Mike Grandmaison Memories of Robert Taylor by George Holland, Past-President of Nature Manitoba ob and I go way back to the 1950s when we first met on one of the annual outings to Long Point on Lake BErie with the Toronto Field Naturalists and the Hamilton Nature Club to witness the Whistling (now Tundra) Swan migration. It was late March and the group was jointly led by Jim Baillie (of Bird-a-thon fame) and George North, considered one of the leading field ornitholo- gists in North America. While having lunch against a building overlooking the expansive marshes, Jim took a Bob Taylor (left) birding with George Holland in Rondeau Provincial Park in Ontario in 2008. hard-boiled egg out of his lunch box and cracked it on the side of this head to break the shell. He then offered Bob through the use of his photographs throughout the Toronto another egg and suggested he do the same. Bob complied, area and beyond. He was also one of the founders of the only to find the egg was raw with obvious results. Everyone highly successful bird-banding station on Point Pelee which roared with laughter including Bob when Jim remarked that ran for several decades before the Feds closed it down for the “yolk was on him”. Later that day Bob and I found a whatever reason. An excellent birder, Bob was also quite Blanding’s Turtle, our first, and were delighted to show it to interested in other facets of wildlife. the group. Even in those days, Bob had a camera and was taking pictures of wildlife. As most Nature Manitoba members would know, he often led tours to Churchill and Africa, especially Kenya, and Although I was older then Bob, we became fast friends and those were pretty much his bread and butter. Financial shared many an outing to Long Point, Rondeau and Point success in professional photography is never easy and in Pelee, often sleeping under blankets in the open air with the spite of the fact that he was an expert in this field, he ever-present mosquitoes. When I joined the military we lost intimated that at times he struggled to make ends meet. He touch for a while, but met on occasion when I was able to supplemented his income selling calendars and photography get to Point Pelee in the spring. When I was transferred to books of the Manitoba landscape, The Great Gray Owl and Winnipeg, I was pleasantly surprised to find Bob living there. The Edge of the Arctic (polar bears in Churchill). Largely Even in those early years Bob became quite active in environmental issues and was able to share this pursuit (continued on page 8...) In This Issue... Memories of Robert Taylor..................................... p. 1 & 8-9 Outdoor Activities .....................................................p. 12-13 President’s Corner & Member Profile: Francy Wheadon p. 2-3 Bird News, Hawk Watch and Atlas Update ...............p. 14-16 Encounters of the Natural Kind ......................................p. 4-5 Chimney Swifts and Peregrine Falcons ......................p. 17-18 Nature in the News: FoBHP Adopt Cedar Bog Trail ........... p. 6 More Spotted Knapweed Found in MB .......................... p. 18 Greener Thumbs in the Grey Hares ................................ p. 7 The Grey Hares Discover Neubergthal ........................... p. 19 A Trip to Riding Mountain National Park ......................... p. 10 How much water does a canoe need? ......................p. 20-21 Roger’s Rant: Provincial Waffling, Federal Spinning ....... p. 11 Discovery Evenings 2013-2014 .................................p. 22-23 President’s Corner by Donald Himbeault Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0040069231. Issued 6 times a year as the official publication of Nature Manitoba. Subscriptions are a benefit of membership. See backpage for membership details. Opinions are those of the writers and not A Tribute to our Tripleaders necessarily the organization as a whole. eing the thrifty person I am, I will at times Office and Library search the internet for deals on various things I need or at least think I need, such as more outdoor equipment. In doing so, I will enter words like 401 - 63 Albert St. Winnipeg, R3B 1G4 B canoe, snowshoes, skis, etc, in the search field of the classified ad website, and Phone/Fax: ......................... 204-943-9029 along with all the interesting bargains will sometimes appear ads posted by Email: [email protected] people looking for like-minded individuals with whom to do outdoor activities, Website: ............www.naturemanitoba.ca such as hiking, canoeing and camping. Putting on my President’s hat, I reply to Office Administrator ............ Susan McLarty those ads including a link to the Nature Manitoba website, suggesting they Office Assistant.............. Deanna Dodgson check out the outdoor activities page. Hours: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm While it is only anecdotal, my inadvertent discovery of such persons looking for Mon/Tue and Thu/Fri outdoor experiences would suggest there is a significant group of people out there who remain stranded in their urban hovels for lack of a network with Nature Manitoba News outdoor amateurs. Conversely within our membership, many of us are fortunate Newsletter Editor ................... Tommy Allen enough to have a group of friends and acquaintances that we can easily mobilize Email: [email protected] for an outing, or perhaps have enough experience and confidence to simply Editorial Committee: Tommy Allen venture out alone on such activities. In fact, I would guess that for many in Donna Danyluk this latter group, it was through being a member of Nature Manitoba that this Roger Turenne entourage and ability was gained. But for some people, it would seem that one of the few Advertising rates are available online or by resources they have to live these nature experi- ...there is a contacting the editor. Rates are reduced ences would be our outdoor program. “ significant group of if the ad appears at least two times. people out there who Of the two types of groups I described above, Classifieds are also available for15$. remain stranded in I would probably put myself somewhere in the Submission deadline is the first day of the middle, which would probably be the case for their urban hovels for month prior to the newsletter publication. many people. I very much make use of and enjoy lack of a network with Deadline for the Jan. / Feb. 2014 issue is the trips offered in the outdoor program, which outdoor amateurs.” December 1st, 2013. has brought me to places I would never have ventured under my own initiative. And then I This newsletter is printed on Enviro 100 have my list of favorite places I will undertake to visit either alone or with 20lb paper which is 100% Post Consumer special friends or family. But as mentioned earlier, many of those favorite places Recycled and FSC certified. I discovered through a Nature Manitoba outing or member. 2013 / 2014 Executive All this is to underscore the valuable contribution that our trip leaders make towards providing outdoor adventures for our members that enrich their life ex- President ....................... Donald Himbeault periences and that perhaps otherwise would not be available to them. I suspect Exec. Vice-President .................Jack Dubois the leaders themselves may not even be aware of the full impact they have when Vice-President .................. James Whitelaw taking out a group to somewhere special; for them, getting out in our natural Treasurer ..................................Nikolas Cyr environment is simply a natural thing to do. Also with this message, I hope to Secretary ..................................Alain Louer encourage those of you who perhaps once were that nature-disconnected person Past President ..................... Roger Turenne stranded in the city, but now brimming with experiences of the wonderful places you have been, to lead an outdoor trip to help perpetuate our cause. 2013 / 2014 Board Members As a final note, if you join one of those hikes, canoe paddles, or birding trips, at Jerry Ameis, Christian Artuso, the end, before your thoughts start to focus on getting back home and life’s Scott Falkingham, Michele Kading, other obligations, don’t forget to let the trip leader know how much you Les McCann, Rommel Molod, appreciated their efforts to organize the outing and sharing their outdoor Richard Staniforth, Sean Worden experience with you. Page 2 Nature Manitoba News Vol. 5, Issue 6 - Nov. / Dec. 2013 by Tommy Allen Photo: Trevor Wheadon Welcome New Members! e Passio Aug 15th, 2013 – Oct. 14th, 2013 pl n Ashley Adams o a Zahra Basseri e t Lynn Bates e Tamara Bernstein P Yvette Berube Wendy Buelow Beata Gorczyca FRANCY Sandy Hudson Rhonda Keppler Lori Lovell WHEADON Amanda Lussier Kevin & Anita Miller . Rob Shearer A . Lenore Taylor b e Diana Teal o r Janet Thomsen & u u Gordon Fleming t Nat Brian Unger Bernice Wiebe rancy grew up in Win- outdoor activities. Francy nipeg and remembers being quite became a member of Nature Manitoba Our GIANT Garage Sale: Factive outdoors, riding her bike in 2011, beginning with some hikes led Sat. March 29, 2014 throughout Fort Garry. Her father was a by Rose Kuzina, and soon after joined Nature Manitoba’s next Giant Garage home builder, and although neither of the Grey Hares. “It’s great doing Sale will be on Sat. March 29, 2014. her parents were nature enthusiasts, activities with other people who enjoy Volunteers are always needed, call they did have a cottage and boat at Gull nature and being outdoors in all the the office at 204-943-9029 to place Lake, south of Grand Beach, which gave seasons.” It didn’t take long before yourself on the list of volunteers. Francy and her two siblings a strong Francy’s enthusiasm was noticed by connection to nature.