ISSN 0836-4702
NOVEMBER 2014
VOL 68 ISSUE 4
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The region has seen a number of economic challenges over the past few years, and economic recovery
comes only alongside fears that changes won’t have benefits that outweigh challenges to maintaining a
sustainable future. (Fortunately, we haven’t seen a catastrophe even close to what field trip leaders Bill
Addison and Greg Brumpton refer to as “Thunder Bay’s worst day ever” in Barbara Yurkoski’s article
on the Sudbury meteor impact inside this issue.) We have several visitors to the region (including
another recent visit by David Suzuki), as well as residents and friends, who are ready to remind us that
building pipelines to draw on fossil fuel reserves, constructing boilers from forest biomass, building
wind turbines to capture “free” energy, developing the Ring of Fire (the list goes on at some length), all
come on the horizon with some risks. The key is to be prepared for these risks and to manage them.
Our club is not reticent to become involved in learning about resource developments and helping in
decision-making on them. Robert Macey has taken up the task most recently of archiving information
on environmental assessments and other ways our club is engaged in balancing risks with benefits in
developing the north. We hope next year to have some of these archives available on request from our
website. It is in our interest to have a thriving regional economy; it is equally in our interest (and
specifically in our club’s mandate) to protect and promote our natural heritage. If you have any
concerns about our role in advocating for a secure future for nature in the area, please let me or any
director of the club know. Enjoy reading this month’s issue of Nature Northwest.
- Brian McLaren
N
In This Issue:
ature Northwest is a quarterly
publication of the Thunder Bay Field
Naturalists. Each volume (ISSN 08364702) consists of four issues published in
February, May, August and November. A
subscription to Nature Northwest is a
benefit of membership.
General Meetings………………..…..3
Manitou Mounds Field Trip.………...4
TBFN Facebook Page
……….…..5
Franklin’s Lady’s-Slipper…………...6
Member Profile: Janet Anderson...….8
Bowman Island Field Trip…………..9
Bleeding Tooth Fungus……………..11
Member Profile: Janet Anderson…...11
Energy East Pipeline……….……….12
Highway 587 Cleanup…….………...13
William Bog………….……….…….13
Leucistic Plumage.…………...…......14
Middle Falls Field Trip……………..14
Sudbury Meteor Strike Field Trip…..15
Manitouwadge Feeder Watch..……..16
Vulnerable Watersheds....…………..17
Upcoming Field Trips...………….....17
2013 Financial Report.………...…....18
Club Information……………...…….19
Articles, notes, records, illustrations and
photographs of local and regional natural
history are welcome. Material accepted is
subject to editing and revision. Nature
Northwest is intended to be informative and
thought-provoking. Articles may be edited
and reviewed by different members of the
TBFN Newsletter Committee. Views
expressed are not necessarily those of the
Thunder Bay Field Naturalists or the
Editor.
Send events, stories, trip reviews, articles,
pictures and observations. Your ideas and
suggestions are welcome. Address all
submissions to:
naturenorthwest@gmail.com
Deadline for submissions is the first day of
the month in which the issue will be
produced.
From the Editor’s Desk…
Contributors:
Janet Anderson
Tammie & Ben Hache
Marian Childs
Connie Hartviksen
John Lavoie
Beatrice Metzler
Brian Ratcliff
Bruce Thacker
Sara Williamson
Barbara Yurkoski
Nature Northwest’s contributors continue to deliver
intriguing reports of nature in our region. This issue
features John Lavoie’s discovery of Franklin’s
Lady’s-slipper on the Pic River. A number of other
contributors report on a wide range of summer and
fall activities. And Connie Hartviksen invites you to
join her on our active Facebook page, to spread the
word far and wide about the incredible natural
beauty of Northwestern Ontario!
- Barbara Yurkoski
2
UPCOMING GENERAL MEETINGS
Thunder Bay Field Naturalists meet on the fourth Monday of September, October, November,
January, March and April at Lunan Hall, St. Paul's United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder
Bay. Meetings begin promptly at 7:00 p.m.
Monday November 24, 2014 - 7:00 pm
Show and Tell Night
As a new addition to this this year's line-up, we are featuring a "Show & Tell Night". With this format,
members are encouraged to bring an item (or items) of interest to share with others. This object, which
might be from home or elsewhere, should be a symbol or part of something dear to you in nature. For
example, it could be a fossil find of years ago that you chose to keep for its beauty or insight into the past.
Or a collection of specimens or a rare item of general interest. If the item is so small or delicate that it
cannot be easily seen or passed around, please bring a photo on a flash drive or email a photo
to sharongilbert@tbaytel.net in advance of the meeting so that it can be projected for everyone to see.
Tables will be set up around the room for display purposes. Members will be encouraged to grab a coffee or
tea and share their stories with others. In addition, a voluntary survey will be handed out intended to help
board members "tweak" the direction of the club, content of meetings, type of field trips, etc.
Monday January 26, 2015 - 7:00 pm
Membership Picture Night
An opportunity for members to display and describe photos from recent trips or local forays.
Sunday February 22, 2015
TBFN Annual Supper, Bolier Torres, Reptiles, Amphibians and the Cocoa Trade
Boliar Torres is a professor in the Amazon State University of Ecuador and works on a PhD in the
University of Goettingen. His field work is in the Napo province of Ecuador with farmers who manage
cocoa plantations in the Chakra system, mixing cash crop production with medicinal plants, food plants and
trees. He has surveyed the reptile and amphibian communities in tropical forests and on farms, and will
describe his motivation in protecting biodiversity in this part of the world.
Monday March 23, 2015 - 7:00 pm Speaker TBA
Monday April 27, 2015 - 7:00 pm
Julee Boan, Foraging for Edible Flora
Julee’s focus is on edible wild plants, specifically, and their potential role in food sustainability, our health
and protecting the environment
3
Manitou Mounds and Cranberry Peatlands Field Trip, August 16-17
Our trip to the Cranberry Peatlands took place on
one of most pleasant evenings of the year and
while we took out our bug spray, the insects
really weren’t too bothersome. We were joined
by two members of the Rainy River Field
Naturalists, Al Johansen and the new club
president Terry Kawulia, who led our walk. The
club has done a marvelous job of building a
cedar boardwalk into the old peat bog, which
originally occupied part of the bed of glacial
Lake Agassiz and was commercially mined from
1940-1949.
Photo by Marian Childs
Besides the pleasant walk, we saw numerous
interesting plants, including both Narrow-leaved
Cottongrass with its whitish bristles and Tawny
Cottongrass, along with traditional bog plants
like small cranberry, Bog Laurel, Bog Rosemary
and Labrador Tea. The area is the home of Dwarf
Birch, Speckled Alder and Manitoba Maple. A
water-filled ditch lies not too far from the
boardwalk and there is a viewing platform at the
end of the trail. While we were there several
Sandhill Cranes flew about, making their
clattering sound and settled in the peatlands.
Milkweed near burial mound
The next day, following a leisurely breakfast at
McDonalds, our group entered a different world
at Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung or the Manitou
Mounds. This area is so different from the
familiar rocks and the evergreens, birch and
poplar in our Northwestern Ontario forests. One
is overwhelmed by the towering oak, maple and
other hardwood trees. The shrubs and flowers,
while often familiar, also contain surprises. Our
guided tour, travelling with the aid of two golf
carts, ended almost four hours later. We viewed
an oak savannah prairie nestled between the
Long Sault Rapids and a mixed woodland. We
learnied about plants, birds and fish (there are
sturgeon in the river), and the Blackduck culture
and native traditions, including their burial
practices. After a leisurely lunch, featuring wild
rice and native cooking, we had only a short time
to view the incredible exhibit building, which
features the early Laurel culture and includes a
mammoth, along with exhibits showing
traditional homes and tools.
Jerusalem Artichoke grows on the mounds
Those who missed the field trip can visit the area
65 km west of Fort Frances. Travel past Emo and
turn left on Shaw Road, then take another left at
the information sign and you are there. For more
information check out:
www.kaynahchiwahnung.com.
Photo by Marian Childs
The Peatlands Boardwalk has received
international recognition from the National
Geographic’s Heart of the Continent (see NNW’s
August issue or www.traveltheheart.org.) The
site only 11km from Fort Frances on highway
611 is well worth a visit. We were there at
sunset: the perfect end for an interesting day.
- Marian Childs
4
Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Facebook Page
Greetings! I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself – my husband (Ken) and I are new TBFN
members, but certainly not new naturalists. We are life-long naturalists and I have been actively posting
photos to the TBFN Facebook page for just over two years now. In fact, I have posted over 430 photos to the
TBFN Facebook page in 2013/2014 alone. As a TBFN member now, one of the things I am doing is comanaging the TBFN Facebook page.* The page was first launched in April 2011 and has been rapidly gaining
new ‘followers’ in the last year or so. Therefore it is appropriate to explain a bit about this social media tool.
The potential of Facebook for TBFN may include, but is not limited to: promoting TBFN events; facilitating
information and photo sharing, documenting sightings, encouraging stewardship; teaching and educating;
creating interest and perhaps membership in TBFN; and lending support to other organizations that share a
similar dedication to the study of natural history. Facebook is popular, interactive and public so anyone can
readily see, read and post articles and photos to this page. The one hitch is – you must first join Facebook. If
you don’t have your own Facebook page and would like to have one, use your internet browser and go to
‘facebook.com/pages/create’ and you will find simple instructions to set one up. TBFN invites you to share
your stories and photos as they relate to the Thunder Bay Field Naturalist’s philosophy and direction.
To show you where we are at at the time of preparing this report, I have included this current statistical graph
produced by Facebook for the TBFN Facebook page. We have 245 followers at this point in time. This week
alone we have gained 5 new followers and the number of people who were served any activity from TBFN
Facebook page was 1.5K!! Most viewers are Canadian, but viewership is worldwide. Isn’t that amazing! As
an example, the photos of the juvenile Red-Headed Woodpecker that I posted on September 29th had a total
“reach” so far of 1.6K viewers. The ribbon ice photos and write-up I recently posted had a “reach” of 1K
viewers so far.
- Connie Hartviksen
We encourage you to visit the TBFN Facebook page, to view, comment, like, share and post! If you have any
questions or comments about the page, feel free to email me at conniehartviksen@live.com.
* Editor’s note: Connie and Ken recently became the monitors of TBFN’s Elizabeth and Gordon McLaren
Hare Island Nature Reserve.
5
The Franklin Expedition (Pic River version)
First off, I should clarify that this is not about
that Franklin, (the one of Northwest Passage
fame) although there is a connection, which I
will explain later.
I’m not sure where to begin this account, since it
spans more than four decades, but includes
several long intervals of stagnation. The setting
is the Pic River. Pic is an Ojibway word for mud.
The headwater of the Pic is McKay Lake, just
southeast of Longlac and close to the height of
land between the Arctic and Atlantic watersheds.
The river flows south through a deep valley to
enter Lake Superior at the western border of
Pukaskwa National Park near Marathon. Its
journey takes it over three spectacular waterfalls
and numerous rapids. It was an important fur
trade route between Fort Pic and Long Lake
Post. For several decades, until 1983, the river
delivered pulpwood to the Marathon mill.
had already been browned and wilted by heavy
frosts. I was no plant expert but I knew I was
looking at ones I had never seen before. I noticed
that the seed pods were somewhat similar to the
locally common Pink Lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium
acaule) so I assumed I was looking at some species
of orchid. I was determined to put a name to it. I
never imagined how long that search would take.
The standard wildflower guides that I owned were
no help nor was there anything in my local
Manitouwadge library that could aid me in
identifying the mystery plant. During the next
several years I made a number of trips to the remote
site in an attempt to observe the plants in flower to
help with identification, but I was always either too
early or too late. With each unsuccessful trip I was
coming to realize that there was a very narrow
window of opportunity to catch them in blossom. I
finally got a look in that window one early July
weekend several years later.
The flowers were a total surprise to me! Small white
waxy slippers spotted with purple at the opening and
inside the blossom. Up to five deeply-pleated lanceshaped leaves clasping the tall stem. The developing
seed pod attached to the blossom already appearing
quite ‘pregnant’. A couple of the plants had twin
flowers. I was totally thrilled to finally get a
glimpse of these fascinating flowers and felt
confident that now I would be able to put a name to
them; little did I know that it still would not be that
easy.
Photo by Mike Bryan
October 1978 is a good starting point. On a
beautiful fall day I was paddling the Pic to do an
inventory of the beaver population in preparation
for the upcoming trapping season. I had reached
a low cliff which I had passed dozens of times
over the years, when some unusual plant growth
on a narrow rock ledge about six metres above
the water piqued my curiosity. I climbed up for a
closer look. In an area covering less than a
square metre I counted about three dozen 35 40 centimetre tall stems, each bearing a single
large seed pod. All of the foliage on these plants
During the years since first discovering the mystery
plants, I had acquired several good orchid
identification books. Now that I had seen them in
flower, I thought it would be relatively easy to put a
name to these elusive plants. However, I was
disappointed that hours of perusing these manuals
did not result in a definite identification. I felt I had
it narrowed down to several possibilities but the
indicated regional distribution of the suspects did not
even come close to my locale.
The breakthrough came around mid-1980. On a day
trip to Pukaskwa National Park, I participated in a
hike led by a park naturalist. We visited the
6
spectacular sand dunes at the mouth of the Pic
just outside of the park boundary. During our
hike the guide explained that quite a few of the
plants found in the Pukaskwa area were growing
far outside their normal geographical range due
to the cold influence of Lake Superior.
Collectively these plants are referred to as Arctic
-alpine disjuncts. Our last stop of the hike was to
look at some disjuncts and in one quick eureka
moment, I realized that my mystery plant finally
had a name: Franklin’s Lady’s-slipper
(Cypripedium passerinum). Our guide explained
that this small colony of orchids was hundreds of
kilometers outside the normal Ontario range,
which is Hudson/James Bay Lowlands. It is
commonly described as an arctic/subarctic
species. The particular site we were looking at
that day and a few individual plants within the
park boundaries represent their furthest southern
distribution in Ontario. Locations of the few
plants in the park are kept secret because they are
so rare and susceptible to human disturbance. I
think the park naturalist was justifiably skeptical
when I tried to explain that I had found another
Franklin’s site eighty river kilometres north of
Pukaskwa.
This beautiful orchid was first documented by
Richardson, a surgeon and naturalist with one of
Sir John Franklin’s early polar expeditions. It is
the only orchid known to grow above the Arctic
Circle.
Okay, let’s fast-forward a couple of decades to
around 2005. I was spending a few days camping
and exploring a section of the Pic many
kilometers above my Franklin site. I was
hurrying to get back to my campsite before dark.
The water level was unusually low due to a
prolonged dry spell and as I waded across the
river on a submerged rock ledge, I glanced at the
approaching shore. A dense wall of orchid seed
pods atop their dried stalks greeted me. The light
was poor and I was in a hurry, but I estimated
about a hundred plants of what appeared to be
Franklin’s. I didn’t get back to this remote site
for a closer look until this summer (2014); in the
intervening years I had actually begun to
question whether I actually saw what I thought I
saw. So I was relieved and delighted to confirm
that this actually was another colony of
Franklins. Their numbers seem to be considerably
diminished from when I first saw them, but there were
still several dozen plants scattered over several square
meters.
Photo by Mike Bryan
I was eager to share my Franklin’s discoveries with
someone who would be as enthusiastic and appreciative
of them as me, but I was also concerned that these
fragile sites could easily be compromised by over-eager
orchid enthusiasts or someone who might decide to dig
up these ‘pretty wildflowers’ for transplant to their
garden. It is well-known that wild orchid transplants are
rarely successful.
This year, I was happy to convince Mike and Susan
Bryan of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists to
accompany me to these Franklin’s sites. I knew that
both Mike and Susan were expert naturalists and would
know how to properly record and document the sites.
Due to the remoteness and relative inaccessibility, it
took two separate day trips (July 3 and 4) to complete
this ‘Franklin Expedition’ staged out of base camp
Manitouwadge.
I was privileged to spend a very enjoyable and
educational two days with Mike, Susan and my brother
Edgar, visiting the Franklin sites and other sections of
the Pic River valley. I learned the names of other plants
that I had been walking by for decades and never really
noticed. We found several other species of Arctic-alpine
disjuncts. We discovered what is probably another
Franklin site but none of the two dozen plants had
bloomed this year and there were no old seed pods so
identification is uncertain. ( It can be difficult to
distinguish Franklin’s from Yellow Lady’s Slippers if
no flower or seed pod is evident).
7
Later in July I spent time exploring for more
Franklin’s on the Pic River and was lucky to find
several additional sites. This encourages me to
believe that there are still other sites waiting to be
found in the Pic valley. All of these Franklin’s sites
have now been documented with Ontario’s Natural
Heritage Information Centre (NHIC).
Following are some observations from this
summer’s site visits.
All the sites:

are associated with cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

are within a few meters of the water’s edge

receive a limited few hours of sunlight each
day

are cool and moist

are flooded, either on an annual basis during
the spring flood or infrequently during
exceptional flood events on the Pic
John on rocks near cliff site
Photo by Mike Bryan
Other Arctic-alpine disjuncts found on some of the
sites include Northern Hedysarum (Hedysarum
alpinum), Common Butterwort (Pinguicula
vulgaris), Birds-eye Primrose (Primula
mistassinica).
Also noted:

the old stems and seed pods are often still
intact and unopened more than a year after
flowering

the plants are always found in a clump of
several plants or as part of a ‘colony’

the plants can survive and thrive far from the
cool influence of Lake Superior and the
Hudson/James Bay Lowlands
Additional associated plants were Hyssop-leaved
Fleabane (Erigeron hyssopifoulius), Sticky False
Asphodel (Tofeilda glutinosa), Buffaloberry
(Shepherdia canadensis), Fringed Polygala
(Polygala paucifoli).
All the sites also support one or more of the
following orchid species: Northern Leafy Green
Orchid (Platanthera aquilonis), Huron Orchid
(Platanthera huronensis), Dwarf Rattlesnake
Plantain (Goodyra repens), Early Coralroot
(Corallhiza trifida), Small Round-leafed Orchid
(Amerorchis rotundifolia), Calypso (Calypso
bulbosa), Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium
parviflorum var. pubescens).
Mike and Susan identified most of the plants listed
above. I am sincerely thankful and appreciative that I
was privileged to share this adventure with other
orchid enthusiasts. I’m looking forward to further
explorations of the Pic valley in coming years and
feel confident and excited that there are many more
exciting discoveries to be made.
- John Lavoie
Another NCC Partnership for Conservation
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has supported TBFN’s acquisition of a number of nature reserves,
most recently our property at Terrace Bay. In August, NCC spearheaded a binational effort to conserve
more of Lake Superior’s most significant natural habitats. In collaboration with Environment Canada
and the Paterson, John Andrews & Barret Family Foundations, NCC purchased 65 hectares on the
south facing side of Caribou Island
8
Bowman Island Field Trip Report – July 2014
For the third summer in a row a group from the
Thunder Bay Field Naturalists visited Bowman and
Paradise Islands. These trips are part of the ongoing
monitoring of these two TBFN-owned nature
reserves.
The trip took place on the weekend of July 19-20
and was attended by eight TBFN members including
trip leader, Bruce Thacker, the volunteer steward of
these two reserves. As in the past, Gary Lange,
owner/operator of Bowman Island Charters, was the
captain of the boat transporting the group, as well as
the host of the comfortable lodge where we stayed
on Bowman Island.
Lichen-covered cobble beach
The four-hour trip out to the lodge began with sun
and cool temperatures early Saturday morning at
the Nipigon marina. One Bald Eagle was seen on a
shoreline tree in the Nipigon Straits. As the cruise
progressed, light cloud began moving in and when
we reached the lodge, the wind was a cool northerly.
After lunch at the lodge the group used the two
outboard boats provided to explore Bowman Island.
The island is tucked around the southwest corner of
St. Ignace Island and is fairly rugged in most places,
with steep shoreline rock outcrops and cobble
beaches. There are very few trails.
glacial lake that filled the Superior basin. The size
and extent of these cobble ridges are awe-inspiring.
Two Pukaskwa Pits are a feature within the cobble
ridges. These pits are conical in shape and the larger
of the two is ca. 1.5 m deep with a circumference of
ca. 2.5 m. Many of these structures are found along
the north shore of Lake Superior and were first
recorded by archaeologists at the mouth of the
Pukaskwa River. There is considerable speculation as
to the function of the pits. They do vary in both size
and shape across the region, giving rise to theories
that they served a variety of functions, including
hunting blinds, live wells for fish and spirit/vision
sites. But there is no oral history in the current
aboriginal groups of the area and no organic matter
associated with the pits to provide clues as to their
function.
From the Pukaskwa Pits the group hiked across to the
northeast-facing shore in search of some of the Arctic
-alpine flora that grows there. The onshore wind was
cold and heavier cloud was moving in, both of which
limited the time spent on the shoreline itself. We
found Black Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and
Fragrant Cliff Fern (Dryopteris fragrans) before they
decided to head back across the island to the boats.
Due to the northerly wind, the group travelled up the
protected southeast-facing shore to a point that
allowed easy access to some of the more spectacular
cobble beaches. These are at an elevation well above
the current storm berm and give evidence of a time
when Lake Superior was evolving from the post-
A light drizzle had begun to fall and it was decided to
head back to the lodge without visiting the ruins of a
commercial fishing camp located at the north end of
the island. By the time the group reached the lodge a
9
steady rain had set in and the warmth of the lodge was crossing of Nipigon Bay. On our arrival in Nipigon
much appreciated.
harbor, two White Pelicans greeted us. There just
aren’t any guarantees for a trip on Lake Superior.
The group had hoped that, like last year, the weather
would change overnight and allow them to see more The later dates of the trip this year meant that most
of the shore of Bowman Island, along with the fish
camp and neighboring Paradise Island. However,
dense fog greeted us Sunday morning and the wind
was again strong out of the north. Some of the group
chose to remain at the lodge and one boat of four
hardy souls went out to explore.
The group reached the fishing camp at the north end
of Bowman Island and explored the camp itself,
including the remaining cabin, ice/boat house,
remains of two dories, and a grave marker of a former
lighthouse keeper for the Talbot Island light. With
Paradise Island only a short distance across a narrows
between the two islands, the group made a brief
exploration of part of the south shore. High water
immersed the shoreline path, necessitating some
‘bush bashing’. This, and the need to keep an eye on birds had finished nesting and were no longer singing.
the fog that would alternately lift somewhat, then
Because of the inclement weather, the number of
move back in as a thick blanket, limited our time.
observations made were considerably down from
previous years. Among bird species seen on or from
The group departed on Gary’s 45-foot boat early
the island: Song Sparrow, Cedar Waxwing,
Sunday afternoon, and thanks to his years of
Swainson’s Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Common Raven, Herring Gull, Common Merganser
and Common Loon.
Overall, despite the limitations imposed by the
weather, this was a successful trip to an isolated area
that few people get to see, and it continued the club’s
monitoring of these two nature reserves.
The author would like to thank all the participants for
their enthusiasm, and especially Rohan Millar for
adding to the discussion of the island’s geology, Doug
Charters for operating the outboard boat in less than
ideal conditions and to Gary Lange for his expert
boatmanship especially on the return trip and for
hosting us at the lodge.
experience travelling the route and modern navigation
- Bruce Thacker
aids on board, we were safely chauffeured back to
- photos by Bruce Thacker
Nipigon marina for a supper time arrival. Interesting
that we left Bowman Island in thick fog with at times Bruce is the volunteer steward/monitor for Bowman
only 35 m visibility, but as the boat progressed north and Paradise Islands Nature Reserves
up the Nipigon Straits the weather improved to the
point there were lighter winds and sunshine for the
10
Bleeding Tooth Fungus
Hydnellum peckii. Observed in late August on the
Black Bay Peninsula. The droplets look like real
deep red blood. The fruit bodies typically have a
funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the
shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit
bodies can "bleed" a bright red fluid that contains a
pigment known to have anticoagulant properties
similar to heparin. It is also known by other names
including 'Strawberries and Cream', the 'Bleeding
Hydnellum', the 'Red-Juice Tooth', and the 'Devil's
Tooth'.
- Connie Hartviksen
Photo by Connie Hartviksen
Member Profile: Janet Anderson
I first learned about TBFN through my mother, who was a member a number of years ago. My
particular interests include trees, orchids and birds. I moved back to my hometown from
Toronto where I was a member of the Southern Ontario Orchid Society and devoted most of my
efforts to their Conservation Committee with its emphasis on native orchids.
In Toronto I woke daily to the birdsong of cardinals and was amazed at the number of species
that took up residence in my neighbourhood. I spotted Blue Jays, Scarlet Tanagers, finches,
waxwings and orioles on a regular basis. One day I had an unforgettable experience with a redshouldered hawk that perched on the wall around my balcony. The bird allowed me to
scrutinize it from a three foot distance for a good ten minutes before it flew off. I was also one
of many gawkers who followed the peregrine falcons that took up residence in the city’s
downtown towers. My favourite bird is the sparrow. Thankfully I don’t need to go to Toronto to
see them.
Part of my work with the Southern Ontario Orchid Society’s (SOOS) Conservation Committee
involved pleading the case of a Nature Conservancy property on Manitoulin Island supporting
18 species of orchids. The SOOS committee hoped its executive would sponsor the purchase of
the property with a donation. I can’t tell you how fantastic it felt when, after presenting the
information on this property, I was told that my plea resulted in a $10,000 donation to that
project from SOOS. It was nothing short of thrilling.
In Memory of Geoff Gooding
Thank you for your generous donations to the memory of Dr. Geoff Gooding. We are able, in
partnership with Lakehead Regional Conservation Authority, to install a new concrete bench
at the Hurkett Cove Conservation Area with a plaque in memoriam.
11
TransCanada Energy East Pipeline Project
Report to the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Board of Directors November 10, 2014
On November 6, 2014, TBFN President Brian
McLaren, Board member David Legge and member
Beatrice Metzler met with Jon Pitcher, TransCanada
Community Relations Lead for Ontario and Ed
Arundell, consulting agent to TransCanada
on Northwestern Ontario Issues. The purpose of this
preliminary meeting was to share information,
receive an update on the TransCanada Energy East
project, and initiate contacts for future consultation.
Status of the Project
TransCanada filed its application with the National
Energy Board on October 30, 2014. The Board has 3
months to request additional information from
TransCanada. Over the next 18 months, the Board
will hear from interveners. A final decision is then
required within 18 months from the federal Cabinet.
Subject to receiving regulatory approval, conversion
of existing pipeline will begin in 2016, and 1,600 km
of new pipeline will be constructed between
Cornwall, ON and St. John, NB for commissioning
in 2017/2018.
Northwestern Ontario Pipelines
There are currently 3 TransCanada natural gas
pipelines in NWO, and over most of the route they
run in parallel along one right-of-way. Together they
are operating at about 50% capacity.The plan is to
convert one of the natural gas pipelines to oil,
isolating it from existing connections to the gas
pipelines.
Raw bitumen will not be transported by the Energy
East pipeline. It will be diluted up to 40% with light,
low-viscosity dilutents so it can run freely through
the pipes. Energy East will transport diluted bitumen,
synthetic crudes and light crude oils from Alberta
and Saskatchewan.
Pump stations for the oil pipeline will be constructed
approximately 65 km apart along the route.There
are currently pump stations for natural gas located
approximately 100 km apart.TransCanada will
purchase additional land for some of the pumping
stations and lease Crown land for others.
Pipelines and TBFN Reserves
Most of the converted pipeline will be a considerable
distance from Reserves. These include:
Terrace Bay Reserve 92 km from pipeline
Bowman Island
49 km from pipeline
Paradise Island
53 km from pipeline
Caldwell Lake
95 km from pipeline
Schreiber Point
83 km from pipeline
The Nipigon River Mouth Reserve is 16 km from the
pipeline and TransCanada has invited TBFN to share
any additional information about this Reserve that
they should take into consideration. TransCanada has
met with elected officials in the Town of Nipigon
about the proximity of the converted pipeline to the
town, and there appear to be no outstanding issues.
Safety
There is a growing understanding that a pipeline is
the safest way to ship oil. Energy East will be able to
transport 1,100,000 barrels per day. By rail, this daily
volume requires 1,571 tanker cars; by road, the daily
volume requires 4,400 trucks.
TransCanada is using the latest proven technology to
ensure the safe and reliable delivery of oil while
working to reduce impacts on the environment.
Detailed information on the integrity of the pipeline
itself, ongoing processes for monitoring and
inspecting the pipeline, maintenance programs, leak
prevention and detection systems is readily available
from TransCanada.
Commitment to the Environment
An Environmental Socio-Economic Assessment
(ESA) is required by both the National Energy Board
Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment
Act. Components defined in the ESA for the Energy
East Project include, among its 17 components, Route
Selection and Water Crossing, Protection of Surface
and Groundwater Resources, and the protection of
Aquifers, Rivers and Lakes. These are all important
issues among members of the Thunder Bay Field
Naturalists. TransCanada appears to have addressed
these issues, but welcomes further discussion on
specific points of interest.
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Highway 587 Clean-up on the Sibley Peninsula
Three times a year a number of our members walk a four km
stretch of the highway between Joe Boy Creek and the park
entrance. We never know what we will find! This year it was a
trailer hitch. We left it beside the road, plainly visible so we would
find it later. Finding things later never seems to work, but I am
sure it found a better home or even made it back to its original
owner. Besides the usual beer cans and coffee cups that we picked
up, we saw Wild Strawberry blossoms on October 1st, delightfully
large inky caps, a lovely Shaggy Mane mushroom and the work of
some industrious beavers who have been having a chomping good
time. We also encountered a very dumb bunny who avoided me,
but then crossed the road to head straight for an oncoming vehicle,
which fortunately stopped.
Thanks to all who volunteered to help this year: Al and Terry
Wainwright, Ted Armstrong, Allen and Lynn Quackenbush, my
family (Bruce and Mike Childs) and to others who stop to pick up
bits and pieces in the area. The Quackenbush’s have moved down
east, so we would love to have a new volunteer in the summer
who will pick up what is visible from the road in our section.
Anyone else is also welcome on the volunteer team. We go out
during the weekday morning, when traffic is light.
Energy East (cont’d from previous
page)
Summary and Future Consultation
Overall, the meeting on November 6
was informative and addressed
numerous concerns. The TransCanada
representatives provided some
reassurance around pipeline safety and
their commitment to the environment,
based on factual data, research and
experience.
TransCanada Energy East
representatives welcome continuing
dialogue with the TBFN.
There will also be Open Houses about
the Project next year (2015) to which
our organization is invited to speak
directly to TransCanada specialists
working to engage local groups and
respond to their needs.
- Beatrice Metzler
Marian Childs 577-1324 marianchilds@shaw.ca
William Bog Field Trip
On August 2, a sunny pleasant day, Sue Bryan led a trip to the new section of TBFN’s William Bog Nature
Reserve. Butterflies and orchids were the highlights of the day. Seven species of orchid were identified:
Northern Leafy Green Orchid (Platanthera aquilonis – previously Platanthera hyperborea)
Large Yellow Lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum – previously Cypripedium calceolus)
Bog Candle (Platanthera dilatata)
Arethusa (A rethusa bulbosa)
Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides)
Early Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
Heartleaf Twayblade (Listera cordata)
The reserve supports several butterflies with
special requirements that spend their entire lives
in a small area of the bog. Bog Copper
(Lycaena epixanthe), for example, is entirely
dependent on bog and fen habitat. It feeds on
and lays its eggs on cranberry species. Here in
Thunder Bay it uses Bog Cranberry
(Vaccinium oxycoccus).
- Barbara Yurkoski
Bog Copper
Photo by Mike Bryan
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Leucistic Plumage Birds
but it was acting like all the other crows in the
neighbourhood. One could start to wonder when
seeing the American Crow in the accompanying
photograph. Check out some additional interesting
American Crow photos on the TBFN website
Gallery section.
Over the years, a number of people around
Thunder Bay have reported some of our birds
looking strange. What they are seeing are birds
with white feathers where there should be the
normal dark feathers.
Mother Nature does not always get things right, but
these little differences keep birding interesting.
This condition is call leucism. Something has
changed where a genetic mutation has occurred
and the pigment melanin has not been deposited
into the feathers. Depending on the severity of the
mutation some birds may display only a few white
feathers, or the bird maybe completely white.
Dark feathers are more commonly affected, where
brightly coloured feathers (red and yellow) less so.
Leucism can affect any species of bird. The
species most reported around Thunder Bay are
American Crow, Pine Grosbeak, and American
Robin. There have also been Common Grackle,
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and House Sparrow
with varying degrees of white plumage.
- Brian Ratcliff
Middle Falls Field Trip: October 4
Leaves of bur oak
at Middle Falls
Photo by Marian
Childs
Nine brave souls disregarded the weather
forecaster and headed out to Middle Falls. The
predicted rain held off, but due to slippery
conditions on the trail we only went as far as the
first hill, then explored our way back to the falls
themselves and to the flat rocks above. There
we observed the longitudinal markings and the
beautifully carved words, “ Geo Long”, which
are imbedded in the rock. (After careful
consideration we decided George Long did not
carve his name. This informs observors that the
markings indicate an important geographic
longitude.)
Photo by Lisa Ertolahti
The most noticeable birds have been a small
number of American Crows. Many of the reports
have been from the Grandview Mall area. There
have been at least four crows with extensive white
or cream coloured plumage over the past ten
years. One crow that was hatched in 2006 with
three normal looking siblings was described by the
homeowner as “the colour of my coffee with one
creamer”. This bird is still being observed
occasionally along Farrand Street.
Besides the many mushrooms scattered along
the paths and the brightly coloured leaves, we
were impressed with towering tamaracks, the
native (Larix laricina), whose branches sweep
down where they have enough space.
Another rare native species, Fireberry Hawthorn
(Crataegus chrysocarpa), was found along the
trail descending to the falls face, as well as the
Smooth Wild Rose (Rosa blanda), another
native plant.
Someone also asked if gulls and crows interbreed,
because they were seeing a white gull-like bird,
- Marian Childs with help from Thora Cartlidge
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Sudbury Meteor Impact at Thunder Bay: August 23 Field Trip
streets, boulders unearthed at Baseball Central on
Central Avenue, and a rock cut directly beneath the
Terry Fox monument. All display bedrock gunflint
covered by the impact layer of ejecta deposits. The
rock cut, shown in the photo to the left, provides a
dramatic display of exposed layers of rock from
different geologic periods. Gunflint at the bottom is
topped by ejecta deposits, then Rove shale, all
underneath a thick layer of erosion-resistant
diabase.
Rock cut below Terry Fox monument shows layering
The giant meteorite that struck the Sudbury area
1.85 billion years ago is a well-known event. Fewer
are aware that meteor debris must have been ejected
world-wide, and that evidence of this has so far
been discovered only around Lake Superior. In
what trip leaders Bill Addison and Greg Brumpton
refer to as “Thunder Bay’s worst day ever”, ejecta
debris from Earth’s collison with a meteor about the
size of Mount Everest resulted in earthquakes,
incinerating heat, thousand-plus mile-an-hour winds
and massive tsunami waves.
Stromatalites
Other highlights of the walk included stromatalites
(fossils found in pre-Cambrain rock) at the
Markland Street site and tiny stalactites and
stalagmites in rock at Hillcrest Park.
Bill and Greg are retired Thunder Bay high school
biology teachers and amateur geologists who
astonished the geology community with their
discovery of this evidence in 2002. They had
observed that the fossil-rich Gunflint bedrock in the
region is overlain by the sedimentary shale of the
Rove Formation, which lacks any fossils. They also
noted that the boundary between the two might be
the same age as the Sudbury meteor impact, a mass
extinction event, which would explain the lack of
fossils. With help from Lakehead University
geologists, they were able to study likely rock
specimens and find evidence that proved their
hypothesis.
Stalactites and stalagmites
The trip provided a fascinating insight into the
rocks we pass every day and their awe-inspiring
stories of the geologic history of our region.
Bill and Greg treated field trip participants to a tour
of local sites where the impact of the meteor ejecta
debris can be seen. We examined rocky outcrops at
Hillcrest Park and the corner of Hill and Markland
- Barbara Yurkoski
- Photos by Marian Childs
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Manitouwadge Webcam Monitors Boreal Birds
excited to see boreal birds on the webcam for the first
time - birds that are very common to you and
me. Evening Grosbeaks top that list followed by the
Ruffed Grouse in a close second!
In the fall of 2010 my husband Ben and I won a
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
online contest of sorts to host a web cam. The
original host gave it up after operating it for three
years in the Colorado desert. The online contest
asked people to write and explain why they
thought they should be the next host. Cornell loved
the idea of having the webcam in the boreal
region, a place most people have never seen, so
they chose our yard for the webcam's next
placement.
Photo by Tammie Hache
This is our fourth winter hosting the webcam. For
the first season, we had an old regular definition
webcam with a very grainy picture and no sound.
Last year we upgraded to an HD webcam with a
super clear picture and full sound. Viewership
went through the roof with a documented 50 000
plus individual viewers from some 127 countries
by the end of February 2014! At any one time it is
common for our cam to have anywhere from 200
to 500 or more viewers.
This webcam is strictly for Project Feeder Watch,
which I (Tammie) have been a participant in for
many, many years, and runs only during that
season: late October (just before Feeder Watch
starts) until mid April (about a week after Feeder
Watch ends). It only operates during the daylight
hours, to save on our bandwidth usage. It has been
a great tool for school teachers at all levels: early
grade school all the way up to high school. I've
received many messages from teachers in Canada
and the United States stating that they share the
webcam with their students in class. I also hear
regularly from viewers world-wide who are very
Some of the best sightings include a Northern
Cardinal (number one in my books!!) on October 25
this year, and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak last
December, for two weeks. Regular visitors
include Ruffed Grouse visiting the platform feeder
daily along with Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks
(not here yet), Common and Hoary Redpolls, Blackcapped Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches,
Common Grackles, European Starlings, Rusty
Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mourning
Doves, a family of American Crows, Blue Jays, Gray
Jays, seasonal finches like Purple or Goldfinch and
Pine Siskins, various sparrows like White-throated,
White-crowned, Chipping, American Tree, Harris's,
etc., Hairy Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers.
You will regularly see conflicts between species on
the webcam. Blue Jays and Gray Jays do not tolerate
each other and neither do Gray Jays and Common
Grackles. The Ruffed Grouse is the king/queen of the
platform! We hope you enjoy this and Cornell
Laboratory of Ornithology's other available webcams
and thank you for watching.
- Tammie and Ben Hache
OLTA Gathering
Our new Treasurer, Karolyn Hoard, and I attended the
2014 Ontario Land Trust Alliance Gathering in Orillia
from October 22 to 24. The conference provides
representatives of land trusts across the province an
opportunity to share their experiences and ideas and
attend workshops. Karolyn benefitted from sessions
that introduced her to the financial aspects of the work
land trusts do. I participated in workshops on topics
such as Species at Risk on your land, ecological
monitoring and invasive species. The feature speaker,
John Riley, motivated the group with his review of the
damage that has been done to nature in Ontario and
the positive impact of efforts to reverse the trend.
Thanks to OLTA and Ontario Heritage Trust for
providing funds to help sponsor our two delegates.
- Barbara Yurkoski
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Vulnerable Watersheds Project
The Vulnerable Watersheds team of biologist Dr.
Fredrick W. Schueler and his wife Aleta Karstad
visited Thunder Bay on October 27th. Aleta is one
of Canada's leading natural history artists and
author of several natural history books. Fredrick is
a senior research associate of the Canadian
Museum of Nature, chair of South Nation
Conservation's Fish and Wildlife Committee, as
well as active in numerous issue-oriented
conservation organizations. In a two-hour
presentation at the Waverly Library, they talked
about their work recording wetlands and
watercourses close to the east-west pipeline route.
As they explain on their blog: “Our mission is to
visit these places and put their fauna and flora on
the public record so that natural communities,
vulnerable species, and their essential support
system can be taken into consideration when
decisions are made.… We hope that our reports
may serve as a salutary check on the proponent's
own environmental assessments, and in any event
will preserve a record of what might be lost if sites
along the route were to be ‘Kalamazooed’.”
Aleta paints hymns that celebrate the beauty of
Canada’s fragile inheritance. Fred collects and
records with a focus on reptiles and amphibians,
aquatic macroinvertebrates (mussels, crayfish and
snails), invasive plants and terrestrial molluscs
(slugs and snails). They do indeed bring
that “breathless interest in natural phenomena”
which is essential in recording anything beyond a
fixed data protocol.
On their journey east from the tar sands, Aleta
painted while Fred scooped and tagged into plastic
bags, handfuls of shell-rich drift, where shells have
been filtered out of passing water by vegetation and
eddies. Their paintings and drift samples were on
display at the presentation. During the coming
winter, Fred will meticulously sort through the drift
to identify and curate everything in it. Aleta will
paint from photographs that she took at each site.
She can also paint on commission larger versions of
her “plein air” works. The sale of Aleta's art of
vulnerable sites supports their work.
They were buoyed by the interest from the room
full of Thunder Bay environmentalists. If
supporters’ donations are sufficient, they will return
next year to Northwestern Ontario to visit more
pipeline crossings. They want to continue to
network with local people to increase the critical
mass of knowledge about the landscape and its
vulnerable watersheds along the proposed pipeline
route.
For more information:
http://vulnerablewaters.blogspot.ca/
Sara Williamson
UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS
Christmas Bird Count—Friday, December 26
Contact Nick Escott 345-7122 to get involved with this annual count of winter birds in the
Thunder Bay area.
Additional field trips may be scheduled between newsletters. Members are alerted via
email, but you can also check the web site to ensure that you don’t miss an event.
17
FINANCIAL REPORT—2013
Thanks to Retiring TBFN Treasurer Mary Davies
At the November Board meeting, Mary Davies was recognized for
her eight years of service as Treasurer, which ended this year. She
received a gift from a collection from members last month and was
also provided an Honourary Life Membership.
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Thunder Bay Field Naturalists --- Information for 2014
The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of natural history, the
wise use of resources, the preservation of natural areas, and teaching the public to understand and protect nature
Directors:
President ..........................................Brian McLaren…… 355-6050
Vice President .................................Rob Foster………... 626-0089
Treasurer ........................................Karolyn Hoard…….475-1116
Secretary..........................................Sandra Barro ………768-9753
Field Trips & Juniors.......................Marian Childs……. 577-1324
Nature Reserves...............................David Legge……. 983-2155
Publicity & ON Nature Rep ............David Legge……. 983-2155
Programs .........................................Rob Macey………...624-7024
Inventory & Sales ............................John Pentick……….577-4540
Advocacy.........................................Rob Macey………...624-7024
Director at Large .............................vacant
Program Volunteers:
Membership Co-ordinator ...............Sharon Gilbert……..768-8582
Nature Reserves Chair .....................Susan Bryan……….345-6446
Juniors Program Coordinator ..........Erin Campbell
Newsletter Editor.............................Barbara Yurkoski
Projects:
Thunder Cape Bird Observatory .....Allan Gilbert
Project Peregrine .............................Brian Ratcliff…….. 768-8408
Bluebird Recovery...........................Susan Robinson
Bird Records....................................Brian Ratcliff…….. 768-8408
Annual Membership Fees:
Family ........................................................... $30
Student ........................................................... $20
Corresponding ................................................ $16
Single ............................................................. $25
Senior (65+) ................................................... $20
Life Member ................................................ $350
Mailing Address/Phone:
Thunder Bay Field Naturalists
P.O. Box 10037
Thunder Bay, ON P7B6T6
Website: www.tbfn.net
Webmaster: Rob Foster………... .. 626-0089
Meeting Dates:
4th Monday of September, October, November,
January, March, and April, 7 p.m.
Annual Dinner meeting is held 4th Sunday of February
Membership Application/Renewal Form
Name:_________________________________ (Email)_____________________________________
Address:_______________________________ (Postal Code)_________________________________
Phone: (home)
(work/cell)____________________________________
I prefer to receive Nature Northwest by (circle one): Post mail ($5 fee) /Email (0$ fee) / Both ($5 fee)
□ Family $30 □ Single $25 □ Senior (65+) $20 □ Student $20
□ Life $350 □ Corresponding (non-voting)$16
□ Thunder Cape Bird Observatory
Donation of $
$10
to (circle 1) (TBFN) (TCBO) (Jr. Nats) (Nature Reserves) (Tax receipt issued for donation)
Juniors: Name(s) + Age(s)
__________________________________________________________________
Are you willing to share knowledge in a particular area as a speaker or field trip leader or co-leader? If yes,
in what area?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Please add $5 to your renewal fee if you want to receive Nature Northwest through the mail. For example,
please pay $35 for a family membership). Your TBFN and TCBO memberships expire on December 31 st.
To ensure a May Newsletter, please register by February using this form, or print the form from the TBFN
website (www.tbfn.net) and mail to TBFN at PO Box 10037 Thunder Bay ON P7B 6T6. You can also pay using
Paypal on the TBFN website: www.tbfn.net
All membership information is confidential and as such the Club will not sell or distribute this information
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Photo by Connie Hartviksen
Publications Agreement
No 41362520
Thunder Bay Field Naturalists
PO Box 10037
Thunder Bay ON P7B 6T6
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