No butterfly count in 2025
It was recently brought to our attention that we haven't been posting results of our annual butterfly count. The last time we shared the data was for 2020 (see blog post). Here are the numbers for the latest years and updated totals for all counts since 1998. 2021 2022 2023 - rained out, no data 2024 Totals for all years from 1998
Editor’s Synopses of CFN 138(2) and 138(3): Molluscs and More
Free Online Access to Feature Article in 138(2) is at https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v138i2.3301 Free Online Access to Feature Article in 138(3) is at https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v138i3.3391 Photo: Dr. Tom Reimchen recording data on the coast of British Columbia. While I and others received print copies of volume 138, issue 2 of The Canadian Field-Naturalist (CFN) some time ago—and issue 3 should soon arrive in the mailboxes of those with print subscriptions (assuming there is no Canada Post strike!)—I now finally have some time to [...]
Myths, mimicry, and misidentification: Eastern Milksnakes in Ottawa
Text and photos by Jakob Mueller Recently, a report of a “rattlesnake” in a local greenspace got some media attention. The observer reported that the blotchy snake, when found by her dog, shook its tail and made a sound – as a rattlesnake would – so she urged caution. This was a case of mistaken identity, and a particular point of confusion that happens with some frequency in the area. Ontario, being the big and biodiverse place that it is, [...]
The threat to endangered species from Bill 5 continues…
We still need your help to protect the Endangered Species Act! Bill 5, which contains a provision to eliminate the Ontario Endangered Species Act, has been referred to the province's Standing Committee on the Interior. The committee has already held one hearing on May 22, and another is set for Monday, May 26. The proposed replacement act - the Species Conservation Act - would eliminate habitat protections for species at risk and eliminate the mandate for a recovery plan. Only [...]
Ontario’s Endangered Species Act is Under Threat
We Need Your Help to Protect the Endangered Species Act! Please read this Action Alert from Ontario Nature. Sign the petition to the Ontario government here. Pictured to the left: The Spotted Turtle is one of many Endangered species in Ontario that relies on legislated habitat protection for its survival. The primary threat to most Species at Risk – and most wildlife in general – is habitat loss. Outright habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, and habitat degradation (from pollution, invasive species, [...]
OFNC Book Club Spring Pick
*** Update: Speaker Announcement! *** At our next meeting on Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. (via Zoom) we are excited to welcome Jennifer Doubt, Curator of Botany at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Jennifer will be talking about the National Herbarium of Canada, which she manages. A herbarium (plural: ‘herbaria’) is essentially a library for plants. The national collection includes over one million specimens of dried and pressed plants (and algae and lichen) collected over the past 250 years. Now, more [...]
Two resources about the Birds of Ottawa-Gatineau have been updated
Two important documents have been updated to December 31, 2024 and are now available on the OFNC website. Thank you to Greg Zbitnew for his efforts at keeping this information current. One is an annotated checklist of the birds in the Ottawa-Gatineau district. This document lists all 379 species that have been seen in the area. It includes detailed information on their status, first records, early arrivals, late departures, principal migration dates, unusual summer records and winter records. It is [...]
Editor’s Synopsis of CFN 138(1): New Discovery in Mer Bleue Bog
Editor’s Synopsis of CFN 138(1) Plus: FREE Online Access to Feature Article at https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v138i1.3195 The latest issue of The Canadian Field-Naturalist (CFN) should arrive soon in the physical mailboxes of those with print subscriptions. The Canadian Field-Naturalist is the official journal and publication of record for the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club (OFNC). The current issue is posted online at https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn. The cover photograph is stunning—an image of a newly discovered, described, and named animal in Mer Bleue Bog, a popular [...]
Register to Attend Student-run “Bird Safe” Summit
Bird Safe Campus Summit February 26, 2025 - #BSCS25 You’ve likely heard some variation of the proverb “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” This speaks to our obligation to look after the environment — the land, the water, the skies, and all of their inhabitants. A group of students from Canada and the US are acting on their obligation, organizing and hosting this summit to connect and share their passion and [...]