by Steve Blight

---

Now that we are just past the midpoint of winter, it looks like the stars of the winter birding show are the impressive numbers of redpolls being seen throughout the area. These little finches are plentiful at feeders, in weedy fields and in trees in many parts of southern Ontario and beyond this winter. Last weekend my wife and I were out in the Sharbot Lake area and there were plenty about – one flock on the Crow Lake Road must have numbered over a hundred.

Redpolls are about the size of our familiar Black-capped Chickadee, with black chins, red crowns, deeply forked tails and an undulating flight pattern. Adult male Common Redpolls have a rosy-pink breast, compared to the much paler breast of the female. Redpolls are circumpolar in distribution – they are found throughout the arctic in North America, Europe and Asia.

Redpolls got their name from the red patch on their heads. “Poll” is an old English word meaning “head”. One of our summer birds, the Blackpoll Warbler, was named in the same way – in what should come as no surprise these highly migratory wood warblers have black patches on their heads.

There are two species of redpolls in Canada – Common Redpolls and the much scarcer Hoary Redpoll. The two species are not easy to tell apart, but clues to help distinguish Hoaries are that they are much paler overall with a slightly smaller bill and an unstreaked rump. Frankly, I have never been able to positively identify a Hoary among a flock of redpolls with all the natural variations present among males, females and immatures.

Redpolls nest in low trees and shrubs in the far north. Their breeding range just barely extends southward into Ontario, where they breed along the Ontario shore of Hudson’s Bay. In summer they feed on a mix of insects and seeds, including seeds of grasses, sedges, and trees like alders and birches.

Redpolls are active foragers that travel in busy, chatty flocks. They migrate erratically, and they occasionally show up in large numbers as far south as the central U.S. Common Redpolls are White Birch specialists. White Birch has good seed crops about every two years with some seed most years. When birch catkins are loaded with seeds across the north, redpolls remain in the boreal forest. When the birch seed crop is poor in the north they move out in huge numbers in search of good food supplies. During such irruption years, redpolls often congregate at bird feeders – particularly those stocked with nyjer and black oil sunflower seed – allowing delightfully close looks through binoculars.

This year it was expected that there would be a good southward flight because the white birch seed crop was poor to fair across the north. Sure enough, beginning in early winter the redpolls began being observed in large numbers. Some observers have noticed that numbers have begun to fall off slightly from peaks earlier this winter, perhaps as a result of movement further south in search of food.

Their erratic movements make it hard to accurately determine the conservation status of redpolls. However, there doesn’t appear to be any significant movement either up or down in their numbers. I think it safe to say that these gregarious little finches will continue to brighten our winters for years to come.

---

 

Please feel free to report any 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.

by Steve Blight

---

Heavy snowfalls since mid-December have sent many birds to feeders in search of food.

Redpolls, Pine Grosbeaks and American Goldfinches have been seen in good numbers at feeders this winter throughout eastern Ontario. Bohemian Waxwings are also plentiful this year, especially in urban areas where there is a good supply of berries and ornamental crabapples. Bohemian waxwings often stay further to the northwest during winter, where they feed on mountain ash berries. However the widespread drought last summer had a serious impact on the mountain ash berry crop, sending these handsome waxwings further east and south in search of food. Watch for them in stands of Redcedars as well, where they eagerly feed on the bluish berry-like cones.

Nuthatches are common visitors to feeders offering sunflower seeds. Both White-breasted Nuthatches and Red-breasted Nuthatches call our area home, although the White-breasted is a far more reliable visitor. The Red-breasted is a conifer seed specialist that moves south from northern areas in years when the spruce cone crop is poor, sometimes lingering in our area if food availability is good. However the White-breasted prefers deciduous forests and is much less prone to seasonal movements. It can be counted on to be in our area virtually every year.

There are about 25 species of nuthatches around the world, with most living in Asia. North America boasts four species – in addition to the White-breasted and Red-breasted there are two species that are not in our area – the Pygmy Nuthatch in the west and the Brown-headed Nuthatch in Florida and other parts of the southeastern U.S.

Both of “our” nuthatches are handsome little birds – the White-breasted has pale blue-gray upperparts, a glossy black cap and a black band on the upper back. The face and the underparts are white. Females have, on average, a narrower black back band, slightly duller upperparts and buffer under parts than the male, and usually (but not always) have a greyer cap. At about 13 cm (5 in) long White-breasteds are a touch larger than chickadees. The call is a low “yank-yank”.

Red-breasted Nuthatches have blue-grey uppers and cinnamon underparts, a white throat and face with a black stripe through the eyes, a straight grey bill and a black crown. Its “yink-yink” call, which has been likened to a tin trumpet, is higher-pitched and more nasal that the White-breasted. Measuring about 10 cm (or 4 in), they are slightly smaller than chickadees.

In general nuthatches are omnivorous, eating mostly insects, nuts and seeds. They forage for insects and other bird-goodies hidden in or under bark by climbing acrobatically along tree trunks and branches, sometimes upside-down. They forage within their territories when breeding, but may join mixed flocks at other times, often being seen with groups of chickadees. Their habit of wedging nuts and seeds into crevices and chopping them open with their strong bills, “hatchet-like”, gave rise to their English name. Nuthatches are relatively tame. I have coaxed both White-breasted and Red-breasted to land on my hand to accept sunflower seeds, although it is much easier with chickadees. Perhaps the deep snow might make these curious little birds a bit more willing to accept a handout from a helpful human!

---

Please feel free to report any 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.

by Steve Blight

---

 

It’s early May, and almost all of “our” birds are back and are settling into their important summer routines of foraging for food, seeking mates and building nests to raise their young.

One group of birds is known as aerial insectivores – birds that feed primarily on flying insects, usually taken in flight. Known as a “guild” to bird scientists, aerial insectivores include swallows, swifts, nightjars and flycatchers. Nightjars are a small family of birds including Common Nighthawks and the Whip-poor-will, a bird familiar to many residents and visitors to the Land O’Lakes area.

Although there is plenty of overlap in diet, each bird species exploits somewhat different food resources in different ways. Swifts, nighthawks, swallows, and martins remain aloft to feed, whereas the flycatchers typically hunt from a perch, sallying out to catch flying insects, then returning to the perch.

Swifts and nighthawks feast on high-altitude insects, often above 20 metres. Meanwhile, the Purple Martin is a mid-level specialist that forages mostly above 10 metres, but also often enters the higher air space as well. Swallows are altitude generalists, cruising in all air spaces – high, medium, and low.

Flycatchers also divide up vertical air space. None of them forage much above about 20 metres, but forest-dwelling species (Olive-sided Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher) feed mainly at moderate heights of about 5-15 metres. Eastern Kingbirds forage within this height range too, but also feed right down to ground level. Others, including Yellow-bellied, Alder, and Willow flycatchers and phoebes) are strictly low-altitude foragers and seldom feed at heights more than three metres.

Another feature linking the birds in this guild together is the rapid decline in their populations across much of North America. Declines in abundance and contractions in breeding range of many of these bird species were first detected in the 1990s. Since then, problems have become evident in many regions across North America and across many species within the guild. Initial concern over the extent and rate of aerial insectivore population declines in Canada originated largely from the second Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. This work suggested major decreases in the occurrence of swallows, swifts and nightjars between 1981-85 and 2001-05. More recent information has identified particularly rapid decreases among Bank Swallows, Cliff Swallows, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, and Eastern Kingbirds.

North American Breeding Bird Survey data indicate consistent 30-40 year declines for many species. Sadly, many long-time residents and regular visitors to our area would agree that they see (and hear, with respect to Whip-poor-wills) fewer of these birds than they used to.

Rates of decline vary among species. Declines are greater for long-distance than short-distance migrants, and are generally greatest and more widespread among swallows, swifts and nightjars. Flycatchers in general are also declining, although a few species are doing alright. Open-country species are declining more than those that inhabit forests and, interestingly, there is evidence to suggest that species that forage at moderate to high heights are declining most strongly. Those that forage exclusively at heights less than about three metres tend to be faring much better.

Although the one common trait across all Aerial Insectivores is their diet of aerial insects, it remains unknown whether their declines have a single common cause. Factors contributing to these wide-spread declines are likely to include some or all of the following:

• Declines in aerial insect populations.

• Habitat loss on breeding, including loss of wetlands and grasslands, changes in agricultural and forestry practices and loss of nesting structures like old brick chimneys and open barns.

• Environmental contaminants including acid rain, pesticides and heavy metals.

• Changes in weather related to climate change, including drought, increasing frequency of cold and wet periods in the breeding season and increased hurricane frequency during autumn migration.

Although these trends are worrisome for bird lovers, scientists from across North American are actively seeking to pinpoint the reasons for these declines. Once some of the questions have been answered, solutions can be developed and put in place to begin reversing these trends. Although having Whip-poor-wills singing through the night beside my bedroom window can be annoying, I’ll sleep better knowing they are there!

---

 

Please feel free to report any 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.

By: Lorraine Julien

---

A small white face pushes up through the snow, its small black eyes gleaming. The long slender body comes next. It is probably one of the three main species of weasels that inhabit our area. They are: the Short-tailed weasel (Mustela erminea), the Long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata) and the less common Least weasel (Mustela nivalis). These little fellows are very similar, except for their size, but the most striking thing they have in common is the fact that their fur coats change color twice a year; once the shorter days of autumn approach, the chocolate brown fur on their upper bodies changes to snow white over the course of just a few weeks. As the days grow shorter, less light enters the weasel’s body through its eyes, stimulating moult by means of its pituitary gland. Temperature also plays a role in this change. A second moult as the days grow longer, reverses the colour change. Mother Nature is amazing!

The winter-white version of the Long-tailed weasel has recently been spotted in our area. Perhaps there is a greater abundance of mice this year since we haven’t noticed them before (mice are their favorite meal – in fact they are probably the world’s most efficient mousers). You may spot a weasel investigating holes, logs or bushes in its quest for food. Every now and then it will lift its head, stand upright to check out the surroundings, then tear off again zigging and zagging at top speed to deter predators. The long thin body humps in the middle much like a caterpillar’s. Small birds, moles, voles, eggs, snakes, fish, worms, insects and even some young bats are also fair game. With such a varied diet, I doubt these aggressive carnivores would ever be on an endangered species list.

You’d think that hard-working chipmunks would spend the winter snug and cozy in their little tunnels. This is not always the case: if weasels can squeeze their heads into a burrow or hole, then they can enter and kill the residents. Rabbits, rats and squirrels larger than themselves are killed by weasels pouncing on their prey with clawed forelegs and then finishing the victim by biting the back of the neck.

• The ferocious Short-tailed weasel (sometimes called Ermine in winter) is very quick and agile. It can weigh up to 3.7 oz. (105 g) and can be up to 13” (34 cm) in length (a third of which is its tail). With a slender, almost serpentine body, it can easily move through small burrows in nocturnal pursuits of rodents. It is also a good climber and chases squirrels and chipmunks into trees. The Ermine in North America ranges from the northern U.S. to above the Arctic Circle. This weasel survives by killing what it can, when it can, then storing surplus in a side tunnel of its den (usually dead mice). Ermine in northern countries, including Canada, were once trapped for their luxurious, snowy white fur though demand for these pelts is much lower now and hence fewer animals are trapped.

• The Long-tailed weasel is similar to the Short-tail but larger and more powerful. It can weigh up to 9.4 oz. (267 g) and be up to 22” (55 cm) long including a tail up to 6” (15 cm) long.

• The little Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis) also goes through the color change. It is the world’s smallest carnivore weighing between one and two oz. (up to 57 g) and hardly longer than 9.5” (25 cm) including its tail (not much bigger than the mice on which it preys). Its speed and ability to crawl into tight spaces helps it to avoid predators. Unlike the other two weasels, its tail does not have a black tip.

All weasels are lightning quick hunters but, if they feel trapped, as a last resort, they can emit an odor said to be as pungent as that of the striped skunk – the only difference (and consolation!) is that it cannot spray the musk as skunks do.

Weasel predators include coyotes, foxes, hawks, owls and sometimes humans. Farmers who raise chickens and rabbits probably do not want to have these aggressive carnivores around – for the rest of us though, they certainly reduce the rodent population.

---

 

Please feel free to report any 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.

by Dr. Jim Bendell

---

[This interesting article on becoming a citizen scientist was written by retired Biology Professor Dr. Jim Bendell about a presentation given by Marlene Doyle of Environment Canada to the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists (MVFN) on September 15, 2011. We couldn't write a better article than Dr. Blendell has, so we're reprinting it with the MVFN's permission.

Steve and I would like to wish our readers the very best of the Christmas season and a Happy, Healthy 2012 - Lorraine]

When most of us stop and ask ourselves what we value most in life, we likely admit it is not a thing or things at all, but ourselves and other people. Next would be the natural environment, which, after all, we depend upon for at least food, water, clothing, and shelter. What can we do to understand more about our natural environment and how to protect and sustain it?

Marlene Doyle of Environment Canada told us what we can do during a presentation: “Citizen Science Networks: Linking Nature Observation with Conservation”, which she made to the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists (MVFN) in Almonte. Ms. Doyle invited the audience to “Join the ranks of Darwin and the Compte de Buffon” . . . that is to become citizen scientists! Ms. Doyle has worked for many years in enlisting people of all ages to monitor plants and animals and their habitats as coordinator of our national Nature Watch program. Ms. Doyle holds a Masters Degree from the University of Waterloo and is currently Canadian representative on the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program’s Terrestrial Export Monitoring Group, or, “What’s Up? in the lands of the North?”

Monitoring means observing and noting, something we do every day. Ms. Doyle gave us lots of ideas for what we can do to find out “what’s up world?” by monitoring the health and diversity of our natural world as citizen scientists.

Everyone can take part and the requirements are simply interest, time, and wanting to help. Along the way you will learn new things, including how top professionals think and work. You will also see for yourself what people are or are not saying and writing about important issues. You will connect to nature and the community. You will certainly make new friends, have fun, and perhaps begin a successful career. The major reward is caring for Canada and the world by recognizing real environmental problems and doing something about them. The concerns are many and the need for help is unlimited.

An important issue is climate change, which is real but what can be done about it? We are losing species of animals and habitats, making the world a poorer place, at never so fast a rate. Locally, and in a life time; tree swallows, nighthawks, whip-poor-wills, little brown bats and other birds and mammals have been significantly reduced. Might this signal greater losses for the future and eventually impact negatively on our own way of life? But why the losses and is there anything that can be done about them?

A start in solving these problems is to monitor aspects of the environment by sight, sound, odour, or feel. As a citizen scientist, you will work with an experienced leader and follow set procedures. The more who are working together to the same end, the more powerful will be the result. While amateurs are the main workforce, professionals in organizations, schools, universities and government typically provide information, participate, and publish the results. Observations and actions by citizen scientists may be out-of-doors, or in a laboratory or library. Work as much as you wish, alone or in a group. The longer observations can be made the better. Some monitoring projects extend over many years. For example, you might go out and tag a clump of wildflowers on your property, and then follow PlantWatch monitoring directions for information that should be collected in the spring, file a report and repeat this again with the same plants each year. Or, you might join an MVFN Christmas bird count. You might participate in a marsh monitoring program or a Lakes Loon Survey next summer at your home or cottage. Always there is help at hand for advice and direction.

Often people hesitate to participate in an activity because they think it is of little value or beyond their abilities. In fact, thousands of people are actively caring for our environment simply by reporting observations. And their findings have been used by many professionals and others to write reports on research and management in authoritative journals and books. Numerous tests show that inexperienced volunteers, with training, make accurate observations and determinations to provide trustworthy results. In fact, says Ms. Doyle, the quality of data is more likely affected by survey design or quality of communication than by the expertise of the person or group who collected the data.

Not only is citizen science data reliable but it complements professional monitoring; it is relevant, local, timely, unique; and it is relatively low-cost to collect. Remember, you are not alone and can easily join many other interesting and committed people. Contact local and global leaders in the care of our environment. A main doorway in joining a quest of interest is through the speaker; Marlene Doyle at 613-949-7754 (and more on how to reach her later). She welcomes your call.

There are at least 283 projects powered by ordinary citizens across Canada. A classic example is the Christmas Bird Count, started more than 100 years ago, which now includes 50,000 observers reporting from 2000 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and beyond. The findings, which are solely based on citizen scientist reports, have helped elucidate the requirements of birds and clearly show changes in the abundance and distribution of species. For example, the counts tracked the spread of an introduced European Starling over the northern states and Canada and the disappearance of the similar Japanese Starling introduced to British Columbia. The Japanese form apparently cannot hatch its eggs under as cool conditions as the European bird and the abundance of both may be linked to climate change. Other projects range from counting Monarch Butterflies (an at risk species) to searching old logs and journals for information on past environments.

Ms. Doyle, through Nature Watch Canada, coordinates the input of four large inventories. They are: Plant Watch, Frog Watch, Ice Watch, and Worm Watch. Observations on plants include invasive species and dates of flowering. The kinds and abundance of worms reveal the health of soil. Frogs and the formation of ice are sensitive indicators of many factors in aquatic ecosystems, including temperature.

Some relevant organizations, in no particular order, are: Environment Canada (NatureWatch, www.naturewatch.ca, Ms. Marlene Doyle, 613-949-7754, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., see above); Natural Heritage Information Centre, Peterborough (705-755-2159, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.); Toronto Zoo (361A Old Finch Ave., Scarborough, ON M1B 5K7, www.torontozoo.com); Ontario Nature (336 Adelaide Street West, Suite 201, Toronto, ON, M5V 1R9, www.ontarionature.org ; Royal Botanical Gardens (Ontario Plantwatch Coordinator, Natalie Iwanycki, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.); Bird Studies Canada (P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, ON, N0E 1M0); Canadian Wildlife Service (Ontario Region, 49 Camelot Dr. Nepean, ON K1A 0H3); and Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network (Chairperson, Christine Bishop, 4553-46B Street, Delta, B.C. V4K 2N2, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Cornell University also keeps a directory of projects undertaken by volunteers at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/citscitoolkit/projects/find.

Go for it! And the best of outcomes for you and our environment!

Interested in more information? In Lanark Highlands, Carleton Place and Mississippi Mills talk to Cliff and Lynda Bennett at 613-256-5013, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or Cathy Keddy at 613-257-3089, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

---

 

Please feel free to report any 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.

By Steve Blight

---

Spring has sprung, and for woodland wildflowers, spring is by far the peak of the flowering season. There is an explosion of life under the canopy of the tall trees once the snow has melted and the forest soils begin to warm up. Many early flowering woodland plants have made a remarkable adaptation to their normally shady environment. Known as spring ephemerals, their strategy is to make as much use as possible of the direct sunlight streaming through leafless deciduous trees in early spring to do all of their flowering, seed production and growth for the year.

Once the trees have completely leafed out by mid-May and have begun starving them of light, they wither and return to their dormant stage underground, waiting for the warmth of the following spring to go through the cycle again – much like tulips.

This week’s column is intended to help readers identify several showy woodland wildflowers that bloom in early spring in area forests. The next column will highlight another group of pretty flowers that bloom a little later in spring. Please remember that woodland wildflowers very rarely transplant to gardens successfully and many don’t survive being picked. The best way to make sure they are there year after year is to enjoy them where they are growing.

HEPATICAS:

Round-lobed Hepatica, showing previous year’s leaves, Photo: William S. Justice @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Among the first flowers to bloom are the hepaticas. There are two species of hepaticas in our area – sharp-lobed and round-lobed. The round-lobed tends to grow in acidic soils, for example soils found on granite under oaks and pines, whereas the sharp-lobed is more likely found in alkaline soils (i.e. soils with more calcium from limestone or marble) under maples and other shade-tolerant hardwoods. Hepatica flowers are blue-lavender, pink or white, about ½ -1 inch wide (1.5-2.5 cm) with 6 petals, and flower in mid to late April before the new leaves unfold. New leaves persist throughout the growing season and stay green through the following winter.

BLOODROOT

Bloodroot flower and fully opened leaves

is a low-growing member of the poppy family that has a single daisy-like white flower with a yellow central disk. The flowers first appear above the unopened, clasping leaves in late April or early May. They are found growing in moist to dry woods and thickets, often on flood plains and near shores or streams, on slopes and are rarely found in disturbed sites. Once the flowers have finished, the leaves can persist well into the growing season.

VIRGINIA SPRING BEAUTY

Virginia Spring Beauty showing slender grass-like leaves. Photo Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

is a delicate woodland ephemeral native to eastern North America. It is a low growing, trailing plant with slender, lance-shaped leaves. The candy-striped white or pale pink flowers are about ½ inch (1.5 cm) in diameter, with five petals, appearing in late April and early May. A true ephemeral, spring beauty completely disappears by about the end of May.

 

DUTCHMAN’S BREECHES

Dutchman’s Breeches flowers and leaves

is an interesting little woodland ephemeral whose common name derives from their white flowers that look like tiny white pantaloons. The flowers are about ½ inch (1.5 cm) long, and are borne in late April on flower stalks 5-10 inches (12-25 cm) long. Their delicate leaves are finely divided, giving them a feathery look.

TROUT LILIES (or dog-toothed violets)

Trout Lily flower showing its mottled leaves

are spring ephemerals with mottled green and maroon leaves and a nodding, backward curved yellow flower with 6 petals and dark brown anthers. Trout lilies are a colonial member of the lily family that can sometimes be found in huge patches, with often only a few plants flowering.

In the next column we’ll take a closer look at another five showy flowers that bloom a little later, typically beginning at mid-spring

---

Please feel free to report any 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.

by Steve Blight

---

It’s midwinter in the Land O’ Lakes. Around this time of year, the human residents of the area who haven’t flown south for the winter along with most birds normally begin seeking signs of life away from the woodstove. One creature that can be counted on to provide a little entertainment is the red squirrel.

This fiery little rodent (full name American Red Squirrel) is very common in our area. Although primarily a creature of coniferous forests, the red squirrel also inhabits deciduous woodlands and can even be found in suburban and near-urban areas throughout their range. Their adaptability in terms of both habitat and food sources has made them remarkably successful.

Contrary to what many may think that a rodent normally eats, red squirrels are omnivores. In addition to nuts, seeds, bark and fruit, they are successful predators on bird's eggs, nestlings, frogs, salamanders, insects and even mammals such as voles and young rabbits. In spring they will feed on maple sap and the buds of both coniferous and deciduous trees. They won’t turn their noses up at a good feed of carrion, and they harvest mushrooms, often lodging them in the crook of a tree branch to dry. In a nutshell (pun intended), they will eat almost anything.

One way red squirrels have adapted in order to survive winter is by caching food. For example, piles of spruce cones or other nuts and seeds found in sheltered places on the ground are likely to be red squirrel food caches.

Young red squirrels are usually born in April through to early May. Tiny and naked at first, the typically three or four youngsters grow quickly and within a month are almost fully furred. A fully-grown red squirrel weighs about 250 grams (a bit more than half a pound) and will likely live somewhere between two and three years if it has a bit of luck avoiding its main predators, which include owls, fishers and foxes.

Red squirrels are legendary acrobats when it comes to food. Anyone with a bird feeder in red squirrel country knows how adept they are at getting past the defences we put up. I have seen a red squirrel travel down a long clothesline, upside down and commando-style – hand-over hand – to successfully mount a raid on a feeder stocked with sunflower seeds. I have monitored the daily progress of a red squirrel as it slowly conquered a “guaranteed squirrel-proof” bird feeder. I suppose it didn’t read the fine print. And I have watched a determined red squirrel launching itself through space from an overhanging branch to get to a difficult to reach bird feeder mounted on a post. Not every launch resulted in success, but just as surely as night follows day, this little fellow would scurry back up the tree and launch itself again until it successfully landed on the feeder and claimed its reward.

They are perhaps equally well-known for their pugnacious behaviour. Some dogs (like ours) completely forget everything they ever learned at obedience school when they see a squirrel. Owners of such dogs know what it’s like to console a frustrated dog sitting at the base of a tree looking up at a noisy scolding squirrel. And one great story I read on-line described how a woman watched a red squirrel riding on the back of a gray squirrel and repeatedly biting its head. The gray squirrel was running with difficulty, trying to shake the smaller animal from its back, with no apparent success. Talk about feisty!

So while red squirrels may cost us bird feeding types a little extra seed, I think many would agree that their antics are entertaining. Some days it even makes it seem worthwhile to be here in the Great White North for the winter.

---

 

 Please feel free to report any 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.

by Lorraine Julien

---

Photo of two Jays bickering by Heather Bashow.

Making suet cakes for wild birds is actually quite easy and you can use a wide range of ingredients, most of which can be found in your kitchen cupboards. Birds require the high energy available in fats, seeds and nuts and suet cakes can provide these nutrients.

Pure suet is raw beef fat from around the cow’s kidney area. Rendering the suet can be a stinky and time-consuming chore but you can substitute lard, shortening and even leftover fat from cooking beef or bacon. Simply melt the fat until it reaches an easy-to-pour consistency; then mix in a few ingredients and pour the mixture into a mold.

In addition to fat, you can use ingredients such as: black oil sunflower seeds, millet seeds, oatmeal, cornmeal, raisins, apples, peanut butter. Depending on the type of feeder you have, the suet cakes can be molded into various sizes and shapes.

Many ordinary items can be used for molds; these are just a few ideas:

• Re-use the plastic container when you buy a ready-made cake

• Mini bread loaf pans

• Muffin tins

• Pine cones

• Birch log (with drilled holes to contain suet mixture)

• Baking pan (8x8 size works well)

You can also make suet cakes into round balls, by hand, once the mixture has cooled, and hang them in mesh onion bags. These make great Christmas gifts for a bird lover.

Birds love peanut butter but it is so sticky it could cause problems for the birds if fed on its own. Stickiness can be reduced though by mixing with cornmeal, rolled oats and/or cracked corn.

As long as you stick to a certain ratio of fat to other ingredients such as seeds, fruit, etc., you can use various combinations to make a cake. A basic recipe calls for equal amounts of shortening or suet and commercial bird seed. (It’s preferable to use black oil sunflower seeds as they are higher in nutritional value and fat content)

On my first attempt, I got carried away by probably adding too many goodies to the fat. The result was very crumbly but still usable in an onion bag. Birds are not that picky! I didn’t have raisins on hand but chopped up apple pieces are a welcome treat. I don’t know whether it is much cheaper to make your own “suet” cakes but it is really gratifying when the birds like it as much, or more, than the ones you’ve bought.

There are loads of recipes on the internet if you have access to a computer. The following peanut butter “suet” cake follows another basic ratio, i.e. one part of fat to one part peanut butter, one part flour, three parts cornmeal and one part other ingredients such as nuts, seeds, berries and fruit.

Peanut Butter “Suet” Cake

1 cup shortening or lard or leftover fat from cooking

1 cup peanut butter (some recipes call for “crunchy”)

3 cups cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup bread crumbs

1 cup peanut pieces (or substitute raisins, chopped apple or bird seed)

Line an 8x8 pan with wax paper. (Crinkle up the wax paper first so that it will conform to the shape of the pan more easily). Melt shortening in a saucepan over low heat. Meantime, crush or chop your peanuts or fruit.

Once the shortening has completely melted, stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Then mix in the flour and cornmeal and remove from heat. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and pour mixture into the pan, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. Place in the refrigerator to set.

When the cake has solidified, pull it out of the pan and flip it over on a plate wax paper side up. Peel off the paper, cut the cake into quarters and wrap each piece in wax paper. Store in the freezer or refrigerator until you are ready to pop them into your suet feeder.

When I first made my own “suet” cakes, I watched to see if the birds would sample the goodies. In only a few minutes, all of my regulars were taking turns.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we usually have various critters roaming around at night here at the lake so we take the suet feeders in each evening and put them out again in the morning. Two of the feeders are near the back door so this only takes a few seconds.

Once warm weather arrives, do not put out suet cakes as the fat will begin to melt and turn rancid. The softened fat will also attract unwanted visitors. If you have any leftover cakes just store them in the freezer until fall. At the rate my cakes are being eaten, I won’t have to worry about leftovers.

---

 

Please feel free to report any 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.

Nature Reflections, Spring, March 31, 2005

Nature Reflections March 31 2005

LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

The Vernal Equinox

The Vernal Equinox of the Northern Hemisphere is that point at which the sun is directly over the equator on its journey north. Night and day are the same length. This year this happened at 7:34 a.m. EST, March 20. And we are suddenly in the season of spring (pay no attention to the predictions of the groundhogs on February 2), even though it may not feel like it because of snow or cold.

Spring is a time of awakening - awakening of plants, hibernating animals, insects that have been hiding in shelter places - and people who welcome its arrival. What are the first signs of spring?

Is it the first robin hopping on a bare patch of ground - or the first bicycle ridden by an eager boy?

Is it the crunch as you walk on the sugar snow early in the morning - or the tinkle of water trickling down the eavestroughing?

Is it the dirt on the roads snow bank as the sun exposes the sand or debris thrown up by the snowplough - or the first chipmunk to appear from hibernation?

Is it the first chirping of the chorus frogs - or the emergence of the fluffy buds of the pussy willow?

Is it the sight of a partially white hare changing from its winter coat - or the first whiff of scent of skunk?

Is it the first bloom of the crocus in a garden - or the song of a bluebird that has just arrived from the south?

Is it the drumming of a Ruffed Grouse as it seeks a mate - or the chalk design of hopscotch on a sidewalk?

Is it the muddy footprints of a dog or person on the step - or the honking of a skein of geese heading north?

Is it the smoke rising from a sugaring camp - or the Skunk Cabbage pushing its way up through the last remnants of snow?

Is it the first fresh green colour of new blades of grass - or the brilliant red flash of a cardinal as it sings its first song of the season?

Is the first early butterfly emerging from hibernation - or a lethargic fly warmed by the sun that has made the mistake of landing on the cold snow?

Whatever it may be - it is a time to celebrate, to use our eyes to welcome the fresh colours, to use our ears to hear the songs of returning birds, to feel the first fresh warm breeze on our face or touch the softness of the pussy willow, to taste the sweetness at a sugaring-off, and to smell the earth as it bared from its winter blanket. All five senses come into play as we celebrate springs arrival.

Observations: Joanne McMacken, Sharbot Lake, saw a Great Blue Heron flying over on March 23. Share your sightings; call Jean at 268-2518 or email

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Nature Reflections, April 21, 2005

Nature Reflections April 21, 2005

LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

The Internet and Observations

The Internet can be a marvellous resource for information, and sometimes the pictures are absolutely magnificent. This last is the case with a picture diary of a hummingbird nest. Thanks to Dale Ham for sending this website: http://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/verle33/HummingBirdNest/ Check it out - it is delightful!

Observations: The first reports of butterflies: I saw a Mourning Cloak on April 10, and Helm, Oconto, had one on April 13. The first reports of frogs - Spring Peepers calling on April 10 in Parham, and April 13 in Oconto, and Wolfe Lake area. Chorus frogs also calling April 12 on Armstrong Line. An early Northern Watersnake was spotted by Steve Blight in a small pond, Armstrong Road, on April 9 or 10. The lakes are opening up - the first day that McGowan Lake was mostly ice free was April 12, and the Common Loon was there. Susan Wilkes was watching 10 loons on Wolfe Lake on the 14th. Shirley Peruniak saw three Tree Swallows in Sharbot Lake on the 7th, both an Osprey and an Eastern Phoebe on the 8th, a Killdeer on the 10th, had a visit from a Merlin on the 11th and a Northern Flicker on the 15th. Mark Saunders, Burke Settlement Road, saw a Northern Flicker, Sandhill Cranes, Black-backed Woodpecker, Fox and White-throated Sparrows on April 7, a Ruby-throated Kinglet on the 13th, and an American Bittern on the 14th. Linda Chappell saw five Wild Turkeys near Hwy 509 south of Mississippi on the 15th. I had a brief visit from a small flock of Evening Grosbeaks on the 13th (the first this winter). A Pileated Woodpecker is busy excavating a hole in a hydro pole on Highway 7; it was there for at least four days last year and apparently is back to finish the job this year. Skunk Cabbage are in bloom.

Share your observations: contact Jean at 268-2518; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Who is going to see the first Dandelion?