111th Christmas Bird Count Results.

Bald Eagle still in Timmins on December 18th!

New species added to the Timmins Christmas Bird Count list.

From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission - often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season. (from : Audubon website.)                     


This year a bald eagle was spotted flying along the Mattagami River just near pizza hut. The bald eagle becomes the 43rd species added to the Timmins Christmas Bird Count.

The 111th CBC is the 17th time the Timmins Naturalists have participated. The CBC is a great way to get out and enjoy the day while supporting citizen science.

Bird Studies Canada is the place to start to look at CBC data across the country.

Audubon has a very extensive amount of information on the Christmas Bird Count.



I will have the data available soon on the Timmins Naturalists site. The data is already available on the Bird Studies Canada site.

Here is a summary for this year.

01     Bald Eagle
91     Rock Pigeon
01     Great Grey Owl
04     Downy Woodpecker
05     Hairy Woodpecker
02     Pileated Woodpecker
01     Blue Jay
42     American Crow
19     Common Raven
63     Black-capped Chickadee
01     Red-breasted Nuthatch
02     Northern Shrike
02     European Starling
03     Pine Grosbeak
01     White-winged Crosbill
09     Common Redpoll
04     Evening Grosbeak

Individuals : 250
Species : 17

I can recognize a turtle, so I get recognized.

I wonder if a turtle could recognize me??

Today, via snail mail, 

I received a certification from the Toronto Zoo.

That was very nice. This year I was able to report a Blanding's Turtle, my first ever in the Northern Boreal Forest. 

Turtle sightings reported to the Timmins Naturalists over the last 15 years have been documented on the Observations Naturally page.  I encourage everyone in the Timmins Area to report turtle sightings. You can also read more about Snapping Turtles in the Timmins area here.

You can read more about a painted turtle observation here.

You can send for a free package from the Toronto Zoo with the Adopt-a-Pond program. You get a great poster, ID cards, stickers and magnets. I really like the flash card they have provided.

They did send me the Ontario Turtle Tally : 2010 Data Summary. It is not available on line yet, but the 2009 information is here.

See a turtle near Timmins, take a picture, get the GPS location, sent it to the Naturalists!!

Now the White pine seams Frosty!!

Today I drove past the large White pine with a seam from top to bottom, 


It was covered in frost.  The entire area is covered in frost. 

                                                                

It is so pretty to see the area covered in a white frosting covering everything.

I also stopped and took some closer pictures of a younger White pine that was covered in old man jack frost. 

 I bought a Sony digital video camera and I just can't wait to find something interesting in the forest to film. A 10 second video of the forest growing may  be a little boring, but maybe I will get to film a tree being used by a forest creature.

Thinking about Earth Day.  This year the Earth Day theme will work well with the UN International Year of Forests. Get a tree on Earth Day and plant it in the spring, a forest is created one tree at a time!


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Big White pine would seem unwell

or

Big White Pine wood seam unwell!!

This great White pine has stood for over one hundred years, I would guess.  It look like it must have been hit by lightning within the last 10 years. The tree is still doing ok, but I guess a lot of it's stem strength is gone.

If the tree can survive another 100 years it will just look like a long seam. The split runs almost the entire length of the tree. If I am still around in another 100 years I will post an update here, wait for it . . .

Go take a look for yourself, you can see the tree from the road if you are standing here.

2011 International Year of Forest.  read more

It is all about the trees here at Oxygen Grows On Trees.

My First Millson Forest

2011 International Year of Forests

My first forest with Millson Forestry Service.

I started at Millson Forestry Service (MFS) July of 1999, in September I was in charge of a tree plant on the west side of town. 

Here is a map of the plantation area.  Here is a look at the plantation from the highway in street view of google maps

I went to the Jack pine plantation yesterday to get some pictures and thin a tree to get a cookie. It was a wonderful warm rainy day. A little unusual for the last day of 2010. Plus 5C and raining while Roll'n and I walked in the young forest. 

2011 is International Year of Forests more info 

When I count the rings on the cookie of the tree I thinned from the plantation I confirm the tree is indeed 11 years old. 

I hope you will follow me this year while I work and write about the forest. If you have never planted a tree, this is the year you need to do it! You will have opportunity during Earth Day and Arbour Day to get a tree. You can also get a larger tree, just visit the MFS webstore.

It is all about the trees and the FOREST at Oxygen Grows On Trees