Category Archives: field notes

Winter Bird Feature: Dark-Eyed Junco

Posted on by
Reply

Photo by Jackanapes

Just try getting close to a dark-eyed junco. They flutter off quicker than most to the safety of a shrub or thicket. Although they aren’t as flashy as other winter birds – the flashy cardinals, bold chickadees or loud woodpeckers – juncos are every bit as fascinating.

Winter around here feels cold to us, but to juncos this is a “warm” holiday! These well-insulated birds live as far north as the arctic. Many of the juncos around here might be migrants from as far north as Hudson’s Bay. This is warm to them!

Juncos are one of the most common birds to visit feeders, however, they seldom perch. As ground feeders they prefer to collect seed and millet that the other birds spill.

Some cool things to watch for with Juncos:

  • Slate-coloured top and white underside
  • White tail feathers that flash as they fly
  • Pinkish beak
  • Hopping on the ground rather than walking
  • Listen for a twittering or trilling call
  • Flocking in the winter

Sarah Halonen, our Camp Programs Coordinator, chose the Juncos as her favourite winter birds. Sarah says, “I love them because it means winter is here!” Indeed it is.

For more information on Juncos see Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Hopefully we will see some of these birds among many more at our Winter Birds Family Nature Walk on February 4.

Photo Gallery: Tuesdays at the Pond

Posted on by
Reply

This Tuesday we brought our cameras to the pond to photograph some of the beautiful Grenadier Pond fall scenery.

Here are a couple of the photos we took!

Downy Woodpecker by Rishona Altenberg

The Tuesdays at the Pond group on Photo Day by Sarah Rafols

Milkweed by Rishona Altenberg

Close-up by Sarah Rafols

Sunflowers by Sarah Rafols

5 Reasons We Love Goldenrod

Posted on by
Reply

This time of year, the fields are awash in gold as beautiful, native goldenrod blooms. Goldenrod is hugely important in an ecosystem like High Park and we are thankful for it all year long.

Many people assume that goldenrod pollen causes their alergies, but this is a myth. Humble-looking ragweed is the main culprit as it releases huge amounts of pollen into the wind. Of all the pollen in the air this time of year, a measly 1%-2% is from goldenrod. Below are 5 reasons we love goldenrod:

The naturalized "Bowling Field" behind the Nature Centre is a fascinating habitat to explore this fall.

1.It provides food and shelter for so many insects all through the year. As we walked through the Bowling Field today we saw a number of bee species, butterflies, stinkbugs, froghoppers and a crowd of dragonflies hunting other insects attracted by the goldenrod.Right now it seems like a buffet out there!

2. It is beautiful…especially in the late-summer sun.

3. There are lots of different types! This diversity is perfect for us naturalists who like a good identification challenge.In High Park alone, you can find 9 different species: Tall Goldenrod, Early Goldenrod, Zig-Zag Goldenrod, Blue-stem Goldenrod, White Goldenrod, Giant Goldenrod, Gray Goldenrod, Stout Goldenrod…and lots of Canada Goldenrod!

4. Monarchs rely on the abundant goldenrod nectar as a source of energy before their heroic migrations south.

This monarch butterfly is loading up on goldenrod nectar before the long migration south.

5. It is prolific. Goldenrod spreads by wind-carried seed, but also by spreading from underground rhizomes. Dense stands of goldenrod can hold their own against invasive speciees.

Please come out to High Park to witness the glorious goldenrod as it blooms. Please respect it by letting it grow.

 

 

Cherry Blossom Update #12

Posted on by
Reply

Although peak bloom has passed and the petals are starting to fall, the cherry blossoms in High Park are still beautiful! These photos were taken last night, on an evening stroll by Grenadier Pond. This weekend is likely your last chance to see them. If you haven’t visited yet, walk, ride or TTC to the park! Enjoy!

Cherry Blossom Update #3(b)

Posted on by
2

Our friends over at the High Park Children’s Garden had this photo to share.

buds on April 15, 2011

We think that we are still a full week away from full blossoms! This week we can expect warmer weather and rain; what effect will this have on the blossoms? Stay tuned to find out!

Don’t forget to come out to our Cherry Blossom Family Nature Walk on Saturday, April 23rd, starting at 1 pm!

Cherry Blossom Update #3

Posted on by

Despite the sun and warm temperatures this week, the cherry blossoms are not yet in bloom! We’re thinking it will be another week or so! Keep checking back regularly – we’ll keep you posted!

10 Reasons We Love Snow

Posted on by
Reply

Here at the High Park Nature Centre, we love snow. Here are 10 good reasons that we eagerly check the weather forecasts and cheer like children at the hint of a coming snowstorm.

1. Good Looking

The woodlands are especially beautiful with freshly fallen snow.

All the seasons are beautiful (especially in High Park), but when snow falls on branches or creates graceful drifts, winter becomes awe-inspiring.  Go for a snowshoe hike after a snowfall to enjoy how snow transforms the natural landscape.

2. Snowflake Watching

Enjoy the beauty of snow crystals. There are many types of snow to identify. Hexagonal crystals, stellar crystals, column crystals, needle crystals, graupel, powder, bullet crystals, spatial dendrites are just some of the snowflake types.

How to watch snowflakes:

1. Cool a piece of black paper in the freezer or outside.

2. Hold the black paper outside to catch some snowflakes.

3. Use a magnifying glass to check out those crystals up close.

David W. Stokes’ “A Guide to Nature in Winter” has an excellent description of each of the different types of crystals.

3. Fun to play in

Snowshoeing is a great way to walk through snow. Katie and an "At Home in High Park" participant snowshoe through the High Park woodlands.

Slide! Make a giant snow ball! Make a snow person or a snow animal! Make snow angels! Catch snowflakes on your tongue! Throw a snowball! Make an awesome snow fort! Your only limit is your imagination (and the amount of snow).

4. No Two Snowflakes are the Same

Although they may look very, very similar every single snowflake is slightly different. According to scientist Kenneth Libbrecht, snow crystals are made of billions of billions of frozen water molecules. The number of different ways to make a snow crystal is larger than the number of total atoms in the universe. Libbrecht, who authored The Snowflake – Winter’s Secret Beauty, “It could snow day and night until the sun dies before two snow crystals would be exactly, precisely alike.” AMAZING!

5. It Insulates

Believe it or not, snow is like a blanket that protects plants, mammals and dormant insects from the cold temperatures and winds. Space between the ground and snow is called  a “subnivean layer” and is warmer than above the snow. Once snow reaches a depth of 15 cm or more, the subnivean layer stays around 0 degrees celsius.
Amazingly, sunlight radiates through snow. Some plants like wintergreen will photosynthesize even under the snow!

An entry/exit hole to a mouse's subnivean tunnels. Not only are these tunnels safer and easier than above the snow, they are also warmer.

6. It Protects

Snow is like an invisibility cloak for mice and voles who might otherwise be caught be hawks or owls. The “subnivean layer” is a life-saving  winter space for mice and voles who create vast networks of tunnels beneath the snow.
Also, dormant insects can sleep peacefully with fewer predators able to get them while green plants go un-munched in the early spring.

7. Helps Seeds Travel

Snow can help birch tree seeds (and others as well) move from one place to another. When birch seeds fall onto snow that has a hard crust they can be blown by breezes far and wide. By travelling wider, they have a better chance of growing in a suitable spot.  Without crusty snow, these seeds would be stopped by mushy snow, logs, leaves or grasses.

8. Talk About It!

Stuck for conversation? Everybody has something to talk about when it is snowing outside!

A Red Fox track let us know that it had been on the hunt, travelling along a snow-covered fallen log.

9. Tracking

Snow helps us learn animals’ stories. By studying tracks, we can learn where animals have been and what they have been up to. This morning we followed a squirrel’s tracks to where it had dug up its stashed acorn through the snow and scampered off to a tree. In High Park, you might see the tracks of Red Foxes, Squirrels, Coyotes, Mice, Raccoons or Beavers.

10. Waters for Spring

Spring is muddy, wet and ideal for seeds to germinate and begin growing. Much spring moisture is compliments of melting snow! Snow is holding water in a frozen state until it is really needed. Waking trees get a big drink of water while toads and frogs have more water for breeding territories.

So, those are just some of the many, many reasons to love snow. Leave a comment with your own reasons you love snow.

Red Fox

Posted on by
Reply

A fox den entrance. Foxes like to make their dens on south-facing slopes near forest edges. They also prefer dry, sandy soil and High Park has lots of sandy soil near forest edges!

This weekend the Ramblers Hiking Club saw a fox den! We noticed 2 entrances about 25 cm wide and a large pile of excavated sand was outside one of them. One of the Ramblers decided this was the “porch”. Red Fox’s underground burrows can be up to 25 m long but judging by the amount of sand, this one isn’t that long. Dens are often on a south-facing slope to maximize warm sunlight and have a good view of the surrounding area.

Elusive, secretive and shy, Foxes live in High Park and stay active all winter long.  Foxes thick tails can be wrapped around their feet and face to keep warm in the coldest conditions. And they manage to find enough food to survive. In the winter foxes eat mostly meat: meadow voles, mice and squirrels. Remains of a fox’s meal can often be found just outside their dens.

With difficult winter hunting conditions, foxes rely heavily on these senses to catch enough food for survival. Foxes have excellent sight, smell and hearing. Amazingly, foxes can locate mice beneath deep snow through use of their hearing. This video shows the fox’s unbelievable winter hunting skills: BBC clip of Red Fox hunting in the snow

A fox track has 4 toes, is about 4.5 cm wide and 5-6 cm long.

We also found some fox tracks! Fox tracks look very similar to domestic dog tracks. However, there are some differences. Dogs tend to explore their surroundings somewhat randomly. Foxes don’t have this luxury and hunt very purposefully. Their tracks reflect this: a dog’s seem random while a fox’s are often straight and careful. We noticed the fox tracks by the den and went along the fallen trees and branches wherever possible.

Foxes often walk along landforms like a ridge, a forest edge or in this case, along a fallen branch. What balance!

For more reading on the wildlife of High Park visit: High Park Nature

For more reading on foxes visit: Hinterland Who’s Who – Red Fox