Walking into Wilderness

Walking into Wilderness is the title of Heather Robertson's newest book. It is sub-titled The Toronto Carrying Place and Nine Mile Portage and has been published by Heartland Associates, Inc., in Winnipeg, Canada. I have known of Heather for several years (we live in the same village) and have come to know her better in the past couple of years. I was humbled and delighted when Heather asked me to be one the contributing photographers for Walking into Wilderness. A dozen or so of my photographs were eventually used and I feel priviledged to have played a small part in Heather's outstanding recording of Canadian history. The photo above shows Heather at one of the recent, numerous launches for her book; this one at the celebration, in King Township, of the 400th anniversary of the French in Ontario. In the hectic year leading up to the publication of this remarkably researched and deftly written book, Heather found time to battle cancer and is now on the mend. Heather is a prize-winning author for both her fiction and non-fiction books and Walking into Wilderness is another great, literary contribution to the understanding and appreciation of Canadian history. Please call on me again Heather, for any future projects you have in mind. It was great fun.

BtheB

This one's for the guys

I visited an old friend, Glenn McKinnon, and his wife Joanne, last week. It had been many, many years since we last saw each other. One of the the things Glenn showed me was his collection of motorcycles. Anything with wheels and a motor, and Glenn is in his element. Stored with the bikes was this 1974 International Harvester Cub Cadet garden tractor. We've all seen restored cars, right? Well, I don't know about you, but I've never seen a restored garden tractor. This beauty is 36 years old. It might seem hard to appreciate this restoration in the same way you would a car or a truck or even a motorcycle, but trust me, you just can't help but stand there and say "Well, I'll be damned". This little beauty is special, just like Glenn: a talented guy, indeed.
Please comment if you wish.
BtheB

Cyprinus carpio

My Cambridge Encyclopedia says the carp "...thrives in warm pools, lakes, and rivers with rich vegetation...". That's certainly the environment in which this one greeted me, at Lake Jonda on Seneca College's King Campus this morning. In no time, he (or she) was taking tidbits of vegetation from my hand. Any hope of ever being described as attractive are dashed by those two pairs of barbels on the upper jaw. A friendly enough fish however, and I quite enjoyed our close encounter.
BtheB

Tiny wire jails

My recent encounter with an escaped Zebra Finch got me to wondering about why, of all the creatures in the world that we put into cages, we put birds into the smallest ones. Birds are the one creature that can fly anywhere in the world and yet we put them in tiny wire jails. I suppose a similar case could be made for fish and small glass prisons. But when we think of freedom, we don't usually think of swimming free: we think of flying free. Many caged creatures are part of our food chain and their treatment is often inhumane. But caging birds out of spite, or jealousy, or dominance, or because of a myriad other human foibles, it is unworthy of us; supposedly the most consciously aware and emotionally sensitive of animals. European Goldfinches, like the one below, were once very popular caged birds. In time, the world came to discover and prize the exotic-looking birds of far-off places. In some places laws had to be enacted that stipulated cages had to be large enough to allow a bird to stretch its wings to their full, natural extension. In the USA, it is against the law to cage native species of bird (go figure). And don't get me started on zoos. I won't even take my grandchildren there anymore. Please comment if you wish.
BtheB

Wikipedia Photo

Unlucky puss

In nature there are neither rewards nor

punishments - there are consequences.

Robert G. Ingersoll, 1876

I took the above picture a few days ago, at the home of my brother Bob and his wife, Nancy, in Parry Sound, Ontario. It shows the simplest of grave-markers. It is also the very spot where one of their pet cats was recently killed by a fisher. The fisher is a 10-to-20-pound predator that is easily capable of killing a cat of the same size. It seems in the Parry Sound area, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment determined that re-locating fishers here was a natural way to control a porcupine population that was wildly out of control. The fisher is one of the few predators that can successfully hunt porcupines. The word in and around Parry Sound is that having reduced the porcupine population to a level that could not sustain its own voracious appetite, the very large weasel is now rapidly reducing the populations of several other wild creatures. Whereas it was once thought that fishers rarely preyed on cats, locals in the Parry Sound area are reporting many slaughters of their cats. This is the second cat that Bob and Nancy have lost in this way. My use of the word slaughter is deliberate, as the fisher is a remarkably efficient and masterful killer, violently tearing its victims from limb to limb and scattering the shreds around and about. The unfolding of nature can be gruesome, as well as pretty. I am usually uneasy, sometimes queasy, when humans presume to re-balance nature. Invariably, we over-react, over-correct, fail to make the world a better place, and misspend a pile of money. Then there's the collateral damage, even if it's just another dear pet. Lord, save us from our own accomplishments.

BtheB

Purple ponderings

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the colour purple

in a field somewhere and don't notice it".

-- Alice Walker, from The Color Purple, 1982

Although everywhere is an ocean of goldenrod this September, I did notice these wild asters today at Humber Trails Conservtion Area. Alice Walker, please take note.

Please comment if you wish.

BtheB

Destination: Octopus Islands

My old acquaintance, Don Flucker, an Ontario expatriate now living in lower British Columbia, just sent some photos of his family boating adventures this summer in the Georgia Strait, aboard their 'Chantilly Lace'. Don logged 8oo kilometres this summer and reached Desolation Sound and the Octopus Islands. Below are some of the pictures. I believe any time on the water is a special time, but when you get to do it along B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, it's one of those near-to-paradise times. Best wishes to Don and his family on many more trips.

Sunrise at Comox

Jervis Inlet ~ a Canadian Fjord

Moonglow over Comox

Please comment if you wish

BtheB

Migrating warblers drop in

Black-throated Green Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Here are two southward-migrating warblers that appeared in the backyard this morning after overnight showers. The Orange-crowned Warbler is a lifer for me: #387. (Click on photos to enlarge).

Please comment if you wish.
BtheB

Hiking at Cawthra Mulock

My hike today was at the Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve, just south of the Holland Marsh, in King Township, between Bathurst and Dufferin Streets. The western trailhead on Dufferin Street does not present a visually-promising start: a large weedy meadow flanked by huge hydro towers. 300 metres and 5 minutes in however, things take on a promising aspect. My hikes are usually taken to bring me selfishly close to nature, but today I was keeping in mind the fervent protests of many Ontarians concerning a planned Ontario Hydro installation nearby. The Premier of Ontario has intervened and it seems the project is a go, no matter what. The case for the hydro plant is seemingly well made in that the surrounding countryside here is already host to a large transformer station and major intersecting power lines. On the surface it seems an excellent business case has been made, but sadly, environmental, social and aesthetic considerations fall by the wayside. The trails on this 268-acre site serve their purpose quite well and are deservingly popular. Some of the pictures I took are show below. The nature reserve and its trails will continue to exist, cheek by jowl, with the the hydro towers (new and old). The trick will be to not look over your shoulder.

I sat on a bench and enjoyed the view over a pretty little pond, which has a resident Kingfisher who wouldn't come close enough for a good picture. I'll get him next time.

I found the remains of an ancient farmstead interesting, especially what appeared to be a square silo.
Markers on the main trail are red paint on old wooden posts or white arrows with a red background on metal posts. There are four connecting trails in total.

Butterflies, like this obliging Red Admiral, abounded at Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve today.

Please comment if you wish.
BtheB

September turns yellow

It's the time of year when goldenrod takes over from all other wild plants and paints every rural roadside and bit of uncultivated open land with tall tufts of yellow flowers. One moment the countryside is green, then almost overnight everything is yellow. This summer has seen a great growing season and here the goldenrod exceeds its normal maximum height and rises above the fenceposts at Seneca College, on the outskirts of the village of King City. In early September, it's hard to overlook and easy to admire, even on a damp overcast day.

Nearby, on the floor of a wet hardwood forest, Sensitive Fern provides a cool alternative to Seneca's goldenrod. The Sensitive Fern is distinctive from most other ferns, but some observers describe it's large-lobed fronds as coarse. There are other who call it beautiful. I side with the latter. It got its name from its wilting sensitivity to even the slightest, early frosts.

And finally, this afternoon's jaunt to Seneca College ended with a fly-over by a Great Blue Heron. While the lighting did not favour this bird's lovely colour tones, it did accentuate its remarkable profile.

Please comment if you wish.

BtheB

Zebra Finch in King City?!?!

I was awakened from my afternoon nap by Linda hollering at me to come to the backdoor to "..see this bird!" Lo and behold, the lady of the house had spotted A Zebra Finch in the cedar hedge. Now if Linda and I lived in Australia, this sighting would be no big deal. But in Canada? 15,000 kilometres is a long way to stray. I rushed for my camera, took a dozen quick shots, while babbling like an idiot about Linda's unbelievable sighting. To which she replied: "It must be an escapee." "Oh, well of course", I said, crestfallen. It was the only realistic explanation. Nevertheless, this tiny little bird is spectacular to see. No wonder it is one the most popular cage birds in the entire world. It joined us on the back porch and looked at the Goldfinches and Chickadees at the feeders. It seemed intrigued by their activity. Then it flew into the cedar hedge again and then down to our back steps before moving on. I refuse to speculate on its fate, and will be content with the knowledge that this tiny, fragile and free-flying creature made my heart sing for part of this day. Thank you Linda. I owe you one.

Please comment if you like.

BtheB

Late summer ~ Marylake

I've been wandering around the grounds of Marylake Shrine & Augustinian Monastery Farm for about 50 years now. I had never, in those 50 years, circumnavigated the lake on foot, until today. There are footpaths the length of the lake, along the east side, but the west side is mature forest and tangled wetlands, and as I discovered, generally passable only to the young and fit. Moreover, it has little to offer compared to the other natural physical areas of this former Sir Henry Pellat estate. But at least I can say I have walked right around Mary Lake. I also took the opportunity to have a look inside (the doors were wide open) of the massive brick barn that always amazes visitors with its size and style. The picture above shows the unusual criss-crossed rafters under the main roof. Sadly the barn is no longer in use and is deteriorating. What was once a thriving dairy farm, operated by numerous monks, is now mainly a religious retreat centre. Marklake is just north of King City, on Keele Street, and the Oak Ridges Moraine hiking trail provides access and great views of the lake and the surrounding fields and forest. Go far enough and you'll wind up at the Pine Farms Orchard on the 16th Sideroad and its charmingly cozy cafe.

Please comment if you wish.

BtheB

Grampa's 99-year-old corn

My grandfather, Sid Thomas, brought this cob of corn from Wimborne, Dorset, England in 1911. As you can see, some of the kernals are missing. Did Sid nibble on some while crossing the Atlantic? Did mice expropriate their share? Or did Sid plant some of the kernals in the soil of his new homeland, Canada? After 99 years, it seems the right time to plant some of these kernals should be next year, marking the 100th anniversary of the cob in Canada. My sister, Denise, suggests if the planting is successful that she and I, along with our sister, Diane, and brother, Bob, could get together for a corn roast. That would be great, but we do live apart from each other, by a combined distance of 3,700 kilometres. A simpler solution might be to send them some kernals, from King City, for planting in Parry Sound (Ontario), Wemindji (Quebec side of James Bay) and Vernon River (Prince Edward Island). How will this turn out? We'll all have to wait a year to see an outcome. Stay tuned.

BtheB

Back in the saddle

Some people have noticed that I've been absent from this space for a couple of months. It was some health issues but I'm back at my post, motivated in part by the little guy above. He is one of many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds who have taken over the backyard, in the late summer. Their presence is causing a lot of air-traffic-control problems for the Goldfinches, Chickadees, Cardinals, and Blue Jays, etc., not to mention migrating fall warblers. Did you know that hummingbirds have a top speed of almost 100 kms. per hour! It probably explains why I am constantly ducking these fascinating speed-demons, for fear of them impaling themselves in my forehead with their tiny perfect beaks.
Please comment if you wish.
BtheB

Summer Solstice Eve

Marylake ~ King City ~ Ontario

Marylake Shrine

A great grassland trail

Two or three times recently, I've walked the western half of the Oak Ridges Corrider Park Trail, in north Richmond Hill, Ontario, and found dozens of Bobolinks. It's great to see so many, given that they are a threatened species, due to habitat loss. The western part of trail that I have been walking runs between Yonge Street and Bathurst Street, about a kilometre south of the King Road, or a kilometre north of the Jefferson Sideroad. The east entrance is at the pedestrian traffic lights, on Yonge Street, at Bond Lake, while the west entrance is on the south side of the Bathurst Glen Golf Club clubhouse, about a hundred metres in off Bathurst Steet. In addition to Bobolinks, I've found Savannah and Song Sparrows, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, Tree Swallow, Baltimore Oriole, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Kingbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Great Blue Heron. This is an easy-walking trail and very satisfying for people looking for the birds. You don't even need binoculars to get a good look at the Bobolinks. You can also easily hear their unique burbling, gurgling, trilling song. BtheB

Bobolink

Savannah Sparrow

Midland Painted Turtle

Western trailhead of the Oak Ridges Corrider Park

Madame La Pew has given birth

I took this picture of Madame La Pew (as my wife has named her) this morning as she headed back to the safety of her den, under our garden shed. She usually makes her appearances between dusk and dawn, thus our paths don't often cross. Today she was lingering well after sunrise and was eating everything in sight. The reason for her increased hunger is the presence, we think, of a half dozen or so new baby skunks in her den. We had watched her getting bigger and bigger or the last several weeks and suddenly one night, a week or so ago, around midnight, there was an unmistakable gas attack outside the open bedroom windows.
We shut the windows immediately and decided the moment had arrived and the smell was a by-product of giving birth. We've been through this in other years and in a month or so, mum will appear one evening with the whole clan, in tow, and lead the juveniles on a jaunt around the neighbourhood. She will give them all the slip along the way and come home alone. Her children will have been given the heave-ho and they will have to find their own way in the world, henceforth. Linda and I were thrilled to watch one of these departures, a few years ago, when seven skunks, in a tight pack undulated across the backyard like a black and white patchwork quilt. There was no sound ... just a rippling, mirage-like huddle of skunks floating across the grass, in dusk's half-light.
Please comment if you wish. BtheB

You know you're in the country when...

One of my sisters has just made the move from the oil boomtown of Calgary to a small rural setting in Prince Edward Island. She is surrounded by boxes in a lovely old house near Vernon River and has the following to say, in her first email from the red isle:"You know you're back in the country when you are up to your knees in red mud and actually wearing the Wellies you bought in Ireland because you thought you were cool. You know you are back in the country when the man in front of you in line at the Tim's window is on a tractor, and you are definitely in the country when you open your old-fashioned mailbox and a bird flies out and you discover mail is crammed against two large birds' nests. Sounds very bucolic, to me, and I would switch for it immediately, to keep from being anywhere near the insanity of the G20 in Toronto. Best wishes, sis'.
BtheB

Photographic Reminders

One of my daughters is moving soon, to another part of the country. She wanted to have some photos of the place where she has been teaching for the last few years, as reminders of the wonderful natural setting in which she had so many pleasant walks. The place is the King Campus of Seneca College. Here are a few of many pictures I have passed on to her. They include, Eaton Hall Conference Centre, one of two Ospreys nesting at Seneca, a spawning carp, another unidentified fish in the dragonfly pond, an Eastern Kingbird, and the bones and firepit of a replica sweat lodge. I'm sure she'll miss this place.

BtheB

Wine recommendation of the week

This is yours truly tasting some wine in my vineyard (LOL). Actually I'm on the back porch and it's a KWV Chenin Blanc 2009 from South Africa. It describes itself as : "...an off-dry white wine, fresh and fruity with tropical and apple flavours." It tastes very nice, I must say. The best part? It's $7.95 for 750 ml. at the liquor store - an incredible value. This is my new, summer, white house wine. This is one to keep well-chilled. If your glass sits too long, you'll need to refill it often, to keep it at the perfectly cool temperature. Just don't tell anyone it was me who encouraged you to keep topping it up. Thanks to my friend, Pieter, for putting me on to this delightful sipper.
Cheers, BtheB

Bears in the Mulmur Triangle

My friend, Pieter Thoenes, reports that his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter came across a Black Bear and her cub, in the middle of the intersection of 15th Sideroad and 4th Line E., in Mulmer Township this past Saturday. The two healthy-looking critters ran off behind someone's house nearby. I was greatly surprised by this. I knew that Black Bears were now reaching further south into southern Ontario each year, but hadn't realized they had made a right turn at Barrie and were now to be seen in the beautiful Mulmur Hills. Mulmer Township lies pretty much inside a triangle of land delineated by the towns of Alliston, Shelburne and Creemore. The sighting was about 5 kms. from the Bruce Trail, at Horning's Mills, so heads up and keep yours wits about you if you're hiking up that way.

Chimney Swifts & Bobolink

It was good to see a few Chimney Swifts flittering over the house on several evenings this past week. I also spotted my first Bobolink of the year, in an abandoned cow pasture, a couple of days ago. Both sightings were heartening because: 1. Chimney Swifts are a threatened species in Ontario, due to reduced food supply (pesticides) and reduced nesting spots (chimneys); and 2. Bobolinks are in rapid decline in both South and North American due primarily to habitat loss (upland grass fields). Both of these birds are special to see and hear. The Chimney Swift, because of its shape, is nicknamed the Flying Cigar. The Bobolink's burbling song reminds me of being a kid and spinning the station-selector dial on old radios which created a musical mish-mash of sounds that resembled the Bobolink, in full voice. Here's hoping these birds don't become extirpated in Ontario - in my lifetime, anyway.
BtheB

10,027 bird species - 1240 facing extinction

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has just published its 2010 Red List update which shows that 1,240 of the world's 10,027 species are on the brink of extinction. That's 1/8 of the world's bird species that are now facing the imminent extinction possibility. The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. The most recent bird species to be declared extinct is the Alaotra Grebe from Madagascar. It's hard enough bringing these dire facts to the attention of the world, but it's especially so with disasters like the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. And which is more important? They are equally important, of course, optics notwithstanding. Instead of embracing biodiversity, perhaps we need to take a holistic approach and embrace bio-unity. A good start, if you're interested (and you should be), is the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/.

BP - O' the woes

Here's a 1999 advertisement from British Petroleum, the irony of which speaks for itself. Thanks to my friend, Susan Beharriell, for passing along this omen from the past.

BtheB

If not a bird, a dragonfly

"Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly

Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky..."

--Dante Gabriel Rossetti

I went out this afternoon to take some photographs of birds, but it was in the heat of the day and none wanted to pose for me. I took this dragonfly's picture instead. My Oxford dictionary describes the dragonfly as: "...having a long slender body, two large transparent wings that are spread while resting...". This seems an understatement for such a strikingly, exotic-looking creature, don't you think? The Common Whitetail dragonfly is a common North American species and the one above is an adult male. He loves to eat mosquitos. Bless him.

BtheB

Bathtime in the backyard

Now the summer came to pass

And flowers through the grass

Joyously sprang,

While all the tribes of birds sang.

~~Walther von der Vogelweide

First hummingbird picture with new camera

Here it is: my first picture of a hummingbird, with my new camera. Come to think of it, it's probably my first picture of a hummingbird with any camera. It's a male, although I didn't get it at the right angle to show his iridescent red throat (next time). It's not a very interesting picture. About all I can say is that this little guy is showing perfect posture. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.
BtheB

Cygnets take to the water

Don Flucker of Ladner, B.C. has been keeping me supplied with pictures of the swans at his place on the Fraser River. This photo shows mom with her six cygnets getting their feet wet. Great photo, eh?
BtheB

May 15 ~ hummingbirds return

It was exactly one month and one day ago, in this space, that I announced I had put up, and filled up, my eight hummingbird feeders. I suggested that what with global warming, several lovely days in early April, and some flowers already blooming, that the hummers might come back early this year. Last year they returned on May 9. This year I saw my first hummingbird at 2.45 p.m. on May 15. So much for my witless speculation. The birds obviously know better than me. They must have heard the reports of snow in King City, on Mother's Day. Anway, it's great to have them back. Now, to get some great pictures.
BtheB

No story - just a photo

I was checking out a local abandoned heronry yesterday (hope springs eternal) and shot this photo of the hardwood swamp that once held as many as 40 Great Blue Heron nests. I thought it made a nice picture. Imagine floating in a canoe...listening to spring bird songs...soaking up a few rays...
BtheB

More Don Flucker photos

Here are two more swan photos from Don Flucker, in Ladner, B.C. Don's resident Mute Swan pair has laid eight eggs and six have hatched so far. The bottom photo shows two of the cygnets fresh from shell.

BtheB

Blue Heron from B.C.

My friend, Don Flucker, from Ladner, British Columbia, photographed this Great Blue Heron near his floating home recently, in the Fraser River delta. It's a remarkable picture in that it shows almost every primary, sercondary and tertial feather in its spectacular wingspan. Some people describe the Great Blue Heron as having a prehistoric look and there's certainly a hint of that here. I suspect Don caught this GBH at the moment of lift-off, but there's also a suggestion that milady has been caught at her bath or during a fan dance: presuming of course that this lovely creature is a female. It's as if Don had asked this bird to "Show us your feathers" and it responded with a perfectly-posed plumage portrait. Thanks for passing this shot along, Don, and well done.
BtheB

Super sturgeon not an hoax

I posted this fish photo and blogged about it on April 28. It was supposed to have been caught in Lake of the Woods, Ontario, but I wondered if it was an hoax, because of it huge size. My friend Don Flucker, of Ladner, B.C., in the Fraser River Delta, has emailed me to say this 11' sturgeon is the real deal, but it's not from Ontario. It was hooked upstream from Don, in the Fraser River, by a guy, named Cyril Paquin, who was fishing for sturgeon for the very first time! Talk about beginner's luck. This is the 2nd biggest fish on record for the Fraser. Thanks, Don.
BtheB

Usual suspects showing up

Last week it was White-throated Sparrows. This week it's White-crowned Sparrows in the backyard (see photo above). I also have Chipping Sparrows and a tan-coloured version of the White-throated sparrow. A few streets away, in the centre of the village, my friend Gerry Binsfeld has a Carolina Wren in his backyard. That bird is not one of the usual suspects. It is a rare, year-round resident in Ontario, just barely making it to the north shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario during the spring migration.
BtheB

Is this sturgeon for real?

Not being a fisherman, I don't usually mention fish and fishing here, but this picture is an exception. It was passed on to me via three old newspaper colleagues of mine, Pat Pappas, Tim Whittaker and Peter Marsh. This sturgeon was caught and released in Lake of the Woods, near Kenora, a couple of weeks ago. It weighed in at over 1,000 lbs., measured 11'1" long, 56" in girth, and took 4 guys (taking turns) 6.5 hrs. to reel in. Apparently any sturgeon over 5' in length has to be released unharmed and cannot be removed from the water. Sturgeon over 5' are regarded as good brooding/breeding stock. The story goes that this great specimen was worn out from the fight to catch it, but was released shortly after the photo was taken.
In the Caspian Sea, sturgeons grow to 18' and 4400 lbs., but in Ontario,the record for Lake Sturgeon is just over 5.5' and 168 lbs, while the record in adjacent Minnesota is also 5.5' but only 94 lbs. So either this is the catch of the century or an hoax.
Comments?
BtheB