Birding Petrie Island
We saw many of these plants loaded with colourful red berries, “highbush cranberries,” either the native North American or introduced European subspecies of Viburnum opulus. According to the experts present, these berries are edible, but when raw they are very sour, and have an unpleasant taste and smell. According to one source, “When you eat these berries raw, it tastes as though you are eating poisonous berries.” They are a winter survival food for wildlife. by Greg Zbitnew A Bald [...]
Carlington Woods – a fine place for a nature walk
Carlington Woods is a natural wonder in the middle of the city. by Bev McBride What a treat it was to go on the Carlington Woods Ramble this morning! This was a joint event with the OFNC and the Friends of Carlington Hill. Convener-leader Owen Clarkin met the group at the trailhead. It was a ramble-style walk, so the pressure was off the leader to find all the good stuff. Participants were encouraged to explore and point out items of [...]
Finding pollinators at the FWG
Our Backyard Garden was the hot spot for pollinators on this sunny July afternoon. by Sandy Garland The only way to learn to identify pollinators is to keep looking for them. As a member of the Wild Pollinator Partners network, the FWG has been participating in a number of pollinator surveys this year. We want to find out which pollinators are visiting our plants and we want to learn more about these helpful creatures. On 21 July 2019, a hot [...]
OFNC butterfly count 2019
Three new species and new record high counts for eight others in this year's butterfly count. by Jeff Skevington The final totals are all in for yesterday's (6 July 2019) OFNC butterfly count, and we ended up with 1143 butterflies of 48 species. The count diversity was average but higher than expected, because we missed at least 12 normally expected species that have not yet emerged. Three(!!) new species were recorded for the count: Diane LePage's group found the first [...]
Trip to Rockcliffe Airport woods
by Greg Zbitnew, photo of Northern Parula by Sandra Dashney On 11 May, 17 enthusiasts enjoyed a trip to the east end's little known gem, the woods and fields east of the Rockcliffe Airport. Conditions and results were excellent for mid-migration, just prior to the peak. Quite a few birds had just arrived - literally over night. It was a little cool, but there was quite a bit of sun and the winds were moderate. There were no biting insects, [...]
Transit Explorer Series (Dominion) trip a success!
Beachcombing at Westboro Beach: what plant does this come from? by Bev McBride A small but appreciative crowd of two, including the leader, had a great, nature-focussed trek around the general area accessible from the Dominion Transitway station. We both arrived by bus. It was supposed to be pouring rain, but we had none. There were some fine puddles, however, so we made good use of our rubber boots. We walked eastward from the station, beyond Westboro Beach, then crossed [...]
Shelving polypore fungi workshop
On April 6th, Joan Heyding and Lynn Ovenden showed photos and passed around dried specimens of polypore fungi. We looked at characters such as the size and shape of the fruiting body and its pores, which are useful for telling species apart. We told stories about woodpeckers and some insects who live intimately with wood rot... beetles, fungus gnats and fungus moths. We moaned a bit about keeping up with current taxonomy when we identify specimens using older field guides. There were [...]
100th Ottawa-Gatineau Christmas Bird Count Results are in
The 100th Ottawa-Gatineau Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on Sunday, Decembe 16, 2018. 145 field observers in 73 parties, plus 33 feeder watchers found 75 species and counted 26,056 individual birds. Check out the full report Final report of the 100th Ottawa-Gatineau CBC
Wildlife in Japan with Roy John – postscript
by Jakob Mueller On 12 March 2019, Roy John presented an excellent talk on wildlife in Japan to the OFNC monthly meeting. Those of you who attended will remember that the projector was acting up, and was unable to properly display anything with red pigments. Those of you who missed this talk are in luck - you can see a sample of Roy's images below. Unfortunately you will have to imagine the descriptions, anecdotes and jokes that accompanied them. (If [...]