Decem ber 2006 • Vo lume 37, No.4 THE OSPREY NATURE JOURNAL OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
• NATURAL HI STORY SOCIETY OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Publicati on Mai l Registration # 8302 ISSN 0710-4847 THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR P.O. Box 1013.51. John's, NLA IC 5M3 Fditoriall)olicy: • ,\11 members are alcouraged to contribute articles and materials in accordance "'ilh the society's mandate fOf publication in-The o..prey-
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HOME WORK FAX Past Act.~sident - Rita Anderson rjta if plav [)5\'Ch mlln ca 895-2564 737-877 1 737-2430
Vice Pre~ident - John Jacobs iijj!;Q~fa'ml.!!l.!dl 738-3147 737-8 194 737-3119 Secretary- Don Steele d5Ittls:!!!mJ.lD!;J 754-0455 737-7520 737-3018 Treasurer-Jackic l cltham If~!lhamfa'[oag!l!!l!lr:r D[DI
Cover Armork: Central A\a1on Forest near Ripple Pond. Photo by J. Jacobs. September 25. 2005 • THE , OSPREY
NATURE JOURNAL OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
December 2006 Volume 37, No. 4
CONTENTS
Editor's Note ;v The fall migration (2006) in Saint-Pierre ct Miquelon islands 87 by Roger Etcheberry A,'alon 11cninsula Forest Management Plan, District 1 95 by A llan Stein Index clcctrofishing in the City rivers, September 2006 101 by R. John Gibson Foray Newfoundland & Labrador 2006 107 by Andrus Voitk Press Release: Toxic Dumping 110 What is Bird Studies CanJ.l da? 112 by Lois Bateman • New Orchid Book 113
• The Natural History Society •I Editor's Note
Dear Society Members,
The fall 0[2006 was a warm one for Newfoundland and Labrador, most of eastern Canada, and especially the High Arctic' Temperatures from I to 2 °C above normal across our province and near nonnal preci pi tation in most areas were good for fall outdoor activities. Among these was the annual mushroom foray of the Humber Natural History Society - conducted this year on the Avalon - as described in this issue by Andrus Voitk . It was not a bad season for observing the fa U bird migration, as Roger Etcheberry notes in his report from Saint-Pierre et Miquelon. And fall streamflow conditions were within reasonable limits most of the time, allowing John Gibson and friends to carry out surveys of fish populations in the urban rivers ofSt. John's. It was quite a busy season for our members.
This last issue of The Osprey for 2006 is hopefully "last" in another respect - that of being delayed in reaching members and other subscribers. Your NHS executive have been working with our editor, _ El izabeth Zedel, toward a more effective team approach to the process of soliciting good articles and getting them to you in a more timely fas hion. Those of you who have opted for the e-mailed (PDF) version wi ll perhaps notice this first. (Another benefit is that most of our photos are in colour in the electronic version, something production costs do not pennit in the printed one). You can make the shift by sending an e-mail messagewithyourfullnameandaddressto:[email protected]
And keep those articles coming in!
John D. Jacobs Vice President
'Environment Canada - www.msc-smc.ec.gc.calccnn/bulletin/autumn06/national e.cfm
• 87 The fall migration (2006) in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon islands Mique/on, December 13, 2006. by Roger Etcheberry
• ~. This was the ONLY acceptable season thi s year, as far as weather was concerned, November was somewhat _ ' exceptional, particularly warm and sunny. ,. ,. I.-- - -
Rcd-throated Loon : A couple of birds were heard on the Isthmus on August 9 (RE) and one adult was on a pond of western Miquclon on September 28 (LJ). Four other sightings at sea between October 1 and November 7 for a maximum of 5 birds (LJ/RE). Common Loon : Two adults and onc immature were on the sat l pond near the village of Miquclon (where one stayed until Sept. 9) on Aug. 6 (RE). Reported then regul arl y throughoul lhe season, few birds at a time (m. ab.). Pied-billed G rehe : One report onl y, one on Mirande lake. November 2 (FD) Rcd-necked Grebe : Two were ofT the west coast of the Isthmus and one off the west coast ofMiquelon on October 2 (RE). There was a maximum of6 birds off the cast coast of Miquclon on November I. We have a total of onl y 9 observations for the season (RElDLlFPA). Northern [ulmar: Several dozens were seen at sea, south-east of St. Pierre on September 6 (TV). On October I I had one on some high grasses on the Isthmus. Whi le trying to escape it finally went out of the grasses and took ofT wi thout any apparent problems! There were termed "very numerous" about 20 milcs south of SI. Pierre on October 1 (TV IPB) one was a grey phase bird. Greater Shc3rnstcr : Several hundred birds were south of St. I>ierre on September 6 and 200 were near Colombier island the next day (TV). Several hundreds were prescnt 20 miles south ofSt. Pierre on • October 1 (PBrrV). Last report. about 500. south of St. Picrre on October 28 (TV). Sooty Shenovater : Several dozens were with the Greatcrs, south of St. I)ierre on September 6 (TV) and a few dozens. about 20 mi les south of St. Pierre on October I (TRlPB). Manx Shcarwstcr : One report only; several with the other puffin species about 20 miles south of S1. Pierre on October 1 (PB). Northern Cgnnct : Several hundreds were present south of Green island on August 31 (TV). A few here and there up to November 14 (m. ob.). I)Qyble-erested Cormorant: Up to 75 birds were seen rcgularly on the sa lt pond near the vi llage of Miquelon up to the end of September. Much fewer afterwards (RE). Crest CQrmorant : No reports for this resident! Great blue neron . Two reports only for Miquelon this fall: One near the vi llage on October 27 (JCH) and one ncar Mirande lake on November 7 (FD). The species was present in SI. Pierre from October 25 to November 24 invo lving at times 2 birds and possibly 3 (m. ob.). ~ : One bird was near the vi llage of Miquelon between August 5 and 7 (RE) and one. same area. fro m October 24 to November 2 (RFlDL). Snowy Egret· One was in St. Pierre between October 14 and 25 (U/PHAlPB). Grecn Heron : One was in S1. Pierre between October 9 and 25 (PHAlRfJDUPB/U). Black-crowned Night-Heron: One immature in St. Pierre on October 10 (RElPBIPI-I A). and one (the same 7) between November 1 and 9 (PNPHA). Canada Goose: There were up to 100 birds on the Isthmus and vicinity in August (RElLJ). probably mostly breeders and broods. Very uncommon on Grand Barachois as it is si nce 1985. The maximum • migrating birds seen in ni ght were 78 above the village on September 28 (LJ/RE). 25 were seen at sea 88 off the Isthmus on November 26 (Ll). Very few birds were seen in S1. Pierre (PBfPHA). Wood Duck: A female was in St. Pierre on November 22 (PHNLJ). Gadwall : One was with a Shoveler near the village of Miquelon on September 22 (FDfRE). Eurasian Wigeon: One eclipse bird was near the town of 5t. Pierre between November to the end of e the period (LJIPBIPA). American Wigeon: One male was with the above, same site, date and observers. American Black duck: 86 and 144 at Grand Barachois on August 9 and 17 respectively were high for the season (RE). Numbers raised to 244 on September 14, to 334 on September 24. In October we had a maximum of 449 on the first fortnight and an absolute record of 695 on October 29 (RE). In November, numbers raised again for a maximum of approximately 850 birds. (previous record was 638 in December 2000) . .M..i!l.l.ard : There was a maximum of 3 males at Grand Barachois between Sept. 29 and Nov. 26 (RFJLJ). Blue-winged Teal: Two were in S1. Pierre on October 21 (PHA) and one on November 22 (PB). Nort hern Shoveler: One with a Gadwall near the village of Miquelon on September 22 (FDIRE). One female was in S1. Pierre from Nov. II to the end of the period (the same which was brought in by Wilma last year ?). Northern Pintail: The first breeders to appear on the lagoon of Grand Barachois were about 15 on August 4 (RE). Fairly common there and on surrounding marshes up to October 4, fewer then up to the end of the period (REIPHAlLJIPB). Green-winged Teal: Fairly common and well reported throughout the season in Miquelon and Langlade. A few birds were seen regularly in S1. Pierre near the town. May be it is the occasion to say a few words about "Boulot pond" in S1. Pierre which, being close to the city is not open to hunting and have several domestic fowl that attract many wild species! Ring-necked Puck: Two reports for Langlade : 9 and 6 birds on Sept. 29 and Oct. 7 respectively ~ Greater SCilUp : Surprisingly, there are no breeding reports! The first fa ll birds appeared around mi . September mostly in Mirande lake. Numbers started to build-up around mi-October to reach a maximum of 102 on Mirande lake on November 26 (LJ). A few were also seen on the Isthmus (RE). Lesser Scaup: One bird is in S1. Pierre since November I (PAlLJIPB). Common Eider: There were about 30 birds off the east coast ofMiquelon on August 18 (RE). About 2000 birds were around S1. Pierre on November 23 and about 600 off the harbour of Miquelon on November 26 (RE). Harlequin Duck: The first one, an immature or female was near S1. Pierre on September 6 (LJ) and one female, same area, on September 26 (DG). Three were ofT Langlade on September 30 (LJ). One report only for October: 7 on October 29 (PH A). I had two males off the West coast of Miquelon on November 23. LJ had 30 birds on the now usual wintering site, south-west of St. Pierre on November 24. ~ : The first migrants appeared on October 6. A few here and there up to November 12 (RE). W h jte-winged Scoter : Common as usual, mostly off the east coast of Miquelon and off Mirande lake throughout the season (RE). Black Scoter : Few birds or few reports! There were 6 birds off Mirande on October 18 and about 10 olTtbe west coast of Miquelon on November 4 (RE). There were 430 scoter sp. ofItbe east coast of the Isthmus on September 28 (LJ) and about 900 scoter sp., same area, on November 7 (RE). I long-tailed puek : A pair was seen and photographed near the east coast of Miquelon on the unusual date of August 18 (RE). The first migrant (a male) appeared in Miquelon on October 6, 9 days earlier than average (RE). Fairly common from October 28 on (REIDLIPHA). B..u..m£b£..wl : One male was at Grand Barachois on November 7 (RE) and one male at Grand Barachois e and a female on a pond nearby on November 23 (RE). C ommon Goldeneye: Two immature near the village ofMiqueJon were the earliest ever on September 89 17. There was one female, same area, on October 6. About 65 were at Grand Barachois on November 7 and about 90 on November 23 (RE). Red-hreasted Mnga nscr : Common about as usual. Several broods were presen! on Mirande lake and near the vi llage ofMiquelon in August and September. .Q.uu:.tt : One in St. Pierre on August 27 and one near Mirande lake on September 22 (RE). One at • Langlade on October 20 (LJ). Swallow-ta iled Kite: Well seen and well described by Jacky Hebert near the village of Miquelon on September 20. This is the third report for our islands. ~ : Fairly caDunan, about as usual (01. ab.). No rthern Harrier: Fa irly common. about as usual, mostly immature, between August 9 and October 22 (RElLJIPHA). Sha rp-shinned Ihwk : Fairly common from September 8 to Oclober 6, from I to 3 birds at a time (UI PHNRElFD). DO had 4 birds in Cape Miquelon 00 September 16. Northern Goshawk : 4 observations only between October I and November 26 only in Miquelon and Cape Miquelon (LJ/RE). Roygh-Iegged Hawk: Two were reported from Col am bier island on September 10 (DO). American Kestrel: None reported! M£.d.in : About as usual, although reported mostly for Saint-Pierre, from August 30 to November 15 (m. ob.). Peregrine Fa lcoo : One in Cape Miquelon on August 7 (RE). One immature at Langlade on September 28 and 30 (LJ). One at Orand Barachois on October 20 (Ll). PUrPle Galljoule : One in SI. Pierre on October 11 and 12 was seen and photographed by PB. This was a fi rst for an inunature in our islands. Pictures could be seen on our newsgroup. American Coot : Seen in St-Pierre only as follows: 1 on September 25 (PHA); two on October 6 (DO); three on October 16 (PB); Four on November 13 (PB). mack-bellied Plover : A very good season for the species according to all observers. Seen as usual, • mostly at Grand Barachois and near the village ofMiquelon up to Nov. 25 (m. ob.). Few reported from SI. Pierre (PB). Americitn Golden Plover : Seen in fairly good numbers between August 12 and October 28 (REfPB) mostly at Grand Barachois and near the vi llage of Miquelon. Two were seen in St. Pierre on September 6 and I I (PB). Sem jpalmated Ployer : Rather uncommon during the nesting season, it was quite common, several hundreds, about as usual, throughout the fa ll, up to October 22 (m. ob.). Piping Ployer : One pai r was with one young in the southern part of the Isthmus on August 16 (PB) and two were near the Gul ly of Grand Barachois on August 26 (LJ) . .Ki!!!!ttr : One in St-Pierre on October 27 (FPA) and two on October 30 (Ll). G reater Ycllowlel's : Quite common and very well reported fo r the three islands from August 1 to November 12 (m. ab.). The maximum was 62 together on the North-east corner of the Isthmus on August 28 (LJ). Lesser vellowlegs : Seen in the three islands ben.veen August 2 and September 15 (PB/RfJPA). They were about 10 at Grand Barachois on August 14 (PB). SolUuO' Sandniper : Three reports: one in St-Pierre on August 26 seemed different from the one photographed, samc area. on August 19 (PB). LJ had onc ncar Grand Barachois also on August 26. Snotted Sand piner : One flying young was near the vi llage of Miqueloo and near Grand Barachois on August 5 and 6 respective ly (RE). Fairly common in August and September up to the 22"" (PAIPB/REI LJ). Last seen: one in St. Pierre on October 3 (PB). Whim brei : Common in the three islands between August 4 and October 3 (m. ob.) in lower numbers • than in July. There was a maximum of about 30 in Cape Miquelon on August 7 (RE). 90 Hudsonian Godwjt : All secn near the village of Miquelon. One on September 27 and 29 (LJ/RE). Fourteen birds on October I was a record high ! (RE/LJ). Marbled Godwjt : One at Grand Barachois on October 10 (LJ) and 12 (RE) was well seen and photographed. This is only the second record for OUf islands. Ruddy Turnstone: Fairly common up to October 27, mostly at Grand Baracbois and near the vill age of Mique!on. At least two colour-banded birds were reported, one in St. Pierre at Grand Colombier (TV) and one near the village (RE). ~ : Rather uncommon this fal l. in rather low numbers except 63 at Grand Barachois on August 12, and 55 on September 27; 4 or 5 birds were near the village of Miquelon on October 27 (RE). Sanderling: Rather uncommon in August: One at Grand Barachois on August 11 and a few on the southern part of the Isthmus on August 18 (PB). Regular and fairly common from September 3 to November 4 (PB/RE), mostly at Grand Barachois and near the village of Miquelon. Scmipalmatcd Sandpiper : Fairly common in rather low numbers from August 5 and October 22 (PB/ RE), seen in the three islands. On September 2, I had about 100 birds in one of the rare tiny mudflats of the islands on the shore of the salt pond near the village of Miquelon. Least Sandpiper: Rather uncommon during the nesting season this year, it was also rather rare this fall with a maximum of7 or 8 birds near the village of Miquclon on August 7 and about 10 near Grand Barachois on August 28. Last seen a few near the village on September 2 (RE). White-Rumped Sandniper: Fairly common up to Oct. 28 (PB/PAlRFJDL) mostly on the Isthmus and near the vill age ofMiquelon. There were a few in St. Pierre reported on August 21 , September 3 and October 22 (PB). Pectora! Sandniner: I at Grand Barachois on August 28 and October 4. Two on the Isthmus all Oct. 6 (RE). Purple Sandpiper: First seen in St. Pierre : about 15 on November 15 and 2 in St. Pierre harbour two days later (PB) . .I!!mlin : As usual the latest migrant shorebird to show-up. 2 near the village of Miquelon on September 14 and 3 or 4 on Sept. 16. Maximum numbers were 42 at Grand Sarachois on September 27 and 46 ncar • the village on October 18 (RE). Last seen: one photographed ncar Mirande lake on October 28 (RE). Buff-breasted Sandpiper: One was well seen and photographed by PB at Grand Sarachoi s on Sept. 16 (PB). Short-billed Dowjtcher : Possibly underreported ! Seen mostly at Grand Sarachois between August II and October 28 (RE/PAlPS); There was a maximum o f 30 birds at Grand Sarachois on August 28 (RE). Common Snipe: About as usual, although always difficult to consider! Unusual were 15 birds on the shore of a pond in St-Pierre. where 10 were together on August 19 (PS). Red-Necked l)halarope : One was photographed on a pond ofSt. Pierre on August 27 (PA). Red P halarone : One on the west coast of Grand Barachois on August 27 (LJ) and 3 off SI. Pierre harbour on September 27 (TV). ~ : One, seen and photographed about 20 miles south of St. Pierre on October I (PSrrV). Pomarine .Jaeger: Possibly I off the west coast of SI. Pierre on Aug. 5 (PS). One, same area, on Oct. 30 (LJ). Parasitic .Jaeger : Two off the west coast of St. Pierre also on October 30 (U). Laughing G ull : One immature in St. Pierre between September 6 and 10 (LJ/PB/PA). Black-headed Gull : The first one appeared in St. Pierre on October 4 (PS). Regular there up to the end of the season for a maximum of 10 birds on November 25 (PB). None seen elsewhere Bonanarte's Gull: Ajuvcnile was photographed in SI. Pierre on August 10 (PA). R ing-hilled Gull : There were 22 juveniles near S1. Pierre harbour on September 9 (PA). There were e stil12 or 3 adults at Grand Sarachois on Oct. 22 (RE). At least two first winter immature are in St. Pierre harbour (PA). 91 Iceland G ull: The first two were spotted in SI. Pierre harbour on November 18 (PA). They were numerous there on November 26 CPB). The first one in Miquc\on was seen near Cape MiqucJon on November 26 (RE). Grc:lt Illack-hnckcd Gull : A concentration of several hundred birds fishing ofT the cast coast of Miquelon was noticed by LJ on October 22. Caspian Tern : Two birds were reported by Guy Paturel on the Isthmus on August 14. One was ncar Mirande lake on August 28 (LJ). Common/arctic Terns : Last seen two immature near Grand Barachois on November 7 (RE). Dovekie: Rarely seen on freshwater, onc was diving endlessly on Mirande lake on October 20 (RE) while LJ had two birds off the Isthmus the same day. Few other observations and very few birds at a time (PHArrV/RE). The maximum is only about 10 birds offSt. Pierre on October 29 (PHA). Thick-hilled Murre: One in St. Pierre harbour on November II (PA). Razorhil! : A few off the Isthmus 011 October 20. At least 50. same area with the concentration of Great black-backed Gull s on October 22 (LJ). Black G uillemot : Common, about as usual and unreported. There were fairly numerous. outside the gu ll y of Grand Barachois on November 7 (RE). Atlantic Puffin : PB had the surprise to find one juvenile near the door of the weather station in St. Pierre on August I. There were only a few at Grand Colombier on August 28 (RE). About a dozen were about 20 miles south ofSt. Pierre on October I (PB). Mourning nove: One in S1. Pierre on August 20 (P HA). Regularly seen, mostly in St. Pierre and in Miquelon from September 28 on (LJfMJBIRElFDr rV/PBfSA). FD had a maximum of8 at his feeder in Miquelon on OClober 31 while PB had 7 in the fie ld in St. Pierre on November 12. Yellow-billed Cuckoo: One was seen and photographed by Yann Orsiny in St. Pierre on October 10. ~ : The first onc was reported to me by J-P. Detcheverry on November 16 on the north western comer of Langlade. LJ had a female near Grand Barachois on November 26 (LJ). Short-eared Owl : One in S1. Pierre on August 9 (PB). • Belted Kingfisher : Seen mostly in St. Pierre between September 10 and November II (LJIPBfPHAI FPA). One was at LangJade on September 16 (RE) and one in Miquelon harbour on September 29 (LJ). Northern f licker: Numerous observations between August 6 and October 28 (m. ob.). one at a lime except four on the sanle tree near Mirande lake on September 4 (RE). Olive-sided Flycatcher: One in St. Pierre on September 4 (PS) was a real unusual fall visitor (there is but a single record for August 11) as well as the one seen in Miquelon on October 1 (LJ). Yellow-hellied F lycatcher: One was still singing in the woods of Miquelon on September 4 (RE). Western Kingbird : One was near the east coast of Miquelon on November 26 (LJ). The species was seen here 8 years out of33 in fa ll and only once in spring (1995). Northern Shrike: One was in S1. Pierre on November 1 (FPA) and one was well described to the author by Vincent Deteheverry in Miquelon on November 17. Philadelnhia Vireo: One adult was carrying food in St. Pierre on August 9 (PI-LA) this is a first breeding record for that island. One was seen, same area between September 15 and 22 (Ll/PB). I had one in the woods near Mirande lake on September 28. Red-eyed Vireo: A few birds were in St. Pierre between September 4 and October 9 (PBfLJfPHA). One was seen at LangJade on October 20 (Ll). ~ : From one to three birds were reported in various feeders in S1. Pierre throughout the season (p1-WSAlFPA). Same thing in Miquelon between October 28 to the end of the period. I had one near the north-east coast of Miquelon on October 6 . Horned La rk: There was a noticeable migration with numerous birds in Miquelon and on the Isthmus between October 1 and October 28. Much fewer in November (REIPSILJ). • Tree Swallow: Several observations of few individuals at a time between August 6 and 28 (REIPAIPBf 92 LJ). A rather late bird was in S1. Pierre on November 2 (LJ). Bank Swallow: One in Miquelon with the two other species on August 16 (RE). Barn Swallow: One in Cape Miquelon on August 14 and one near the village on August 16 (RE). One • at Langlade on August 18 (PB) and one near Mirande lake on September 22 (RE). Black-rapped Cbis:kadee : Apparently there is but ONE bird left in the islands and it is in St·Pierre (PB). Should we hope that it is hennaphrodite ? . Borral Chickadee: Common. possibly more than usual, for sure very well reported throughout the season in the three islands (m. ob.). Rt'd-hr('D1>led Ny thatch : First reported this fall on September 4, 6 and 12 in 81. Pierre (PS), and at LangJade on September 16 (1'8) finally in Miquelon on September 22 (RE). Three more observations one in each island between September 29 and November 2 (LJIPBIPI-IA). Brown Cree ncr : One at a fceder in the vi llage of Miquelon on October 14 and 17 (FD). Winter Wren: It is a very low year for the species. Not a si ngle report! G olden-crowned Kinglet : II reports throughout the season, in the three islands, although more in Sl. Pierre (this is where most birders live! ). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: PHA had 3 young in St. Pierre on August 7. Rather scarce in August. there are many reports for September and October (RElPBILJIFD) and only 2 for November (FDIPD). Gray-cheeked Thrush: A common bird in the past it has become a RARE species now! Not a single report ... Hermit Thrush: Now the only fairl y common Thrush here! 6 reports between Aug. 18 and Oct. 7 (REI PB). Amerjcan Robin : There are a few breeding records for the first fortnight of August cPS). There was a good migmtion reported in the second fortnight of September (PBIREIU). less numerous in October and quite uncommon in November (m. ob.) The Mountain ash (Sorbus americanlls) crop is extremely low here this year, so we do not expect the species around this winter! II Gray Cathird : One in Cape Miquelon on October II (Vincent Detcheverry) and on November 2 (FD). There was one in Sl. Pierre between November I and 6 (~O). Northern Mockinghird : One in St. Pierre between October 26 and 31 and one from November lion at ~O's feeder in St. Pierre. American Pinjt : The first significant number of migrants, about 30 birds appeared in S1. Pierre on September 15 (ll), while about the same number was in Miquelon on Sept. 23 (RE). There was a maximum of about 60 birds on the Isthmus on October I (RE). A few birds were seen only in SI. Pierre between October 19 and November 15 (pSfPHA). Bohemian Wuxwing : 4 were in the town on November 2 (LJ); 5 were at ~O 's feeder on November 4, and 4 just outside of the town on November 22 (LJ), all in St. Pierre. Cedar Waxwing: Well reported throughout the season, from August 6 to November 9 in the three islands (m. ob.); There was a maximum of about 40 birds at langlade, feeding on raspberries on August 12 and 14 (PS). On September 2 PB had between 25 and 30 birds in S1. Pierre, about 2/3 of them were juveniles. There \\-ere about 25 near Mirande lake on September 24 (RE) and about 15 near the north· east coast of Miquelon on October 28 (RE). Qrange-crowned Warhler : One near Mirande lake on September 22 and one near the north·east coast of Mique)on on September 28 (RE). Northern Parula : One in SI. Pierre on September 27 (PB) and one the next day near Mirande lake (RE). )'rllow Warhler : Fairly common and well reported (m. ob.). last seen: one on September 27 in Miquclon and in St·Pierre (RFJPB). II Magnolia Warbler : One in St. Pierre on September 12 and 27 (PB). Black-throated Dlye Warhler: One male near a feeder in Miquelon on September 16 and a female on 93 September 23 (FD). One male was found dead in S1. Pierre on November I (SA). Yellowrumned Wllrbler: Fairly common and vcry well reported although in much lesser number than in the past. From the reports it appears that it was more common in St~ Pi errc (m. ab.). Last secn one in St·Pierre on November 26 and 27 (PI-IA). • llIuck-throated Green Warhler: The first fall migrant was seen at LangJade on September 14 (RE). It was temlcd "fairly numerous" in S1. Pierre the sa me day (PS). 7 other reports at Langlade and in 51. Pierre up to October 9. onc or two individuals at a lime (PB/LJPHA/PB). except 7 or 8 in S1. Pierre on September 27 (1'8). Last seen one in S1. Pierre on October 9 (PB). Bhlckburnillo Wilrhlcr : One in S1. Pi erre on September 26 (PB). Yrllow-throatcd Warbler: One on the Isthmus, was well seen by MJB on November 12. Prajrie Warbler : One was in the town of SL. Pierre on November 2 (LJ). Palm Warbler: First faJl migrants appeared on September 14 (l>B) regularly then, once again apparently more numerous in SI. Pierre. up to October 9 (IlBIDGfPJ-IA/RE). few birds al a lime except : " numerous in SI. Pi erre" on September 27 (PB). H1ackpoll Warhler: 17 reports between August 7 and September 28. in the three islands (PB/PA/RE). Last seen; one ncar Mirande lake on September 28 (RE). Black and Whits; Warbler: Several in SI. Pierre on August 7 : numerous at Langlade on August 14 (PB). One male near Mirande lake on September 4 (RE): one in SI. Pierre on Sept. 6 (PB). Last seen. a few in SI. Pierre on September 7 (PJ-IA). American Redstart: One near Mirande lake on September I S. one at Langlade on September 17 (PB). The last three were reported from St. Pierre on September 23 (LJ), Sept. 27 and October 4 (PB). Northern Watertbrusb: One or two we re still singing in the woods of Miquelon on August 14 (RE). Several were also at Langlade the same day (PB). A few here and there in Miquelon and S1. Pierre up to September 16 (PB/ PI-IAIDGIRE). Common Yellowthroal : Very well reported throughout the season in the three islands between August • 7 and October 7 (PB/PH AIRElLJ). Wilson's Wjlrhler: Three reports only: numerous at Langlade on August 14 (PB ); one also at Langlade on September 16 (PB) and onc in Sl. Pierre on September 23 (LJ). yellow-breasted Chat : One at DG 's feeder between October 26 and 3 1. American Tree Spurow : One ncar the N.E. coast o f Miquelon on ovember I (RE) and 3. same area, on November 12 (LJ). C bjppjng Spuuow : One only in SI. Pierre on November 1 (PH A). Savannah Sparrow : Very common, as usual up to the end of September, rather scarce afi erwards although rather regularly seen up to October 22. Then only onc seen near Grand Barachois on November 26 (LJ). Fox Sparrow: Very common, as usual. and very well reported. Numerous up to October 11 (m. ob.), rather scarce afterwards and often seen at various feeders. Last seen one in SI. Pierre on November 16 (PB). $001' Sparrow: Fairly common and well reported for S1. Pierre and for Miquelon and not for Langlade throughout the season, few birds at a time up to the end of the period (m. ob.). Lincoln's Sparrow: One only on September 16 at Langlade (RE). Swamp Sparrow: Quite common and well reported. Numerous up to October I, rather scarce afterwards, except numerous at LangJade on October 7 (PI·lA). Last seen a few near Mirande lake on October 20 (RE). Whjte-throau;d Sparrow: One adult was feeding a young at Langlade on August 12 (PB). Common and very well reported. It was quite numerous in the three islands up to October II (m. ob.) and rather • scarce afterwards and often at feeders. up to the end of the period. White-crowned Sparrow: One in SI. Pierre on August 29 (PHA) is the only report ever for that season. 96
An Ideal Planning Approach. The Silva Forest Foundation of British Columbia has published a paper by Herb Hammond. entitled, • "Ecosystem-based Planning-Principles & Process" upon which the following is based.
Seven principles underlie ecosystem based planning. These are: 1. Focus on what to leave, not what to take. Fully functioning, biologically diverse ecosystems must be maintained in small, medium and large scales. 2. Recognize the relationship among ecosystems. cultures and economies. Economies are part of human cultures and human cultures are part of ecosystems. Protecting ecosystem function provides for healthy human cultures. of which economies are part. 3. Apply the precautionary principle throughout. Err on the side of ecosystem function rather than resource exploitation. In other words, if you are not sure that an activity will protect. maintain or restore ecosystem function, do not do it. 4. Ensure the planning process is inclusive of the range of values and interests. There should be full discussion and debate of issues, based upon the best available infonnalion, with participants representing the full spectrum of values and interests affected by the plan. Shared decision making is essential for a successful process. 5. Protect, maintain, and. where necessary. restore ecological connectivity, and the full range of composition, structures and functioning of natural plant communities and animal habitats by establishing large reserves and an interconnected network of smaller reserves throughout the area. This is especiaJly important where the area is likely to be altered by human activity, as in this case, by forest harvesting. 6. Provide for di verse, ecologicall y sustainable, community-based economies. Over the long term, healthy communities both depend upon and sustain, healthy, diverse ecosystems. • 7. Practice adapti ve management. Within the constraints of the precautionary principle, ecological responsibility and broad consultation, continuously evaluate the success of all activities in maintaining or restoring ecological health and biological di versity. Modify the plan as appropriate-it must not be "written in stone".
The committee concluded that, while such an approach was ideal, we were. for the most part. a group of volunteers given six months to arrive at the next fi ve-year plan. We had neither the infonnation nor the time to do such an ecosystem based planning process. Even more importantly, we did not have the authority fo r a broadly based plan as we were a creature of Provincial Forestry and such a plan would impinge upon a wide range of other departments and parties including Crown Lands, Environment, Agriculture, Federal Fisheries, municipalities .... We also acknowledged that each subsequent plan of the Forest District became increasingly ecological sensitive; "ecologically sensitive" if not "ecosystem-based. " Areas that are recognized as environmentally sensitive or unique or are known to contain endangered species are closed to cutting activities and, hopefully, many other human disturbances. The Plan, and the planning team, supports ecologically-based forest management as outlined in the 2003 Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Sustainable Forest Management Strategy. On page 45, for example, that document states: "i.he NFS (Newfoundland and Labrador Forest Service) will encourage completion of the natura] areas systems plan and investigate a provincial protected areas network at the landscape level. This will involve connecting existing types of reserves with corridors. This landscape level planning will be incorporated into district plans where watershed level protected area networks wi ll (be) incorporated." You could consider that we are applying the seventh principle above, along with the second, third and • fourth to approach the ideal. Progress is being made. 97 The progress unfortunately does not yet include legal protection of the Ripple Pond area with its unique ribbon moraine forest. Establishing that protected area is beyond the authority orthe Planning Committee but the annual cutting plans do not intrude into the proposed reserve. The question remains, will resources be made available to go to ecosystem planning for the next five year plan?
• So me Specifics; Concerns, Forestry Related Facts and Plan Contenls. Forest Land Base. Productive forest lands on the Avalon consist largely of the Central Avalon Forest (the area between the Salrnonier and Coline! Ri ver valleys, south of the TransCanada Hi ghway) and smaller areas in river valleys such as the Crossing Place, Peters, Placentia and Trcpassey Ri ver valleys. Additionally, there are pockets. frequently quite degraded, scattered elsewhere. That is not unexpected given the centuries of largely uncontrolled exploitation by Europeans. With half the Prov ince 's population on a few percent of its area, we can expect continued problems too.
Of the 969 000 hectares of the Avalon, only about 16.3% is considered "forested", another 20% is "scrub land" and 11 % barrens. Only 3% is considered agricultural land. 6% is water. Interestingly, Bruce Roberts of Federal Forestry informed the planners that he considers the Central Avalon has the most productive forest on the Island, with top soi l up to nearly a metre deep in areas. In fact. in several locations, he demonstrated soil depth and quality- it was a slightly sandy dark loam. Stoniness and rolling topography are serious limitations on agricultue in the area however.
Clear Cutting. Clear cuts in the forest are a red flag to environmentally concerned people. They are unsightly and messy. real scars on the landscape. Selecti ve logging is often proposed as a much better alternative. Many people have compared clear cutting to strip mining of forests. In the case of long-li ved. old-growth forests, that analogy has some validity but for the Avalon forests, it is less appropriate. • Boreal fo rests, including the forests of this island, evolved in concert with fire, insect assaults and wind throw. These assaults lead to stands regenerating in concert with all trees of the same age and similar size initially. Over the forest landscape as a whole, stand by stand, a range of species, age and size exists. The boreal species are relatively short lived, prolific seeders which grow best in full sun. On the Avalon, fir trees in particular are quite short lived, about 70-85 years by which time they usually are suffering from butt-rot and are susceptible to wind-blow and insect peSIS. Especial ly on the Avalon, human impacts have been great. There have been we ll in excess of 1000 major forest fire s recorded on the Avalon in the five centuri es of European settlement. Most of the Avalon forest has been burned, much of it several times. Generally, after a fire, the forest regenerates but intense fires and repeated burning have, in large areas, destroyed seed sources and/or caused soil degradation, allowing shrubs and low vegetation to become establi shed. About one third of the historically forested lands, some 80 000 hectares, is now heathland. Insect outbreaks, spruce bud worm and hemlock looper most recently, have devastated large swaths of forest. Fortunately, as with fires, forest generally regenerates with a sim ilar mix of species to that destroyed. Wind blow downs tend to be smaller in scale but often are progressive with an opening in the canopy continuing to expand as winds gain access to individual trees. Over time, some wind fall areas become quite extensive. Again regeneration usually occurs natura1ly. In thi s scenario, clear cuts of small 10 moderate size are not really "un-natural" and regeneration rarely is a problem. In the boreal forest, opening a canopy by selective cutting can lead to gradually expanding windfalls. Half of the recent and proposed cuts are less than 10 hectares. 90% less than 25 hectares, with • most larger cuts being salvage operations for blowdown, or fire or insect ki lled or damaged wood. Also 98 in the plan, no more than 30% of the productive forest area within a watershed will be harvested in any seven year period. Selective logging, by contrast, is best applied to stands with a range of ages species and sizes. Selective • cutting also would require that a network of roads and cUlting trails be maintained in the forest which would invite atv use, cabin developments (legal and illegal), increased erosion and si lti ng and fire risk ...
Clear CUI Slash. The forest slash len behind is a component of the unsightliness of clearcuts. Why is the area left so messy? Burning or even piling would leave the land neater. The slash has its purpose. First most of the nutrients and trace elements, etc. are found in the needles and growing branches and twigs of the trees so leaving them behind is important for the hea1th of the regenerated forest. Also the slash protects the sensitive seedlings for the first few critical years. Piling would remove Lhe protection for most of the area while smothering regenerating plants under the piles. Burning would not only remove the protecting plant material but also the organic material that wi ll eventually form humus, In fact fires can destroy much of the existing humus and encourage erosion with the resultant si ltation of streams and loss ofminerJ.1 components from the forest soil.
Seed-Trees. The Forest Management plan calls for leaving all hardwoods. Most will not survive long but. hopefully, before blowing down or succwnbing due to changes in the immediate environment such as drying of the upper soil layer no longer protected by other trees, those trees will provide a bountiful seed crop to re populate the area. Also. a few percent of cone carrying, heaJthy evergreen trees are left as seed trees. In few areas is reforestation required.
Buffers. Any known nesting trees and snags were left. A butTer of 800 metres during, 200 outside of the nesting season, is left for known, active raptor nest sites. Water bodies and streams have a 30 metre buffer, with • major rivers and ponds having one of 50 metres. Bridges and culverts (as opposed to the traditional pile of slash in small tributary streams) are required. Silt traps are also required on hills and al bridges of roadways. Most sites we visited in commerciaJ cutting areas were in compliance, those in domestic cUlling areas often were nol. There larger trees on streams were commonly cui and silt traps were rarely used, for example. A wider butTer on streams and ponds is certainly desirable but until compliance with current requirements is better, requiring that is futile. In any event, Forestry does nol have the authority to make the change.
Planting and Other Silviculture Treatments. During the 2002-06 plan. the following areas. in hectares, received the indicated sil viculture treatment: planting, 431; pre-commercial (early in regrowth, usually 2-3 metres tall) thinning; 134, commercial (later in the regrowth, at about age 40 years) thinning, 25; scarification (to improve the forest floor to facilitate self-regeneration), 572; fertilization experiments, 10. Approximately 300 hectares were burned by wi ldfires in that period. Some of the planting and scarification was done on the burned areas. For example, Mitchell's Brook on S1. Mary's Bay was burned in 1985 but did not regenerate well. PotentiaJly productive areas of that bum were planted with larches and spruces grown from locally collected seed. The new plan calls for 5-600 hectares of silviculture each year. No herbicides will be used
Planting. As indicated, a mixture of native species, mainly spruce, larch and fir, grown from locaJly e collected seed are planted in potentially productive areas which fail to regenerate naturally or to speed regeneration of decommissioned- rolled up--roads. Much of the planting is required because of browsing 99 by. principally, rabbits (snowshoe hare) and moose which favour hardwoods, then fir but avoid spruce and larch.
Thinning. Forests on the Avalon generall y regenerate to "overstocked conditions", especially with fir trees. Experiments show that thinning has re latively little eflect upon the total forest biomass but since • it marked ly reduces the number of stems per hectare. the value and usefulness of the trees is greatly enhanced. Traditi onally. a far larger area of forest was thinned than was planted but if recent years that has reversed. Over time, hopefully, the resources wi ll be available to scarify and then plant potentially I productive portions o f the 80 000 hectares of previously fo rested land now occupied by heath. Thinning is best done twice but often only one thinning is done. A pre-commercial thinning to remove perhaps 90-95% of the stems in a lypical regenerating fir stand is especiall y helpful. It has been fo und that this is best done when the trces are three metres tall . Moose Hnd thinned shorter stands especiall y desirable dining areas and can do en0n110US danmge. TaUcr thinned trees have their fo liage generally out of reach. A pre-commercial thinning, when the forest stand is about forty years old with a stem perhaps IS cm in diameter, yields pulp logs, firewood and longers whi le enhancing the growth of the remaining trees.
Fertilization trials. Most people wi ll have noted the rapid growth of forest trees at the margins of lawns or pastures, evidence that fertil ization can have a major impact on growth rates. Fertili zation trials are in progress near St. Catherilles. They look promising with one or two treatments enhancing growth for a number of years. In fact, it is likely the nutrients will be recycled, in part, for successive generations o f trees. Results are not yet avail able though.
Fire Fighting. During the fire season, ground crews arc stationed at Cape Broyle, Hearts Desire, Paddy's Pond. Salmonier and Whitbourne. Aerial support is called in if needed. Despite attempts to educate peopl e and to enforce regulations, almost all fires are human-caused, most due to carelessness but illegal • burning accounts for more than 15%,
Forestry Roads. The policy on forestry roads has not changed; no net new roads will be constructed. An existi ng road must be "rolled-up" before a new one can be built. The Clam River Road which has been a major concern to environmentalists continues to be restored. In 2007, the bridge is scheduled to be removed and the road replanted for several kilometres on either side of the bridge site. (Local atv users object to this pl an, arguing that, among other things, red uced access wi ll reduce the moose harvest and hence retard forest regeneration due to browsing. See below.)
Allocation of Wood. Because of the emphasis on salvage operations in the Central Ava lon Forest, in recent years the share of the forest cut allocated to commercial operators has increased to about 40% in 2006-07, from 25% in 2002-03, but it is still much lower than the domestic cut Commercial operators are li cenced and realize that any infractions found in their operations could lead to loss of their li cence. Thus they are not only aware of the regulations, they carefully follow them. On the field trips, we visited a number of commercial areas. They were clean and tidy wi th slash well distributed and no cut trees abandoned due to butt-rot, etc. (such trees were sold as fire wood). Trunks were taken to three inches in diameter or less. Raptor nest sites were well butTered and select seed trees, including all birch and cherry trees, were left standing. The major concern was the ruts made by harvesters and skidders, especially nearer the rough logging roads. Some were eroding despite the practice of driving on slash as much as possible to protect the soil. However, in areas cut a few years earlier, such ruts were • regenerating as well or bener than the rest of the area. The ruts were, in effect, '·scarified". 100 By contrast, domestic cutting areas. especially those used, legally or illegally by small-scale sawmill operators, were a real mess. Numerous trees were cut and abandoned due to butt-rot, tops were often left with trunk diameters as much as five or six inches. slash was a tangle of piles and windrows. Domestic cutters are also licenced but enforcement is nearly impossible with thousands of individuals cutting in , scores of domestic cutting areas.
Demand \'5. Supply. In this era of increasing concern about greenhouse gases and the carbon dioxide allocations. it is highly desirable that there be a generous net sequestering of COr Over the Avalon as a whole, the estimated annual growth exceeds the legal annual harvest by approximately 15%. In particular areas however, the annual cut is greater than the growth. fo r example, on the Bay de Verde Peninsula, the domestic cut especially is excessive and in the Central Avalon South where there is extensive commercial cutting to salvage insect kill ed and blowdown timber. In this connection, it is appropriate to mention a major concern of the Planning Team. Forests are an important component of our economy and way of li fe and vital to maintai ning biodiversity, including the health of our watersheds. Despite this, the land devoted to forests is decreasing annually due to urban and cabin developments, roads and trails, power corridors, and even agriculture. This should not be allowed to continue. Productive forest lands should be retained. In this connection, resources should be provided to reforest the large areas of formerl y productive lands.
Browsing, the Bane of Forest Management. Over much of the Avalon, browsing by introduced species, especially hares and moose is a major problem. In the central Avalon forest, large areas have not regenerated after forest mortality whether by logging, insect damage or blowdown. There are virtually no young hardwoods and the few surviving fi r are heavily browsed, down to a few feet tall. Some are thirty years old by ring count. Spruce and larch are avoided by moose and hares which is why those are the trees of choice for planting in the area. I Interestingly, it is the smaller regrowth areas that suffer the most damage, with narrow cl earings especially hard hit. Presumably because the moose want cover near at hand but fee l vulnerable in large, open areas, large regrowth areas, except trees on the margins, survive and prosper. Also large regrowth areas contain more young fir than the resident moose population could browse. Perhaps there is another reason for culling moose populations besides that of highway safety
Small fenced experimental enclosures demonstrate just how much browsing occurs. Inside the enclosure, the fl oor is lush, with healthy fir and hardwood seedlings whereas, outside it is "normal" . Even grouse, squirrels, voles, and slugs apparently do considerable damage early in regrowth.
Final Notes. The Planning Team members could Endorse, Agree with Reservation(s) or Disagree with the final plan. All but three partici pants endorsed the plan. The Protected Areas Association and an individual, who was a strong proponent of ecosystem planning and integrated resource management, disagreed. The NHSNL was the sole group to agree with reservations. Our reasons appear in the letter below.
As the Consensus Member on the Di strict I review for the Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, I would like to record our Level of Agreement as:
Agreement with Resenration. e Our major reservations relate, first, to the fact that there is no land use plan in place in the Province, a plan which would clearly delineate forestry areas, reserves, agricultural lands and reserves, cabin development 101 areas/recreation areas, etc. Because we accept that our review of the District 1 forestry plan was for forestry, not land usc pl anning. we felt and continue to fee l the plan is reasonable given those parameters. Life would be much easier though with a land usc plan.
OUf second reservation relates to the fact that "the devil is in the details." We, as the commiuee. did not. • and could not examine each and every proposed cutting area. It is domestic cutting that most concerns us: licenced commercial cutters are few and easily policed. domestic cutters arc the opposite. Enforcement I of regulations is needed but requires a much larger budget so good luck! I personall y learned a lot in our exercise and enjoyed much of it. My respect for the commercial logging activities increased considerably··1 have much sympathy for them. It would be great if we could allocatc a section of the forest specifically for them to manage for their long·teml wood supply.
Index elec trofishing in the City rivers, September 2006 A joint project by NAACA P and the Natural HistOlY Society by R. John Gibson
The last time we did our elcctrofishing was in 2003 (Gibson 2003). We had intended to make it an annual event, but we had trouble borro\vi.ng equipment the next year, and non·functioning of equipment that we did borrow the fo llO\vi.ng year. However, this year it all worked well. Don Steele was able to use the backpack electroflsher belonging to the MVN biology Department, and Dave Scruton and Keith • Clarke arranged for us to use a battery from Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The point of this electrofishing is to have annual indices of the health of the trout stocks in the City rivers, and to see ifany salmon are returning to the rivers, following our stocking from past years. The last time salmon were stocked \\'as on June 41 h, 2003. 1h Not counting a trial collection in Leary's Brook on September 14 , when the water level proved to be too high. our eleclrofishing was done on September 20110 and 2 111 . We lI sed a Smith Root back pack electrofisher, set at 300 volts, and frequency of 60 Hz... and moved upstream, collecting over 500 seconds of electrofishing time. Fish attracted to the anode were dipped out, either usi ng the netting of the anode, or by two people with dip nets either side of the person electrofishing. Fish were transferred into buckets of water, carried by other helpers, and then put into a retainer net. After collecting our elecLrofishing sample, small groups of fish were nened \vi.th an aquarium hand net from the retainer net and placed into a pai l of water in which had been dissolved a couple of Alka Seltzer tablets. and were thereby anaesthetized with COr As fish became anaesthetized they were measured as to fork length (total length of sticklebacks and eels) by two people with measuring boards. Another person recorded the species and lengths. After measuring, the fish were put into another retainer net to recover, eventually to be released when we had fin ished the work. There were no mortalities. Also notes were made of the type of habitat and the substrate, and water temperature, pH, conductivity. salinity, dissolved oxygen and oxidation reduction potential (ORP) were measured. We did the same stations as those we had done in 2003, except that we did not include Bremingan stream (which had stopped flowing in the low water ofSeplember o ( 2003), but we added a rime station upstream ofSyme's Bridge on the main Waterford Ri ver. The crew consisled of. Don Steele, Diana Baird, Beni Malone, Dan Ficken and John Gibson. Both • days were partly cloudy, but mostly sunny, with favourably low water conditions for our work. 102 Virginia River. (20IIXl06. 11 a.m.). OUT station was adjacent to the road upstream from the Legion. and was rime habitat with cobble. rubble and boulder substrate. Whenever the substrate was disturbed, as where people walked, or vegetation along the stream margin disturbed, oil droplets • appeared. We sampled 79 brown trout (fig. I) and I eel (- 22 em). South Brook (20/IX/06: 2 p.m.). nus stream is the south tributal)' of the Waterford River, and presently is the most pristine of the city rivers. The station is in Bowring Park, just upstream of the tennis courts, and of the bridge at the lower end of what used to be the swimming pool. We beganjusl upstream from where a small ditch flows in on the right side of the stream. Habitat was riffle. with side pools, with substrate of cobble and rubble. We caught 43 brown troul (Hg.2), and one three·spine stickleback (unmeasured). Waterford River Syme's Bridge. (20IIX106 ; - 4 p.m.). This was rime habitat, with cobble, rubble, and boulder substrate. We sampled 3 1 brown trout (fig. 3), and one eel, - 25.0 cm. Leary's Brook (2InXl06; 10 a.m.). This station was adjacent to the Red Cross building on Wicklow St., just upstream from the bridge. The brook was channelised a number of years ago (>20 yrs). but was restored with boulder clusters, and now has the natural configuration of rimes and pools. The habitat we sampl ed was rime and run, with cobble substrate. We sampled 31 brown trout (fig. 4), and one three·spine stickleback (3.7 cm). In fig. 4 we have added the trout we sampled on Sept. 14111 (6 trout), and on Sept.20,b (13 trout), but the fu11500 sees fishing time was not done on those days.
On the figures we have estimated ages from lengths for the 0+ (first year) and the I + (second year) trout from work we did in earlier years in the city rivers. Gibson and Haedrich ( 1988) found the range in mean fork lengths of 0+ to be from 5.20 to 7.27 em, and the 1+ to be from 10.49 to 15.60 em. Steele (1991) in headwater streams of Rennies River found the modes in length frequencies of the 0+ to be 4.5 cm, and the I + to be 9.5 em. The older year classes overlap in sizes. so it is impossible to estimate • the ages without reading the scales.
Fig . 1. Virginia River 20/1XJ06
35r------,
30
25
20
15
10
0+
BrOW1Troti • 103 Fig. 2. South Brook 20J1X106
35,------,
30
25
20
15
10
E ~ OL-~-~~~-~_,-~_,-~~ BrtMOTrolJ
Fig. 3. • Waterford R. at Syme's Bridge 20llXf06
30r------,
25 n = 31
20
15
10
• BrtMOTrolJ 104
Fig .4. Leary's Brook 21/1X106
3. • 3D n = 31
2. (+ 19)
20
" 10
E "" BrOllllTrout • Physical and chemical variables measured: I l:&ru!. Salinity m , ~, Iili QR£imY) ~ (~S.cm · ') (mgJ'" (mgJ .o ) Virginia R. 13.3 345 16 10.32 98.8 7.77 311 South Br. 14.02 220 10 10.59 102 .9 8.34 274 Symc's Brg. 15.48 365 17 9.88 99.2 7.81 284 Leary 's Br. 15.6 235 11 8.95 90.0 7. 11 295
All year classes appear to be abundant at these stations. The slope of the curves is interesting in that they do not decline with age classes. With many stocks the slope declines with age of the fish, usually beginning with maturity, hut can be related to a change in diet or habitat etc. In these regressions the gradient actually increases. which suggests that food is not lim iting, and especially with the larger fish. which suggests switching or addition of new prey. possibly sticklebacks or small trout. Although we did not catch any young salmon. suggesting that adults are not returning. there is evidence that they are present, but sparse. There are anecdotal observations of adult salmon seen leaping in Quidi Vidi Gut, and in the Waterford River. An angler who freq uently fishes the Waterford River, Mitchell Adams. in September of 2006 caught a grilse (which he released) by Syme's Bridge. and also in September of 2006 caught a salmon parr in the Waterford River, of about 12 em. In September 0[2005. whilst fishing South Brook with small Hies, I caught 38 brown trout and five salmon parr. The salmon parr were about 12 cm in length. From our previous studies in this system they would have been J +, and therefore would have been from natural spawners. Salmon parr and young brown trout are similar, and • 105 most anglers would not know the difference, and therefore would not report catching lhem. In the Fall there is a run of large (2:. 60 em) sea run brown trout. We did not catch any of these since we did not fish the deeper pools where they would occur, but they are caught by anglers, they can be seen leaping at the various fa lls, and on a NI-IS "trout watch" along South Brook on October 21 ,c to observe trout spawning we did see a number of these large fish. We are somewhat concerned that • wi th the ' Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility". presently under construction ncar the outlet orthe I Waterford River, after primary treatment the discharge is planned to be treated with chlorine to reduce I the bacteria. Although free chlorine will be removed before discharge, chlori nated organic compounds wi ll remain, and v.re wonder if th is will interfere with olfactory orientation of the sea trout. subject them to extra stress. and affect their food organisms (such as amphipods) etc. We would suggest chlorination not be used. We suggest that index electro fishing stations be done in the cilY rivers annually, and at least to include the ones we sampled in the present study. The fish stocks are indicators of the general health of the ri vers, and the value of the city rivers for their beauty and general natural history is well appreciated, although good conservation practices are not always observed. Annual surveys should be continued so that if negative changes occur they can be remedied where possible. For example. the oil in the substrate of the station in Virginia River was disturbing. Although fish were present, they may have been under stress, and it is likely that spawning in this area would be adversely affected. Virginia River is a major recruitment source of troul fo r Quidi Vidi Lake. The oil was possibly from a spill which was flushed down a storm sewer. For example, there is a storm sewer draining the Virginia Park shopping centre, which drains directly into the river upstream from our station, and this before has been a source of pollution. Because road runoff and accidental spills can be toxic. OFO recommends that stonn sewers do not drain directly into rivers, but first drain through marshland or a buffer strip etc. Unfortunately this guideline is generally ignored by the city aulhorities. although we hope for a more enlightened attitude in the future. The Leary's Brook station is an important one in that developments upstream pose threats to • downstream waters, and although the fish presently appear to be healthy, they should be monitored annually. For example, the recently constructed 'Southwest Expansion' area on Kenmount Road has increased the range in water discharge, there was severe sediment pollution, bank erosion has been aggravated, and developments continue. A number of groups, induding the Provincial government asked that there be no increases in runoff, but control by natural water management with wetlands elC. , but these suggestions were rebuffed by SI. John's Council, and instead flood defense mechanisms downstream have been built. such as flood walls. wider bridges etc. The tunnel for the river as it flows through the Avalon Mall has been widened. During construction the water was run through a culvert, built in a manner to be an obstruction to fish passage (since 2002), despite OFO regulations mandating that there be no obstruction to fish passage during any construction activities. A baffled fish way was bu ilt on the left side through the tunnel, supposedly completed in 2004, but unfortunately the upper pool was inadvertently fi lled in with cement, thereby creating a barrier to fish migration. In 2005 a diversion wall was started to divert water to the next pool, to allow migration. This was completed in the summer of 2006. Unfortunately the increase in discharge from upstream has caused severe erosion, and the present fishway is fi lled with rubble. although migration may be possible. The upstream fish stocks had therefore been fragmented from the lower river for five years. This is unfortunate since the headwater brooks are trout spawning areas, and provide important nurseries for 0+ and 1+ trout (Steele 1991). Salmon movements at the outlet of Quidi Vidi Lake, both of smolts and returning adults, have been compromised by poor operation of the gate regulating the lake level, but this wi ll be improved in future years. In order to diminish the potential of increase in flood levels from developments upstream a new outlet is planned. Thi s wi ll consist of a benn across the lake outlet. keeping the lake at more stable • levels, but with a wider outl et than the present one, and a fishway permanently accessible al the side. 106 Stable lakes are morc productive than ones with fluctuating levels, so that we can expect to see more bankside vegetation. and increased production from invertebrates. and up the food chain.
References.
Gibson, RJ. 2003. Potential threats and recent surveys orst. John's city ri vers. Osprey, (2003), 34(2): • 11-16. Gibson, RJ. and R.L. Hacdrich. 1988. The exceptional growth ofjuven il e Atl antic salmon (Sa/rno sa/ar) in the city waters orst. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Polskie Archiwum Hydrobiologii 35 (1- 4): 385-407. Steele. D.H. 1991. The brown trout (Salmo trutla) in the headwaters of Rennies River. Repon to the Resource Development Sector, CanadaINewfoundland Inshore Fi sheries Agreement. 62 pp.
A brown trout leaping at Herder • Falls, Rennies River.
• 107 Foray Newfound land & Labrador 2006 by Andrus Voitk ~ As in past years, this year's Foray was sponsored by The I-lumber Naturall-listory Society, aided by its several kind partners: The Department of Environment, & Conservation. the Hon. Clyde Jackman, Minister (Parks & Natural Areas Division. Wildlife Division & Salmonier Nature Park). Western Newfoundland Model Forest, Gros Marnc Cooperating Association. Sir Wi lfred Grenfell College. I Memorial University, Gros Marnc National Park. Terra Nova National Park and Quidi Vidi Brewing Company.
Youth was a noticeable component, from babies and children to students and fo lks in thei r thirties. or even less, if you can believe il. This largest ever number of participants brought together mushroom enthusiasts from literally every corner of the province (yes, even St John's). joined by others from Alberta, California, Tennessee. New Brunswick and Norway. Almost one-half of the participants were veterans of previous forays.
We opened with a reception by the Department of Environment & Conservation. Pi ctures o f Cape St Mary's and other memorabilia were presented to our out of province guest faculty and all registrants received a handsome registration package from the Department.
Saturday was devoted to forays in our protected areas on the Avalon. Small teams, under expert leadership, went forth into selected trai ls, foraging for mushrooms. Two o f the forays were dedicated to mushroom photography. one led by Californian Mike Woods, author of the large mushroom website MykoWeb, and the other by Canadian nature photographer Roger Smith. The weather was pleasantly sunny. For the first time since our inception mushrooms were a bit scarce but despite that, a vcry interesting variety of species was collected. Specimens were sorted with attempt to identify at least to • genus. These were vetted by our experts. who were busy using microscopes, chemicals. tomes of books and each other for consultation to pin a name on some elusive and pesky little mushroom.
Sunday was devoted to a unique habitat, the coastal hi ghland heath at Cape St Mary's Ecological Reserve. Participants were divided into teams and dispersed over the Reserve in an etTort to cover the entire area.
Roger and his Documentation Team photographed all identified specimens, after which voucher specimens were dried for archiving in the Gros Marne National Park Herbarium. Data base work was carried out by the biggest contingent of"volunteers" it has been our fortune to have. We have always enjoyed good support from al1 levc1s of government but this year this specific aspect of our foray received even better support, allowing us to engage more young people in the database work lhan ever before.
The Quidi Vidi Mushroom Quuqout was a huge success, made all the more memorable because we had a temporary slip-up with our sponsor's product. The person in charge of picking up the beer fell ill and arrived a day late, completely forgetting about the beer in the interim. Conscience stricken, she drove to three stores in order to get enough Quidi Vidi product for the Quuqout. Under the eye of Chef-in Chief Johannes M0lgaard, sous-chefs Murray Colbo and Gene Herzberg cooked up a storm, completely oblivious to the beer drama playing out around them. lbe Sin City Quuqs fried every edible mushroom • from miles around and every last scrap was eaten. 108 The evening scientific programs provided four informative talks: an overview of the poly pores of OUT province, a dissertation on the May Model (the relationship of a foray to the mushroom speciess of its region), a discourse about the very beautiful myccnas and a discussion of various approaches to species • concept in mycology and how this has been pursued with in vitro mating studies and current DNA studies.
The end result: 741 collections processed. 189 mushroom species identified. 40010 new to our forays, bringing our cumulative species list to 570. For a list of species broken down by location and m OTC complete overview. please dO\\T1load the Report from our website www.hnhs.cnlmushroomsl.
There is no doubt that the Cape St Mary's provided some of the major highlights. Not only were both the landscape and birds spectacular but we also found two strikingly beautiful and very unusual mushrooms there. The salmon·coloured Amanita wel/sU, generally very uncommon, grew all over the heath beside its mycorrhizal partner, the dwarf arctic bear· berry willow, Salix llvo·llr:;i. The other rarity was a hauntingly beautiful white Hygro(.yhe growing at the far edge ora high sea cl iff, identified afterwards by the Danish Hygrocybe expert David Boertrnann as HumidiclIIis pura. This is a North American mushroom found in no books and probably described less than half a dozen times in total. In Salmonier Nature Reserve we also saw the very rare boreal felt lichen, under the guidance of Sal monier's lichenophile, Mac Pitcher.
Best of all was the positive response from so many participants. More than in previous years. people came up to say they would be sure to return next year. Others came up and offered to take on some tasks for next year's foray. Rewarding feed-back! I am now eagerly wailing to see you in 2007. •
Humidicutis Pura (photo Roger Smith) • 109 •
•
• 110 Press Release: Toxic Dumping 24 Octobcr 2006
Environment Canada Flings Door Wide Open to Toxic Dumping in Canada's Lakes e
Ottawa - On October 18, two Jakes in Newfoundland that are habitat to trout, Atlantic salmon. otter, and other species, received a death sentence as the newly amended Metal Mining Effluent Regulations (MMER) went into law.
In a precedent-setting move, Environment Canada (EC) amended the MMER, a regulation under the Fisheries Act, to allow AUT Resources to dump toxic waste from their copper-zinc-gold mine into Trout Pond and a nearby unnamed lake. Both these lakes are in Newfoundland's largest watershed, the Exploits River system-a system that has had millions of taxpayer dollars pumped into it for fish habitat restoration.
This legalised destruction of fish-bearing lakes opens the door to the destruction of other fish-bearing water bodies all across Canada. Mining companies have on ly to ask the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Environment Canada for permission, and bingo! they' ve got it. Environment Canada confirms that at least nine other mine projects in British Columbia, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories will be seeking similar amendments so they can use lakes as waste dump sites for their mines (see next page).
In response to a request by Aur Resources, EC added the two lakes to Schedule 2 of the MMER. Water bodies listed on Schedule 2 are thereby ~ as tailings impoundment areas and are no longer considered to be lakes and, therefore, are no longer protected under the Fisheries Act. II
"Government says the Fisheries Act and the MMER are intended to protect fi sh-bearing waters from destruction by mine tailings---cenainly the public expects this-but by thi s regulatory sleight-of-hand, fish-bearing lakes across Canada are no longer protected from destruction by toxic mine waste," says Dr. Catherine Coumans of MiningWatch Canada, who participated in Ee's regulatory revision process. Maggie Paquet, a biologist who also participated in the revision process, says EC seems to have ignored its obligation to review alternative options for tailings management. "We reviewed all the public documents made available to us and could find no evidence that Environment Canada provided any advice to Aur Resources about less damaging waste disposal technologies at this mine-and these do exisl." Federal officials in EC and DFO defend the amendment, saying that habitat destruction can be compensated for by altering nearby areas to create new fish habitat.
But independent fish and aquatic habitat experts examined the reports EC and DFO used to justify the amendment and say they are hopelessly inadequate and scientifically inferior, and that no new fish habitat will be created. They say the compensation described could be done under present legislation, and that they are using a confused and invalid argument that leads to fuzzy and inaccurate results. Dr. Gordon Hartman, a retired DFO biologist in Nanaimo, Be, says: "Government's approval of this amendment is built on problematic compensation plans and fai lure to consider potential impacts to fish in this river system. It appears to be unsound environmental management to allow the project to proceed and then listing these ponds in Schedule 2 of the MMER."
Dr. John Gibson, another former DFO biologist who lives in Newfoundland and knows the area, says, "The two lakes have populations of salmon and trout and associated wildlife, such as beavers, otters, and • III waterfowl, all of which will be poisoned. The life of the mine is expected to be six years, but the ponds wi ll become toxic waste si tes in perpetuity. Over that time there is a possibility that there wi ll be leakage of copper and zinc, which are toxic to fish. and if the retaining dam breaks there will be massive mortality of salmon down the Exploits River." Gibson says, "The so-called compensation plan is totally inadequate and is merely an excuse to allow the • mine to pollute the two lakes. Trout Pond has effectively been privatised for the mining company to use as I a toxic waste dump. The Fisheries Act, previously held in esteem, has been considerably weakened."
Contacts Dr. Catherine Coumans, MiningWalch Canada, 613-569-3439, [email protected] Maggie Paquet, Citizens' Stewardship Coalition, 250·723·8802; maggie [email protected] Dr. John Gibson, retired DFO biologist, NL: 709·726·2498, rjgibsonriil nf.sympatico ca Dr. Gordon Hartman, retired DFO biologist, Be: 250-758- 7696, gordon [email protected]
For more information see: • Issue Summary and References: http;llwww.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/aur/mmer concerns • Regulations Amending the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations http·llcanadagazette.gc.calpartl/2006/ 200604081htm llregle2-e hlml Mining Caucus (RCEN) webpages: http://www.cen·rce.org/eng/caucuseslmining/index.html Mining Projects Expected to Request Listing Tailings Impoundment Areas (TlAs) on Schedule 2 of the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations·
ProjectiMineName Proposed or Existing TlA Location ProvincefTerritory I 1. Kemess North Project jPllpased British Columbia 1. Red Chris Prol?Osed British Columbia 3. H!9h....Lake Pro Nunavut 4. Doris North Proposed Nunavut • 5. Meadowbank Gold Pro Saskatchewan 6. GoIdftelds Proposed Northwest Territories 7. Yellowknife Gold Pro sed Northwest Tenitories 8 NICO Property Proposed Northwest Territories 9. OamotiLake Prol?Osed Northwest Territories 10. WabushMines Existing imine has a transitional authorisation) Newfoundland and Labrador 11. DtJck ~ Pro~sed Newfoundland and Labrador 11 Ifon Ore Company Exis~ng (mine has a transitional authorisation) Newfoundland and Labrador 13. MountW~ht Existin Newfoundland and Labrador ·source: Environment Canada
Catherine Coumans, Ph.D. Research Coordinator Mining Watch Canada 250 Ci ty Center Ave, Suite 508 Ottawa, Ontario K I R 6K7 Canada
Tel: 613-569-3439 Fax: 613-569-5138 www.miningwatch.ca • [email protected] 112 What is Bird Studies Canada? by Lois Bateman Humber Natural History Society Do you look forward to the Christmas Bird Count every year? Are you wondering how to fill your • time when FeederWatch finishes in March? There are additional ways to participate in bird observation programs through the spring and summer!
Bird Studies Canada (wwwhSC-eoc Org) coordinates several national and regional volunteer-based surveys besides the annual Christmas Bird Count and FeederWatch. Two other programs which people living in Newfoundland and Labrador can participate in are the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey and Project NestWatch. Bird SlUd ies Canada also co-operates in satellite tracking programs for eagles and seaups and people can follow the movements of several tagged birds over the summer through the internet. To quote from its web site"' Bird Studies Canada is recognized nation·widc as a leading and respected not-for-profit conservation organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, appreciation and conservation of wild birds and their habitats, in Canada and elsewhere, through studies that engage the skills, enthusiasm and support of its members, volunteers, staff and the in terested public". Bird Studies Canada interacts with several national, provincial and international organizations to run a wide variety of programs which focus on birds. Several years ago Bird Studies Canada established an Atlantic Office in Sackville, New Brunswick. The Atlantic Canada Program Manager is Becky Whittam ~b whittam@bsc-eoc Qrg. Funding for much of the BSe programs comes from supporting agencies and cooperating associations (acknowledged on the various web pages at the Bird Studies Canada web site) but some of the volunteer programs do have a tax deductible participation fee. The participant fee for Project FeederWatch or for • the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey is $35 and for the Christmas Bird Count it is $5.00. I find the best way to participate is to join Bird Studies Canada for a single yearly tax-deductible fee of$35 -this allows one to participate in all three of these programs. Project NestWatch is free and there is no charge to follow the Scaup Tracker or the Eagle Tracker.
Project NestWatch is a new program in which participants follow a nest's activity throughout the season to help monitor the health of bird populations. This project is especially interested in common species like the American Robin so it is a program that most people can help with. The web site ~ eae QNlnatjonallnestwatch htm!) provides detailed instructions, record sheets, and a code of conduct so the observer does not disrupt the bird's nesting activities.
Participation in the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey is a little more complex. Not only is there a fee but you also have to be able to make a report on the same lake at least three times through out the swnmer (June, July and August). Human activity has reduced the abundance and breeding range of the Common Loon in North America and this is a long-term project to monitor the numbers and breeding success ofloons on lakes across Canada. Although the goal is to record loon data, reports from lakes without loons can also lead to an understanding of what types oflakes the loons prefer or avoid. Further information is available at the fo llowing website: (wwwbsc-eoc Qrgkllsmajn hlmD.
The trackers are fun! The scaup tracker (www.bsc-eoc.org/lpbo/lpwwrfscauptrack.html) has been following several female lesser and greater scaup from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario since 2005. The eagle • tracker (www.bsc-eoc.orglregionallondesteagle.html) has been following eaglets from southern Ontario since 2004. Data and a name are provided for each bird and you can request the map for a single bird or for a group or for a year. Some of those birds have done a fair bit of wandering! 113
Bird Stud ies Canada provides a website that can lure you in to checking it out for hours. As we ll as following the seaups or eagles. you can check a variety of records from Project FecderWatch and the Christmas Bird Count. Check your own area or any other place on the continent for present and past years. You can explore Bird Map Canada which compil es information from many of these programs and • provides you with mapped information on single species. There are links to a host of intemationa l bird sites and to a variety or ather programs sponsored by Bird Studies Canada. Try it Qut on a rainy day whcn you can't get outdoors to use yOUf binoculars!
(Information for this article was summarized from the Bird Studies Canada website ww\\,bsc-eoc.oro.)
ANNOUNCING A NEW PUBLICATION ON NORTH AMERICAN ORCHIDS
Orchids on llze Rock-Ihe wild orchids of Newfollndland Andrus and MariaVoitk 2006. 96 pages, 150 color • photographs, no keys Gros Mome Co-operating Association Paper $ 12.95 + HST CAD. $5 shipping ISBN 0-9699509-3-4. Order from: Gras Morne Co-operating Association P.O. Box 130 Rock), Harbour, NL AOK 4NO Tel.: 709.458.3610 PAX :709.458-2162 E-mail: jackie.hiscock@pc gc p. MasterCard or Visa preferred by phone at (709) 458-3610 • 11 4 ..r .bf NATURE .~ CONSERVATION.bf CONSERVANCY ..r""" NATURE '5- CANADA CANADA • Grand Codroy River Estuary The Hermitage Project
Newfoundland and Labrador's Grand Codtoy River Estuary, approximately 40 km cast of Pon aux Basques on the southwest coast of Newfoundland, is one of Atlantic Canada's grelle51 natural treasures. The Ilennitage Property is in the Town of O'Regan's on the north shore of the Estuary.
The proposed purchase includes 145 acres o f 2197 acre property (portion "A" in the pho to). The Roman Catholic Diocese wishes to retain ownership of rcmairung 52 acres 10 maintain an :active hermitage (B). The Hennitage Property is compnsed of peatland and woodJand with over 4,500 ft of nver frontage.
THE NEED: ECOLOGICAL SIGNifiCANCE Estuaries are among the most productive • ecosystems on earth and are tightly connected to surrounding coastal zones. The Grand Codroy River Estuary h2S been recognized internationally as a Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention o n Wetlands. It has also been recognized nationally as an Important Bird Area.
• The Tuck/Walters Award • This mmrd is named in memory of Dr. Leslie M. Tuck and Cliptain Ilarry Walters Or. Les Tuck was cwfoundland's fi rs t Dominion Wildlife Officer. and Harry Walters was the Director o f the ewfound land Rangers Force. Following Confederation with Canada. Dr. Tuck headed the Canadian Wildlife Service in the province - a position he held for more than twenty-five years. In the latter part orhis long and distingui shed career. Dr. Tuck held the L. J. Paton Research Professorship in thc Psyschology Department of Memorial Un iversity. He was instmmental in the reactivation or the Natural Hi stol)' Society in the 1950·s. Capla in Ha rry Walters served for many years as lite Head of the Newfoundland Wildlife Divi sion, which he was instnJmenta l in establishing.
Both Waltcrs. working provincia ll y, and Tuck, working federally. were instrumental in establishing our province's first seabi rd rescrves (Funk Island, Cape SI. Mary's, Wi tless Bay, and H:lrc Bay) and the form er Avalon Wi ldemess Area. TIleir combined efforts put natural history awareness, protecti on .and appreciation on a solid footin g in Newfoundland and Labrador. Although they were employed in resource conscrvation and management careers, their enthusiasm and dedication transcended their duties, and it is for these qualities that the socicty has ehoscn to honor their memory with this award.
The Tuck/Walters Award is discretionary - it does not have to be given out every year. On the other hand. it may be given to more than one reci pient if the Nominating Comminee feels this is appropriate. Successful candidates a~ individuals who have made o utstanding a nd enduring contributions to the advancement of na tural history a pp ~c i a ti o n a nd proteelion in Newfoundla nd a nd Labrador, outside the parameters of thei r employment responsibilities. • Tu ck/Walters Awa rd Winners Dr. I)on Barton G regory M ilchell George Brinson Michael No lan Bill Davis Dr. Ua ro ld "eters Dr.• I ohn Gibson Dr. Roger Tory I'eterson Dr. Leslie Harris Tony "ower Stephen Herder Dr. Don S teele Charlie Honvood Clyde Tuck Bernard Jackson La ura Jackson Hen ry M a nn
For more info rma tion or to make a nomination for the Tuckl\Valters Awa rd, contact
Dr. Bill Monteveechi, Chair TuckIWalters Awards Comminee Cognitive and Behavioral Ecology Program Memorial University of ewfoundland SI. John's, NL AlB 3X9
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