Bird Focus Field Trip April 2

    The Red Deer Naturalist bird focus group had a very active and successful field trip on April 2. Many migrating species have arrived and they show up in the observations.


    Species observed:
      4 Snowy Owls
      25 Red-tailed Hawks
      22 Rough-legged Hawks
      3 northern Harriers
      5 mature and 1 immature Bald Eagles
      Peregrine Falcon
      Western Meadowlark
      Northern Shrike
      Canada Geese
      Northern Pin tail
      Mallard
      Tundra Swans
      Mountain Bluebirds
      Sand Hill Cranes
      American Tree Sparrows
      Common Red Poll
      Dark-eyed Junco
      American Robin
      Common Raven
      American Crow
      Black-capped Chickadee
      European Starling
      Rock Pigeon
     House Sparrow
     Mule Deer
     White Tailed Deer
     Red Squirrel
     Richardson's Ground Squirrel

     

Deer Herd in City

     I was surprised last night to bump into eleven mule deer right in the middle of the Sunnybrook subdivision in Red Deer. 


     I first ran into four deer. A doe and two fawns were grazing in somebody's  front yard. One deer stood in the middle of the little Close and didn't want to give up any ground. The three at the house didn't want to run by me into the forest. They ran up the street about a block and disappeared.


    I continued my walk toward where the deer disappeared. Before I got very far a herd of deer ran toward me but they had wisely chosen the opposite side of the street. They all high tailed it into the forest.


   We don't often see this many deer together in the city so it was a pleasant surprise. And so guess what? I didn't have my camera.

Erin Cameron to Speak on Earthworms

     At the regular general meeting of the Red Deer Naturalists on Thur. April 26 Erin Cameron will speak on Earthworms and the Boreal Forest. All are welcome to attend this presentation at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre. This is a free presentation.


      One thing I found interesting is that we do not have any native species of earth worm in North America. Ours got wiped out in the ice age. The earthworms we have now are from other parts of the world. Erin is looking at the earthworms which are now in the Boreal forest.

Monday Birding March 26

    The Red Deer River Naturalists had a very productive Monday bird focus field trip on March 26. Sixteen different species were sighted and some were the first of the year.


     The area covered was from Red Deer to Ponoka.

    Sightings made were Bohemian Waxwings, Merlin, American Crow, Red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Canada Geese, European Starlings, American Tree sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Great Horned Owl(on the nest), Northern Shrike, Rough-legged Hawk, Northern Harrier, Common Raven(on the nest) and 5 Great Blue Herons.

Bird Focus Group Field Trip

    On March 19 the Red Deer River Naturalist (RDRN) went out on their regular field trip.

     Quite a few interesting sightings wee made. Two Great Horned Owls were seen on nests. At this time of the year when there are no leaves these birds are very obvious. Further on there was a pair of Canada Geese standing on an old Hawk's nest. After t that they saw Common Red Polls, Horned Larks, Rough Legged Hawk, immature Bald Eagle, Snow Buntings, Northern Flicker, and Black-capped Chickadees. hey also saw one moose. It was also the first time they saw pussy willows. 

Great Horned Owl

House Finch

     The RDRN bird focus group goes out every Monday. The meet at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre and car pool from there.


    

Andrew Nikiforuk: Empire of the Beetle

      Andrew Nikiforuk spoke to the Red Deer River Naturalists(RDRN)  on his new book "Empire of the Beetle. 


      Andrew traced the history of the beetle to now and how the beetle operates. The recent outbreak in Western Canada actually started in Alaska. The beetle thrives well in trees that for whatever reason are stressed. Many large swaths of our forests are old and therefore unhealthy because of age. It could be drought . The female beetle finds a susceptible tree and alerts other beetles to the tree. The beetles and larva work under the bark and destroy the active tree layer just under the bark. These beetles can multiply at enormous rates.


      Governments have spent fortunes to control the beetle but with extremely little success. Some methods used to control the beetle are almost comical. One example, was to try to find sounds that would harm the beetle.


    Andrew thinks that most money spent to control the beetle is a waste. The beetle is a natural way to renew the forests , just not the way we would like to see the forest renewed.


    Andrew's presentation gave a detailed look at the beetle's life cycle and how it operates. All those who listened to the talk went away with much more understanding of how the beetle can be so destructive.

Andrew Nikiforuk Speaking in Red Deer.

      Andrew Nikiforuk will be speaking in Red Deer on Thur Mar. 22 at the Margaret Parson's theater at Red Deer College.


     Andrew has just written a book called "Empire of the Beetle. Empire of the beetle will be his topic.