2013 Timmins Christmas Bird Count

114th Christmas Bird Count

December 21st, 2013

20 years of participation

The Timmins Naturalists, with support from the Wintergreen Fund for Conservation, announce the date for the 2013 Timmins Christmas Bird Count. December 21st, 2013 will be the count date for the 114th International Christmas Bird Count.

This marks 20 years by the Timmins Naturalists. Over the last 19 years there has been over 75 participants, over 400 volunteer hours spent and 45 species identified. This data collection effort is asking all level bird watchers, both field and feeder watchers, to get involved.

The Timmins Naturalists are always looking for “Citizen Scientists” to participate in data collection efforts.

Timmins Naturalists Christmas Bird Count Webpage

Bird Studies Canada Christmas Bird Count information click here

Audubon International click here

Timmins Chambers of Commerce Calendar take a look now

Timmins Daily Press story and photo click here

oxygen grows on trees

Observations this summer - What did you see?

New birds added to the 

Timmins Checklist of the birds!

Summer is done and this fall I will work on updating the Observations Naturally page and the Timmins Checklist of the Birds.

SNAKES - turns out I am not the only one to notice lots of snakes this year on the roads. It seems there was hardly a week went by that I was not avoiding a snake crossing the road. Many never even moved until I got out of the truck and went back to make sure I missed. They must be loving the heat from the sun this summer.

I was sent an interesting picture of a ruffed grouse with a snake in it's mouth. Guess it was going to work on it as it's meal for the week.

TURTLES - I did not see one this year! I did get some notes on what you saw. Highlight being another sighting of the Blanding turtle at Gillies Lake. I have also had a report of a small snapping turtle at Gillies. I still have not seen photographic evidence of the sightings.

If you see a turtle in the area I would love to know where you saw it, and I would really really like to see the pictures you took of it!

TURKEY VULTURE - Lots of conversation about the turkey vulture. Groups of them seen at the boat launch, one seen on the ground at a moose carcass on Dalton rd. Eagle seen on the carcass another time. Love to see this bird, it is so distinctive in the air.

BALD EAGLE - I know the last 2 years the Bald eagle has stayed all year, at least one at the Deloro landfill. Last week it was reported that there were at least 4 hanging around at the dump. Christmas Bird Count here in Timmins had a pair of Bald eagles reported! I even have video of the pair. see it now

Let me know what you are seeing out there. Always interested in your sightings.

Oxygen Grows On Trees

Back Yard is a Bird Feeder

I do not have a bird feeder 

in my backyard.

I guess the entire yard is a 

bird feeder.

Pigeons have been coming and eating the seed I have been spreading to grow some grass in the backyard.
The whole yard is their feeder.

I guess this morning while a pigeons was having it's breakfast, a little hawk also came for breakfast.

You can also see the video, just less than 2 minutes long, on youtube. I have the date wrong in the video. It actuall was June 19 not 17 - somehow I lost 2 days today???

AT 6:52am this morning, I heard a ruckus (yes ruckus) at he back of the house. Sounded like something hit the house and a couple of birds fighting over a worm. I got out and looked out the window, not seeing anything of interest, even with my glasses on.

AT 7:00am I headed downstairs and noticed this hawk sitting just outside the window. It was out of view range from the upstairs bedroom window. I ducked back so as not to scare it off and grab the little camera. I get a couple of pictures and some video.

AT 7:15 I am venturing outside with the digital video camera. The flip out viewfinder can be configured at the side of the camera. I was able to just stick my hand out around the corner to film the breakfast meal.

I hope the little buddy has developed a taste for well fed pigeons and comes for breakfast every morning. All that was left was some small feather, the two feet up to the knees and bottom beak.

OH What is it?

I am thinking a Sharp-shinned Hawk 

All About Birds - Sharp-shinned Hawk read more

Bald Eagle Back!, maybe never left?

Picture of Bald Eagle

Stories of the one that never left.

This is about where I saw the bird. see the map While I traveled down the road I could see on the side of the highway a bigger bird then you would usually see. I slowed right down and parked beside the tree the bird was in. It did not fly away.

The last 2 years Bald eagle has been present at the Deloro Landfill. I am hearing that it was present all this year also. When I was there last winter I scanned the tree line, many crows sat in the trees watching, at the end by itself was a much larger bird. On closer observation it is a Bald Eagle.

We added the Bald Eagle to the Christmas Bird Count in 2011, when we saw a pair at Sandy Falls.

Timmins Naturalists read more

This Week in the Forest

Between the rain days

Great walking days

This week had a couple of really nice days to be in the bush. These days are the days that blur work and recreation. I just love to be able to walk and talk my day away in the forests.

Talk? Yes. I talk to the birds that fly close chirping me. I talk to the squirrel that screams at me 'cause I am too close to it's trees.

Today a stood still as I could hear an animal trotting on the forest floor, not running, just moving a good pace. It was a rabbit just making it's way along the forest floor. I stood still, soon a martin followed in the tracks. 

He lost the scent, I think the rabbit went past me too close and my scent covered the track. The martin circled a tree next to me. It climb the tree and nattered at me. I did take some pictures, but my little camera did not produce for me.

This week in pictures:

Very big Cedar must have burn years ago

only the very big stumps are left in this young (~90 year old) stand

Where is the martin?
Maybe you can see him, the camera I carry with me everywhere is small and light,
but it is not the greatest wildlife camera.

I got here just after it started to burn. Buddy told me the engine lost power,
started to smoke and within minute the whole motorhome was up in flames.
No one hurt. He did save his guitar!
Turned around and the thing was up in flames.

Roll'n still comes to the bush, but only on days where I do not walk.
He has wore himself out and can not come on the 1km + walks, his legs can't take it.

Road building. My truck is the first on the new bush road.

Class trip to the Millson Complex on Dalton Road.
I am looking fat in my jump suit,
I think it is the jump suit and the way I am standing - ya, ya that's it.

What will next week bring?

It was a good week.

Timmins Arbour Day 2012

You can get 

a tree seedling

a checklist of the birds poster

a Canada day sign

It’s more than water that keeps life sustainable on our planet. And the Wintergreen Fund for Conservation with the help of Millson Forestry is celebrating the Annual Arbour Day event this Saturday at three locations across the City; the White Waterfront Conservation Area in South Porcupine map, Mattagami Park in Mountjoy map and Gillies Lake Conservation Area map. It starts from 10:00am and participants are again asked for a small, voluntary donation when picking up trees. Arbour Day is an awareness drive for the environmental impact trees have.

Monies raised will go towards the many Wintergreen community conservation projects including trails, conservation education and student bursaries. Muddy Mark will be on hand at the Mountjoy location to answer any questions you may have concerning trees, birds or what you can do to help the environment. 
Those wanting more information can contact the Wintergreen Fund or the Conservation Authority at 360-2660.

Thanks Timmins Times

TimminsToday.com

Timmins Times

Timmins Daily Press

93.1 Moose FM

Come talk to me about what observations naturally you have seen.

Great Honed Owl Release.

The Owl Foundation

asked for 

HELP!

3 owls were coming form Vineland to be release close to where they had been found or injured.
My role was to pick up 2 owls in New Liskeard and release one in Matheson and hand one off to Brian in Timmins to be taken back to Kapaskasing.

 A barred owl was released just north of North Bay.
The Great Grey Owl in the video was released just west of Matheson.
The third was picked up in Timmins to be released in Kapaskasing.

The story of the Matheson owl is that it was young and must have fallen from the nest. It was too young to get back to the nest and certainly would have become a small meal for something.

Where the owl was released was only meters from where it had been found.

Brian tells me he had injured the bird when he hit it, I presume with his car.

The Owl Foundation 

Timmins Naturalists provided support for the transportation

Timmins Temperature Records

7 days in a row :)

7 days of HOT weather :)

7 days of summer!

Then back to norms :(

I have not heard of any bears out looking around, but the birds are very early this year.

Normally Robin does not appear until April ~14th. This year the first Robin appears March 18th.  This is the first year that we have confirmed sightings of Bald eagle all winter. We had a pair during the Christmas Bird Count, and a single one spent the season at the dump. Another one was spotted along the Mattagami River all winter.

It was so warm on March 18th that the young ones washed the truck.

The Timmins Naturalists has a page called Observations Naturally that record sightings and observations. You see we had 7 days of record setting temperatures. The biggest record breaker was 27.9C breaks the 1979 11.2C record. We broke a record by over 16.5C.

Successful Winter Hiking Day

Winter Hiking Day in Timmins

A great Success!

A long hike and a shorter hike was the option. 

Hot chocolate and juice was available to all after the hike. 

Some got to go home with the checklist of the birds poster and 

others left with the Timmins Honour Roll of Trees flash card 

or the Observations Naturally flash card. 

These are still available at the Wintergreen Fund for Conservation office.

The Daily Press was there to record the event.

You can read the story online at

The Daily Press

Richard Moore was also on hand 

to provide excellent and knowledgeable information 

about birds seen at the feeders and on the rest of the hike. 

Richard can identify well over 150 birds by sound! 

Fresh Air

New Friends

Buzz about the birds

The pines really spruce up the forest

Little critters under the snow, tracks in the snow too.

Successful Christmas Bird Count

      Timmins Naturalists   

 2011 Christmas Bird Count 

Total Individuals : 522

Total Species : 21

Total Participants : 13

Total Party Hours : 21.5

Total Party Kilometres : 293.5

Great Observation : Pair of Bald Eagles!

The video is a little bumpy, I forgot my monopod, but used the youtube stabilizer app. I think fixed it a little, still you can clearly see it is an eagle. The pair flew down river a couple of times while we walked on the trail along the river.

Data 2000 - 2011 as a *.pdf  here

Timmins Naturalists page here

back to oxygen grows on trees blog  here

Timmins Checklist of the Birds

IT'S A POSTER

IT'S A CHECKLIST

IT'S ART

IT'S CITIZEN SCIENCE

http://www.timminspress.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3117363

Oxygen Grows On Trees

You are a Scientist - Citizen Science

You are a citizen
and must be a scientist

Get involved, the trees, birds, bees, and dirt will love you for it!
Many Timmins people have been involved in making observations of our Natural Environment. It has been very helpful to have the many eyes helping make observations. Check out the Timmins Naturalist page : Observations Naturally. We keep track of sightings of unusual species and events. Hope you will participate!

There are many different types of surveys and data collection efforts you can participate in. Some take a little skill and some require more effort.  The Christmas Bird Count is one data collection program that has been around for more then 100years. The effort required is minimal and is always a fun event. The Timmins Naturalists usually count the Saturday before Christmas. Join us this year.

I have provided links to many favorite programs, take a look and get involved.

Bird Studies Canada

NatureWatch Canada

Toronto Zoo

Frog Watch Ontario

Ontario Turtle Tally

Birds Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)

Ontario Nest Record Scheme

OTHERS

Nature.ca

All About Birds

macgickcanoe.blog

Oxygen Grows On Trees

Yellow-headed Blackbird in Timmins

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Visits feeder in South Porcupine

This is a sighting from a couple of years ago (May 6, 2008 at 4:15pm), but it is never too late to add an interesting observation. The bird flew in with a flock of blackbirds and was only here for maybe 5 minutes and never came back.

The Yellow-headed Blackbird is on the Timmins Checklist of the Birds, so it has been spotted here before.

This is the area it was sighted see the map

Great observation and picture.

I will add this to the Observations Naturally page of the Timmins Naturalists

Nighthawks Overhead

The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) fly overhead while I BBQ.

I was in the back yard cooking supper when I notice a single Nighthawk fly overhead. A little unusual for my neighbourhood.

I watch as another follows then another. I walk out onto the front yard to get a better look at the sky.

I count at least 20 nighthawks flying from north to south. They were all 10 to 20 meters above the ground.

I did not know nighthawks traveled together, I have only ever seen them one or two at a time.

More links and picture of the one I saw last year, click here.

eBird has come along way

eBird is a interactive site for bird observations.

I have not found an easy way to display a map of Timmins with all the observations, but I am sure I will.

Great information and good site.

Welcome to eBird

Timmins Daily Press pictures Muddy Mark

That is it for this years Earth Day, which really is Earth Week.

Millson Forestry Service supplied almost 4000 tree seedlings in 4 different locations here in Northern Ontario.

More tree seedlings will be available this year during Arbour Day, presented by Wintergreen Fund for Conservation.

Now is spring. I want to hear about your sightings. I like to hear about unusual bird sightings, turtles and now I guess I really want to hear about your cougar sightings. When you contact me I keep records on the Timmins Naturalists Observations page.

Don't forget we still need to find some more trees for the Timmins Honour Roll of Trees.

The Making of Muddy Mark

Mark walks in the forest most days. On one such walk a school group tagged along to learn more about the forest. Mark wears big high rubber boots and enjoys walking through the mud.

The kids would call "wait up Muddy Mark".

When the group returned to safe dry roadside they had seen seedlings, rocks, orchids, birds, squirrels, burls and mud.

A typical little boy who loved to ware his rubber boots as much as possible, camping was the norm for Muddy most summers. This sparked his interest of the forest.

At 10 he joined the Boy Scouts to expand his exposure and knowledge of the forest.

He helped his father fix cages and feed birds at the Roy Ivor Bird Sanctuary and this triggered his love of birds.

Muddy’s family was recycling before the term curbside was ever invented and he participated in the inaugural Pollution Probe litter pick as well as many more that would follow.

His first job was at The Camp of the Woodland Trails as a park warden. The next three summers he spent learning and educating campers. He developed a skill for photography and has had a camera close at hand ever since.

He spent three more summers at Sheridan Tree Nursery, doing everything from trimming, transplanting, digging and transporting seedlings.

He saw some of Canada with Katimavik. He got a much closer look at more of Canada when he hitch-hiked the scenic route from Vancouver British Columbia to Fortune Newfoundland via Dawson City, Yukon and Tok, Alaska.

Eventually he went to school in Sault Ste. Marie and studied forestry.

The Ministry of Natural Resources in Timmins saw his potential while he worked for them as a student. When he was finished school he was hired on to work with the Science and Technical Unit, the Fire Unit, the District office and Ontario Parks.

He bought a house, married a gal who would put up with him and started a family.

He enjoys his free time to be able to put more time into his community endeavors. These included the Timmins Naturalists, the Wintergreen Fund for Conservation, participating in a Local Citizens Committee and the Porcupine Watchful Eye, creating the Timmins Honour Roll of Trees, coaching for the Timmins Soccer Association, Timmins Select Basketball and the Timmins Minor Hockey League, he was a board member for the Timmins Public Library, lead the tree plants for local Scouts Canada and was chairman for the Public Liaison Committee for the Waste Management plan.

He left the MNR and did a two year stint with a mining company in their environmental program and photographed and documented species as he went about his work.

When gold lost it’s shine he went looking for a new employer so he could continue to support his growing family.

His wife told him to get a job and that’s when he met with Sue and Dave Millson to discuss possible employment options. They had worked together on tree plant projects when Muddy Mark was with the MNR. Muddy has been with Millson Forestry Service now for over 10 years.

At Millson Forestry Service it is Earth Day everyday. Muddy has been involved with many different aspects of trees. Seeding the next generation of forests in containers. Growing by watering, weeding and watching the seedlings. Site preparation to prepare a site for tree planting. Tree planting as part of the regeneration of crown forests and the reclamation of mining properties. Forest tending to ensure the health and vitality of the new forest. Road building, harvesting and product transportation completes the forest management cycle.

Muddy enjoys talking to private land owners that want to ensure the best use of their forested land. He is involved with mining companies that want to add trees as part of their progressive reclamation efforts.

He takes pictures, he gets dirty, he loves to walk in the forest with his best dog pal, Roll’n. He always loves to talk about trees!

He likes to GPS his finds and take digital pictures to share on his blog, Oxygen Grows On Trees . Oh and he does get work done too!

What do you remember? Leave a comment.

Long Weekend Observations

This weekend again finds me on Ste Joe's Island, near Sault Ste Marie. It has been a very warm and wonderful weekend so far.

My first little 12 km walk on Saturday morning I came across these little flowers I figured they were Lilac, but the smell is not right and they were a little way in the bush from any property. The branch looks like willow, it is a woody stock. Correct me if I am wrong. Maybe the strong Lilac smell was not present yet so early in the morning.

This morning I went for a little bit longer walk. I traveled along the snow machine trail. In past years on easter weekend I have walked on the snow on the snow machine trails, but not this year. The snow is long gone from the trials in this area. intersection map

I reached the top part of the loop I was walking and should have turned for home. My side kick Roll'n was not looking tired at all so instead of turning for home we continued toward the sound of the sand hill cranes.

Another km and I knew we were getting very close. The noise was just on the other side of some alder swamp. A little further up and a path opened into a field. Stepping into the open I could clearly see the cranes.

I wondered if Roll'n might want to go chase them, but he was much more interested in the trails of deer and rabbits he had been following. Birds do not interest him any more. Even grouse do not get chased anymore - they just fly away.

These are my first sandhill cranes I see on the ground this year.

I try the video setting on the little camera to see how the sound will come out. Sounds pretty good.

Hawk Owl likes harvest operations

Hawk Owl has followed operations over the years.

I have heard many stories of these little birds following machines in the bush. One operator has told me that some bird - that looked like the bird I pointed out - would dive under logs that were being lifted by a machine.

I kept my eye on a hawk owl one year during the 3 months of winter operations. This little bird was there watching until the last load of logs was dropped on a trailer.

Watching the bird that year was my introduction.

This year a little hawk owl was hanging around again. It is easy hunting for squirrels when many of the trees are out of the way.

I took a picture with my little camera, I pointed out the tiny bird with an arrow. I also got a picture with my digital binoculars, the camera part is not very good.

eNature

Environment Canada

Ontario Field Ornithologists

Birds enjoy when you are creative with cones

Cones Grow On Trees

The white pine cone comes from the tree that is our arboreal emblem. It has the largest cone of any conifer in Ontario. Timmins Honour of Trees.

The red pine has a smaller cone, when open it makes a perfect ball for many different crafts and activities. The red pine cone is a favorite for wreaths and other crafts.

Lynn, of the Porcupine Photography Club, recently got a bag of cones from me. Cones available here. She took them up to Hersey Lake and added peanut butter and seed before hanging them up. The birds and squirrels found them quickly. map

Side note: while adding the link to the Photography Club I got side tracked and had to look at all the pictures. There are some great pictures there. Thought I would be able to pick a favorite, but I could not.

Lynn captured a red squirrel, a black capped chickadee and a whiskey jack