female the next day in the same general area (LJ). Summer Tanager: One was seen and photographed in St- Red-winged Blackbird: One at PHA’s feeder reported on May Pierre on May 19 (PB/PHA). 31. American Tree Sparrow: One only was reported in St-Pierre Rusty Blackbird: This bird, fairly common and breeder in on April 25 and 26 (PHA/LJ/JD). our islands in the past and quite rare in recent years, seems to Chipping Sparrow: One bird seen in St-Pierre on May 5 have made a small recovery. One was seen and photographed (PHA) was 13 days earlier than average and seen 24 years out in Miquelon on April 23 (RE/DL) and 4 were in St. Pierre of 37 in spring. One bird was in St-Pierre on May 9 and 30 the same day (PA. 10 birds were at PHA’s property on April 24 (LJ) and one in Miquelon on May 19 (RE/DL). and 3 everyday between April 23 and 30. Two were in Cape Savannah Sparrow: The first one was reported on April 24 in Miquelon on May 5 (RE/DL) while LJ had also 2 birds in St. Miquelon (JMO). 3 birds were in St-Pierre the next day (PHA). Pierre the same day. 7 birds were also in St. Pierre on May 7 Fairly common after May 4, about as usual (m. ob.). (LJ). 3 were near PHA’s property in St. Pierre between May 1 Fox Sparrow: Two birds were in St-Pierre on March 20 (JD). and 10. Seen regularly, possibly on the low side, in the three islands Common Grackle: This species seems less common than in from March 26 to the end of the season (m. ob.). PHA had previous years. 2 were at PHA’s feeder throughout the month one young near or at his feeder on May 31. of March (JD). There was a maximum of 12 birds at PHA’s Song Sparrow: While the species is a regular over-winter in St- feeder between April 15 and 30 and 8 throughout the month Pierre, 3 birds on western Langlade on March 28 is interesting of May. One or two were in the village of Miquelon on April (JD). A few birds were seen at feeders throughout the season 13, May 1 and 26 (RE).
The Osprey 45 Brown-headed Cowbird: The male that spent the winter around a stable in Miquelon was still there around the end of May (LJ/RE/Vicky De Arburn). One was at PHA’s feeder on April 19 in St. Pierre. Baltimore Oriole : A strangely plumaged bird was seen and photographed at Langlade on May 14 (FPA) and visible at : http://www.spmaviavis.com/discus/messages/16/3247.html?1274011998. One bird was reported in the town of St. Pierre on May 26 (DG). Pine Grosbeak: Except for one female reported in St. Pierre on March 7 (JD) the few others sightings are for the Mirande lake area where 2 or 3 were singing on March 26 and April 22 (RE/DL). Purple Finch : Reported only by JD that had one bird in St. Pierre between March 27 and 29. One male was there on April 2 and 2 individuals on April 25. White-winged Crossbill: Two apparently immature were rather briefly seen near Mirande lake on May 25 (RE). Pine Siskin: One only in St. Pierre on May 15 (JD). American Goldfinch: One only was seen in the village of Miquelon on May 23 (JMO). Several reports for St. Pierre ranging from 2 to 11 birds at various feeders (m. ob.).
Contributors: Frédéric & Patricia Allen-Mahé (FPA); Sylvie Allen-Mahé (SA); Pascal Asselin (PA); Patrick Boez (PB); Joël Detcheverry (JD); Dominique Gouverne: (DG); Patrick Hacala (PHA); Laurent Jackman (LJ); Danielle Lebollocq (DL); Frederic Le Glaunec (FLG). Jean-Marie Orsiny (JMO).
Roger Etcheberry, June 26, 2010.
Activities: June 5-7, 2009 Codroy Valley Field Trip Oct 17, 2009 Shrub Workshop - Henry Mann Dec, 2009 Christmas Bird Count Feb, 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count Mar 14, 2010 Winter Nature Walk and Mushroom Foray - Henry Mann, Andrus Voitk May 18, 2010 Knot-tying Workshop - Bruce Rodriques
Speakers: Sept 14, 2009 Donald Keefe: Jonathans Brook Watershed Stock Assessment Oct 27, 2009 Emily Herdman: Down the Rabbit-Hole: Nuttall’s Cottontails in the South Okanagan. Nov 25, 2009 Yolanda Wiersma: The Geoweb Goes Wild: Linking Natural History with Web 2.0 for Wildlife Research Dec 8, 2009 Wesley Harris: Nature Through an Artist’s Eyes: A Video of Birds Seen on Two HNHS Trips Jan 19, 2010 Jamie and Jeri Graham: Nahanni River Adventures Feb 23, 2010 Henry Mann: Nature in Winter Mar 2, 2010 Larry Coady: The Lost Canoe Apr 6, 2010 Andrus Voitk: Exciting Discoveries: New Newfoundland Mushrooms
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The Osprey 47