105

Graber, J. W. 1961. Distribution, habitat James, R.D. 1984. Structure, frequency of usage, requirements, and life history of the Black­ and apparent learning in the primary song of capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla). Ecological the Yellow-throated Vireo, with comparative Monographs 31: 313-336. notes on the Solitary Vireo. Canadian Journal Howes-Jones, D. 1985. Nesting habits and of Zoology 62: 468-472. activity patterns of Warbling Vireos. Vireo James R.D. (in prep.). Ethological relationships gilvus. in southern . Canadian Field­ of Solitary and Yellow-throated Vireos. Naturalist 99: 484-489. Lawrence, L de K. 1953. Nesting life and James, R.D. 1978. Pairing and nest site selection behaviour of the Red-eyed Vireo. Canadian in Solitary and YeIlow-throated Vireos with a Field-Naturalist 67: 47-87. description of a ritualized nest building display. Canadian Journal of Zoology 56: 1163-1169. Ross D. James, Department of Ornithology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, , Ontario M5S 2C6

Trumpeter Swans in the District of Ontario by Lillian J. Anderson, Harry G. Lumsden and W. Bruce Ranta

Introduction uses yellow neckcollars. Michigan birds Efforts to restore Trumpeter Swans to are marked with green wing tags and their former range in the mid-west and Ontario stocks carry yellow wing tags. Great Lakes Region started in 1962 at There has been substantial wild the Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge reproduction from released birds over in South Dakota. In 1966, Hennepin the years and many offspring carry no Parks in Minnesota started theirprogram markers. Marked Minnesota and followed by the state of Missouri and Michigan swans have been recorded in Ontario in 1982. The Departments of and unmarked Natural Resources in Michigan and Trumpeters have also been recorded by Wisconsin began their projects in 1987, reliable observers. Iowa in 1994, and Ohio in 1996. Pioneering swans from the Lacreek Trumpeter Swans NWR have colonized th_e Porcupine in the Kenora area of Ontario Forestin Saskatchewan, and Minnesota DavidSchneider, a local baitfisherman, birds havestarted to breed in the Kenora found swans nestingintheEnglishRiver area of . system in four consecutive years. b.. Released'Trumpeters are usually 1993, he brought these sightings with colour marked so movements can be confmningphotographs totheattention traced. Minnesota uses orange wing ofBruce Ranta and Lil Anderson ofthe tags with three black digits. Wisconsin Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

VOLUME 14 NUMBER 3 106 staff in Kenora. He had seen a single in 1990 (S. Kittleson, pers. comm.). pair of swans with cygnets each year This indicated that these were indeed a from 1989 to 1992. During this period differentpairfromthosenestingin 1989, they had used two different lakes. or at least the female was different. In 1993, Lil Anderson and Bruce When these birds were videotaped Ranta visited the small lake where the in October 1994 by the owner of swans were seen nesting in 1992. The Regional Logging, Doug Anderson, it nest site was found, scattered with was apparent she had lost her wing tag. eggshell debris, butthere was no sign of This markedfemale, accordingto Steve the swans. The nest, located in a small Kittleson (Minnesota DNR) had been lake influenced by the recorded on her wintering grounds at a system, had its edges flooded during reservoirontheOttertailRiversoutheast abnormally high water levels the of Fargo, Minn. In 1991, she was previous fall. It seemed in good repair accompanied by four cygnets, in 1992 and it was notclearwhetherthe nest had by five, and in 1993, when she had not been used in 1993, or if it had just been recorded on her breeding area in survived the flood waters well the year Ontario, by six. By the fall of 1994, she before. had lost her wing tag and it is notknown Although the area was flown by ifher7 cygnets survived afterthey were helicopter extensively that year, there last seen in October. was no sign of the swans. There was, In the fall of 1994, shortly after however, a report in June of a pair of videotaping the swans and cygnets swans with 4 mallard-sized cygnets on preening on a small beaver pond a creek 30 km west of Kenora. Bruce connected to the nesting lake, Doug Ranta and Mike Dawe were able to Anderson continued up the road to a photograph one adult but were unable nearby cutover near the lake where the to locate the other birds. They saw a 1992 nest was found. He reported that silver coloured leg band on the left leg he went to investigate a loud trumpeting of the bird but were unable to read the sound on the little lake and saw 4 or 5 identifying numbers. adults and many cygnets, mostofwhich In 1994, while on compliance were in the tall grass along the shore. monitoring, Lil Anderson and Joan The strong winds of the day made an Sauve found a pair ofTrumpeters with accurate count impossible, but the loud 7 cygnets swimming near, and preening trumpeting sounds could be heard at a on, a well defined nest easily visible distance despite the winds. from a logging road. This location was On the samelake thatLil Anderson some 3.5 km northwestofthe 1992 nest had reported the 1994nest and brood of site. 7 cygnets, Doug Anderson reported in It was observed that one adult had June of 1995 that the swans were back an orange patagial tag. Later that year. and had 5 cygnets. Lil Anderson was able to determine the number on the tag to be #125. This The 1995 Aerial Survey proved to be a female, hatched in 1988 To determine the breeding status, in theBrookfieldZoo in Chicago. It had distribution and habitats occupied by beenreleased atFieldLakein Minnesota Trumpeters north of Kenora and to

ONTARIO BIRDS DECE~1BER 1996 107 complete the continent-wide inventory cygnets, as the original pair and brood of Trumpeter Swans which is carried had been seen feeding on grass in a out every five years, Harry Lumsden, cutover east of the nesting lake. Bruce Ranta and Lil Anderson planned There were, therefore, at least 9 and completed a survey in the Kenora Trumpeter Swans in the summer of area in July of 1995. 1995 in theEnglishRiverdrainage north Due to constraints on funds, an of Kenora. aerial survey could not be carried out using Ontario Ministry of Natural Habitat Resources funds. The i) soils Endangered Species Recovery Fund The breeding distribution of herbi­ cosponsored by the Canadian Wildlife vorous waterfowl such as swans and Service of Environment and geese seems to be governed by the World Wild-life Fund (Canada) availability ofcalcium(Lumsden 1984). provided a grant of $800 toward the Theareain the KenoraDistrictoccupied hire of an aircraft for an aerial survey. by Trumpeters lies in the bed ofglacial The remainder of the cost ($865.58) LakeAgassiz, a granitic area with lakes was paid by Scott Paper Ltd. through in which Ryder (1964) found high the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. calcium carbonate levels. 2 A 320 km study area was selected In the English River drainage on an area with relatively deep soils for system, the nesting Trumpeter Swans the region and containing most of the are using an area with a relatively deep waterbodieson whichTrumpeterSwans overburden within which the boundaries had been reported in previous years. of the study area are located. Flight lines were spaced 1km apart and Soil samples were collected on the flown at 120mina Bell "A" star 350B2 north shore ofthe known 1995 nesting Helicopter at 150 kph on 19 July 1995. lake. This area had been mapped as a The machine was rented from MNR shallow ground moraine over granite and crewed by Ted Hill (pilot), with Lil bedrock which is terraced, sloping and Anderson, Bruce Ranta and Harry dry (Neilson 1979). Lumsden as observers. Table 1summarizes theanalysisof A brood offive cygnets was found these soil samples carried out by the and photographed, believed to be the DepartmentofLand Resource Science, brood Doug Anderson had seen in June. University of . Although the The nest from which they had hatched soils are acidic, sandy andgravelly with was located on an abandoned beaver a very low agricultural capability house situated on the shore of a small (Ministry of Natural Resources 1981), island. The cygnets were well grown the calcium levels are comparable to and no wing tags were visible on the those found in agricultural soils in adult pair. Southern Ontario. Six kilometres from the western boundary of the search area, a pair of Ii) nest sites Trumpeters was seen byDoug Anderson a) 1989 nest site in October. He knew these to be a The 1989 nest site was never visited on different pair from those with the five theground, butwas identifiedduring an

VOLUME 14 NUMBER 3 108 aerial survey. It appeared to be situated c) 1994 and 1995 nest site on an old beaver house surrounded by Thenest siteused in 1994 and 1995 was waterin a small ponddirectly connected on the northwest side of a small island to the English River system. It had which is separated from land bya narrow retained its shape and integrity as late as channel. Ittoo is a large mound ofmud, 1995. rotting vegetation and sticks on top of The waters were quite dark and an old beaver house set out slightly tannic with floating vegetation visible from shore. from the air. This is the largest ofthe three lakes where swans are known to have nested. b) 1992 nest site The first two were approximately 20 The 1992 nest site was composed of a and 40 ha respectively, compared to large mound of silt and rotting over 200 ha for the latter. They are all vegetation piled up, likely on an old relatively shallowand havemuddy, silty beaverhouse. This mound was separated shores and lake bottoms. from land by a silty mud flat that had The lake has not been surveyed been underwater during majorflooding and depths are unknown but presumed that took place on the English River to be relatively shallow. A weed bed is system the previous fall. visible from the air in the northwest bay The wide creek that connects this in which the swans were feeding when small lake with the English Riversystem discovered. Average depth is likely less has denseareas ofemergent, submergent than 3 meters. Efforts to gain more and floating vegetation. information on this lake have been The lake itself has small bands of curtailed in order not to disturb the emergent vegetation and grasses, with nesting birds. The channel between the small areas of submergent vegetation shore and the island is shallow with an seen along the shore. extensive mat of submergent, aquatic

TABLE 1: Nest location soil data.

Collection P N Mg Ca Site pH mglL mglL mglL mglL

5.4 8 92 191 1961

2 5.4 8 175 457 2137

3 6.5 4 217 1310 4033

4 5.0 5 93 245 750

5 5.5 3 120 710 2369

ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1996 109 vegetation. The shorelines have dense Snapping Turtles (Chelydra sedge growth. serpentina), Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Common Ravens (Corvus corvax), Great Horned Owls iii) forests (Bubo virginianus), Timber Wolves The forests around the 1989 nest site (Canis lupus), Black Bears (Ursus had been harvested in the 1950s and americanus), Lynx (Lynx canadensis), regenerated in a mixed coniferous/ Red Foxes (Vulpes fulva), Mink deciduous forest dominated by Black (Mustela vison) and Otters (Lutra Spruce and Balsam Fir. These soils are canadensis), which all occur in the ~lassed as relatively deep and product­ Kenora area, have preyed upon swans. ive (Forest Resource Inventory Site There is an Osprey's (Pandion Class 1). haliae!Us) nest nearoneTrumpeter nest­ The forest around the 1992 nest site. This predatorhas not been recorded site was in the process ofbeing harvested as a predator of swans. at the time of nest discovery. Much of the original timber consisted of dense Disturbances to habitat mature to overmaturedeciduous/conife; Mostofthe timber around the 1992 nest mixed woods with Trembling Aspen site has been harvested using clearcut dominant. Areas recently harvested logging, with the exception ofa reserve have been planted with conifer and of undisturbed vegetation of 30 to 120 some natural regeneration has likely m left to protect fish habitat and water started. Herbs and forbs have established quality. themselves throughout the cutover. The 1995 nesting lake has a The forest around the 1994-1995 secondary timber resource road within nest site is currently being harvested. 10mofthe shoreline and in full view of The original stands were Black Spruce the nest. Depending on the snow cover dominant with Balsam Fir and and frost conditions, this road is often Trembling Aspen. Ridges separating not maintained in April and May due to these stands were shallow soiled Jack deep clays and silts which make travel Pine dominant with Black and White difficult. This may change as access to Spruce. The eastern and northeastern proposed harvest blocks to the north is sides of the lake tended to be more required. Aspen dominated with Balsam Fir and Black Spruce and bedrock ridges of Approximately 50% of the sur­ pine. Some recently harvested areas are rounding stands, particularly to the north planted with spruce and many are and west of this lake, were to be establishing a natural ground cover of harvested in the 1995-1996 harvesting herbs, grasses and forbs. season. Once again, with the exception of where the road runs beside the lake a 30 to 120 m reserve of undisturbed Predators vegetation, with the width depending A variety ofpredators which have beer. u~on the steepnessofthe shorelineslope, rec?rded preying on Trumpeter Swans, Will be left to protect water quality and their cygnets or eggs, occur in the area. fish habitat. We have no evidence, however, that the

VOLUME 14 NUMBER 3 110 Continued timber harvesting in Literature Cited itselfmay notbeaconcern to the nesting Lumsden, H.G. 1984. The pre-settlement breeding birds, particularly when the operations distribution ofTrumpeter (Cygnus buccinator) take place during the winter months. and Swans (Cygnus columbianus) in eastern Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 94: Disruption may occur, however, when 415-424. resource access roads are eventually Neilson. 1979. Ontario Geological Survey Maps openedfor recreational use. Boattraffic, 5106 and 5109. Ontario Ministry of Northern deposition of lead shot and accidental Development and Mines, Toronto. harassment of birds are potential Ontario Ministry ofNatural Resources. 1981. Kenora District Land Use Plan, Northwestern concerns. The forest management Region. practice of applying herbicides to Ryder, R.A. 1964. Chemical characteristics of harvested areas may affect the amount Ontario lakes with reference to a method of or suitability offorage available for the estimating fish production. Ontario Department ofLands and Forests Section Report (Fisheries) growing cygnets. No. 48.

Lillian J. Anderson, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resouces, Kenora District, Box 5080, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X9

Harry G. Lumsden, 144 Hillview Road, Aurora, Ontario L4G 2M5

W. Bruce Ranta, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Kenora District, Box 5080, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X9

Nashville X Tennessee Warbler Hybrids by Kenneth C. Parkes

Introduction Dr. Ross James ofthe Royal Ontario A wood warbler specimen identified as Museumcalled my attention to a second a hybrid between the Nashville Warbler specimen tentatively identified as a (Verlnivora ruficapilla) and the similar hybrid, and was kind enough to Tennessee Warbler (V. peregrina) has send it to me for analysis. It seems been mentioned by Bledsoe (1988, cited appropriate to discuss both specimens by Morse 1989), Williams (1996), and in a single paper, and the Ontario Dickand James (1996), in each instance provenience of the second specimen based on information I supplied. The makes this journal an appropriate detailed analysis of this specimen has publication outlet. not been published, however.

ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1996