Project FeederWatch Season Begins

Nature Notes for October 27, 2017

Sometime during the week of November 11, you will find me, on two consecutive days in the rocking chair in my living room that overlooks the garden and my bird feeders. I will be counting the number of birds of each species that visit my feeder.

I know that more than 20,000 people throughout Canada and the continental U.S. will also be counting birds. We are all participating in Project FeederWatch, which this year runs from November 11, 2017 to April 13, 2018. This is a winter bird survey using an army of volunteers, called Citizen Scientists, to collect data in a systemic way.

Dark-eyed Juncos are one of the birds commonly seen in winter at my feeder.

Photo © Rob Lonsberry Photography

 What surprises might this winter bring? Just last winter, for the first time in twenty years, a Northern Flicker was a regular at our feeder. Most flickers migrate out of southern Ontario in winter, so this was a treat. One year, a Chipping Sparrow spent most of the winter at the feeder, until some time in April, there were two Chipping Sparrows. For a number of years, a female Pileated Woodpecker visited our peanut feeder. My peanut feeder has sometimes been visited by a Carolina Wren. This species is at the north edge of its range in Northumberland. There are often a few White-throated Sparrows that come and go and feed with the Dark-eyed Juncos.

Sometimes, there are large numbers of one species. When northern finches such as Pine Siskin and Common Redpoll irrupt south, they may mob the feeder and niger seed will disappear before one’s eyes. The prediction is for a big flight of finches this winter, so be prepared to spend a lot on niger and black oil sunflower seeds.

Project FeederWatch began in Ontario in 1976 when Dr. Erica Dunn of Long Point Bird Observatory started the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey. By the winter of 1987-88, the project had evolved into Project FeederWatch and was jointly organized by Bird Studies Canada and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The massive amounts of data collected by FeederWatchers across the continent help scientists understand:

●long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance

●the timing and extent of winter irruptions of winter finches and other species.

●expansions or contractions in the winter ranges of feeder birds

●the kinds of foods and environmental factors that attract birds

●how disease is spread among birds that visit feeders

FeederWatch data is regularly published in scientific journals, regional birding and nature newsletters, national magazines and newspapers continent wide.

Anyone who runs a bird feeder and would like to take the time to learn their backyard birds can participate. In Canada, participants register through a membership in Bird Studies Canada. Participants will be sent a kit which contains, along with data sheets and instructions, a colour poster of common feeder birds. I have mounted this poster and have it hanging in the kitchen. I have seen all but one of the birds illustrated at my feeder over the years. There is a special kit for use by classroom teachers or homeschoolers.

The species most commonly found at feeders in Ontario in the 2016-17 season was Black-capped Chickadee, followed by Downy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch and White-breasted Nuthatch.

For more information about this project or to sign up as a Citizen Scientist, go to feederwatch.org. Perhaps you will be surprised by the visitors to your yard.

Monarch Butterflies moving south

Nature Notes for September 29, 2017           

On September 20, the photo below popped up on my Facebook page, with the note: “Stopped in my yard for a slurp”. While I am often treated to Jean Huffman’s photos of flowers and six- and eight-legged creatures that inhabit her yard, this one was special. This Monarch butterfly was tagged. 

 Tagged Monarch visited my neighbour's garden

photo © Jean Huffman

Thanks to the magic of Facebook, I soon learned that this butterfly had been tagged the previous day at C.R. Gummow Public School in Cobourg by teacher Laurel Merriam. The overnight trip from Cobourg to Port Hope was only the beginning of the butterfly’s journey. It was taking advantage of the flowers in Jean’s garden to put on fat for the long trip ahead. It is possible that it might journey as far as the Michoacan mountains of Mexico where all the Monarchs from east of Rockies spend the winter.

Monarchs have been much more abundant this year than for several years. In the past few weeks, it has been common to see hundreds of them migrating and nectaring on the goldenrod and asters along the lakeshore. Last Sunday, my husband observed over 300 around the A.K. Sculthorpe Marsh in about 1.5 hour. This long stretch of hot, dry weather, so late in the fall, has probably been of benefit to the butterflies. This weather has allowed larvae that otherwise might not have matured into adults to develop and migrate.

Most school children now know that Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico. Dr. Fred Urquhart of the University of Toronto started to study Monarch migration in the 1930s. By 1940, he had developed a glue with which to affix small tags to a butterfly wing. The tag red "Send to Zoology University of Toronto Canada." He and his wife, Norah, tagged many butterflies, but eventually realized that they needed some help. In 1952 he enlisted the assistance of many Citizen Scientists, although they were probably not called that at the time.

Two local naturalists, Audrey Wilson of Cobourg and Ted McDonald of Port Hope, were among those early cooperators with the Urquharts' project.

Finally, in 1975 the wintering area was found. In January 1976, Dr. Urquhart himself retrieved in Mexico a butterfly that had been tagged in in August 1975 in Minnesota. This was confirmation of migration.

The Monarch Butterfly is listed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Tagging is one way to monitor population trends of this species. The tags have been modified slightly since the original Urquhart tags. To my eye they look like a small Avery label. If readers are interested in participating in this project, there is information at www.monarchwatch.org.

Another species of butterfly that migrates is the Painted Lady. Many of these have also been observed recently. On the same day that he counted many Monarchs, my husband counted 60 Painted Ladies. This species, which occurs on all continents except Australia and Antarctica, has been the object of study by a team from the University of York in the U.K. Their findings were published in 2012 in the journal Ecography.

Through a combination of Citizen Scientist reports and radar, it was discovered that Painted Ladies do not simply die in the fall when the weather turns cold. They migrate south again, but at an average altitude of 500 meters. This is so high that the butterflies are out of view of observers on the ground.

Unlike Monarch butterflies which winter in one relatively small area, Painted Ladies travel and continue to breed throughout their migration route. They travel from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle and back to Africa in the fall. The butterflies that return to Africa are several generations removed from their ancestors that left Africa the previous autumn.

I know of no similar studies of the Painted Ladies of North America. Other North American butterflies that migrate and occur in our area include Red Admirals, American Lady, Question Mark, Common Buckeye and Orange Sulphur. Perhaps there is a study waiting for a researcher on one of the other migrants.

For more information about Monarch butterfly projects involving Citizen Scientists, go to www.monarchwatch.org.

Common Nighthawks on the Move

Nature Notes for August 25, 2017

Just as the light is fading so that nothing is very clear, readers may see a bird with a fluttery flight passing overhead. This bird will appear as a dark silhouette with an obvious white bar on each wing. It has long, pointed wings and a long notched tail. The flight style is reminiscent of a bat, although the bird is larger than a robin.

Common Nighthawks may be seen in late August as they migrate south.

Photo © Rob Lonsberry Photography

This is the time of year when Common Nighthawks are moving south from their breeding grounds to South America where they spend the winter. Common Nighthawks breed throughout North America and into Central America.

Despite their name, they are not hawks at all, but member of the nightjar family, another odd name. At one time, they were called “goatsuckers” because of a myth that they entered barns at night and sucked goats milk.

They are a mottled brown, tan, white, and black, the perfect coloration to blend into the background when they roost and nest on the ground.

Their preferred nest sites are open, vegetation-free habitats, including dunes, beaches, recently harvested forests, burnt-over areas, logged areas, rocky outcrops, rocky barrens, grasslands, pastures, peat bogs, marshes, lakeshores and river banks. In Northumberland County, they nest in open areas of the Northumberland and Ganaraska Forests.

When we were in Saskatchewan last summer, we found them roosting on fence posts during the day at Old-Man-On-His-Back Nature Reserve. We had never seen them do this anywhere in the east.

In urban areas, they will nest on flat gravel roofs. Unfortunately for the nighthawks, the urban crows and gulls have discovered this and often depredate the nests. A nighthawk eggs is a good meal for a crow.

Common Nighthawks don’t build a nest. They usually lay two eggs which are laid directly on the ground. The young don’t stay long around the nest.

Since Common Nighthawks are active only at dawn and dusk, when visibility is poor, and they are very cryptically coloured, they are very hard to study. Both Ontario Breeding Bird Atlases commented on how difficult it was to confirm nesting of this species.

In the spring, they can often be found by their vocalisations, a “peent” given in flight. In the spring, the male has a spectacular display. He calls, circles and “booms” as he swoops down over his potential mate. The booming is caused by air passing through his vibrating primaries.

Common Nighthawks are aerial foragers. They east almost exclusively flying insects – moths, mosquitoes, flying ants – and can sometimes be seen hunting under street lights. Although their beaks aren’t very big, when they open their mouths, they have a huge gape. This is an excellent adaptation for scooping up insects from the air.

Unfortunately, like all aerial foragers, their population seems to be declining. It is listed as of “Special Concern” by Species at Risk in Ontario and as “Threatened” by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

The causes of the decline of Common Nighthawk populations are unknown. It may be related to the decline of the insect populations on which this species preys. Other factors that may have contributed to the declines probably include habitat loss and modification. The increased predator population (specifically Domestic Cats, Striped Skunks, Raccoons, American Crows, and Common Ravens) may contribute to this species’ decline, particularly in urban areas. Other possible factors include collisions with motor vehicles and climate change.

Although Common Nighthawks do not occur in as large numbers as in the past, readers still have a good chance of seeing some in the evening as they migrate towards South America.

High Water Levels - bad for some birds, a boon to others

Nature Notes for July 28, 2017

High water levels along Lake Ontario have flooded beaches and washed out my favourite walking trail. Farmers are having difficulty both planting and harvesting crops because of wet fields. Boats are unable to use Port Hope’s harbour facilities.

But how has the wet spring and summer affected birds?

Last year at this time, I was writing very excited columns about Piping Plovers, an endangered species, nesting for the first time in 100 years at Presqu’ile Provincial Park. This spring, the male that nested there last year came back in May. (Since he was colour banded, he could be identified.) Instead of a wide sand beach, he was faced with a swampy area. What had been dry sand last year was covered with water right up to the vegetation behind the “beach”. He stayed around for about a month, but the water didn’t recede, so he left for places unknown. There was no place for a bird which required a sandy beach on which to nest.

A pair did nest in Prince Edward County at North Beach Provincial Park, not far from Presqu’ile as the plover flies. This pair laid four eggs, which hatched. However, at last report, none of the chicks were still alive. One of them was seen being taken by a gull.

There were four nesting attempts at Darlington Provincial Park in Oshawa. It is uncertain whether these were all by the same birds. Three attempts were unsuccessful because they were washed away by storms after eggs had been laid. The fourth attempt laid 4 eggs of which 3 hatched. At this writing, the male and two chicks remain. The female has left the beach, which is normal behaviour for this species.

With the population of Piping Plovers so low on the Great Lakes, loss of any nest is really bad news for the species survival.

Other birds that nest on marshes have not had a good breeding year either. I have noticed many fewer Canada Goose goslings around town than in most years. Although I didn’t see it, I suspect that many of these nests were destroyed by the high water. The same probably goes for many duck nests and Mute Swans. Geese and swans nest on mounds of vegetation, such as an old muskrat lodges in marshes. These nests would have been very prone to flooding.

Other marsh birds, such as rails, gallinules and bitterns have also had trouble finding dry enough spots to nest. A friend who lives near Presqu’ile marsh has had as many as five American Bitterns hanging around his property. This property is usually a dry grassy field. This year, it is an extension of the marsh.

Although the high water levels have been bad for some species, returning shorebirds have found that the flooded beaches provide good foraging. By July, many Arctic nesting shorebirds are already moving south again. At Presqu’ile, they didn’t find a beach. Instead, there is a low ridge of sand at the water’s edge and behind this ridge is a series of shallow ponds. These provide abundant invertebrates on which the shorebirds feed.

Among the species using these ponds were Wilson’s Phalarope, Stilt Sandpiper, Sanderling, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper.

These shorebirds aren’t being disturbed very much by humans because rubber boots are required to access the area.

Common Black-headed Gull, one of the unusual gull species present this summer at Cobourg.

Photo  © Rob Lonsberry Photography

Earlier in the summer, huge number of gulls lingered at Cobourg because of the flooded beach and sandbars. Among the usual species were several rare ones such as Little Gull, Common Black-headed Gull, Laughing Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake.

While the high water was detrimental to some species, it was a boon to others.