alyssamc's Journal

TIME & DATE: 2019/10/17 @ 14:30
DURATION: 180 minutes
LOCATION: Mono Cliffs Provincial Park, Orangeville, ON
WEATHER: 12°C, moderately windy (5 on Beaufort Scale), 100% cloud cover, light rain
HABITATS: mixed deciduous-coniferous forest, talus slopes (limestone cliffs), open water (ponds)

It was a cold and rainy day when I decided to go for a hike at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. I started along the forested trail that followed at the foot of the escarpment. Into the woods, the topography was quite variable. There was a decent amount of leaf litter on the ground and I lifted up a couple of logs to check for salamanders. Sure enough, I saw an Eastern Red-backed salamander. With the dampness of the lowland environment, many logs and rocks to hide under, deep leaf litter, and relatively minimal evidence of significant human disturbance (few invasive species, strong heterogeneity in ecosystem structure and species composition, and a clearly restricted path for hikers), this seemed like an appropriate place to spot an Eastern Red-backed salamander.

With the rain, it was difficult to find much wildlife but if you really went searching for it, you could spot some critters in the forest. A Banded Tussock moth (native – I didn’t know that!) sat itself on a yellow maple leaf on the forest floor. It turns out that Banded Tussock moths have chemical defenses that they acquire from their host plants! They feed on a variety of tree species throughout southern Canada to Texas – ash, birch, oak, walnut and willow, to name a few – so it is logical to find this species in a mixed forest in southern Ontario.

I continued on and climbed up a set of steps that took me to the top of the escarpment. Following the trail along the ridge of the cliff, I saw a lot of woodpecker evidence (boreholes). I was snapping a photo of a particularly ‘holey’ birch snag when I saw a Pileated Woodpecker fly across the trail and land on a tree deeper into the woods. I’m always impressed by how large these woodpeckers are... This species of woodpecker has a relatively broad range of ecosystem types which it inhabits, but it is most often found in mature deciduous or mixed forests. I think that because the protected area has a fairly large mature wooded area with plenty of snags and decaying woody matter, Mono Cliffs Provincial Park presents a well-suited habitat for the Pileated Woodpecker.

I took a pause and was eating my lunch at a popular spot in a fissure between the cliffs when an Eastern Chipmunk popped out to join me. The chipmunk darted back and forth but it appears by his bold character that he must be well accustomed to people. Though chipmunks are common to see elsewhere, they prefer areas with rocks, shrubs or brush to provide cover. Perhaps that’s why the chipmunk had chosen to make his home here in the rock cover of the fissure.

On my way back, I passed by a pond that was receiving its input from a stormwater drain. At the edge of the pond where the water emptied into the pond, a small grey-brown bird pecked at the substrate. I’m not sure what kind of bird it was but it resembled a shorebird. Being in a forested area, it doesn’t really make sense to see a shorebird, but it’s obvious that this individual was feeding on some of the invertebrates and other food items being brought into the pond by the runoff.

TIME & DATE: 2019/11/1 @ 14:00
DURATION: 195 minutes
LOCATION: Grass Lake/Paris Cranberry Bog, North Dumfries, Ontario
WEATHER: 2°C, moderate breeze (4 on Beaufort Scale), 80-100% cloud cover, no precipitation (but snow and rain in last 24 hours)
HABITATS: marsh, fen, bog, open water

My friend and classmate, Olivia, and I ventured out to Grass Lake (also known as the Paris Cranberry Bog) last Friday. It was a chilly day and the first snowfall of the year had happened that morning. We were there to collect some data for a wetlands course we’re taking together, but the wildlife we saw was too neat to resist writing about it. As we waded into the deep, cold waters that surrounded the perimeter of the wetland, we trekked through thick cattails and stumbled across a lodge – most likely that of a muskrat. The cattails had been obviously matted and some fresh submergent vegetation had been recently placed on top of the lodge. We wondered how a muskrat would be able to navigate its way through the very dense vegetation, but this spot seemed like a good hideout for it – well camouflaged and sheltered from the elements. Not to mention, there was no shortage of food for muskrat – sedges, cattails, lily pads and small fish. This lodge would be one of three we would encounter that afternoon. The Paris Cranberry Bog is part of a larger series of wetlands that make up the Bannister Wrigley Sudden Tract Wetland Complex, so despite being surrounded by well-developed agriculture (both pasture and cropland), a muskrat population would likely have a relatively large wetland landscape within which they can persist.

Through the cattails, the vegetation changed as we progressed into a fen wetland. Bog Cranberry, leatherleaf, sedge species, and Purple Pitcher plants dominated the vegetation. We came across a couple of patches of scat partially submerged on the floating peat. A small fish darted around one patch of scat, though I’m not sure what it was because it disappeared quickly in the murkiness of the scat-mixed water. After doing a quick Google search, it’s obvious that this patch of scat definitely belonged to a muskrat (based on the shape and size of the pellets). The other two evidences of scat contained berries, though we’re not quite sure what animal(s) they belong to.

We also saw very distinct trails through the dense sedges; I’m guessing that these, too, belong to the muskrats. They were linear and obviously cleared of vegetation.

Flying overhead, Olivia and I saw two Sandhill Cranes. This makes sense because, according to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Sandhill Cranes breed, nest and feed in standing water and isolated wetlands, often close by to croplands so they can glean the seeds, grains and berries.

In the thinned mature mixed woodland immediately adjacent to the wetland, six Eastern Bluebirds flew between the trees. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, these birds are commonly found in open country areas, near agricultural land and in forests with little understory growth. It is likely that the Eastern Bluebirds we saw were moving through their home range along the isolated patches of woodland left between the parcels of agricultural land.

We also saw a total of four Red-tailed Hawks flying above us. At one point, two American Crows were chasing a hawk in the act of mobbing. I’m sure that mice and other small rodents are easy for the hawks to prey upon in the agricultural landscape that surrounded us. Obviously, the crows wanted the hawk to leave the area.

References:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.) All about birds. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/?utm_source=adgrant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=allbirds&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_vfh1-fO5QIVypyzCh2wIQz1EAAYASAAEgKqgPD_BwE

New Hampshire Public Broadcasting Corporation (NH PBS). (n.d.) Common Muskrat - Ondatra zibethicus. Nature Works. Retrieved from https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/muskrat.htm

TIME & DATE: 2019/10/14 @ 13:45
DURATION: 195 minutes
LOCATION: Bruce Trail/Crawford Lake, Halton Hills, Ontario
WEATHER: 11°C, gentle breeze (3 on Beaufort Scale), 50% cloud cover, no precipitation
HABITATS: Talus cliff (escarpment), mixed forest, meromictic lake, cedar swamp

We hiked in along the Bruce Trail entrance off of Canyon Rd, heading southeast toward Crawford Lake Conservation Area. Immediately, we were within a forested ecosystem. It was mostly mixed with Sugar Maple, White Ash, Ironwood, Black Cherry, Basswood, Paper Birch, Yellow Birch, Eastern White Pine, Eastern White Cedar, Eastern Hemlock and Red Oak. Two Northern Chipmunks scurried through the mixed forest, and I could hear two Red Squirrels up in the trees chirping at each other. Some of the ash and maple trees were covered in the silk tents of the Fall Webworm Moth. Their limbs were bare from the caterpillars.

Suddenly, the valley deepened, the forest turned damp and the ground was mucky. All around us were Eastern White Cedar, as the forest transitioned to a cedar swamp. The ground was moss covered and only Royal Ferns grew in the understorey. My mum and I checked under a couple of logs and rocks, hoping that we’d come across a salamander because we thought that this looked like perfect habitat for them – but alas, no salamanders. We could hear a couple of birds calling to each other above us, but I don’t really know what species they might have been.

We climbed up out of the valley and followed the ridgeline of the Niagara Escarpment. We paused at a lookout and I counted six Turkey Vultures soaring in the calm breeze above us. One Turkey Vulture posed for onlookers on a nearby snag. It’s likely that the topography in and around the escarpment creates a nice uplift of air that allows the vultures to scavenge easily from the air, gazing at the valley below. A sign posted next to the lookout said that Turkey Vultures can soar for as long as two hours without ever flapping their wings.

As we continued up the path toward Crawford Lake’s famous meromictic lake, I saw a couple of trees with obvious woodpecker drill holes. Some of the holes were larger – perhaps belonging to a Pileated Woodpecker; others were smaller and lower to the ground. My guess is that they perhaps belong to a Downy Woodpecker. Along the side of the path, we spotted a bird’s nest hanging low in a Basswood tree (maybe 1.5 m off the ground). The nest was small – only about the size of my palm – and iNaturalist suggests that it probably belonged to a vireo. I wondered why the nest was so low to the ground; wouldn't that make it easier to predate?

At the lake, I didn’t see anything except for a Red Squirrel. I do, however, know from previous visits to this lake that several species of fish, including Rock Bass and Sunfish species, as well as amphibians like Northern Leopard Frog inhabit the lake. These species of fish are pretty good generalists and can often be found in diverse ecological conditions. I suppose that is why they are able to survive despite the anoxic waters deeper in the lake.

TIME & DATE: 29/09/2019 @ 11:46
DURATION: 135 minutes
LOCATION: Laurel Creek Nature Centre, Waterloo, Ontario
WEATHER: 13°C, gentle breeze (3 on Beaufort Scale), 90-100% cloud cover, no precipitation
HABITATS: Mixed woodland; Old coniferous plantation; Marsh/Pond, Savannah/Early successional woodland

Before I had even entered the Nature Centre’s property, I saw three animals that had been killed on a road that divided a wet meadow and a pine plantation. One was a Short-tailed shrew which, according to a quick Google search, is commonly found near pine forests, grassy areas or riverbanks, and another was a Star-nosed mole, also commonly found in moist habitats. The Red Pine plantation didn’t support much else in terms of vegetation (other than European Buckthorn) but a group of around ten small-to-medium-sized birds stayed awhile, feeding on the pinecones high up in the trees. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what species they were, as I couldn’t get a very good view of them.

Following along the road that leads into the Centre was a Canada Goldenrod-dominated meadow. Here, I saw several species of dragonflies and damselflies, taking advantage of the periodic sunshine and light winds. I ended up at a pond, maybe a metre deep, lined with cattails. It was obvious by the footprints and short trails leading to the edge of the pond that this ecosystem experiences a relative amount of human disturbance – likely from the school groups that attend the Centre. Despite the disturbance, however, I saw ten Northern Leopard frogs (all fairly small) and a very active crayfish. The crayfish was on the mud, about 1 m from the pond’s edge. There was no evidence of a nearby burrow, but he continued to crawl around for the fifteen minutes I was there. I image the calm, shallow, warm waters of the pond and the relatively dense cover provided by the cattails is ideal for crayfish habitat.

Down the trail from the pond/marsh was an early successional woodlot, still with strong remnants of its meadow past with asters, goldenrod, and other fall-flowering species dominating. Several butterflies and bumblebees darted around, enjoying their nectar, while two Turkey Vultures soared above. Into the more mature forest were tall Eastern Hemlock, American Beech and Sugar Maples. Parts of the forest were bare, with only the logs of the White Ash remaining. The Emerald Ash Borer had obviously done its damage here. There wasn’t a lot of animal activity within the forest, perhaps because it was so close to an active soy field, though there was a lot of evidence of woodpeckers – Pileated Woodpeckers, in particular – in the boreholes left on the trees.

TIME & DATE: 19/09/15 @ 10:30
DURATION: 149 minutes
LOCATION: Huron Natural Area, Kitchener, Ontario
WEATHER: 16°C, gentle breeze (3 on Beaufort Scale), 85-100% cloud cover, drizzle to rain
HABITATS: Deciduous woodland; Mixed woodland; Old coniferous plantation; Marsh/Pond

I went for a walk with Cara and Raquel at Huron Natural Area through an old Scots Pine plantation. The plantation looked like it had been long since abandoned, as many other trees co-existed amongst the pines: Black Walnut, Sugar Maple, European Buckthorn, Bigtooth Aspen, and Staghorn Sumac along the edges. In the sunny patches were Canada Goldenrod (identified by Raquel and me using Newcomb's Wildflower Guide), Wild Cucumber, and Virginia Creeper. These herbaceous plants are evidently ill-suited for the more dense shade conditions of the plantation.

Despite our efforts, we didn't encounter any birds in the plantation. In the distance, we could hear American Crow, Blue Jays, a White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadees, and a Northern Flicker. Luckily, we were able to see the Northern Flicker. It was calling to another off in the distance.

Continuing along the trail, we wound up at a pond. Along the edge were cattails, some Phragmites, and duckweed. We saw a Mallard, too. We followed the edge of the pond hoping we might see a muskrat, but instead, we came across a Terrestrial Crayfish chimney and a predated turtle's nest! The nest was ~30 m from the pond and had been dug in a sandy area that would receive plenty of sunshine. The sand and sun exposure made it an ideal spot for a turtle nest; unfortunately, being out in the open, the nest had no protection against predators. A raccoon most likely ate the eggs.

We continued along the edge of a meadow (once agricultural land) into a woodland. It began as a deciduous forest with predominantly old Sugar Maples. This made me wonder if a farmer who once owned the land used the woodlot as a Sugar Bush. The understory of the forest consisted mostly of herbaceous plants like Solomon's Seal (fruit on underside) and False Solomon's Seal (fruit at end of plant), bloodroot, and White Baneberry (Dolls’ Eyes—creepy). As the forest transitioned into a mixed community of deciduous and coniferous trees, we found ourselves in a lowland patch of Rough Horsetail, relatively close to a marsh (<70 m). My Wetlands professor explained that horsetail is often an indicator of groundwater seepage. Seeing it there, uphill of a marsh, made me wonder if the water table is near the surface at this location, eventually flowing downhill toward the marsh. Opposite the horsetails, Cara lifted a White Ash log cut down because of the Emerald Ash Borer (evidenced by the D-shaped borer holes and squiggly patterns beneath the bark). Under the log were two Black-and-gold Flat Millipedes and two Eastern Red-backed Salamanders. I know that salamanders live in damp, dark microhabitats, like under logs and rocks, but I was still pleasantly surprised to see them there! There was a lot of leaf litter which helped the soil retain its moisture – the ideal setting, I suppose, for an Eastern Red-backed Salamander.

Considering the habitats we trekked through, the poor weather kept us from seeing a lot of wildlife; insects were few and the only mammal we saw was one Gray Squirrel. Nonetheless, it was fun taking the time to appreciate the diversity of species that were around us throughout our hike.