OFNC butterfly count 2020
Which fritillary? Participants found Great Spangled, Atlantis, Silver-bordered, Meadow, and a record number of Aphrodite Fritillaries on 4 July 2020. Photo by Li-Shien Lee. Despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, a small dedicated group of 18 OFNC members undertook this year's butterfly count. This annual count is part of the North American Butterfly Association's census of butterflies across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Our local count takes place at Mannion Corners, an area where a diversity of [...]
Mycology Ottawa
by Lynn Ovenden. Several OFNC members who enjoy looking for mushrooms and lichens are sharing information and photos of their fungal finds on a web forum. We meet periodically for Shroom Zoom, an online show&tell. Details at forum.mycoott.org. If this sounds fun, join OFNC if you haven't already, and check into the forum. .
Greetings and reminder of online resources
Dear OFNC Members, It has been a long time since we have been able to meet in person, whether at our monthly meetings or on field trips. We all hope these activities will resume sometime. Meanwhile, we wanted to make sure all members were aware of the many digital nature learning and appreciation resources available through the club. We now have one digital event on offer and are working on others. See below. If you have special expertise on virtual [...]
Cancellation of all OFNC events
Revised June 14th Due to the current situation and ongoing measures being taken to combat the spread of COVID-19, there will be no OFNC meetings or field trips until further notice. Any previously advertised events have been cancelled, including the monthly meetings. Once the evolving circumstances allow for group activities to resume in a safe and practical way, they will be advertised on the OFNC calendar, as well as by email to members. We hope to resume our in-person appreciation [...]
Birders find a warbler in the bleak mid-winter!
By Gregory Zbitnew; photos by participant Suzanne Hawkins (Editor’s note: Gregory submitted his text long ago, just after the trip; as did Suzanne submit the photos. It’s all my fault that it’s being posted so late. Thank you very much to Gregory and Suzanne! BM) The third annual “birding in the bleak midwinter” field trip took place on the Rideau River on February 1, 2020. Nine participants enjoyed a surprisingly mild, windless day. A mild winter so far meant that [...]
Bird question leads to survival lesson at school
by Sandy Garland, quoting OFNC's Bob Cermak and teacher Stephen McRae, photos from Brooke Valley School copied here with permission It all started with a routine question to the OFNC: Hello, I am a 2nd grade teacher at a small private school outside of Perth, Ont. We are doing a unit on birds and have a bird feeder that we use to record the types of birds. Last week we saw four robins in a tree nearby and we wondered [...]
Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season is here
The Ottawa-Gatineau CBC will take place on December 15 and the Dunrobin-Breckenridge CBC on January 5. For information on how to participate please check out 2019 CBC information There are counts all across North America, but for dates and contact information of other nearby Christmas Bird Counts that touch on the OFNC 50 km area. Dates and contact information are available at Christmas Bird Count Calendar 2019
Transit explorers “discover Pinecrest Creek”
Pinecrest Creek is piped underground from just south of Carling Avenue to near its mouth at the Ottawa River. Above, Erik looks for invertebrates. by Bev McBride (photos: Bev McBride) Today’s [Saturday, November 2, 2019] OFNC field trip, “Transit explorer series, Lincoln Fields the other way,” was fun and interesting. I can say that, even though I was the leader, because the small group of participants made it so. Many thanks to Bei, Erik, and Mike. It was well worth [...]
Biocontrol of Dog-strangling Vine
Does Hypena opulenta prefer DSV grown in the sun or does it thrive better on shade-grown plants? by Sharla Foster, MSc candidate, University of Ottawa and Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Dog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum, DSV) has been plaguing Ontario and Quebec for decades. With few effective control strategies practical for use at large scales, the biocontrol agent Hypena opulenta, a leaf-feeding moth from the Ukraine, was approved for release at several sites in Canada. There is still a lot to learn [...]