As winter approaches, many birds change some of their eating habits. Birds that usually eat insects may start to eat berries and fruit to supplement their diets. I’ve noticed that worm-loving robins will quickly switch over to berries and fruit to survive. At this time of the year there are still lots of apples, crab apples, mountain ash, and various wild berries, either on the ground or still clinging to fruit trees. I’ve noticed finches gobbling up the seeds from my coneflowers and there are many other grass and weed seeds that the birds love. There is a good supply of this natural food except when we get deep snow and sub-freezing conditions that make finding the food difficult or impossible. This is when the birds can use some help from us in providing food in feeders or even handfuls of seed thrown on the ground.

It’s okay to feed the birds – don’t worry about them becoming dependent on your handouts – they’ll soon revert back to foraging for natural food. It’s just easier for them to congregate at your feeders when there is a ready supply of food. If you usually put out bird seed but can’t do it for the entire winter, the birds will survive. They’ll just be happy to see you when you’re back.

The birds you attract will depend mostly on the type of seeds you offer them.

Black oil sunflower seeds attract cardinals, chickadees, mourning doves, juncos, song sparrows and common grackles. Most of the birds are regular visitors and visit the feeders daily except for birds like the grackles, which tend to congregate in huge flocks of seemingly hundreds of birds. When these guys arrive at the feeders, I know that they’ll probably clean out all the seeds. I’m sure that the grackles do some good – eating insects, etc. – so I don’t mind these invasions from time to time.

Suet and bird peanuts attract blue jays, nuthatches, downy and hairy woodpeckers – even the chickadees seem to like a bit of suet now and then. Be sure, though, to feed only peanuts that are not salted, as salt is apparently a no-no for birds.

Nyjer and black oil sunflower seed attracts various types of finches, common redpoll and pine siskin. A nyjer feeder works great for nyjer seed – it seems expensive but a little goes a long way in a special feeder, which helps to stop these little seeds from going all over the ground.

Fruit attracts robins and cedar waxwings. A flock of cedar waxwings can almost strip the berries off a mountain ash in a single day, especially if the weather turns nasty. Our mulberry tree had a bumper crop of berries this year, which attracted lots of robins and chickadees.

Seeds that do happen to drop on the ground are usually gobbled up by mourning doves and other birds, as well as squirrels, rabbits and even raccoons. I don’t mind letting these fellows clean up some of the ground food but I do not allow them to climb into the actual feeders as they can make a real mess and waste a lot of food for the birds.

We have a great feeder pole that has a large spring-loaded baffle. When an animal tries to climb the pole, they cannot get past the baffle. It works great – even for the wily raccoons! You need to make sure the feeder pole is a good distance from any trees, shrubs, fences or poles, as squirrels can jump a long way. A distance of 10 or 12 feet of clearance works well for our feeders. We did have one determined squirrel that managed to make the leap to the feeders but we simply moved the pole several feet away from any launch pads. The feeder pole has a large screw-type base so it was easy to move. It was fun to foil the furry bandit – he did not need to get into our feeders as there is always lots of food on the ground.

Water is another essential for birds in winter. Unfortunately it is difficult to provide water unless you have a bird bath with a heater, which most of us do not. We used to live near a spring, which provided a natural source of water for all types of wildlife no matter how cold the weather.

Birds also need protection from the weather and from predators. Evergreens provide the best natural protection. We are lucky to have several large spruce and cedar trees only a few yards from our feeders so the birds can huddle with some protection from harsh winds and hide from hawks flying overhead.

There are many ways that birds manage to survive sub-zero temperatures: most birds fluff up their feathers, creating little air pockets which help keep the bird warm. The more air spaces, the better the insulation. Some birds perch on one leg drawing, the other leg to the breast for warmth. The chickadee goes into a type of torpor where the heart slows dramatically in order to conserve energy. The common redpoll can survive temperatures in the minus 50s C. – one of the ways they do this is by tunneling into deep snow. The tunnels may be as deep as 10 cm. and as long as 30 cm.

If you’d like to do more to help wild birds, you should check out the Bird Studies Canada website which gives information on how you can participate in the Christmas Bird Count. You keep track of the birds you see on any day between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 and report the information to the nearest Bird Studies volunteer in your area. I notice there are a number of these contact people in eastern Ontario.

Good luck and have a Merry Christmas!

Please send your observations to Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Frontenac Park and the surrounding area, including the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (EEEC), are in the process of being designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) because they are the summer home to 400 to 500 pairs of Cerulean Warblers, the largest concentration of the blue birds in Canada.

According to the profile of the warbler on the Government of Canada Species at Risk registry, there are between 500 and 1000 nesting pairs of Ceruleans in Canada, which underscores how important the Frontenac County population is.

Ceruleans are a small bird shaped much like the common Chickadee. Their total body length is 10 to 12.5 centimetres and they weigh 8 to 10 grams. The males are a deep blue colour with a blue-black band across the throat, and the bird gets its name from the coloration of the male. Females are blue-green, with yellow-white eyebrows.

Ceruleans winter in a narrow range in the foothills of the Andes in Columbia and Ecuador, and scatter in the summer through the Eastern seabord of the United States, with southern Ontario and Quebec being the north end of their range.

Deciduous forests with rich undergrowth and mixed hardwoods such as Hemlock, Oak, and Maple are the ideal summer habitat for them. They tend to nest high up in hidden nooks on the tallest trees in the forest.

The major threat to the Cerulean, and other warblers, is habitat loss in their wintering grounds.

In Canada, the major concern is maintaining large tracts of forests and minimizing the amount of fragmentation in the forest cover because Ceruleans are more vulnerable in forest edge habitat.

Mike Burrell is the Important Bird Areas (IBA) co-ordinator with Bird Studies Canada, a national organization based at Long Point on Lake Erie. He works, however, out of his home near Sunbury, and made a presentation to the Frontenac Stewardship Council Environmental Forum in Verona on Thursday, November 26.

“The designation of Frontenac Park and the Elbow Lake Environmental Centre as an IBA comes about as the result of the efforts of a number of groups and individuals,” he said, when interviewed later over the phone. “Among those are Steve Lougheed at Queens; the Frontenac Bird Studies, a group led by Dan Darbyshire that studies bird populations in the Frontenac Arch area; the staff at Frontenac Park; and others”.

Ever since the Cerulean warbler was updated from a 'species of concern' to an 'endangered species' in 2011, efforts have been made to determine how many and how widespread they are in Frontenac County. There used to be a population in south-western Ontario, but a lack of uninterrupted forest cover has decimated that population, and according to the Canadian Bird Atlas the species has been declining by a rate of 17% per decade since the 1960s.

Since 2011, local groups have been working to determine how plentiful the warblers are in Frontenac County.

“They are a small bird, and they nest high up in the trees, so the best way to identify them, as with most birds, is by their song. Each warbler has a distinctive song, and it does not take too long for someone to learn how to identify the Ceruleans’ song,” said Steve Burrell.

By listening at intervals, it is possible to determine the location of a range for a nesting pair, and by tracking this information over time, Burrell said that researchers are able to determine the number of nesting pairs in a region with confidence.

Among the impacts of determining an IBA for Cerulean Warblers, aside from suggesting ways to ensure the continued viability of species in the area, are the educational and public relations potential.

“It shows how the habitat in the Frontenac Arch is rich in ways that we are only learning about over time,” said Burrell, “And helps to highlight all the species that depend on the habitat in the arch, particularly in protected areas such as Frontenac Park and Elbow Lake.”

According to COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) the government body responsible for designating species at risk, the future prospects for the Cerulean Warbler in Canada are not bright.

“The Canadian population is estimated to be 433-543 pairs (866-1086 mature individuals), most of which are found in the Frontenac Axis region of south-eastern Ontario ... In Quebec, Cerulean Warblers have disappeared from five of six known sites occupied since the 1960s. Overall, the Canadian population has declined by at least 16% over the past 10 years. The potential for rescue is believed to be low, owing to ongoing population declines in the U.S.,” said COSEWIC in 2010.

The fact there are 800-1000 Ceruleans in Frontenac County five years later, and the IBA designation, may give hope that the warbler population will be maintained in southern Canada for some time to come.

On October 24, two great horned owls, which had been orphaned and were rescued as babies by Verona resident Bill Kendall, were released into the wild at dusk. The owlets were the subject of an article, Chain of care leads to upcoming release, Sep 16/15),  by Julie Druker. Several individuals and organizations, including Connie Black of Destined to Fly, in Yarker, and Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre, helped the owlets before they found a home at the Owl Foundation on the Niagara Peninsula, where they were raised to adulthood. On Saturday the owls were eager to be released. They both went in the same direction and flew into trees 50 feet apart before flying off for good.

It’s almost Halloween and the following creepy creatures seemed appropriate for this scary time of the year:

The Northern Mole Cricket:

Photo by Betsy Betros, bugguide.net, used by permission

As the name suggests, this insect’s actions are much like a mole as it spends most of its life underground and near water. Its stocky front legs are designed for digging - the legs look more like garden trowels than the usual cricket legs. Although the Northern Mole Cricket does stay underground for the most part, it can sometimes be found near light posts or house lights at night because it does have the ability to fly. The front wings are very short and they make chirping noises, much like other crickets. Even though the name suggests this bug lives in the north, it is only found occasionally in southern Ontario, as it prefers warmer climates. It is an invasive species that was inadvertently introduced to the southern U.S. around the year 1900 and has now spread over much of eastern North America. It can do a lot of damage to plants and crops as it feeds primarily on the roots of plants and crops. Perhaps with global warming, we will see more of this creepy cousin of the field cricket.

The Bold Jumper Spider

Photo: Bold Jumper Spider by Kaldari.

The Bold Jumper Spider is almost cute when compared to the Mole Cricket. It has eight legs, eight eyes, hair on its body and legs and is quite small. It doesn’t move around like most other spiders. As the name suggests, it jumps – a lot. The head can swivel around, and with all those eyes, you don’t stand a chance of catching one. I know, I’ve tried, as they sometimes get in the house. They’re easy to spot as they must like the light and usually go to windowsills.

The Harvestman is the proper name for the bug we call “Daddy Long Legs”. Harvestmen are not spiders as their bodies are constructed quite differently from spiders. The main thing that sets them apart is the fact that the head and body are not separated. They are also unable to make silk and spin webs. Harvestmen can be quite predatory, at least with prey no bigger than themselves. They do a lot of good in the garden, though, as they eat all kinds of decaying material, including dead bugs. I still think Daddy Long Legs is a much more appropriate name for this eight legged insect on stilts.

The Bird Poop Weevil:

Photo: Bird Dropping Weevil - Cryptorhynchus lapathi, DeadInsects.Net, used by permission

This weevil is a strange looking beetle. The head of a weevil is constructed quite differently as the jaws are at the end of a long snout, called a rostrum, and they are operated by long, tendon-like rods that attach to muscles in the main part of the head. Weevils use the rostrum both for feeding and as a drill with which they prepare a hole before laying their eggs. This weevil gets its name from its survival trick of looking like a small bit of dried-up, black and white bird poop – all birds recognize this and none of them want to eat poop. There are other examples of this bird-poop mimicry, for example, moths, which hide by day in plain sight, looking like bird poop on a leaf or a twig. Even beige-coloured clusters of Gypsy Moth eggs could be mistaken for a glob of bird poop on the side of a tree trunk!

Happy Trick or Treating to all the little Ghosts and Goblins!

Saturday, October 3, will mark the dedication of the renewed walking trails of the Palmerston Canonto Conservation Area. These seven trails ranging from 300 meters to one kilometre in length have been well trodden by area residents and visitors over several generations. As the trees, bushes and grasses grew, the trails became more difficult to pass and the disappearance of earlier signage made some people nervous about finding their way. In response, community volunteers and the Township of North Frontenac formed a partnership to not only restore the trails but maintain and monitor the close to five kilometres of paths.

Originally established by the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, the township has undertaken a responsibility for the trails, a responsibility that is considered to have become more do-able through this partnership with community volunteers. According to John Inglis, Councillor for Ward 3, “In an area with the natural beauty of North Frontenac, trails not only enhance the outdoor life of residents, but make the area attractive to visitors as a weekend and vacation destination. As such, trails offer a potential contribution to the local economy”.

The trails are colour coded with line of sight markings making it easy to reach either of the two summits - the Lakeview and Vista Lookouts. Maps along the way make navigation very convenient. The trails start from the dam between Palmerston and Canonto Lakes being approximately 4.5 kilometers down the Canonto Road from Hwy 509.

“When the community and the municipality work together, sharing in not only deciding what needs to be done, but also in the actual doing of the work, it is amazing how we can together make the community better” according to Bruce Moore, who coordinated the volunteer effort. Moore reported that “Twenty-four volunteers contributed 194 hours toward putting the trails back into good walking and snowshoeing condition. If this had to be paid for, the cost may have made this project prohibitive”.

Calling this a partnership cannot be understated. The Township of North Frontenac invested significant effort in this project: coordination; developing and installing GPS-based coloured maps located at the starting points and along each of the trails; ensuring the amenities, and also outhouses were restored.

According to Corey Klatt, manager of community development, “The re-opening of the Palmerston-Canonto Trails network is an example of the spirit of cooperation that makes it possible for a township, known to have limited resources, to do so much more for itself, its residents and visitors, when we all work together”.

Come walk the trails on Saturday, October 3. Walks will begin at the Palmerston-Canonto dam. Drop by between 10am and noon and one of the volunteers will happily introduce the trails network and set you off for a walk or accompany you if you would like them to join with you, your friends and family. Trail walks will be continuous through this time, so when you get there you will not need to wait – just get walking.

For more information, contact Bruce Moore This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Corey Klatt This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fall is certainly the best time of the year to spot Fungi growing in the woods, especially after a rainfall when all kinds of fungi seemingly pop up through the wet leaves almost overnight. Of course, you’ll find fungi in other areas but forested areas provide ideal conditions with a good supply of damp, decaying material on which the spores can grow.

Welcome to the world of mushrooms, which is part of the huge group of organisms called fungi. Some fungi are pretty, others are ugly, some can be deadly if eaten, but they are all interesting. Fungi are defined by their inability to make their own food. They thrive on dead or dying matter such as rotting tree trunks and fallen logs and branches. No matter what type of fungus you come across, they are all helping Mother Nature to speed up the decay process by turning dead or dying material into soil.

There are countless types of wild fungi but I will just mention a few I’ve seen recently. A couple of weeks ago, I came across pretty clumps of Golden Clavaria growing on rotting birch logs. They are fairly common so you probably have seen them as well. This fungus is quite easy to spot as it literally seems to suddenly appear among fallen leaves and the bright colour is eye catching. The clumps can be up to 6” wide and about 5” tall. I think they look very similar to some types of coral except that Clavaria is soft and could be easily crushed if you stepped on a clump. I did read somewhere that this fungus is edible but I certainly wouldn’t eat it!

Another common (though not very pretty) fungus is “Black Knot Fungus” which is a black, lumpy and ugly growth that grows on the twigs and branches of choke cherry trees (live ones as well as dead ones). I notice these black lumpy masses on the same trees that you find tent caterpillar nests. Weird, and not very pretty!

Another fungus you’ve probably seen is the “Artist’s Fungus” which grows on logs and stumps of broad-leaved trees. It is so called because it juts out from the wood, looking much like a shelf or an artist’s palette.

The “Old Man of the Woods” is another interesting character that pops up under the canopy of broad-leaved trees. It has a scaly, shaggy cap in a typical mushroom shape or umbrella. It ranges in colour from gray to black with a white underside. The cap can be up to 6” across and the stem may be as much as 6” tall.

One of my favourites, though, is the Giant Puffball. When fresh, they are strikingly white and it’s almost shocking to suddenly come across one when walking through woods or fields. Seemingly out of nowhere you see a large white ball about the size of a basketball (at least the ones I’ve seen) all on its own.

I have eaten the Common Morel and the Giant Puffball when fresh and white but would not even think of eating any other type of mushroom, even though some may be safe to eat.

Did you know that cultivated mushrooms are the only vegetable that contains Vitamin D naturally? It seems odd to me that a vegetable grown in the dark would provide Vitamin D so I verified this information on the Mushrooms Canada website. Cultivated mushrooms also contain a wide variety of other vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. They’re low in fat and taste great as well. Wild mushrooms may also contain lots of nutrients but some can also be extremely poisonous so it’s best to never pick or eat them.

Cautionary Note: The one rule that must be remembered always is that no wild mushroom should be eaten unless it has been identified by an expert and declared safe. Some are highly poisonous and almost impossible to differentiate from non-poisonous varieties. Stay Safe!!

Most individuals who camp, hike, or cottage in the Frontenac area have encountered snakes, turtles, and frogs. But there is another group of reptiles and amphibians in the area. These are the salamanders, and seven different kinds of these animals occur within the Frontenac region. However, many people have never seen one of these amphibians due to the fact that salamanders spend much of their lives hidden (either underground or under natural debris in the humid locations of cool forests). They may only emerge on rainy nights, not the time that most people like to go hiking, and this is why so few people encounter salamanders.

As with frogs, many salamander populations are in decline; therefore to help contribute to a better understanding of their numbers, I have been out collecting observational records of salamanders. These are sent to the Global Amphibian BioBlitz, which is presented by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission, the Amphibian Specialist Group and the Amphibian Survival Alliance.

As such, I have had numerous opportunities to observe the salamanders that live within the Frontenac area. The most common species in most locations throughout the region is the Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus). These small, lung-less salamanders are very common in woodland areas. Aside from being prolific, these salamanders have extremely varied morphology in terms of colouration and pattern. The typical “red phased” individuals have a red dorsal stripe. This may be various shades of red, orange, or even yellow. Another colour phase exists in which no dorsal stripe is present and the salamanders are instead a uniform greyish-blue colour. Some even veer on purplish. These are known as Lead-backed Salamanders. Twice, I have had the extreme pleasure of observing rare leucistic (all white) forms. I have also seen a few predominately erythristic forms (all red).

Another species of small lungless salamander that I have observed frequently is the Four-Toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum). These salamanders have a brownish to grey background colour, with white bellies speckled with black flecks. I usually encounter these salamanders in forests that are flush with various mosses, or in areas adjacent to bogs or forested ponds. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), considers the Four-toed Salamander to be rare, or at least rarely seen. This makes the numerous sightings that I have had of these salamanders that much more rewarding!

Another species of small salamander that is found in the area is the Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). Most people encounter Eastern Newts during the Red Eft stage (terrestrial juvenile). At this point in their life cycle they are bright orange with red spots. Many of the Newts that I have seen were Efts, often in damp forested areas near wetlands or ponds. Most of the adult Newts that I have encountered were also on land, under cover close to water, although I have frequently encountered them in ponds and wetlands too.

The area is also home to several species of Mole Salamanders. Compared to the lungless forms and Newts, these salamanders seem like giants! One of the most commonly encountered of these is the Blue-Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale). These salamanders have a dark background colouration covered with blue speckles. I have encountered Blue-Spotteds legions of times, usually under pieces of bark or fallen logs in cool forests. One campground I visited seemed to be teeming with them. I found them under door mats, tent covers, and in wood piles.

Another commonly encountered mole salamander is the Yellow-Spotted (Ambystoma maculatum). This is the largest terrestrial salamander in Ontario, growing up to 20-25 cm long. They have a dark background colouration with bright yellow “polka dots”. These are highly variable in term of the number and size of the spots. I have observed A. maculatum as much as A. laterale. Particularly, under cover (logs & rocks), next to forested ponds and wetlands.

The largest salamander species in Ontario is the Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus). These amphibians can reach lengths of close to 20 inches! With large external gills they are adapted to a totally aquatic life. I have observed mudpuppies many times just outside of the Frontenac area. Only once have I seen one within the region. Their preference for cool water means they usually leave the shallows in the summer and again often only emerge from rocky crevices at night.

The Frontenac area is home to many interesting salamander species, all of which are helpful to people by either preying on insects, mosquito larva and ticks, or by keeping forests and wetlands healthy. It is important to bring attention to these species as several are in decline, and certainly, people will not be supportive of protecting and conserving animals that they aren't even aware of.

Learn how you can help salamanders at: www.savethesalamanders.com

With all the talk about dwindling Monarch butterfly populations, I wanted to help in some small way, starting this summer, by having more butterfly friendly flowers in my garden. I started bugging (pardon the pun) garden centres in April and finally was able to purchase milkweed plants by late June. Some of the wild milkweed plants can apparently get quite invasive and literally take over a small garden so I had to be careful when selecting the plants. I notice there are still lots of wild milkweed plants in lake country and also in ravine, park and conservation areas around cities but so much farmland has been covered by development that the plants that are left are just not enough to sustain the Monarch populations.

I was thrilled when one day last month I happened to be in the garden and noticed a Monarch butterfly flitting around and looking as though it was lost. It flew from flower to flower but eventually found the milkweed plants as you can see from the accompanying photo. I thought “Wow, they’ve found my plants!” Since that first day I’ve been checking the underside of the leaves for eggs but nothing so far. It seems to me that the plants may have to be more mature before the butterflies lay their eggs. I hope next year will produce some results.

One big mistake was made in placing the milkweed near the base of our birdfeeder. I came out one morning to find some of the plants had been trampled and the stalks broken off – I’m sure the culprits were some raccoons that were partying the previous night (they party a lot!). The bird feeder pole is very frustrating for squirrels and raccoons as there is a hanging baffle on a spring that pretty well stops anything from climbing the pole…still the raccoons keep trying and trying as evidenced by the muddy footprints on the bottom section of the pole. So far, they haven’t been able to get beyond the baffle. Next spring I’ll move the milkweed to a safer, less busy area of the garden.

Earlier this year, we moved the bird feeder from an area near the deck to a better location in the garden. Some of the spilled sunflower seeds sprouted and grew into some pretty sunflowers. In other years, I’ve left the sunflower heads to dry and provide food for the fall and winter but, to my surprise, the goldfinches and black squirrels have already eaten nearly all the seeds from the flower heads. The finches and the squirrel were so intent on digging out the seeds that I was able to snap pictures from just a few feet away.

Already there are lots of plans for next year’s “backyard oasis”! 

At the Sharbot Lake Property Association’s annual general meeting, which took place on July 18 at St. James Church hall in Sharbot Lake, pollination expert Susan Chan spoke about the importance of bees as pollinators. Chan is also project manager with Farms at Work.

Her talk was titled “Introduction to Pollinators for Cottagers” and offered up a plethora of information about bees as well as ways to encourage their presence and ongoing health.

When we think of bees we think mostly of honey bees, which are the only non-native bees in Ontario, but Chan explained that there are over 400 other native species of bees. Bees are a vital part of what makes our plants, flowers and veggies grow. Wind and insects are two key pollinators and native bees are the predominant insect pollinators that carry pollen from the male part of a plant (anther) to the female part (stigma), resulting in pollination. Pollination is needed to set seed in plants and is what allows fruits and seeds to grow, which is the main source of food for humans and for wildlife.

Bees also pollinate the plants whose seeds are used to produce most of our edible oil products. Meat and dairy products are heavily dependent on the alfalfa plant, pollinated by native bees. “If you like your steaks on the barbeque, you are dependent not on honey bees but on native bees who pollinate alfalfa plants which are used to feed meat and dairy cattle.”

She spoke about common myths about bees and the surprising fact that it is the non-native honey bee that usually stings, whereas most of the native species can sting but generally do not. They live in much smaller colonies; most live solitary lives and possess very low defense mechanisms, which makes them very unlikely to sting aggressively. Swarms are only associated with honey bees; other solitary bees do not live in colonies and therefore do not swarm. In fact, 70% of the bees in Ontario live in solitary nests in the ground and the other 30% live solitary lives in hollow stems.

Chan explained how to encourage native bee pollinators by constructing bee-friendly dwellings (pictured here) using the stems of an invasive plant called Phragmites Australianus. “You can make use of these plant's stems as long as you do not transport the seeds from one place to another.” These condo-like dwellings will encourage solitary native bee guests. Chan spoke of various species of bees including leaf cutter bees, wool carder bees and bumble bees, the latter of which she called “the work horses” of the native pollinators since they are around from April to October. This makes them particularly susceptible to lack of food. Chan said that all bee populations in North America are currently declining. The two main reasons she gave are lack of habitat and toxins in the environment.

She said that neonicotinoids are a problem since the chemical is transferred to all parts of the plant it is applied to, can take three years to break down, and is highly water soluble. Bees are much more susceptible to insecticides, more so than the insects they were designed for, because bees do not have a strong resistance system and they can come into contact with the insecticides when collecting nectar from affected plants and side crops nearby.

Chan also said that butterflies and birds are being affected by neonicotinoids.

On a more positive note, Chan suggested ways that property owners can help the plight of all species of native bees by planting flowering native plants, which provide habitat and food. She advised them to reconsider when weeding and to understand that all weeds are not bad. “If you can tolerate dandelions simply for the sake of the bees, do it since they (dandelions) are a great source of food come early spring.” She advised landowners to encourage wild blueberries and raspberries for similar reasons and to leave natural spaces to grow and thrive because if left alone they will become healthy pollinator habitats.

If you know of pickerel weed growing, encourage it, because there exists one pickerel weed bee, a specialist bee that eats only the nectar and pollen from that plant.

For those who love plants and food, bees are key and Chan's talk went a long way in encouraging homeowners to create environments that will encourage their health and abundance.

photo 22552-

Ever since I was a child growing up on a farm, I’ve loved to watch the swoops and mid-air dives of beautiful Barn Swallows. I remember that it was always a sad day in early August when we’d see the last of the swallows gathering to leave. By that time they had raised their young, and, since the numbers of juicy insects had declined by late summer, it was time to head south for the winter. Unlike some migrating birds, the swallows seemed to leave within a couple of days once they started gathering for the flight. There were many of these beneficial swallows on our farm partly because of the old barns that offered excellent places in which to build their nests. The open fields and the old manure pile also provided a steady diet of flies and other bugs.

Barn Swallows are quite easily identified, especially when flying. In their search for insects, they swoop and dive like the biplanes you might see at an airshow. These elegant, long-tailed insectivores are fascinating to watch. They are a medium-sized songbird (about 15-18 cm. long) but the first thing you notice is the glossy steel-blue back and upper wings with a buff, tawny underbelly. The male has long tail feathers which form a distinctive, deep fork and a line of white spots across the outer end of the upper tail. The female’s tail feathers are shorter and her colours similar but less striking. Their Latin name is “Hirundo rustica” which means “swallows of the country”.

Barn Swallow nests are easier to spot than most birds’ nests since they build their mud nests almost exclusively on human-made structures such as open barns, under bridges and in culverts. They like to have the nests close to open fields, lakes, etc. where insects are readily available. They also must have access to mud to make the mud pellets that are packed together to form their nests. Lake shores, river edges, swamps and mud puddles provide this building material. These sturdy little nests may be used several times, usually only needing a bit of mud caulking here and there to make them cosy and safe for the little ones.

Even in cottage country, there are many spots that Barn Swallows like to take advantage of for nesting sites. During our years of cottaging on Kashwakamak Lake, we loved to kayak and explore some of the less travelled inlets and bays. There is a secluded bay that is peppered with dead heads that look to me as though they are petrified. These are what is left of the trees that were drowned a hundred years ago when the lake was dammed and the water reached a higher level. Some of the remaining trees and stumps rise a few feet above the water and provide many hollow places that are ideal for nests well away from predators. It’s there that we’ve observed several swallow families taking advantage of the quiet, safe area that abounds in a ready food supply of insects. As we quietly glided past in our boat, it was great to see a little family with their mouths wide open waiting for mom and dad to come back with lunch.

Although they are the most widespread species of swallow in the world, Barn Swallow numbers have declined dramatically (65% between 1966 and 2009 according to Bird Studies Canada) - like all other aerial insectivores. The declines have been so significant that Barn Swallows are now a Threatened Species and their general habitat are automatically protected. There are probably a number of reasons for the population decline: Loss of habitat is what comes to mind when you think of all the old barns that are gone or have been replaced by large metal sheds with tight-fitting doors and no windows. Another reason may be the large scale pesticide spraying of fields that has reduced the insect populations needed for food.

There are many ways that private landowners can help this species to recover. If you have a shed or barn on your property where Barn Swallows could nest, you can encourage them by creating an opening or leaving a way for them to enter the building. Ledges could be installed if rough vertical surfaces are not available.

I came across an article about the construction of Highway 407 as it edges across the GTA and on towards Highway 35/115. Since this highway crosses a lot of farm country, a fair number of barns were levelled or moved, thus destroying habitat for the swallows. The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to replace destroyed Barn Swallow habitat. A number of Barn Swallow structures have been installed throughout the Highway 407 corridor as replacement habitat for structures demolished as part of the highway construction. Some of the structures are quite simple and consist of a barn-like roof on high stilts open on all sides. The structures are built in open fields along watercourses or wetlands. Some of the structures have artificial nest cups which provide a safe and easy spot to build nests and high enough to deter predators. There are two sizes of structures, large and small. The small structures have 12 nest cups, while the large structures have up to 64. Let’s hope they work.

For information on how you can help these beautiful insectivores, visit Bird Studies Canada at www.bsc-eoc.org.