AVERAGE DATE OF PEAK FALL COLOURS When will Vol. 56, No. 4 • September 1, 2015 September 27 ALGONQUIN PARK IS BLACK BEAR COUNTRY 20142014 Algonquin’s For most Park visitors, seeing a Black Bear in its 20132013 20122012 leaf colour be natural environment is an exciting experience. The 20120111 However, the excitement diminishes when that 20102010 20092009 at its peak? Black Bear is rummaging through your cooler 20082008 or tent, searching for food. As visitors camping 20072007 Algonquin colour admirers in bear country, you have a responsibility to follow 20062006 understandably want to know 20052005 when the colours will be at the bear rules and to know what aven 20042004 A Natural and Cultural History Digest 20032003 their peak but this is difficult to do if you encounter a bear. 20022002 to say ahead of time. We have 20012001 no crystal ball; however, fall R 20002000 leaf colour is usually best from PETER FERGUSON 1999 1999 late September through early Algonquin’s Tiny Trophy Fish 19981998 by Lev Frid 19971997 October. Our graph illustrates Rules in Bear Country 19961996 the “peak” dates since the 1970s. When most people think of fishes in efficiently and with minimal effort. For a 19951995 This may help when you plan Each year, Park staff spend hundreds of hours dealing with problem bears 1994 1994 your autumn visit to Algonquin. – help our staff by following the rules when camping in bear country. Algonquin Park, they inevitably think of our naturalist, this approach is a rather poor one 19931993 popular game species – Smallmouth Bass, if we intend to fully understand the complex 1992 You can check for regular 1992 1 3 Keep your campsite clean Brook Trout, and Lake Trout. Seeing the glint ecosystems around us, especially with fishes. 19911991 updates on the Park’s leaf-colour Never feed or approach bears 19901990 status by visiting: The Black Bear is an intelligent animal, with In campgrounds, reduce the availability of in a young angler’s eye as he or she pulls While angling is a good way to view fishes in 19891989 www.algonquinpark.on.ca the ability to remember food locations and can garbage, and consequently garbage odours, their first bass out of the water or the rush of Algonquin, in order to see these creatures in 1988 1988 quickly become accustomed to human sources by depositing your sealed bags of garbage daily catching a spectacular Brook Trout on a pristine their full glory one needs to venture into their 19871987 or www.OntarioParks.com 19861986 When in the Park, trails with of food. People who feed bears create problems in the bear-proof waste containers. Clean your Algonquin lake are hard to beat. Indeed, most realm – beneath the water’s surface. It takes a 19851985 good views of maple colour for everyone. picnic table and barbecue after every use, and of the experiences that Park visitors have with little more effort and planning than picking up 19841984 include: clean up any spilled grease. our fishes are through angling. Angling is great a pair of binoculars or an insect net, but those 1983 1983 2 Store food out of reach of bears When camping in the back country, burn any fun, and an excellent way to observe our fishes naturalists that have taken the plunge will tell 19821982 Hardwood Lookout In campgrounds and picnic areas, store all food food scraps and fat drippings thoroughly in a hot 19811981 (at km 13.8) up close – but they are hardly displaying their you that the experience is just as fascinating as 19801980 (including pet food) inside the closed trunk of fire. Any remaining garbage should be placed full suite of natural behaviours and colours any bird or insect excursion. 19791979 Track & Tower your vehicle, if possible. Do not store food, in your litter bag and suspended along with the when viewed in the hand. There is no better family of fishes to illustrate 19781978 (at km 25) cooking utensils or fragrant items, such as food. To eliminate food odours, dishes should be 19771977 “Out of sight, out of mind” is a common this point than the darters (family Percidae). soap, toothpaste, or shaving cream in your tent. washed immediately after each meal (preferably 19761976 Centennial Ridges human philosophy and fish certainly suffer These small fishes are in the same family as When camping in the backcountry, put 19751975 (2 km South from km 37.6) well away from your campsite). from our lack of attention. We lead fast- 1974 all food in a pack and hang it well off the Snorkeling Algonquin’s lakes and rivers offers 1974 Lookout paced lives and, especially in this day and 19731973 ground – at least four metres off the ground Charges can be laid for leaving the best view of our fishes. Here, the author is 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 (at km 39.7) age, are used to getting information quickly, observing some Logperch in the Barron River. and two metres away from the tree trunk – and out items which may serve as September October Booth’s Rock away from the vicinity of your tent. attractants to any wildlife. (9 km South from km 40.3) BEAR SPRAY is pepper spray with a strength, and a pro pel lant, specifically formulated to deter bears when it is sprayed in their eyes. Know how to properly use, store, and carry this product (available from many outfitters). Keep in mind that bear spray is no replacement for appropriate conduct in the outdoors. The Visitor Centre offers FREE WiFi internet access Enjoy the view! …and while there, don’t forget to check out The Friends of Algonquin Park Bookstore and Nature Shop, or the Sunday Creek Café. algonquinpark.on.ca MNR# 4575 4.5K P.R. 08 20 15 ISSN 0701-6972 (print) ISSN 1927-8624 (online) © Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2015 PHOTO: DAVID LEGROS other two darter species, the Logperch will an amazing change for the male Iowa Darter. yourself. As mentioned earlier, it is not very of Ontario, many of which have their own experiences that few people are aware of, but also swim up into the water column to feed Rising hormone levels in response to the difficult and exceptionally rewarding. Many fascinating life histories for you to observe. they are just as memorable as hearing wolves and possesses a swim bladder that allows it to warmer water and increasing day length cause fishes, and darters especially, are quite tolerant Imagine watching spawning Iowa Darters or howling into a still night or canoeing up to control its buoyancy and position. Due to the its sides to flush a bright, pumpkin orange. of humans observing them underwater, which snorkeling in Poplar Rapids while following a huge bull moose in summer. All you need fast-flowing water in the Logperch’s habitat, It begins to develop thick ultramarine bars affords excellent viewing. You don’t even have a Logperch with schools of bright pink to do is take the plunge. We guarantee that the female buries her eggs in the substrate to vertically across the length of the body. The fins to be a good swimmer—the spawning of the Rosyface Shiners and huge Silver Redhorses you, much like the bass or trout you may have LEV FRID prevent them from getting swept away. It is in also begin to turn blue, especially the flag-like Iowa Darter mentioned above usually takes swimming past. These are Algonquin come here to catch, will be hooked. The Logperch is well adapted to the swift rivers and these shallow, sandy areas that the Logperch dorsal fin which also features a bright orange place in about a foot of water and this means streams of Algonquin’s East Side. is best observed – watch for its quick bursts of horizontal stripe at this time. Just as birds moult that most of us can leisurely observe this Return of the Lost “Puppy” the Yellow Perch and Walleye, but unlike those movement, followed by a pause next to rocks into their breeding plumage, darters change into amazing spectacle by just kneeling or floating Back in November of is a recent invasion—they two species, darters never reach lengths much or debris. If you want to see this amazing little spawning coloration – and for the male Iowa lazily above the breeding darters. Excellent 2014, we ran an article were probably always here, greater than six inches, and are too small to fish in action, don’t be afraid to dunk your head Darter, this means becoming one of the most places to observe the behaviours mentioned entitled “Once in a but under our radar. We take tackle or bait intended for game fish. As a right into the rushing rivers of Algonquin’s East visually striking animals in all of Algonquin here include the Squirrel Rapids just east of the lifetime?” about certain would also like to amend result, they are not often seen and most people Side – but hold on tight! Park. With these dazzling colours, the male bridge over the Barron River on the East Side, amphibians that have been our comments about the aren’t even aware of their existence. This is a will display to visiting females and fertilize and the Poplar Rapids of the Petawawa River. recorded in Algonquin likelihood of the original shame because these small, bottom-dwelling their eggs, spawning over a sheltered site. Once only a single time. We Algonquin Mudpuppy fishes are remarkably diverse, showing a wide this process is complete, the females will leave.