TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS NEWSLETTER Number 327 November, 1979
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J: ... • Old friends return ••• See page '.3. MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION AND PUBLICATION SALES 83 Joi cey Blvd., Toronto, Ont . M.5M 2T4 or call 488-7)04 . - '~~f! '"~f: , C 0 THI. -~,'?~ UPCOMING-, ~:\ 1"'1- Ul. , l,'/}-'< Saturday MORNINGSIDE PARK - Nature Walk Nov. 3 Leader: Paul Cannon 10 .oo a.:n. Meet in the firot parking lot immediately wett of Morningside Avenue by the pavilion. (Eglinton East 134B bus.) Care. Take 401 eaat to Exit 61, then go south on Morningside one mile. Wedne sday CHATSWORTH RAVINE - Botany Nov . 7 Leader: Emily Hamlton 10.00 a . m. Meet at Duplex and Chatsworth Drive. (Yonge 197 bus to Chatsworth and walk west one block to Duplex.) The walk will terminate at Blythwood Road. Sunday LESLIE STREET SPIT - Birds Nov. 11 Lead.er: Mark Sawyer 2.00 p.m. Meet in the parking area just inside the gatea at the south end of Leslie Street. (~een car to Leslie, walk south about½ mile.) Wed.neaday WILKE'? CREEK PARK - Skyvatching Seriet fl Nov. 14 Leader: Bill Andrews S.00 p.m. Meet at the first parking lot inside th• aouth entrance off Leslie Street just north of Eglinton Avenue. (Letlie 151 bus or Lawrence Ea1t 154 bus from Eglinton subway station. Get off at the stop immediately after the turn on to Leslie.) !ill,: This au.ting is the first of 3. The 2nd will be held at the same place Wedneaday, February 13 at 8.00 p.m.; the 3rd on Wedneadl'JY, May 7 at 8.00 p.m. Sunday LAMBTON WOODS - Nature Walk Nov. 18 Leader: Elmer Talvila 10.00 a.m. Meet at the parking lot of the Jamea Gardens on Edenbridge Drive. (Royal York 173 bua from Royal York atatio• to Edenbridge, and walk east o.4 mile,.) W'ed.ne1day SHERWOOD PA.RX - Nature Walk Nov. 21 Leader: Diana Banville 10.00 a.m. Meet on Blythwood Road at the park entrance. (lortown Eastbound #61 tr9lley from Eglinton station. Bus turns north on Mount Pleaaant. Get off at Blythwood and walk ea1t to park entrance.) Walk will terminate at Bayview Avenue. Sunday ROSEDALE RAVINE - Nature Walk Nov. 25 Lead.er: Helen Juhola 2.00 p.11. Meet at Caatle Frank subway station. Valk will end at Rosedale aubway ate.tion. 2 l(eaders of THE NEWSLETTER are proba1)ly ,:onderin:: vhatover happened to Professor R, U, }Cidden. A card has been received post-marked Strasbourr~ ,mere Prof, Kidden is spending a brief stopover in order to begin a study of the Rhine Oceros. He is travelling right around the world, with about fifteen stopovers, although the main reason for the trip is to visit China and confer with his colleag:ue, Dr, Foo Lini; Yoo. It was five years ae;o that Prof. Kidden and his friend first proposed their revolutionary theory about draeons. 'lhey argue that it is hi~J1ly unlikely that tvio such diverse cultures as Chinese and English would independently invent a mythical animal such as the 'ctrap,;on. (Remember the ler,end of ::,t. George and the dragon?) 'Ihey feel that there must have been a real creature in order for these legends to persist right dovm to the present time. 'Iheir conjecture r:ained a certain amount of credence two years ac;o with the dis covery in northern China of fossils entirely different from any previous clinosaur bones. Unfortunately, there were no complete bones but-, ir, s pi t.e of this, these two eminent scientists were able to piece together part of the picture and to modify their theory further, how an entire skeleton has been duG up by Dr , Foo Ling Yoo and Prof. Kidd.en is extremeiy anxious to see it, It is ,,ell known that small amounts of methane r:;as are produced in the c:lip:estive tracts of animals, 'Ihis gas is one of··the Main constituents of natural gas and is produced by rotting vegetation. The phenomenon of "w:i.11-o '-the-wisp" is caused by this gas bubbling up through marshes, The Yoo-Kidden theory is that the c~afons produced unusual quantities of this methane gas, releasinr, just enough to create a flammable mixture of methane and air, ignited by special bristles in the nostrils. They do not feel that the dragons had any natural enemies other than hum.ans such as St. George and contend that the flame-throv-T.i.ng ability was not used as a method of defence hut was, in fact, a mating-display. 1he scientific name Draco flam.mosniratus has been proposed for the species, On his return trip, Prof. Kidden plans to stop over at the Easter Islands in order to study the F.a.ster Seals. '.le wish him success and look for·wa.rd to his return. We hope that he v-J:i.11 permit further release of information about some of his excitinr, projects, Jack Ginv-ich ?d, Note: A more detailed technical paper is available to serious scholars of Kidden theories •••• , •• ---·------THIS MO!-:TH Is COVER. "Old Squaws in Toronto Harbour" - by Owen Fisher The greatest concentration of this species, ClanRula hyemalis, on Lake Ontario is to be seen in November in the Toronto region. For further details, see page 17 of the new Toronto Bird Finding Guide, by Clive f,, Goodv-J:i.n. J A few of MIDSUMMER NIGHT' s those PICNIC June 20, 1979 4 OUTINGS REPORT June_ _?.Q. 1'!idsu,1uner right' s Picnic - about 50 people. A balmy evening. / laura GrAer, J t::; ~~uriel >!i ville and other volunteers coMbinen efforts to . ' ______,., make it a complete : •' \ -\ . success, just a pleasant evening all round. Eot chocolate was served and we meant t~ get a sketch in of '-Jes !:ancock presidine; at the caldron but ·. he was a bit too active. Find r.-:es and other members in the adjacent sketches that we did :nana::;e. :le had music , too. Sept. 2• Woodbine Eea.ch - Laura Greer - 32 people. Warm, de.mp, strong east wind. Due to the windy day very few Monarch butterflies were seen - about 8. i'. few birds: Caspian and common terns, semi-palmated plover and semi-pa.lII18.ted sandpiper. Short billed dowitcher. Sept. 8. Ernest Thompson Seton Park - Diana Banville - 9 people. Sunny with i nter mittent clouds. The group sat on the hillside overlooking the marsh and sketched willows and buildings in the distance, a.s well as flowering and fruiting herbs at close range. The group became very absorbed and produced a number of drawings suitable for publication in the Newsletter. Sept. 9. Highland Creek - Stella Kryzanowski - 3g people. Sunny, l8°C, "gorgeous day1". Asters and goldenrods provided great colour in area beside Lawrence Avenue bridge. This was also a spider's paradise - several observed enveloping grasshop!)ers in their silk. Birds not too evident - included two sandpipers which were not specifically identified, We elso observed devastating erosion occurring within the valley. 5 Outings Report - Cont~nued Sept. l?. Vivian Forest - Jean MacdonAld - 10 people. Warm, sunny, about 23°c. A ple8&ant walk through the Vivian Forest produced a large variety of mush rooms. Moat were simply obaerved, A few were collected for examination of identifying char~cteristica, and after lunch these were discussed. Several genera were noted: Agaricus, Boletus, Collybia, Lactarius, Clavaria, Hygrophorue, Ruasula, PolYPorus, Geastrum (a fine earth-star), as well as many unidentified small fungi and large bracket fungi. Unfortunately we missed finding an Amanita. Sept. 15. Leslie Street Spit - Chip Weseloh. Report not received. Sept. 15. High Park - Emily Hamilton - 19 people. Fine, warm. Starting at the Nature Trail above the Wendigo stream we observed the Asters (7 species) and Goldenrods (7 species) throughout the park. We also saw several shrub species in fruit and 2 species of cucumber climbill€; over shrubs. We looked at the special planted trees - Ginkgo and Metasequoi~. Then we went to the east side to see the Stout Goldenrod and the area where the northern plants grow, most of which were bearing only their evergreen leaves. Sept. 16. West Don (Earl Bales Park) - Molly Campbell. Report not received. Se~t. 19. Professor McGredy 1 s Property for Honey Bees - Bill Dibble - 13 people. Clear and cool, 10°0. Goldenrod in great abundance providing much pollen for honey bees. Forest quite dry, and rai.n needed. Sent. 22. Leslie Street Spit - Herb Elliott - 50 people. Sunny, 16°c. Everyone spread out and went his own way. Pipits were very common. Eleven Shoveler Ducks were seen as well as ten other species including a Horned Grebe. Eleven species of shorebird were seen although quantities were down. Sept. 2~. Vivian Forest - Ed Franks - 29 people. Fine day. Twenty-three species were seen including Ruffed Grouse, Black-thrOlited BJ.ue Warbler and Black-and-white Warbler. TFN NATURE ART GROUP As a result 0£ our September "Sketching from t-:a.ture" outing, a new group is being formed within TFN. Participants expressed the need for budding nature artists to get together menever possible to sketch or paint 'from nature, helping and encouraging one another. An unstructured plan is simply to pub lish a list of those interested and their telephone numbers. If at any time one member wishes to go out sketching, he or she simply calls a few numbers on this list until a few participants are found who are free·to take part at that particular time. (Some are already making plans.) From time to time formal outings will be arranged. If you would like to be listed in future issues, phone Diana Banville. At present, here is the list1 Joan Sterling, 48J-4o60; Joyce Cave, 781-1914; Jane Withers, 486-1744; Stella Keys, 757-.5445; Mary Cumming, 921-8603; M,lly McEwen, 488-0.579; Anne Van Egmond, 483-27.53: Rowena Grant, 6,54-799.5; Diana Banville, 690-1963. 6 September 8 was the date of the first meeting of the season, and we welcomed a goodly number of new members accompa~ied by interested parents. Mr. Bill Andrews (ex-TFN President) presented an enthusiastic and inspiring Slide Show covering the "Changing Seasons on his Farm" . At the October meeting we got into full swing with Field Trips for all the groups following a Slide Show on "The Birth of a Mine" by Mr. Eric Blunden of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mineral Resources Branch. ~ CALLING FORMER JUNIOR CLUB MEMBERS Let us know where you are and whether you would be interested in attending, and whether your current occupation/hobbies are related to your past Membership with the TORONTO JUNIOR FIELD NATURALISTS Club. Send information to: Mrs. Sheila M. McCoy, (755-5671) 6 Arncliffe Crescent, s_~arborough, Ontario. MlR 1B3 . •' B lQ.clJer CQ.mpiol') ... Se 7 v.ho IS Cock-Robin? • I l ••••• or HEN Robin, for that matter. The dictionary says "Robin" is simply an affectionate form of "Robert". ,. .,:. • "Affectionate" is certainly the -word to describe the ~J-· · sentiments of the &-itish and Irish toward their "Robin ~,._ -~~f!_-- R,edbreast", the Eurasian Robin, Erithacus rubecula, of --- .:.._ ...._... ;:;. Christmas-card fame. A resident in the Isles in all seasons, diminutive (.5½"), plump, spirited, tuneful and cheerfully coloured - it is, no doubt, the prototype of all birds designated ''robin" in the English language. Wlat does a bird have to~ to be a robin? 1. First of all one has to belong to the RIGHT family. Of the 74 robins (I counted them), 73 are *MUSCICAPIDS. The other one is a PRUNELLID, a member of a "next-door" family which includes the Old '1-brld Dunnock or ''hedge- sparrow" ( so called). The Robin Accentor, Prunella rubeculoides (note the specific name designating resemblance to our prototype), is allowed to use "Robin" only as a "given-name". But not all Muscicapids qualify••••• · One should also belong to the right ffiANCH of the family. Of the 73, 40 are TlRDINES, such as the Eurasian Robin itselfi one only is a TIMALIINE, the the Peking Robin. Another 15 are MUSCICAPINES, of the Old vbrld Flycatcher group (no relation to our Tyrant-flycatchers); these include r.obin-flycatchers, the scarlet, the flame, the p'inlc and the r.ose, as well as some yellow robins. But by no means are all members of these subfamilies entitled to the name. After all, the Turdinae include the thrushes - and how many of those do ynu know with the name ''Robin"? 2. One should be a "perky little bird", resembling the prototype in this respect. Such are the bush robins and scrub robins. Yet many perky little Turdines are denied the name ',U,bin", even though they are in the same genera as those bearing it. For some reason they are called "chats" instead (a name relating to the call of some of them). 'ihere are rock, hill, bush, moor, stone- and cliffchats. The wheatears are part of this groupt one of them is called "the Buff-streaked Chat". But many spritely little Turdines are neither called "robin" nor "chat" - such as the famous Bluethroat. 'Iha "chat" name is jealously guarded, too, for the Turdines, but, again, one outsider is allowed a given-name - t.he Oiat Shrike, a LANIID with the interesting generic name "Lanioturdus". A rank outsider is tolerated for some reason - the Palmchat of .Africa, l-mich is the only existing DULID. Certain New vbrld / birds have borrowed the name "Chat", I apparently considering themselves very perky, even if they don't "belong". '!hey are really PARULIDS, vbod Warblers. '!he Yellow-breasted Chat, Icteria virens, turns up in Toronto from time to time. In South America there 8 are the chat-tyrants. 'Ihese ~ related to om- Tyrant-FlycatchP.rs. 'lhe O'l'HPll Ne"W \-.brld, dow under, has usm-ped the name, too, applying it to its St118.ll family of EPHTHIANIBIDS, the Australian Chats. J. It helps to be a "redbreast" to earn the name "Robin" - such as the Forest Robin of Africa and the Wlite-throa.ted Robin. A number of West African · redbreasts are designated ''robin-chat". Yet robins come with many different colour-features••••• the rufous-headed, red-tailed, blue-fronted, l'bite-tailed plus the :magpie-robins. 'Ihen there are the blue robins - the Indian, the Siberian, the Sunda and, oh yes, the Black-throated Blue Robin. Some oriental blue robins belong to genus Cinclidium, close to Siala, that to ~lhich the 1".orth American bluebirds belong. As you can see, being a "redbreast" does not automatically guarantee the name ''Robin" among small Turdines. Another example is the Stonechat wiich, though a redbreast, does not earn the name any more than the Eastern Bluebird does. Nor does the European Redstart, Phoenicurus phoen±c;urus, even though it is very close to the prototype. Some of the relations of the New vbrld Yellow-breasted Chat - such as the Rose breasted and Red-breasted Chats - might well have adopted the name "Robin" instead of "Chat". All this is leading up to lilere our American Robin, Turdus migratorius, fits into the picture. In spite of the incredulity of newcomers to these shores, our bird qualifies. 1 •••• it's a Muscicapid/Turdine; 2 ••••• it's a redbreast; J •••••• well, it's not so diminutive-but if you're not too tired of the TV joke, "two out of three ain't bad". '!hough I know of one robin-chat r,,mich goes to 11 inches, it's an exception, and admittedly Turdus aj.gratorius is rather big for a ~obin. Settlers from Europe associated the bird with their tiny robin because of the red breast-rather than with the Blackbird, Turdus merula lilich closely resembles our robin in size, build and habit, if not in colour (still, the females approximate each other in this l!'espex,t).. . 'Jllus was established the prototype for robins in the Americas. Several. South American Turdus are very close, but some do not have red breasts. '1-k have the Rufous-collared, Rufous-backed (two redbreasts), the Pale-vented, Cla.y coloured, Black and Sooty Robins (the last two resembling the European Blackbirdl) '!here is a plan afoot to change these names to "thrush" and some lists show them this way, but the American Robin, it seems, is "sacred". (Dare one suggest ''Robin-'Ihrush"?) '!he Clay-coloured is still called ''robin" in Texas, I've noticed. A typical Turdus with a red belly, familiar to Fast Africans, the Olive 'lhru~,T. olivaceus, is strikingly reminiscent of our robin but settlers there_(unlike ours) did not associate it with the :familiar Eurasian Robin. '!he same applies to two Asian Turdus species, Naumann• s and the Red-throated 'Ihrush, both redbreasts. But as for rn, Turdus migratorius, the name is, forever, dear Robin, affectionately yom-s •••••• Diana Banville Note, ... *according to systematics followed in Gruson's Checklist of the vbrld's Birds. (North American field guides treat American Robin and other thr~shes as full family, TURDIDAE.) 9 ♦ POPULUS. J" / / DE L"';"OICE.S { , (E,-_s TEi<:.., c.orro>MIOOt>) ~ PANIC.UM VIR.G,,a.lUM (Swl'fcl-i GR .... S5) ANDROPOGON GE.~.,R.DII BIG \ ( 8,LVE~"'TE.M) PYCNANTHEMUM. VIR:GINt.,.,,»UM VIRGINIANA '),_ ( MOV'N'T,.,IN MlNTj J.U \ RARE PIANTS ON THE TORONTO ISIANDS \ Wocxllands Many naturalists know that the wocxllands on the Toronto Islands contain one of North America's largest concentration points for Saw-whet Owls during the fa ll, yet few people realize that the wocxllands themselves are a regionally rare community. They are characterized by a tree layer of eastern cottonwood (Po ulus deltoides) with a dense shrub layer of red-osier dogwocxl (Cornus stolonifera. This shrub is easily recognized by its red branches, white fruits, and opposite leaves. This woodland type has developed typically on old dune systems on the islands, but it does just as well on new land created by sand fill. For example, the Lesl i e Street Spit is being rapidly colonized by eastern cottonwocxls. These trees were prol:ably introduced to the Spit by seeds blown from the Toronto Islands. During July the eastern cottonwocxl seeds, with their long, white hairs, fill the sky like snowflakes. In some places they pile up on the ground t o depths of six inches. The best woodlands occur to the north of the Island Filtration Plant, and west of t he Isl.and Nature School • .(.See- map on page 29, TFN Newsletter #325, Sept. 1979) • Prairie Communities In clearings within the woodlands are prairie communities containing several significant species. The best examples of this community can be found on the northwestern part of Mugg's Island, to the north of wet meadow No. 6, s outh and north of wet meadow No. 7, and west of the Metro Parks Work Yard. The dominant element in these pi;a.iries are the grasses: big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and switch grass (Panicum vir tum). The regionally uncommon big bluestem is easily recognized by its s ize up to seven feet) and i ts long clusters of flowers which spread out from a common centre. The regional ly rare switch grass is distinguished by its clumped growth form, i ts height of about four feet, and its small flowers which occur on widely spreading s talks. Mugg's Island contains a third species of prairie grass: c ord gras s (Spartina pectin.a.ta). A colony of about 100 flowering stems occur on the northwestern part of the island. In wetter pmirie sections grows the regionally rare Virginiana mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum). This two-foot high mint has tight clusters of small white flowers. It occurs as small colonies to the west of wet meadow No. 6 and north of wet meadow No. 7. Around the Metro Parks Work Yard are two plant species which are nationally rare. In a clearing next to the western edge of the work yard is a colony of cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum). This sunflower-like plant is native to only three major sites in Ontario: the Thames River, the Windsor prairies, and Toronto. In addition to the 25 flowering stems on the Toronto Islands, several hundred plants are growing in High Park just east of Grenadier Pond: The second nationally rare plant species, sa.ndbur (Cenchrus longispinus), is confined to the disturbed sandy areas of the Metro Parks Work Yard. This grass species is easily distinguished by its spiny burs. The burs are so sharp that they can penetrate right through your skin. The earliest Toronto record for sandbur dates back to 1943, suggesting that this species may have been intrcxiuced into our area. Steve Varga * This past summer a few hundred more plants of cup plant were found growing in the lower Don Valley almost beneath the Bloor/Danforth Viaduct. HJ 11 > WILL THE NATURAL AREAS ON THE TORONTO ISLANDS BE PRESERVED? < I have written a series of articles about the rare plants on the Toronto Islands in the hope that more members of the Toronto Field Naturalists will understand the importance of preserving certain natural areas on the islands and will be able to write letters and present 9ur views at meetings. Surely 49 regionally rare and uncommon plant species and 11 regionally rare plant communities are worth preserving! In December 1978 the City of Toronto Planners brought forward a Preliminary Draft Plan for the Central waterfront. It was presented to the Central Waterfront Planning Committee, a.n inter-agency group set up by the Toronto City Council to ensure that various organizations would have an early input intQ the detailed plan being developed for the Central Waterfront. In its official response to the plan, the TFN congratulated the City Planners for their proposal to protect three natural areas on the Toronto Islands and the biologically most significant parts of the Leslie Street Spit. We strongly endorsed the recommendation that any proposed developments which might affect these Environmentally Sensitive Areas be preceded by an environmental impact assessment. We also noted that several significant natural areas on the Islands had not been inclu:led within the Environmentally Sensitive Area designation. The sites incluied: the eastern part of Ward's Island, the western part of the Islands from Gibraltor Point to the Island Airport, a wooded island in Blockhouse Bay, Snake Island, and a cottonwood stand next to the Island Nature School. The first two of these areas contain a very large number of regionally rare and uncommon plant species; in addition, they contain dune ridges, a community not represented in any of the three proposed Environmentally Sensitive Areas. In response to the TFN letter, City Planners agreed to include the island in Blockhouse Bay as part of a proposed Environmentally Sensitive Area; however, at a Ma.y 1979 sub-group meeting of the Central Waterfront Planning Committee, the planning staff stated that additional areas could not be designated as Environmentally Sensitive Areas because it would be difficult to limit public access to these sites and that the presently proposed sites have a history of use that is restricted. It was explained that planners do not want to designate additional Environmentally Sensitive Areas and perhaps set a precedent that would be rejected by the Ontario Municipail Beard. Finally, it was concluded that management of these areas by Metro Parks Dept. would be adequate protection for the wildlife areas not designated as Environmentally Sensitive. As the TFN representative to the Cent:ra.l waterfront Planning Committee Islands sub-group (ISIEX), I feel tha-t the City Planning Sta.ff is wrongly assuming that public access must be limited in Environmentally Sensitive AJ:eas. When one looks at regional governments in Ontario that have zoned areas as Environmentally Sensitive, we find that this kind of zoning is mainly being used to control development in important natural areas. The public still has free access to these areas. I also feel that planners should not be involved in the process of second-guessing what the Ontario Municipal Board will do. If anything, the staff's refusal to consider additional Env.ironmentally Sensitive Areas which qualify according to their own criteria. will probably weaken their own arguments on behalf of this planning concept. Finally, I note that Metro Park's record for protecting wildlife areas is not impressive and does not instill confidence. (See TFN Newsletter #322, March 1979.) Only by zoning areas as EnvirOlllllentally Sensitive.will these habitats be protected. !2 So far City of Toronto Planners and Mayor John Sewell have received letters requesting th:l.t additional areas be designated a.s Environmentally Sensitive from the Toronto Field Natura.lists, the Conservation Group at the Botany Dept. of the University of Toront~and seven individuals. Now is the time for each of. us to write letters requesting the protection of the natural areas I have described. For further information on writing letters tha.t get results ·see page 23 of TFN Newsletter# 324, May 1979. To quote the last line in Toronto the Green: "If we do nothing, our natural heritage will be lost forever. We must act before it is too late. If not now, when? If not us, who?" Please write your letters tcxlay. Steve Varga 223-4151 Central Waterfront Planning Committee, City Hall, West 19, Toronto, Ont. Mayor John Sewell, City of Toronto, City Hall, Toronto, Ont. Chairman Paul Gcxlfrey, t•ietropolita.n Toronto, City Hall, Toronto, Ont. 0 , c.orne on no(.&) 1 Son ot Gra.cvla. f Don't be NI D\COLOU5 f "Nidicolous" = "Clinging to the nest" (helpless young, e.g. songbirds) "Nidifugous" = "Fleeing t.he nest" (precocious Young, e.g. ducks ) '.lb.is species, Gracn]e religiosa (Hill Myna) Asia. Familys Sturnidae (Starlings) 13 THE LESLIE STREET SPIT -- NEWS AND VIEWS I am pleased to be the TFN's new representative to the Central Waterfront Planning Committee. Thanks are due to our former representative, Bill Freedman, f or his knowledgeable and concerned input at numerous meetings and for the many enjoyable walks he led at1:he spit. Bill now lives in Halifax where he i s Prof essor of Forest Resource Ecology in Dalhousie University's Biology Department. Our best wishes go out to Bill in his new career. Because most of you enjoy the spit's unique atmosphere of seeming to be s o distant from t he city, my goal as your new representative will be to express this view a nd encourage others to watch nature progress. I've recently been in touch with the major players in the Spit b3.ll-game and here's the latest news fr~~ them and views from me : Your letters supporting the Preliminary D:re.ft of the Central Waterfront Plan were well received by the Central Waterfront Planning Committee. About 50 letters arrived following a plea in this newsletter. All supported the designation of the outer two-thirds of the spit as Environmentally Sensitive (worth protecting) . Some letters called for the entire spit to be so designated. The lesson is clear: Pl.ANNING AGENCIES WEWOME AND NEED PUBLIC RESPONSE TO THEIR PI.ANS FOR GUIDELINES. TFN MEMBERS WHO HA VE Nor INFORMED THE CWPC OF THEI R SUPPORT FOR THE PRELIMINARY PLAN ARE lli""'TTING DOWN THEIR FELLOW MEMBERS , THE SPIT, AND THEMSELVES. WRITE A IEI'TER OF SUPPORT TODAY: Bruce White , who walks the Spit for the Great Lakes dead-bird survey, reports finding JOO dead birds one day in early September. All had accumulated in t he previous week and most were first-year Ring-billed Gulls. From evidence gathered t o date, pollution and disease are probably not the cause -- over population f or available food is likely. See page 15 for further discussion. We are urging the Toronto Harbour Commissioners t o accept a site other than the Spit f or an orphan lighthouse. Such a focal point amongst the bird colonies would draw curious crowds from the road and endanger both man and beast during the breeding season. The Harbour Commissioners are consideri ng the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and Harbourfront as alternative sites. A rocky armpit has been constructed on the lake side of the spit as a place for dumping dredgate from the Keating Channel (the Don River mouth). This pollut ed sil t is now blocking drainage and affecting navigation in the channel. Dumping on the spit will begin after Ontario Ministry of the Environment -approval. The ef fects of the removal and re-deposition of t his material a.re uncertain. The Toronto Harbour Commission has allowed some dumping of "emergency loads" of diredgate that were blocking the port at Victory Soya Mills. Toronto Al derman Susan Fish who has replaced Roy Merrens as harbour commissioner i s already well acquainted with TFN views, and we look forward to her participation and support on waterfront issues. The Friends of the Spit report that the Spit will be open weekends until November 11. See you there! Steven Price 491-4617 14 I DEATH AI'THE wATERFP.ONT I When the unusual number of dead birc'i.s on Toronto's waterfront became conillton knowledge, speculation flourished about the cause. This article is based on information I have obtained from racent conversations I have had with officials at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Canadian Wildlife Service as well as with interested observers at the Leslie Street Spit. F'irst some revealing sta.tis tics: The Long Point Bird ObServatory coordinates a survey for dead birds alongthe teaches of the Great lakes. Bruce White keeps the records for a group that walks the spit for the LPBO. He reports that 299 birds were found early in September only one week after the previous survey. The survey covers only a 6 to 8 foot wide strip of beach along the entire harbour (north-west) shore ofthe spit. First-year Ring-billed Gulls accounted for about 5Cf/o of the total. Most of the other dead birds were Mallards, Herring Gulls, and adult Ring-billed gulls. About 10% were shorebirds, a group not usually found on the survey. A Broad-winged Hawk and 3 Black-crowned Night Herons were also unu$ual finds. Explanations are difficult. In 1969 and 1973 large numbers cf waterfront, birds died as a result of eleva.ted levels of organochlorines (Dvr, dieldrj_n, etc.); however, since most of the organochlorines have been tanned the amount in our lakes has decreased despite th~ persistence of these chemic-.a.ls. Not surprisingly, tests for 10 different organc.chlorines in birds this year showed only trace levels. According to several estimates the number of Ring-billed Gulls at the spit last year was 40,000. This is between 10 and 20% of the perhaps 500,000 found in lake Ontario. Because food is plentiful in the spring when the annual massive die-off of alewives (a species of fish) occurs, it is probably nesting s-pace that limits the breeding of the gulls although low lake levels this year meant that plenty of territory for nesting was available at the spit this year. By late swnmer young birds were numerous and the food supply was dwindling. Many adult Ring-billed Gulls moved inland to scavenge anywhere -- from parking lots to farm fields. Apparently young gulls are less able to moVe to new sites and learn new feeding habits• therefore, a large number of dead, young birds may be quite natural. Another theory about why so many dead bh'ds have been found is that :.he:,' may be dying of botulism, a disease tra.nsmitted by bacteria and acquired from decuying fish. Some years outbreaks occur. This · year some gulls and ducks from the Toronto Islands died frum botulism, while some birds collected from the spit died from salmonelJa, another bacterial disease of spoiled foods. Certainly some morta.lity is a result of these diEeases, but how much is unknown. · The most puzzllng pa.rt is the large number of dead shorebirds. It is possfole that toxins from the bacteria are passed to them via the food cha.in. Dead gulls and ducks become infested with flies whose larval forms (maggots) eat the dead meat. Although the larvae are immune to the toxins, they may concentrate them in their bodies. If ehorebirds were to eat these disea.se or toxin carriers, then they would be afflicted with the same symptoms as the gulls and ducks. However, because most shorebirds are migrating i.n the fall few should be feeding on enough larvae to cause their deaths. Although some of the Ring-billed Gull deaths may be natural, the shor.ebi:,:d deaths and the detection of bacterial diseases auggest that more resec>.z-ch i.s needed. Steven Price 15 /SCUBA DIVING OFF ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND/ Four of us arrived at Crown Point Airport, Tobago, on January 13 for a week's scuba diving - Sheila, Eddie and Peter from Ottawa, and I from Toronto. We were immediately surrounded by a noisy throng of eager taxi drivers. However, our hotel driver even tually found his way through the crowd and identified himself. Eric was very proud of his new car and his Island and provided us with much local information en route. Blue waters Inn is a very small hotel set right on the beach of its own small bay. The Inn caters to scuba divers, bird watchers and people who just want to get away from it all. The diving facilities are very good, with tanks, weights, a storage area, fresh water wash tubs and shower, 17-foot outboard dive boat and three qualified divemasters. One of the qualified divers was Ron, the hotel manager. He seemed to have a multitude of jobs including serving behind the bar and repairing scuba equipment. The area was excellent for scuba diving, both around the coast of Tobago and off nearby Little Tobago Island. The latter is known as a bird island and on one of our diving trips we took a group of birders there. I was very tempted to join them instead of going diving. However, when we picked them up on our return from a very successful dive they told us that they hadn't seen a thing. The guest book on the Island indicated that this was a typical e~perience! In contrast with the bird life, the wildlife in the coral reefs was outstanding. Schools of surgeon fish and parrotfish swam lazily around underwater gardens of seafans, seaferns and coral heads . Much of the colour underwater was provided by the sponges which came in a multitude of shapes, colours, and sizes. My favourite was the yellowish-brown tube sponge. The most beauti ful fish were the angelfish. There were grey angelfish, French angelfish and, above all, the fabulous queen angelfish. Some of the more interesting underwater scenes were in the shal low water just off the Blue Waters' beach. Here, the seafans were very prominent, waving lazily in the ocean swells. Unfor tunately, the other major coral formation in the shallows was firecoral. This caused red, painful rashes on any diver who brushed against it. Some animals, such as trumpetfish and small squid seemed to keep in these shallows to avoid the larger preda tors of the deeper waters. Others, such as angelfish and butter flyfish were just as common in shallow as in deeper water. Our deepest dives were to a depth of 100 feet. At this depth it was noticeably darker. Also the colours changed so that most objects appeared in shades of blue. This is because sea water filters out light at the red end of the sun's spectrum. The deeper you go, the bluer everything becomes. This effect was most evident in photographs taken at depth. The human eye seems 16 to compensate for this to a degree but the camera makes no such accommodation. It wa s at the greater depths that we met some dangerous fish. Barracudas, moray eels and reef sharks were seen on a number of the dives. The barracudas just seemed curious; they were often se en just inside our limit of vision. They cruised around, never coming close, and then vanished as silently and quickly as t hey had appeared. The moray eels we saw were hidden in coral cre vices with just their heads showing. Danny, our divemaster, once banged his knife on his t ank to alert oUt' attention when we wer e swimmi ng dir ectly towards a large green moray. What the moray would have done if we had innocently swum inches over his head I shudder t o t hink. However, the most awe-inspiring fish were undoubtedly the three reef sharks we saw. Surprisingly, Danny did not appear to share the concerns of the rest of us. One day when he saw a baby reef shark (about six feet long) lying on the bottom, s leeping in the current, he swam up to it and pulled i t s tail. The shar k immediately woke up and tore off at a tremendous speed. Just to prove that this was no freak event, on the last dive Danny took us to another reef where he knew we would find more sharks. He found another si~ foot baby and a twelve foot adult. He then r epeated his tail-pulling trick on the baby with the same result. I often wonder what would have happened if he had tried t hat with the adult shark. At the end of a week 's diving I was beginning to feel at home on the reefs. At the start I had been a complete rookie having only had one previous open- water dive (in Georgian Bay) four years be fore. But by t he end I had mastered the scuba equipment and the underwater camera I had rented and felt completely at home in the water. After Danny counted up to four we all splashed backwards over the side of t he boat together and the cares of the world seemed to fall away. Hanging weightless in the water over coral gardens of i ndescribable beauty 1s an experience which cannot be equalled. No J acques Cousteau movie can duplicate it. It is a memory that I will treasure forever. Chris Rickwood . Over twenty organizations frorri the United States and Canada have come together to sponsor this international citizen's conference on acid rain. By understanding its causes and effects,' the technological and legal mechanisms for its control, and ·by questioning involved politicians first-hand, • citizen delegates will be equipped to prepare and fully participate in follow-up action programs. Registration Fee (includes two lunches and banquet ); $40 up to October 19 $45 after October 19 For details of programme. including registration forms. contact FON 17 / THE COMMON NIGHTHArJK HAS p ANACHTI Tho Common ~:ighthawk, Chordeiles minor, belongs to the ordP-r of C,oa t suckers, CAPRIMULGIFORMES , in the family of True GoatsuckArs, CAPRIMULGIDAE, Of course t hey do not suck on eoats, In ancient times in Greece, goatherds f al sel y a ssU111e I livooin Toronto for many years before I became tur.ed i n to the "raspberry" call of the nighthavlks, Once a friend mentioned it to me, and had ~~ listen for t.¾e sound, I heard it all su:mner long i n the city. '!hese birds have white-banded, long-pointed winirn, t-ihite-handed tails, f l:it heads and great bi g mouths -- useful for catching moth s, They feed on t re mendous amount s of insects, including mosquitoes, flying ant s , beetles and possibly houseflies, '!he usual time to see nighthawks is in the evenin~ m en t hey p ut on a di splay of flying high, in t ~~sting and turning curves, before zooming down t o snatch insects, Ral ph Y.ni e;hts of Toronto reports watching a display in Mo narch Park 1-men several starlinr;s joined in the show, l!ow like those p;regari ous birds to join in other birds' smnmer ~runes! They tired before the nig:hthai.ik s a s their ~dngs are not so streamlined. I never thought a nighthawk would serve as an alarm-clock. 3ut i n August ,:,,hen my alarm was on the blink , the "beep" of a nighthawk woke me up at 6 a , !'l,, in time for wor k , So they do fly at dawn too, Niehthawks lay h~ eggs on the tops of tall buildings i n the city, to hatch out fluff y young. I have never seen any, but I knowthose vho have; I keep looking. The Common Nightha'Wk i s widespread in North America, migrating to South America in the f all, I have seen some catching insects over a lake near Acapulco, Mexico, although these were probably the lesser Nighthawk, Chordei les acutiuennis, vhich is a southwestern bird, I would like to say , for true beauty of style and form, these birds are worth watching, along with the swifts and swallows, for they have panache, Joy Pocklington Wlispering to the cold air, the brittle cornstalks. (Haiku by 18 Paul W. Smith) !A NATURALIST'S - CODE -·OF--ETHICs] In the November i978 issue of the NEWSLETTER, reference was made to the preparation of a list of "do's" and "don't's" for persons who enjoy the outdoors, and several issues since have included copies of signs and codes used by various organiza tions in other parts of the world. If you have any suggestions for this project or for codes that might be of interest to our members, please send them to Miss Florence Preston, . 368 Eglinton Ave. East, Apt. 203, Toronto, M4P 1L9. Following is a summary of the regulations of Environment Canada Wildlife Service concerning Migratory Bird Sanctuaries. I n National Wildlife Areas, the followinq activities are prohibited: --hunting or fishing --possession of firearms or other hunting devices --possession of any wildlife or carcass, nest, egg or parts thereof --destroying or molesting any wildlife, carcasses, nests or eggs --cutting, picking, removing or willfully damaging any vegetation --disturbing or removing soil, sand, gravel or other material --removing, defacing, damaging or destroying any artifact, natural object, building, fence, poster sign or other structure --any farming activity --recreational activities such as camping, swimming, picnicing or having campfires --using a boat, aircraft or other vehicle --any commercial or industrial activity --dumping or depositing any rubbish, waste material, or substance that would degrade or alter the quality of the environment --entry into any National Wildlife Area where notice pro- hibiting such entry has been given. In Migratory Bird Sanctuaries the following activities are prohibited: --hunting or disturbing migratory birds --disturbing nests or eggs of migratory birds --possessing any migratory bird (alive or dead) or any nest or egg --possession of any firearm or other hunting device in almost all sanctuaries --allowing any dog or cat to run at large on a sanctuary -entering, during the ne~ting season, certain sanctuaries that protect birds whicn nest in colonies. Everywhere in Canada the following activities are pro hibited: --depositing oil or any other substance harmful to migratory birds in any waters or area frequented by migratory birds --disturbing any nest of a migratory bird --possession of any migratory bird (alive or dead), skin, neat or egg unless authorized by permit --selling any of these items unless authorized by permit. 19 ..... • / I ~ ~-~;'••?_::--f t .. ~__..,:=-,:;:-.,.-;:::-~ "':":"7 ., .,., --- • - The Earthworms of Ontario by Dr. John w. Reynolds, ROM "Life Sciences" Publication, 1977, 141 pp, illustrated, including glossary. 1-hen I was mowing. the lawn one day, a rfour-year-old neighbour rushed up to me in great excitem"lnt to show me his new pet l«>rm. "¼hat do ooms eat7" he asked anxiously. My ignorance on the subject was embarrassing. A long time passed after that before I learned that eart.~worms ingest soil, humus and litter, extract nutrients needed and excrete the rest as a casting. It was still longer before I discovered that earthworms are in a phylum far removed from the ins~cts and other arthropods - not just a different class or order. 'J.bat phylum is the Annelida (segmented animals). The Earthworms of Ontario provides a welcome means of expanding 9ne's awareness of t.'1is int"3r<>s~.:.ing and beneficial group of animals. 'Ibey belong in the class Oligochaeta (t'leaning ''few-bristled") mich also includes aquatic members, and is only one of several classes of annelids. Terrestrial oligo chaetes are usually referrE'ld to as "megadriles" just for convenience. Most animals of such primitive development are either marine or microscopic. Studying thA meg~driles is a good chance to learn something of the lower invertebrates on land and without a microscope. 'J.be smallest is of the genus Bimastos and is less than 20 mm long. 'J.bere is only one representa tive in Ontario, an accidental introduction into the Canadian Agricultural Arboretum, Ottawa. 'J.be largest are of the genera Glossosoolex and Mega scolides and measure from 1.2 to J meters; they are tropical, the largest occurring in Brazil and Australia. Some species of earthworm can tolerate Arctic conditions, e~ g. Eisenia foetida. For all their p~imitiveness, the megadriles are not so simple. In the monograph, 59 body parts are listed including muscles, nerves, digestive, reproductive and excretory organs, and two ''hearts"! Organs are located in specific segments or joined by special connectives. Of the 19 Ontario species described, 18 belong in the family Lumbricidae of mich only one is native to North America - but not to Canada - (Bimastos mentioned above). Typical Lumbricidae, among the twelve species found in Toronto, are the colourful "nii.mtcrawler" or "dew worm", Lurnbricus terres ~. 90-300 mm long, brownish-rad or violet above and yellowish-orange below; and the "Canadian -worm", Aporrectodea tuberculata, (litlich, despite its name, is Old World in origin), 90-150 mm long, almost white or grey, some times lightly coloured on the back. 'J.be nightcrawler has a'~addle" while the Canadian TNDrm has a "girdle" completely encircling the body. 'Ibis swelling which takes various forms is known as the "clitellum" and is present only in adults; it accommodates gland cells which secrete material for the formation of a cocoon wiich is then "shrugged off", picking up eggs and sperm on the way (since organs of both sexes are present in each indi vidual). Once we've established which way the worm is going, we can avail ourselves of a good field-mark - by examining with a hand-lens the front lobe (called the "prostomium") just above the mouth. 'Ihe nightcrawler' s is "tanylobic" in arrangement, ~ Note how the lobe at the top extends right to the back of \__Y the first body segment. ( Two other Toronto worms have this arrangement.) 'Ihat of thhe tCanadid an 'Wt>rtm is "epilobic"1 & Notethhow the lobed at t e op oes ll2_ extend to the back of e first boy segment.(Eiglt other Toronto worms have this arrangement. ) With the help of a key or chart, it is possible to differentiate between the species of Toronto, through size, shape (some are flattish at the end), colour, arrangement of saddle or girdle and its location, number of segments, arrangement of the setae (little bristles wiich help in locomotion and digging) and other features. '!here is only one other family of megadrile present in Ontario. 'Ihe Sparganophilidae, represented by one species, the American mud worm, Sparganophilus eiseni. It is apparently native to the Province and is found in Halton County (close enough to Toronto) as well as around Lake Erie, the Bruce and Parry Sound. 'Ihis is the only earthworm, it seems, which can r eally be considered native. '!he author of the monograph believes that continental drift does not explain the presence of so many European species here; i t is thought that it was the glaciers 'Which depauperized native species and, if this is so, the Old World species 'WOuld have met the same fat e. Fortunately our native mud worm can be readily identified. It is the only one with a "zygolobiC''arrangement arrangement of the front lobe, (\., Note how the lobe is fused with the first body segment. \.j'/ 'Ihe mu,hiorm has a long "saddle" 'Which extends about three- quarters of the way around the body - it covers ten segments. 'Ihough the mud -worm is unpigmented, it sometimes appears pink with a blue green iridescence. It is 1.50-200 mm long with 165-200 segments (compared with the nightcrawler, our longest -worm, wiich ha s 120-160 segments.) 'Ihe habitat of the mud -worm, as its name implies, is muddy banks of streams, river s and ponds. It would be interesting to find it in Toronto. From what I can gather only a few places have actually been studied here - notably · Edenbrook, Islington and Scarborough Bluffs. (Let us know if you find one:) 'Ihe monograph also deals with the enemies of the earthworms - they are para si t i zed by a fly and eaten by -woodcocks , robins, moles, garter snakes and flatwrms. Killing soil pests may also kill the earthworms 'Which are valu able for aeration of soil, mixing of soil ingredients, drainage, root pene t ration and production of tilth for habitation by smaller fauna. Many tons of soil per acre per year can be moved (a fact established by Darwin in his time). Ruins of ancient civilizations are buried by earthworms, it is said. Study outlines and guides to earth-worm culture are included in the monograph, as well as distribution and ecology. 'Ihe excellent four-page appendix, ''Provincial Description" of Ontario would be valuable for habitat study of any flara or fauna here. It deals with soil types, vegetation regions, list ing prevalent species, and climate classification. c One thing that is missing (surprisingly for an ROM publication) is an index: 'Ihe "List of Contents" is helpful but does not take the place of a more 21 det ailed "index", Also, though the illustrations by Dr, Daniel L, Dindal are excellent, only the front end of the worm - to the end of the saddle or girdle - is shown in each case, Most of the specialization is included in this portion, it seems, Apparently not much happens at the back end of the worm , but surely it should be illustrated at least once, It is stated that not all earthworms leave their castings above-ground, but in the descriptions of species, it is not consistently stated mich do and which 11 do not, One area that is barel y touched is "regeneration ; an explanation of which parts can be regenerated in the case of mutilation would have been usef ul, 1hese are some of the drawbacks I personally encountered. Of course, the book is intended for those more advanced in zoology; yet with a few consi derations, such books could serve amateur 11all-round naturalists" better. Unconsciously many expert~ such as Dr. Reynolds, thorough as they are, ''presume" certain knowledge in their readers. All compl aints notwithstanding, there is probably no other book which can t el l us so much about our Ontario earthworms and in such depth. Zoology beginners 'Who are inte~ested in the subject may wish to read a brief description of annelids in a good encyclopaedia before starting on their study of this most intriguing monograph, D, B. Preserving Natural Areas in Ontario, Private OWnershi p and Public Rights by John Swaigen, September 1979. A clear, concise description of the present legal situation, and direction for its improvement. 62 pages. Available for $3. 00 from : Canadian Environmental Law Aesociation, fl Sp11dina Crescent, Toronto, Ontario M5 S 2J5. WINTER BOTANY Even when t he s now falls and the cold winds blow, you can sti l l enjoy Botany . Here are a few suggestions for the winter. Let us know if you ha ve other ideas to pass on to TFN members. Allan Gardens - Gr eenhouses in park, southwest corner of Carl ton and Sherbourne. (367- 7286) Open 10.00 a . m. to 5.00 p.m., seven days a week. Admission free. Always a good showing of interesting and unusual plants a nd flowers. Etobicoke Greenho uses - Centennial Park, Renforth and Rathburn. (626-455 7 ) Open 10.00 a . m. to 5.00 p . m., seven days a week. Admission f r ee. Always beautiful displays of interesting flowers and plants. Mount Pleasant Cemeter - Entrance from Yonge Street or Mt. Pleasant, just north o 1 St. Clair. An excellent collection of trees and shrubs , many of which are labelled. Metropolitan Toronto Zoo - Meadowvale Rd., just north of the 401. (284-8181) Open 10 . 00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., seven days a week. Adults $3. 00. Senior Ci tizens and children 12 to 17 $1.50. Children 5 to 11 $.SO. Buildings contain plants as well as animals of areas on display. 22 2 h ~----H_O_L_I_DA_Y_s_u_G_GE_s_T_I_O_NS~1/ Have you ever considered taking a natural history holiday? A holiday which concentrates on some aspect of nature such as birds, game-parks, geology, or plants? Many of our members have, and they are very enthusiastic about such trips. There is great diversity in location and price, as well as length of time and special subject. For instance: Would you like to go to - Antarctica, New Guinea, Amazon . River, Easter Island, Galapagos? Write to: Society Expeditions, Dept. NY Box 5088, University citation, Seattle, Wa. 98105. Questers Nature Tours go to: Hawaii, Mexico, Guatemala, Florida, New Zealand, Sri Lanka. v~ite to: Questers Tours and Travel, 257 Park Ave. South, New York City 10010. Merlin Birding Tours specialize in Texas, Arizona and Central America tours as well as Alaska. Write to: Merlin Birding Tours, 1736 Albans, Houston, Texas 77005 What about concentrating on the wildlife of the British Isles? There are many tours, perhaps especially in Scotland. The Caledonian Wildlife Services based at Inverness offers week long holidays, staying at the Centre and going out by the day in a mini-bus. Groups are normally limited to ten. Write to: Caledonian Wildlife Services, 2 Kingsmills Gardens, Inverness I V2 3LU Highland Wildlife Enterprises has been running weekly field courses in the Scottish highlands in natural history, botany, ornithology, Scottish wildlife, etc. Write to: Highland Wildlife Enterprises, Aigas Field Centre, Aigas, Beauly, Inverness-shire. Trips to the Hebrides are run by: Hanns Ebensten Travel, 55 West 42nd Street, New York City 10036. Would you like something closer to home, right here in Canada? Many of us know about Nature Travel Service, the service Gus Yaki set up a few years ago. His trips cover most of the best birding spots on this continent, and there are some further afield. Anyone who has travelled with Gus is full of enthusiasm for his planning and knowledge of all aspects of natural history. Write to: Nature Travel Service, 6372 Montrose Road Niagara Falls, Ontario, 12H 116 "Birdlovers Special" to Chatham is one of VIA rail specials and is available weekends in Spring and Fall . For information about other nature-lovers' trips by VIA write to: VIA Rail Canada Ltd., Suite 407, 20 King St. West, Toronto, Ont. M5H 1C4 2J Jr you would Like to go above t'l.e :,retie Circle and exp.lore sor.ie of the Canadian Arctic, you will find natur8lists at f3athurst Inlet Loqge. 1,-Jri te to: Bathurst Inl et Lodge, 1 .Jetta :)rive, Box 820 Yellowknife, m,rr. Guided tours by experienced naturalists, special izing in pelagic birding and \vest Coast natural history can be taken on the Queen Charlotte Islands, Okanagan Valley, Vancouver I sland, and the Peace River Parklands. 'Nrite to: Swiftsure Tours Ltd. 119 - 645 Fort Street, Victoria, 3. C. VBW 1G2. Perhaps one of the most exciting adventures would be to go whale-watching in the St. LaWTence River. These trips are of various lengths and prices. For details of them, WTi t e to: Whale Watching Trips Na tional Museum of Na tural Sciences Ottawa, Ontario, KlA OM8 Gerald Iles, 2053 Vendome :\venue hontreal, i'.;)uebec; Hl+A JE4 Zoological Society of Montr eal 2055 Peel Street Montreal, Quebec, HJ.A lVl+. This is only a smattering of the trips that are available. Look in the advertising pages of magazines and newspapers and you will be amazed to see what trips are offered these days. SUBWAY MOU3E The following anecdote was related in a letter received from Charles R. Howe. The article, "'Tis the Little Things", in the October 1979 Newsletter reminds me of something that happened to a mouse just last week. As I was standing on the southbound TTC platform in Eglinton Station at 11.JO p.m., I noticed a sooty little mouse run under the east track to the west track where he stopped and sat. I stood there waiting to see what he would do next, when the vibrations of the southbound sub• way train reverberated down the track. The mouse stayed put until the train was less then twenty-five yards away and then you never saw aadapt mouse themselves run so fast to somein all of oft:: your_:t life. extraordi:~c~=ta;~ These creatures can certainly 24 peop/e; ___R_E_D_MA_S_O_N - Chairman of the Bird_G_,r_o_u_p__ ~-- Red Mason has been Chairman of the Bird Group for the past ten years and is keenly interested in all aspects of bird life. He has shared his enthusiasm for birding with countless numbers of people with whom he has come in contact in connection with his activities with the TFN, the FON, the TOC, and the American Birding Association. He is well known as an expert birder and has been honoured with a life membership in the FON. Red started birding after returning to Ontario from South America in 1948. As a flight engineer with an oil company, he has many opportunities to study birds all over North America, from the Arctic to Mexico. The TFN is indeed fortunate in having Red as the leader of the Bird Group and as organizer of many "birding" trips which encourage and inspire other members to observe and study birds. WHO'S WHO IN THE TFN 1979-80 President ...... Wes Hancock . . . .757-5518 Vice President ...... Helen Juhola . . . .924-5806 Past President . . • • • • . Ron Thorpe . . . . .484-1807 Board of Directors . . . . . Dave Broughton .489-7444 . . . . . Linda Cardini .769-0956 . . . . . Brian Gray . . .967-0690 . . . . . Laura Greer . . . .691-4888 ...... Jean Macdonald . . .425-6596 . . . Joan O'Donnell . . .745-9111 • • • . . John Riley . • (days)978-3542 • . . . • Mark Sawyer . . . .782-3116 . . . . . Mary Smith . . . . .231-5302 Membership Secretary Ida Hanson. • .488-7304 Treasurer .•••• Helen Yemen •••• 783-2155 Auditor ••.••• Al Kennedy ••••• 491-1564 Audubon Films ...... David Langford . . .463-6302 Bird Group . • ...... • Red Mason . • . . .621-3905 Botany Group . • • . • • . • Isabel Smaller . . .447-9397 Environmental Group . . . . Melanie Milanich . .924-0338 Exhibits • • • • • • • • • • Laura Greer • • • .691-4888 Jas. Baillie Reserve . . . . John Lowe-Wylde . .284-5628 Junior Field Naturalists . . Sheila McCoy . . . .755-5671 Newsletter Index ...... Bruce Parker . . . .449-0994 OFB Editor ...... Barbara Wilkins . .483-6742 Outings . . . . . • • • . . Mary Smith . . . . .231-5302 Photo Librarian ...... Roger Chittenden . .757-4363 Program . • . • ...... Joan O'Donnell • • .745-9111 Radio Nature Notes . . . . • Harold Taylor . . .225-2649 Toronto Bird Observatory . . Dave Broughton .489-7444 Volunteers ...... • . Muriel Miville . • .463-8066 25 News from the Toronto Bird Observatory "In 1903 the ringing of birds was begun at the famous migration station of Rossitten in Germany •••• Not long after, when a Bulgarian shot a spotted eagle, banded with the number 1285, the local press carried a report of a bird over 600 years old. " --from page 121 of Joseph J. Hickey's book, "A Guide to Bird Watching" The Toronto Bird Observatory opened the Fall banding season on Mugg•s Island August 18 in the midst of very active warbler migration. The movement of warblers continued well into September when they were replaced by larger passerines and later by sparrows. This Fall a full-time dusk-to-dawn banding program is being carried on at both l'lugg 0 s Island in Toronto Harbour and at Lynde Shores in Whitby in order to determine the migratory patterns of the saw-whet owl. • Banding birds provides an unusual opportunity to confront delicate and elusive creatures close at hand. It also requires exacting personal discipline. Persons wishing to share this experience and discipline should contact: Warren Russell - 466-2733 - for day and night-time banding at f-iugg's Island. Rob Nisbet - 668-0692 Whitby ) for night- time banding at Lynde Shores. - 533-6757 Toronto ) Donald Pope Great Lakes Herring Gulls have been marked vith numbered and lettered green, orange, blue or pink leg ribbon - one on each leg. If you see any Herring Gulls so marked, please note number, letter and colour of each ribbon and date and place of sighting. Contact Dr. D. V. Chip Weseloh or Mr. Pierre Mineau, Canadian Wildlife Service, Box 5050, Burlington, Ontario, Canada, L7R 4A6. Tel. (416) 637-4264. NEWSLETTER EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Ms. Diana Banville - 690-1963 (mo, 7 Crescent Place, Toronto, !14-C 5L7) M!.ss Mildred Easto - 488-0962 (,1416, 28 Broad'W&y A.Te., Toronto, ~p 1T5) Mrs, Helen Juhola - 924-5806 (ffell2, 51 Alexander St., Toronto, 111-Y lB_'.3) Miss Jean :1&cdonald - 425-6596 (88 Parklea Drive, Toronto, M4G 2J8) Miss F1..orence Preston - 483-9530 (i20'3, )68 Eglinton A.w. · East,. Toronto, H4P ~~9)j Articles and/or drawings tor the NE\,ISLETl'ER will be welco- and mu.st reach a nuffl1ber of the Editorial Collllllittee by the first day of the month. Articles may be anywiere 1'?-om one or t\lO sentences to 1500 '-'Ords in length. 26 Civic Garden Centre Mon. Nov. 12 Plans are still under way for a birding trip by chartered bus to Niagara if there is a sufficient number of interested people. Please call the Centre, 445-1552, if you would like to join this trip. Tue. Nov. 20 Joint meeting with the Botany Group of TFN. 8.00 p.m. PLANTS OF MEXICO - Mr. Keith Squires, Brampton. Location: Civic Garden Centre, 777 Lawrence Ave. E., at Leslie. ======Royal Ont ario Museum A ser ies of films entitled "South Pacific Adventure" will be shown on Tuesday at 12.00 noon during November at the Royal Ontario Museum, Bloor Street West at Queen's Park Cres. Admission free . ======Royal Canadian Institute Lectures Lectures at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto. Admission free. Saturday Heavy Water for Nuclear Energy Nov . 3 - Mr. Robt. F. u. Icely, P.En~. 8.15 p.m. Manager, Bruce Heavy Water Plant, Nuclear Generation Division, Ontario Hydro, Tiverton, Ont. Saturday The Changing Fa9e of Psychiatry Nov. 10 - Dr. Richard Hunter, F.R.C.P. 8.15 p.m. Consultant Psychiatrist, Friern Whittington and the National Hospital, Queen's Square, London, Eng. Saturday First of a series on "Looking Northward and the Nov . 1 7 People and the Land"-- 8.15 p . m. Native Rights in the New World, A Glance at History - Hon. Mr. Justice Thos. Berger, B.A., LL.B., LL.D. Judqe of the Supreme Court of B.C. Sat urday The Inuit: The People and Their Land Nov. 24 - Mr. Fred Bruemmer, author and photographer 8.15 p . m. Montreal, Que. ======s = = , AUDU80N Mon.Nov.19 Mountain Magics Tetons, Sanff and Alaska 8.15 p.m. - Walter Berlet Location: O.I.SoEo Auditorium 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto. Tickets -- $3.00 each, available at the door. 27 GE NE R AL ME E T I NG S 252 Bloor Street West (O.I.S.E. Bldq.) (Between Bedford Road and St. Georqe Street) Mo~a_y, NovemJ?er S, '.h_~ at 8 .15 E•r.!l.•. FUNGI, HISTORY AND CRIME - Professor John F. Morgan-Jones Professor Morgan-3ones will show a £ilm, "The Moult'lts ~~e Live With", as well aa a series of slides of poisonous and edible mushrooms. He will deacribe how aome uoiaonous muah• rooms have been involved with famous fi~ures and events of the past • .. ------·--- ..------·---·------·'•----...... ---...... December meeting -- Monday, December 3, 1979, at------8,15 p.m. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * • ~ R () II P MF. .F_UJLU lHrd Group ~-Nov. 2 8 Alon~ the Sideroads with 3S mm. slides 8.00 p.m. •Mr.Ted Ma~inn, Natur~ Photographer Location: St, Jamee Bond United Church Avenue Road, just north of Eglinton :1111:1:1:ttt Botan~ nro..im ii1ui".ov7"lo Plants of Mexico e.oo p.m. - Mr, Keith Squires, Brampt~n Looation: Civic Gard@n Centre 777 La~r@noe Ave, Eaat, at Lealie (Lealie Bua No. 51 from Eglinton 1ubwty 1tation) !.~!: · Thid i1 a joint meeting with the Civio ~arden Centre. 111111:1:1111 Environmental Grout 'f'fiu-;·1;1,v, is·- lfe.!d e Creak e.oo p.m. - Mr. Ian Montagnem , Univernitv o, Toronto Pren ■ tooation1 Huron Street Public Schoel 541 Huron St., 1 block w11t of St. Gaorqa aubway 1tation ll lll l!ltll!! Juhior Club (for children between a and 16 yeara of•~•) Jit:7ro'v:"',- · Habitd and t.iving Style of leptil.e1 · 10,00 a.m. •Mr.Stan Mazur, arou~ Laader, Junior Field Naturali1ta Location, Planetarium Auditorium (immediately acuth of Royal Ontario Mu■ eum) 1111111111111