114th Christmas Bird Count.

December 21st, 2013

This is the 20th year that the Timmins Naturalists have participated in the 114th Christmas Bird Count.

The count is supported by the Wintergreen Fund for Conservation.

2013 Christmas Bird Count 114th. My Pictures

Timmins Naturalists read more

Christmas Bird Count information at Bird Studies Canada   read more

Wintergreen Fund For Conservation  read more

Citizen Scientists plan to meet in Timmins, Ontario.

We are all

Citizen Scientists 

and 

Wildlife Photographers

The Timmins Naturalists are asking for the help of the public in their data collection efforts.

To that end we are having a workshop on 

Sunday May 05, 2013 2:00pm - 4:00pm 

at the Timmins Public Library 

in the Tembec Room.

The entire agenda can be found here

The short agenda is:
Welcome
Sturgeon restoration
Trail systems and Canoe Routes
Duck Boxes
5 minute break
Turtles, Snapping, Painted, Blanding's, Turtle Tally
Bats, and their Future
Citizen Science
Wrap up. Thanks you.

A note on Wildlife Photography. Everyone, well almost everyone, now carries a gizo that will take a digital picture. I carry a flip phone that will take a picture, but I have never used the camera. I also carry a small digital camera with me always and a digital video camera with me most of the time. My first reaction when I see something is to get a camera out.

One exception last fall. The dog and I are walking in the thick bush. I am being careful and watching my step. Suddenly I hear a low grunting sound and look up to almost face to face with a moose. It grunted while it's head swayed back and forth. It took a step towards me, I took a step back. Nose to nose ~5 meters. I was not thinking about my camera. When the dog finally joined me the moose moved off, only then did I think of the camera. Got a shot of the backside in the thick brush.

What we need is all of you photographers to take a picture and send me a note of where you took the picture. When I get a picture or a phone call I put the sighting on the Observations Naturally page and forward the observation to the information keepers. (Turtles to the Turtle  Tally etc.) I have kept this page up since 1994.


Previous Oxygen Grows on Trees entries for Citizen Science

111th Christmas Bird Count Results. read post
You are a Scientist - Citizen Science. read post
Timmins Checklist of the Birds. read post
You are a Scientist. read post
Butterflies in Timmins. read post
What We Do Citizen Science, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. read post

Timmins 2013 Winter Hike Day

Sunday February 24th, 2013

Hersey Lake Timmins

Winter Hike Day 

read more on the MRCA page

Pictures and more read now

Timmins Winter Hiking Day

more information @ MRCA

more information @ City of Timmins

more information @ Northern Ontario Travel

Summer 2011 Hiking Day Blog entry here

Wintergreen Fund for Conservation Book Project

Wintergreen 

Walking Trails

Conservation Areas

The Wintergreen Fund for Conservation and the Timmins Naturalists are once again producing a perpetual date book.

This book is full of natural history information, Timmins temperature extremes and best of all it has City of Timmins historic information for each day. Great book for the 100 year celebration here in Timmins.

What can I do with a perpetual book, why is it so special?

Write all the events you want to remember, you can use it every year!
Leave it at your front door, visitors sign the day are visiting, use it for many years to see the popular days.
Many use it as a garden book, what date did you plant what every year.
Natural observations - turns out robins appear in Timmins within a couple of days of April 11th every year.
Birth and death dates - a book you can pass on to the kids.

Money raised is for conservation efforts in Timmins.

Please pick your day carefully and let us know as soon as possible.

See the Commercial on Youtube

Go directly to the Project summary page, go now


oxygen grows on 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.

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

Moose Antler Freshly Dropped

It is interesting to compare a moose antler freshly dropped to an antler dropped last years and then chewed for a summer.

Last year I found the older antler. Roll'n has enjoyed chewing on it for a year. To him it is a big bone with the taste of moose.

This winter while having a safety discussion at the side the road the dog found something. He would not come out of the bush, he just sat there looking at me. That usually means he needs help with something.

I walk toward him and he starts to bark and "talk" to something. He has found an antler that is too big for him to move. Judging from the tracks and the fresh snow the antler had been dropped (map) that morning, less then 6 hours ago since it had none of the fresh snow on it.

I suspect by the size of the antlers the two different moose were very close in age. The shape is very similar. I am know expert but I would say they came from a bull that was about 6 to 8 years old.

I will not let Roll'n munch on this antler, it is in really nice shape. Wonder what to do with it?

Guess I will give it to Muddy Mark, he will know what to do with it.

Facts

Hinterland Who's Who

Moose Management in Ontario

Art, wow wish I could do that!

Distinct Northern Art

Alaska Antler Works

Biggest Oak Tree in Timmins

During the Christmas Bird Count here in Timmins a very large oak tree was pointed out to me. I will have to go back and measure the tree this summer and add it to the Timmins Honour Role of Trees.

I really did not think an Oak tree would grow this large in the area.

We also came across a smaller Oak tree during the count. It is interesting that once you start looking and others are helping you look you can find all kinds of interesting things.

I think I also found the largest Blue spruce - to be confirmed this summer also.

Large Oak Mapped

Small Oak Mapped

Water beetle under the ice.

Water beetle swimming under the ice looks like a creature frozen in jade. There was all kinds of life moving under the ice.

I could not resist taking a walk on the thin ice just to see if it would hold me. I did not venture out into the deeper water, but stayed where I could see the bottom was not as far away as my rubber boots were high.

With ice like this you can skip rocks that go forever! Love that sound!!

Map

eNature

Everything about water beetle

Porcupine Watchful Eye

This evening was regular meeting of the Porcupine Watchful Eye people. This group has been meeting for a number of years, I think I have been a regular for the last couple of years.

Goldcorp is in the postition to work with the 
City of Timmins and private land owners to capture tailings that have a problem for the last couple of years.  It is an interesting project and some of the walking trails will have to be relocated for the short term.

In the picture Kees poses for the before picture. In the background a drainage ditch will be constructed to improve water quality.

Tree planting I expect will be the final phase to the rehabilitation.

Great Horny Toads

Not a great horny toad, but it is the first toad of spring. this little guy was just sitting in the grass beside a small pond beside Gillies lake.

I think the little creature must have just crawled out of it's winter hiding place. It just sat there. the dog gave it a little push with his nose , but no response. I gave it a little push just to see if it would move forward, but it was only interested in absorbing the little bit of  warmth from the sun that was beaming between the clouds. I think it will have to sit for a couple more days until some warmer weather. enature a great site for making identifications of creatures tells me there are 2 types of american toad, but does not discuss the difference. I wonder what it is?

While I took pictures of the toad Roll'n had his head stuck in a hole on the side of the pond. I am sure a muskrat must live there. He likes to play with muskrats. When I was ready to leave he had worked his way into the burrow so that his entire head was not to be seen.

His white face was blackened with poop and mud, he smelled so bad!

We got home and into the bath he went. He hates baths, he hates water for that matter. He will not swim and walks around puddles on the road.

Observation - Cold Day in May

Woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground. May long weekend, never fails.

Not close to being the record. This morning it was -2C. The record -7.2C was set in 1956. I would prefer the 1962 record high of 33.3C.

Need fire wood to keep yourself warm? Here is the Millson May Special

Beauty in the Boreal

Snow is beautiful, you have to love it! If you do not love it you may cry.

March 29th here in Timmins a snow fall record was broken. 20.0 cm of snow fell, breaking the old record of 16.8 cm which fell March 29th, 1975.

This year to date 340 cm have fallen on the trees here in Timmins. That is the amount that has fallen on my driveway too. I have moved a lot of snow this year.

Today another 10 cm fell and more is coming.

Ya just got'ta love it.

Seeding Machine - Soon the greenhouse will be all green!!

One day this week I was in the greenhouse helping on the seeding line.

I was at the "front" of the machine. My job was to place the template on the top of the growing medium before it passed under the seeding machine. What does that mean?

The growing medium (in this cased jiffy pellets) are contained inside a plastic insert. The template lines up so that the seeds will fall, one seed into each container.

Once it passes under the seeding machine the template is removed and the, now seeded, containers move forward under a gentle spray. Two of these inserts are placed in a plastic tray and then forwarded onto a conveyor that will take the tray down the bench.

Millions of tree seedlings are started this way.

Coming soon, the greenhouse will turn green. I love going into the greenhouse when it is -30C. My glasses steam and the moist air smells wonderful.

Watch for picture of the greenhouse turning green.

Skidder Operator Now

It is always good to learn new things. The last couple of months in the bush I have been a grapple skidder operator. It is a John Deere 748 GIII.

It takes a little getting use to. For a person that is use to seeing the trees from ground level, walking gently on the forest floor, this is a bit of a change.

The grapple skidder is used in most conventional harvest operations in the boreal forest. After the layout of the block is completed a fellerbuncher harvests the trees and leaves them in bunches in the harvest patch. The skidder backs up to the bunch and pulls it roadside.

The idea is to have the trees piled a couple of bunches high to make it easier for the next machine, which is a delimber. To get the pile high you drive over the previous placed bunches. Sometimes the machine does not go where you want it to. Sometimes it gets a little sideways.

Sometimes you have to call a more seasoned operator to get the machine off the pile.

One picture below I am stuck and have to get Peter to get the machine out of the pile. When the front tire was up in the air, it made me just to uneasy.

In the second picture I have the machine stuck in the pile when I was attempting to flatten the branches to be able to drive over the pile from behind.

Guess I need to show you a fellerbunch and delimber, I will get some pictures next week. If you want to see processing of the wood in the bush you can see the youtube video.

My Favorite Bird - Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus.

Today was a very bright very cold day. All the snow on the ground and in the trees reflecting everywhere.

Then, there swooping across the road, a familiar bird. It is the unmistakable flight path of the Pileated woodpecker. I call to another machine operator to look at the bird, just as it glides across the road again. He tells me it looks like a bird to him.

I have been trying to get a good picture of the bird for many years, so many years that it was back in the film days when I finally got close. I was armed with a 200mm lens on my 35mm camera traveling almost silent on a trail with cross-country skies.

A pileated woodpecker swooped in just in front of me. I was able to ski very close. Closest I have ever been able to get. The bird "worked with me" turning the head and showing off the bright red colours in the sunshine.

I smile and only take a couple of pictures, which is unusual since shooting off a roll of film during a ski was easy to do.

I smile and talk to the bird asking how he knew. "How do you know?" "What little birdie told you?"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW I HAVE BLACK AND WHITE FILM IN THE CAMERA TODAY!!!?"

I did put the picture in the forestry yearbook I did at Sault College. Ever couple of years when I flip the pages and see the picture it still mkaes me smile.

eNature

All About Birds

Ancient Forest Research Report No. 15

Summary of Forest Management
Guidelines for the Provision of Pileated
Woodpecker Habitat

Muddys' Emporium

Oh deer - they are only metres away

The kids and I had fun building a deer blind in the back yard.

Every evening at about 5:30 the deer walk through the woods at the back of the yard. We built a wall and put a sheet over us so the deer would walk right past us.

Worked great he first night when the first group of deer walked close to us. When the second group of deer came close a strange sound that seemed to be coming from behind caught my attention.

I could not resist I had to take a look. When I ducked out from under the sheet it must have spooked the gang of 9 deer. While walking up the hill I dicovered the noise I was interested in was actually the daughters stomach. We should have eaten before we came down.

The next evening 3 deer ran through the yard just as I started to go down to the blind. We waited for an hour for the big gang to arrive, but they never showed.

Roll'n had to sit this one out. The first evening we were here he got to chase the deer, but they are so fast he only get of look at which direction they went and never saw them again. He did not run after them for too long.

Hope everyone is having fun this holiday season.

What kind of trees are these?

Yesterday I went for a nice long walk with Roll'n. We are in Richard's Landing for the holidays. We got on the snow machine trail and walked for a couple of hours. Made a round trip out of it, the GPS tells me we walked more then 9 km.



A very different forest here then what I see around me in Timmins. Shagbark hickory and Sugar maple are not found in the Timmins area. Other trees I know what they are but there are some that I have to collect the buds to take home to confirm what I am looking at. The forest here is mostly hardwoods, I am rusty at hardwood identification.

One other common thing seen today on my walk was the long clear rubber tubing connecting the Sugar maple. It is these lines that in the spring will carry the sap to a central location to be boiled down to maple syrup.

I have made maple syrup in the past but have used buckets to collect the sap. Don't do the boiling down in the house, it gets sticky everywhere!

Hope everyone is having a great holiday.




Picture is looking south from 16-0726484-5129082 Map It

Muddy Mark Goes to School

went to school the other day. My kids class was interested in how I became a Forestry Technologist.

I like to think the impression I left them with was that they had to be totally interested in what they choose to do with their future.

If you pick the correct path your job can just be an extension of yourself. Find the best part of your job and do them the most, while making the best of the parts of the job that are not your favorite.

Also very important here in Northern Ontario is to be able to speak french. I can not and I wish I could. The kids are teaching me, but they are better students then teachers!

Classmates, please leave a comment!