Timmins Melrose Bird Buddies

Don has a yard that just attacks the big birds, he must feed the squirrels well !!!

Don had an owl in his yard a couple of years ago.

You can read about sightings in Timmins on the Timmins Naturalists Observations Page.

I think this is a Cooper Hawk. wow a Cooper hawk right out of his kitchen window!!

more Cooper Hawk info.

Great Bird Resource Online

Bird Pictures

Bird Sounds

Online pictures and sounds of birds. What a great resource.

If you want to learn the songs and calls you can use this tool. there has been a lot of work put into this site - I suggest you check it out.

DENDROICA

An aid to identifying North American birds

Thank Melanie at Timmins MNR for reminding me of the site. I also have the program on my computer so I can carry it with me everywhere. Now if I could just learn more!

There's Safety in Numbers

Muddy Mark puts Safety First

The Safety Groups Program promotes health and safety in the workplace.

In front of the camera again, commenting on the safety culture at Millson Forestry Service.

You can see the promo video here it is now on you tube.

Timmins Business Environmental Award

2010 Nova Business Award

Environmental Award

presented to

Millson Forestry Service

Timmins Chamber of Commerce recognized the local business community, handing out 16 NOVA awards for business excellence.

Timmins Chamber of Commerce more info on the nova awards

Read about the awards by the Timmins Daily Press

Bear with Me

On Friday I was on my way to see the Bolduc brothers that are doing site preparation for tree planting. They are operating disc trenchers behind 748 John Deere skidders.

Disc trenchers expose mineral soil for tree planter. The furrows created also makes it easier for the tree planter to ensure all the ground is filled with tree seedlings.

Construction along the highway had a visit from 4 four legged forest friendlies. I stopped on the highway to take a picture. I rolled down the window so Roll'n and I could get a better look. Roll'n is so funny when it comes to bears. He kind-of talks to them, not a growl, not a bark.

This is where I took the picture. go to map

White Pine Do Not Like Salt

White pine have all turned RED along the side of the highway.

Driving north on highway 144 this afternoon I stopped to take a picture of the young white pine that have all turned red.

I noticed the red white pine the last couple of times I have traveled down the highway, I finally stopped to take a picture.

The young red pine seem to be doing much better, but even some of them did not do very well this year. I think it is due to the warmer winter. When it is not really cold salt is used on the highways. I understand that salt is used until the temperature is below -13C. If it is colder then that the salt will not melt the ice and then sand is used. I would guess that much of the winter the highway was above the -13C threshold, thus lots of salt was used.

This is why I tell people in town not to plant white pine close to the road. Eventually the salt will kill the white pine and in many cases the red pine too. The spruce and cedar will do OK and continue to make up the forest along the road sides.

You may say " the Red pine further south on the highway are doing alright". Yes they are. They are much older and a little further back from the road. When they were just young sap(lings) salting the highways was not done that much. Now they are bigger they can take it.

The white pine is the Ontario Arboreal Emblem. If you want your own White pine to plant visit this store, they have Ontario seed sources.

This map shows about where the photo was taken. I did not GPS the location so this is just a guess.

Stab a puffball, make it sneeze

Puffballs on the forest floor.

When you stab a puffball spores get coughed up.

The Canadian Encyclopedia has some information on puffballs.

Here is a great page on fungi

I always love to step on them as I walk in the forest, it looks like smoke coming from this little ball.

Notice in the pictures the puffballs are growing on birch bark! Two great forest floor finds

Hollow Birch Bark

I just love that hollow birch bark!!

Here is another great example of how the wood of a birch tree will rot way before the bark.

I saw this bark laying on the forest floor and thought the rotten wood inside would fall out easily. I took a picture of it before I pulled if off the ground.

I pulled up most pieces without breaking them. It creates great hollow birch bark tubes. These tubes are very old. The tree may have lived 50 to 60 years and it would have taken another 20 years to rot the wood inside.

This is where I found it. See the map

The wood falls out black and rotted. I left them there if you want to go and get them!

If you want to buy a tube for yourself visit me at the webstore.