A lot of folks around our Lakeland in eastern Ontario fear the worst when all the Gypsy moth eggs that we saw on the tree bark last fall hatch in the coming spring.

Many of us scraped off all the egg masses we could find and reach but many are placed high in the tree canopies, inside car wheel rims and in lumber piles. We needed help.

Like many other invaders, gypsy moths were brought in by human mistakes. In 1869, amateur naturalists in Massachusetts brought gypsy moths in to try to use them to produce silk. A container blew off a window sill and the invasion was started. Now, with our help, gypsy moths are spread widely across North America.

In the 1890's in Massachusetts, they hired many men to climb up into the tree canopies and scrape off egg masses. Times and wages have changed. And so has nature.

Over fall and winter, Red-Breasted Nuthatches, White-Breasted Nuthatches and Chickadees scour the tree canopies right out to the finest branches checking for eggs and insects to eat. They find many of the Gypsy Moth egg masses and have learned to get past all the hairy covering put on the egg masses by the female moths.

As spring warms, little Brown Creepers will join the winter birds and a little later, floods of warblers will be passing through, also looking for foods to support their long migrations. Having full forest canopies with well-developed understories of shrubs and saplings and natural forest floors should be attractive homes and stop-overs for the birds.

The current alternative technological control is a spray of Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki HD-1 simply called 'Bt'. This is a bacterium that must be eaten by the Gypsy moth caterpillars so the leaves they eat must be thoroughly coated with Bt. And because it works best on young caterpillars, the leaves must be coated just when the eggs hatch. Bt is washed off by rain so the coating must be applied just when the caterpillars hatch and when there is not rain for few days. Because the tops of the trees must be coated, aerial applications are normally used and if the Bt is washed off and has to be reapplied, the costs rise. The natural workforce of birds is better. But their populations need to be safeguarded.

Many folks in eastern Ontario have seen very huge white birds either flying or on the water. Those really huge white birds are Trumpeter Swans.

The last Trumpeter in Ontario was shot at Long Point in 1932. In 1988 Harry Lumsden, took on recovery of Trumpeters as a retirement project. You might have known Harry when he worked for Lands and Forests in Tweed.

Trumpeters were not wiped out in B.C. so 23 eggs were obtained and hatched in Ontario. Harry Lumsden found 23 volunteers who agreed to shelter and feed those hatchlings in eastern Ontario until they matured. From this effort 540 Trumpeters were released. The Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Group was formed (www.trumpeterswansociety.org) and by 2010, there were about 1000 Trumpeters in the wilds of eastern Ontario. Some swans have nested and raised young. We commonly see the grayish young in late summer.

Trumpeter Swans are the largest swans in the world with wingspans reaching 8 feet. Trumpeters may be the heaviest bird capable of flight. They build huge nests, up to 3 metres across. Often they nest on top of old beaver lodges.

Trumpeter Swans do not migrate south. They flock in open water on the lower Great Lakes and on open rivers. On Lake Ontario they are in mixed flocks that include Tundra Swans and Mute Swans. Tundra Swans are native but nest only in the north. We see them as migrants. They are distinguished from the Trumpeters by a variable yellow patch between the bill and the eye and slightly smaller size. Mute Swans are invasive, non-natives that have escaped from swan flocks in urban areas that were imported from Europe. They have a red and black or yellow bill. They have bred widely and their population is increasing rapidly. They compete with Trumpeter Swans for nesting habitat.

Trumpeter Swans are grand birds to see, especially when they take off and spread those huge wings over you. They can be seen on the Salmon River and on McGowan's Lake. At summer's end, large numbers occur on the Crowe River near Marmora, on Consecon Lake in Prince Edward County, in Lake Ontario off Kingston and in lesser numbers in breeding habitat in the inland rivers and lakeland across eastern Ontario. Thanks to many volunteers and Harry Lumsden our swans are back as one of our most valuable natural riches.

Christmas Bird Counts are running this month across North America, just as they have every year since 1900.

Each Christmas Bird Count is conducted on a single day between December 14 and January 5. Counts are carried out within a 24-km diameter circle that stays the same from year to year. They are organized, usually as group efforts, at the local level, often by a birding club or naturalist organization.

The Frontenac count encompasses Frontenac Park and reaches the outskirts of Inverary, and downtown Sydenham, Harrowsmith, Verona as well as the Godfrey area. Carolyn Bonta co-ordinates the count, which took place last Saturday (December 14) on a rainy and windy day.

“We did have a few less people come out as compared to last year. We had 30 in the field and 6 more watching bird feeders. At least partly because of the rain, there were a few less birds identified, but there were some pleasant and exciting surprises,” she said when contacted on Tuesday (December 17)

One of the unusual sightings was at the Verona dump, where two Icelandic Gulls were seen. Another woodpeckers that Carolyn sent a couple of very active septuagenarian birders 17 kilometres towards the northeast corner of the park to find.

“They saw three red-headed woodpeckers, which are an endangered species that has been making a comeback in our region in recent years,” said Bonta.

She did not send the couple out that far without reason, however. The woodpeckers do occasionally overwinter and Carolyn had seen red headed woodpeckers gathering acorns in the park, which they wouldn’t be doing if the were about to leave. She had seen one as late as November 30.

“I sent crews to two areas where red-headed woodpeckers have been seen, and one crew saw nothing but the couple that went out to the northeast corner of the Park saw three of them. It’s pretty esciting to confirm that not only are they back, but that some of them are over-wintering as well.”

The Red-headed woodpecker has been classed as a Species of Special Concern under the Ontario Species at Risk Act sine 2008, due to habitat loss. They often nest in dead trees so forestry and agriculture are the main drivers of habitat loss affecting the species, which has declined by 60% over the last 20 years.

The Frontenac count took place on the first day of the Christmas Bird Count, and there are other local opportunities for experienced and fledgling birders throughout the season. There is a Moscow count, whose territory overlaps with the Frontenac county near Verona. It takes place on December 28 and the co-ordinator is Bonnie Bailey, who can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And on January 5th, the last day of the season, the Sharbot Lake count takes place. The co-ordinator for Sharbot Lake is Andrew Keaveney, who can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“One of the great things about the Christmas Bird Counts is the opportunity for people who have little or no experience in birding to be shown how to look and listen and how to identify species in a friendly way. There is often a social gathering at the end of the day,” said Carolyn Bonta

You might say, but shouldn’t, that experienced birders take newbies under their wing at Christmas Bird Counts.

Your mother gave you the gift of life, and now you can return the favour.

Thanks to the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation’s Special Occasion Tree Planting program, you can skip the grocery store bouquet and plant an environmental legacy in your mom’s honour, instead.

The trees are planted across the Rideau Valley watershed, from Frontenac to Smiths Falls to downtown Ottawa, helping to fight erosion, manage floods and keep contaminants out of our rivers and lakes. Staff tend to the new trees, helping them grow into maturity so they can thrive for decades – much like your mother did for you.

A single tree costs $25, while a small grove of five is only $100. Ten trees costs $150 and a family grove of 25 trees costs $250 – just $10 a tree.

Online ordering makes it easy and fast. Under the RVCF’s Special Occasion Trees program, simply enter your donation amount and your information, and you’ll receive a charitable tax receipt to your inbox right away. You can even send your mom an e-card right from the Foundation site.

The foundation is a registered charity that supports the work of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, which monitors more than 4,000 km2 of waterways across 18 municipalities.

The authority is responsible for monitoring water quality, flood risks and other hazards to keep people, property and the environment safe. Planting trees is an important part of the authority’s efforts to promote biodiversity, protect our drinking water and reduce the risk of flooding.

The RVCF plants a combination of white cedar, white pine, red oak and sugar maple.

To order your Mother’s Day trees or make another donation, visit www.canadahelps.org and search Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation.

Nikon ambassador Michelle Valberg was supposed to give a talk at GREC Saturday night, showing off her wildlife photographs.

However, with the weather calling for freezing rain and a flight scheduled for 6am to photograph Canada’s reindeer herd, Valberg had to beg off.

Luckily, the guy responsible for (almost) bringing her to Sharbot Lake has also taken quite a few wildlife photos, and it’s likely the insights he brought to the genre exceeded what a pure photographer might have had.

Gray Merriam, PhD, Dsc, Professor Emeritus, Landscape Ecologist, knows a thing or two about critters and the way they interact with their environment, and the audience didn’t seem to mind him filling in at the last minute.

“I used to do ecological research and live only 18 kilometers from Sharbot Lake,” he said.

Merriam’s lecture featured four photo shoots — polar bears in ‘Bear Town’ near Churchill, Manitoba, grizzly bears in Knight Inlet, B.C., ‘spirit’ bears in the Great Bear Rainforest in B.C. and painted hunting dogs in Botswana, Africa.

He began with polar bears.

“There are polar bear alert signs in the area,” he said. “A boulder covered in snow and a polar bear look quite similar but stepping on one gets very different results.”

He said the bears come ashore when the sea ice melts and they’re stuck there until it reforms, with very little to eat, so photographers have to load into a specialized ‘bear buggy’ to mingle with them.

“The time between the ice melting and reforming is getting longer and there’s not much food for the bears except seaweed,” he said. “It has very little nutritive value, except for something to chew on.”

He also had several shots of arctic foxes.

“They’re about the size of a large housecat,” he said. “The red foxes are moving north and are about twice the size of the arctic foxes.

“They prey on them.”

Next came the grizzlies of Knight Island.

“They’re having litters of three and four, which is the best indication that they’re doing well,” he said.

He said that “their ability to catch fish varies greatly” and the ones that are really good at it tend to eat only the “best parts — the roe and brains.” The bears that aren’t that good at fishing scoop up what’s left and drag them off into the woods.

“In this way they fertilize the forest,” he said.

Then came the highlight of the lecture — the Kermode bears, or spirit bears.

“These bears only exist on two islands,” he said. “They’re actually black bears with a genetic difference in that there’s no pigment in their hair.

“They’re not albinos as they do have pigment in their eyes.

“We were very lucky. Lots of people go there and never see a spirit bear. We got our fair share.”

Merriam finished up his talk with photos of the painted dogs of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

“They have various patterns,” he said. “No two are ever alike.

“They’re about the size of a German shepherd, but with no body fat because they run all day, every day.”

He showed pictures of pups nipping at adults’ lips to make them regurgitate food for the pups as well as a number of other species in the area including leopards, crocodiles, lions, a serval, hippos, a bush baby and elephants.

For me, a highlight of the Christmas season is taking part in a few of the Christmas Bird Counts held in our area. This year I participated in 3 “CBCs”, as they are known by many – Westport, Frontenac Provincial Park and Sharbot Lake. So how did it go this year? In three words – cold, cold and colder! More on this in a moment.

Christmas Bird Counts go back to 1900, when American ornithologist Frank Chapman proposed a new holiday tradition of having people count living birds in their home towns. Coined the "Christmas Bird Census”, people believed that it could be a fun activity that also contributed to conservation. It caught on, and CBCs are now conducted in over 2000 localities across the Americas.

Christmas Bird Counts are conducted on any one day between December 14 and January 5. They are carried out annually within a 24-km diameter circle that stays the same from year to year. CBCs are usually group events organized at the local level, often by a birding club, naturalists’ organization or simply an enthusiastic group of volunteers. People participate in one of two ways: field observers cover a portion of the count circle on their own or with a small group, counting all birds they find. Feeder watchers count birds at their feeders for a portion of the day.

On the chosen day, field observation teams have 24 hours to identify and count every bird they see or hear in their assigned sector of the circle. At the end of the day, the numbers are compiled, and this information is reviewed and coordinated by Bird Studies Canada, the sponsoring organization in Canada. This data has proven to be very valuable in helping scientists better understand important things like bird distribution and movements and population trends over time.

The big day for the Westport CBC was Friday December 14th. It was cold and windy but sunny, with the thermometer reading about minus 20 when I set out. The mercury rose a little during the day, but the wind became more biting as the day went on. My tally was below normal, with 113 birds representing 12 species, but with several interesting highlights, including a group of 5 Eastern Bluebirds and 2 small flocks of Cedar Waxwings. Overall some 23 intrepid birders and feeder watchers tallied 5,030 birds of 54 different species. Among the most unusual birds were a White-crowned Sparrow at a feeder and a trio of Yellow-rumped Warblers – both very rare sightings during the winter in this area. Blue Jays were back in large numbers this year (at 501), in contrast to last year when they were virtually absent.

Next up was the Frontenac CBC. Coordinated by The Friends of Frontenac Park, the count takes place in a circle that encompasses Frontenac Provincial Park and includes the towns of Sydenham and Verona. Now in its third season, this year’s December 16 count drew 50 participants, many of whom met at the Sydenham Branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library for coffee and a great “Winter Birds 101” workshop. The weather was not unpleasant, with temperatures in the minus 7 to minus 10 range all day under sunny skies and moderate winds – a nice winter day. Participants tallied 3,502 individual birds of 48 different species. Highlights included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Common Redpoll, both spotted at Loughborough Lake feeders, and 3 Rough-legged Hawks – all new species for the Frontenac CBC. Birders finished the day with a hearty and well-deserved meal at The Point restaurant in Sydenham. The day’s events also included a CBC for Kids afternoon workshop at Frontenac Park attended by several families. Plus, the Frontenac CBC had its first youth survey team, with seven participants aged 11-16.

Several years ago the Sharbot Lake bird count was revived by the keen and itinerant birder (and expert “pisher”) Andrew Keaveney, making this year’s count, held on January 5, the third consecutive recent count for this circle. The weather was likely the most memorable feature of the Sharbot Lake count day. There’s no way around it, it was brutally cold. Our small but hardy birding party headed out at 9:00 am with the thermometer reading minus 25 with a wind chill of minus 36. Man it was cold! We tallied 13 species and 83 birds, a bit higher than last year but still quite low. The cold weather handicapped us a little – I rely a great deal on my hearing to help me find birds, but the layers of hats and hoods I was wearing (to stay alive) muffled most sounds. Another teammate found the cold weather left his glasses fogged up all morning, so he was operating at less than 100%. And for the first time in my birding career, the exceptional cold made the focus wheel on my binoculars stiff and uncooperative.

At sundown, survivors converged on the Maples Restaurant in Sharbot Lake to thaw out and compare notes. In total 9 field observers and several feeder watchers tallied 1,347 birds of 32 species, including a Northern Goshawk, 2 Black-backed Woodpeckers and a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Several Pine Grosbeaks and Red Crossbills were tallied as well, a pair of species that are not easily found in Frontenac most years. Perhaps the most interesting find was a Brown Thrasher being treated like royalty at a local feeder. Neither the thrasher nor the Red-bellied Woodpecker had ever been recorded on the count before. Bird numbers were down a bit over the long-term average, with the weather (did I say it was cold that day?) having an impact on bird numbers. For example, open water usually yields waterfowl like ducks and geese, but this year open water was very scare.

All of the above CBCs are looking for more volunteers. Anyone who is interested in birds and in spending a winter day looking for them either in the field or from the comfort of their own homes as feeder watchers are invited to join the fun. Those interested in participating in the Sharbot Lake CBC can contact Andrew Keaveney at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more info on the Westport CBC, please contact Wendy Briggs-Jude at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and to join the Frontenac CBC please contact Carolyn Bonta at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Participating in Christmas Bird Counts for me is a bit like a treasure hunt – it’s exciting to seek out new species to add to the daily tally or come across a group of interesting birds like this year’s bluebirds or the 110 Snow Buntings we spotted north of Westport during last year’s CBC. I also get a good deal of satisfaction knowing that our effort and the data we collect is helping to paint a continent-wide picture of the status of our winter birds. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without looking for birds.

On January 30, Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust is hosting a fun Nature Quiz Night at the Golden Arrow Pub, 71 Foster Street in Perth.

This fun evening is a part of the current campaign to raise the funds needed for the stewardship of the 100-acre Byrne Big Creek Nature Preserve located near McDonald’s Corners. This ecologically significant property was bequeathed to the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust by Joel Byrne, a true nature lover who, through this act of giving, fulfils his dream of protecting forever this special place.

Come to socialize with friends, tell stories about Joel and test your general knowledge of nature trivia. The Quiz Night starts at 7:00pm and there will be a cover charge of $10 that will go towards the fund.

More than 80% of the $48,500 goal has already been received. The MMLT hopes that all those who care about preserving wilderness in Eastern Ontario will visit the MMLT website at mmlt.ca and donate generously to the cause.

On Saturday morning, the first of many people began to explore the new trails through the parkland just north of Kennebec Lake.
“There are about five to seven kilometres so far with two to three more to come,” said Gord Brown, one of those who’s spent time, marking out and grooming the new trails. “But it’s hard to tell because those are Nova Scotia kilometres.”
In other words, there’s a lot of up and down walking.

“I would say it’s a moderate difficulty trail,” Brown said. “It’s about two-thirds bush and one-third meadow and winds through the 156 acres of Parkland.”
Highlights along the route include the old ski hill, Mallard Pond (which should be good for skating in the winter), beaver meadows, rock cliffs and several glacial erratics (huge boulders deposited when the glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago).
The trails are on Central Frontenac Township parkland, which was acquired when the Kennebec Shores Waterfront Community was developed several years ago.
In fact, Brown credits current Kennebec Shores owner Mark Snider with most of the work done on the trails.

“Mark has done most of the work over the past two years,” Brown said. “We only started helping two weeks ago.
“He’s a real outdoor fanatic with a big weed wacker, bush saw and heavy duty mower.”
“He even cleared trail in the winter.”

The trails are an ongoing project of the Friends of Arden, Kennebec Lake Association and District 1 Rec Committee.

The Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington is hosting two free public events in October about land conservation in this region.
“We are lucky to live in a part of Ontario where we still have a chance to get the right balance between human use and habitat conservation,” says Dr. Kate Laird, chair of the group’s mapping committee. “We are developing maps that identify priorities for land stewardship and conservation activities here.”
The public meetings will give people a chance to see the maps, talk to naturalists with knowledge about plants and animals, and hear a presentation.

In Roblin, on Monday evening October 23rd, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Mark Stabb from the Nature Conservancy of Canada will be speaking on grassland and alvar environments. The talk is entitled “Our Unique and Sensitive Grassland and Alvar Environments”. It takes place at the Roblin Fire Hall, 3264 Highway 41.
At the Sunday afternoon October 29th meeting in Sydenham arborist/ecologist Oliver Reichl’s talk will be on “What’s happening to our trees?” the talk takes place from 2-4pm
Both events are free event and refreshments will be served.

“We are hoping that people will come to one or both meetings to learn more about local ecology and the conservation work of their local land trust, the Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington,” adds Laird.
The Land Conservancy preserves habitat in this region by owning land and holding conservation easements on land to keep the land in its natural state. Over the last few years, the Land Conservancy has undergone a major Natural Heritage Planning process which you will also hear about at the events. Dr. Kate Laird, Chair, Mapping Committee, LC-KFLA 613-900-6302 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Back on June 15, 1984, seniors in Arden and Kennebec planted a pine tree to commemorate not only the seniors of the day, but also descendants of those present who represented the original pioneers of the area.
However, nobody really envisioned a day when the tree would get as large as it did nor when needles and cones would cover steps and the ramp, making wet and/or icy conditions all that more treacherous for seniors and others wanting to access Kennebec Hall. Also, the bigger the tree got, the more light it blocked adding increased darkness to an already slippery situation.

So, the District 1 (Kennebec) Rec Committee, along with G. E. Matson & Sons/Kennebec Tree and Lawn Services got together last Monday morning to knock it down.
The pine tree was replaced with two cedars. There were no costs to the Township for removal or replacement of the tree.

“The lady at the store said they won’t get much bigger than 10 feet high and they can be easily trimmed,” said Lorne Harrison.

Rec Committee chair Wanda Harrison said a branch of the tree will be milled and a plaque attached commemorating the 1984 seniors as well as the 2017 seniors who planted the new trees.

Several attendees at the ceremony went home with bundles of pine cones from the old tree.