The Swallowswallow Volume 20, # 1 Autumn 2002
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TheThe SwallowSwallow Volume 20, # 1 Autumn 2002 Directors: President: Carey Purdon 625-2610 Jean Brereton Rob Cunningham Vice-President: Leo Boland 735-7117 Merv Fediuk Myron Loback Treasurer: Bernd Krueger 625-2879 Chris Michener Elizabeth Reeves Secretary: Manson Fleguel 735-7703 Benita Richardson Gwen Purdon Sandhill Cranes in Westmeath Provincial Park, photographed by Chris Michener on September 8, 2002. Membership in the Pembroke Area Field Naturalists is available by writing to: the PAFN, Box1242, Pembroke, ON K8A 6Y6. 2002/2003 dues are: Student $5, Senior $5, Individual $7, Family $10, Individual Life $150, Family Life $200. Editor, The Swallow: Chris Michener, R.R.1, Golden Lake, ON K0J 1X0 - Submissions welcome! ph: (613) 625-2263; e-mail: [email protected] PAFN internet page: http://www.renc.igs.net/~cmichener/pafn.index.html e v e n t s Westmeath Dunes (2 walks) results and enjoy pizza courtesy of the Dates: Sunday, Sep. 29 at 8 AM., and Club. Field Participants are asked to con- Saturday, Oct.5 at 8 AM. tribute $3.00 for publishing costs in the Place: Both trips start from the munici- Audubon CBC yearly report. pal dock in the town of Westmeath. Com- ing from the west on County Road 12, To view the Count circle map and turn left in Westmeath before the gas download forms, go to our web page. (see station at the blue building and continue cover for URL) Please contact Manson down to the water. Species sometimes to confirm participation, 613-732-7703 encountered are Nelson’s Sharp-tailed - email: [email protected]. Sparrow, American Pipit, Lapland Longspur as well as some shorebirds, Eganville Christmas Bird Count gulls, ducks and geese. We will drive Date: Sunday, Dec. 15 from the town west to Sand Point Road Place: Eganville circle includes for the walks. Trips organizer Chris Augsburg, the town of Golden Lake, Michener. (ph 613-625-2263 or e-mail Green Lake, Lake Dore, Mink Lake and at [email protected]) more. Participation as for the Pembroke Count. Please see web page. Lake Dore Birds Date: Nov. 2 at 9 AM After the Count, participants are invited Place: Meet at the parking area at Hwy to gather at Carey & Gwen Purdon’s 41 and the Lake Dore Rd. (Cty Rd 30). home at 5PM to go over results and share The focus of this trip will be water birds, a meal. They are the first house on right, but a few songbirds may still be fre- south of Hwy. 60 on Island View Dr. This quenting the riparian habitat. Some spe- is about 3 km. west of the town of Golden cies that have been seen on Lake Dore in Lake. Please contact Carey to confirm the first week in Nov. are Red-throated participation. ph. 613-625-2610 - email: Loon, Tundra Swan, Brant, the three [email protected]. To view the map grebes, the three scoters and the three and download forms, go to our web page. mergansers. Trip organizer Chris (see cover for URL) Michener. (ph 613-625-2263 or e-mail at [email protected]) Killaloe Christmas Bird Count Date: Saturday, Dec. 21 Pembroke Christmas Bird Count Place: Circle is centred in Killaloe. Par- Date: Saturday, Dec. 14 ticipate same as Pembroke Count. Please Place: In a traditional 15 km. diameter see web site for forms and map. circle. Feeder watchers count birds in their yards, while field participants Meet at Golden Sands Restaurant in Dea- drive, ski or walk a pre-designated area con at 5 PM after Count to share experi- keeping track of the numbers of birds. ences and tally results. Please contact Reports are given to the compiler, Chris Michener to confirm participation. Manson Fleguel, after the Count. 613-625-2263 - email: [email protected]) Participants are invited to meet at Manson & Judy’s around 5 PM to go over 2 The Swallow, Vol. 20, #1 Autumn/Winter 2002 Trip Reports Bellowes Bay Field Trip cles to stop also saw a Bald eagle making April 20, 2002 his rounds. by Manson Fleguel Ron Laderoute was again a gracious After a week of unusually mild host at his farm, allowing our passage to weather, where the temperature soared the Bay. The ice had left in the last week into the low 30C’s, the cold wind pound- and the water was so high we had to ing the 15 participants of this years trip stand well back in his field and peer was a reminder that summer was defi- through the trees at the dozens of Ring- nitely not here yet! However, the high- necked Ducks, Common Goldeneye, est flood waters on the Ottawa River in Buffleheads and Greater and Lesser Scaup quite a few years, made for an interest- on the bay. For the second year in a row, ing outing. Redheads were observed. A Bald Eagle As usual, we met at the Marina made a second appearance, soaring in parking lot. This year the looks over the perfect view for all. Rusty Blackbirds Ottawa River were short and we took were singing, as well as American Tree shelter behind the stacks of docking to and Chipping Sparrows. A pair of East- get out of the wind. A few Common ern Phoebe’s entertained as we waded to Mergansers, Ring-billed Gulls, American a small cottage for a better vantage point Crows and Common Ravens and a lone of the bay. A lone Double-crested Cor- Merlin were the sightings. The water morant soared in from points unknown, level was such that the marina breakwa- on set wings, presumably landing some- ter was partly submerged and the where out of sight, on the bay. Turkey boardwalk was sandbagged to prevent it Vultures also took advantage of the stiff floating away. breeze. A Yellow-rumped Warbler and A House Finch was spotted in Town an early White-throated Sparrow were as we checked again for the Cardinal’s noted. Purple Finches were singing only song (no luck) and we continued to- a partial warble, probably saving their wards Bellowes Bay. As soon as we came full song till a territory was necessary to within sight of the Ottawa River, it be- defend. came clear that we might not have to This year 3 younger birders were walk the kilometer to the River at our welcomed on the trip. They made sure to usual location, because the high water test the depth of the flood waters and made shorelines extend into every low when necessary, allowing an adult to lying field. The Canada Geese and pud- ferry them through the deeper parts. dle Ducks were making good use of each The trip ended after the walk back of these inlets and it was not possible to to the road. The final tally for the pass these without a stop to scan the morning was 53 species. Other species hundreds of birds present. Wood Ducks, not previously mentioned were Ruffed Blacks, Mallards, Green-winged Teals, Grouse, Killdeer, Rock and Mourning Blue-winged Teals, Northern Pintails, and Doves, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy American Wigeon were all present in Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Tree Swal- good numbers so everyone could get a low, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, look. On our return trip, a lone Snow White-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Goose was observed among the thou- Kinglet, American Robin, European Star- sands of Canada’s. One of the first vehi- ling, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, 3 The Swallow, Vol. 20, #1 Autumn/Winter 2002 Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, bler, Ovenbird, Dark-eyed Junco, White- Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, throated Sparrow, White-crowned Spar- Brown-headed Cowbird and House Spar- row, Swamp Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red- row. winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Thanks to all the participants for American Goldfinch. making the trip worthwhile again. It is always amazing to see so many migrants The Pembroke Marina Bird Walk by Ken Hooles Petawawa Terrace Field Trip, The Pembroke and Area Field Natu- May 12, 2002 ralists Pembroke Marina Walk held on by Myron Loback Saturday, August 17, was successful in Thirteen people attended on a cool terms of weather, participants and birds. overcast day... 10C. Forty species were This year ten participants enjoyed sea- identified: sonal temperatures, and for their efforts were able to identify a respectable 42 Common Loon, Canada Goose with 4 species of birds during the walk. This downy young, Mallard, Wood Duck, Her- number was four species less than last ring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, American year and 16 short of the marina record of Bittern, Common Snipe, Ruffed Grouse, 58 species established in 1998. Broad-winged Hawk, Mourning Dove, The low count this year was not due Belted Kingfisher, Common Flicker, Yel- to lack of effort on behalf of the partici- low-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Wood- pants but more the fact that the shorebird pecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern and warbler migration was only in its Kingbird, Great-crested Flycatcher, East- begining stages. ern Phoebe, Tree Swallow, American The highlights of the count included Crow, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Least and Spotted Sandpipers, Osprey, a White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Wilson’s Warbler, Solitary and Philadel- Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, American phia Vireo, Great-crested Flycatcher, and Robin, Hermit Thrush, Chestnut-sided Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Nashville War- There were only a few waterfowl Pembroke Marina sand flat, photographed by Chris Michener on September 8, 2002. 4 The Swallow, Vol. 20, #1 Autumn/Winter 2002 species this year, which included Black Ducks, Canada Geese, and a lone Cormorant.