December 2012, Volume 59, No. 4

Transcription

The
Blue Bill
Quarterly Journal of the Kingston Field Naturalists
ISSN 0382-5655
Volume 59, No. 4
December 2012
Contents
President’s Page
Gaye Beckwith ...................239
Kingston Area Birds Autumn Season 1Aug-30Nov 2012
Mark Andrew Conboy .......240
Kingston Butterfly Summary 2012
John Poland .......................244
Coffee & Conservation
Shirley E. French ...............249
Fall Round-up 2012 Nov03-04
Ron D. Weir ......................251
Frontenac’s Gibson Lake Loop: A Must to Hike
Terry Sprague....................255
Odonate Sightings & Yearly List 2012
Kurt Hennige ....................257
KFN Outings Sep-Nov 2012
Salamanders of the Kingston Region
Jaansalu, Grooms.....................
Robertson, Benderavage ....260
Matt Ellerbeck ...................265
Local Conservation Concerns
Shirley E. French ...............266
Orthoptera in the Kingston Area
Paul Mackenzie .................268
Checklist of Orthoptera for the Kingston Area
Paul Mackenzie .................278
2012/2013 Officers
President:
Gaye Beckwith
613-376-3716
[email protected]
The Blue Bill is the quarterly journal (published
March, June, September and December) of the
Kingston Field Naturalists, P.O. Box 831, Kingston,
ON (Canada), K7L 4X6.
Website: http://www.kingstonfieldnaturalists.org
Honorary President vacant
Vice-President:
th
Send submissions to the Editor by the 15 of the
th
month prior to the month of publication (i.e. by the 15
of February/May/August/November) to the address
above, or to the editor via e-mail to:
[email protected] Please include contact phone
number.
Mark Conboy
[email protected]
Past President:
Janis Grant
613-548-3668
[email protected]
Treasurer:
Larry McCurdy
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text” format (PC or MacIntosh) or unformatted in the
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Recording
Secretary:
John Cartwright
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Membership
John Critchley
Secretary:
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Nature Reserves
Conservation
Blue Bill Editor
Junior Naturalists
Education
Field Trips
Bird Sightings
Bird Records
Speakers
Newsletter
Publicity/Website
Slideshow
Ontario Nature
Member-at-large
Member-at-large
Member-at-large
Archives
Erwin Batalla
Chris Hargreaves
Alex Simmons
Anne Robertson
Shirley French
Kurt Hennige
Mark Conboy
Ron Weir
Gaye Beckwith
Connie Gardiner
Chris Grooms
Gaye Beckwith
Janis Grant
Darren Rayner
Ken Robinson
Rose-marie Burke
Peter McIntyre
613-542-2048
613-389-8993
613-542-2048
613-389-6742
613-548-8617
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613-549-5274
613-376-3716
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613-548-3668
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The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 239
President’s Page
Gaye Beckwith
In September the KFN executive offered
members an opportunity to give
suggestions pertaining to the operation
of the club. A survey with 9 questions
was distributed in the newsletter and an
electronic version was made available
on the KFN website. Eighteen responses
have been received: 12 via the website
and 6 on paper. Below is a summary of
the key points of the respondents.
Members were asked to indicate the
number of years they have been with
the KFN and their age category. We had
a wide distribution in both of these
questions from new members to over 40
years and from young to old.
Interests was the next category surveyed.
To no one’s surprise, an interest in Birds
was listed by 82% of the respondents.
Our club, during its six-plus decades of
existence, has had a strong enthusiasm
for birding and been a provincial leader
for the protection of bird species. A
significant percentage of members chose
Conservation, and Butterflies/Insects as
high on their interest list. Field Trips,
Rambles and Hiking remain an important
aspect of the club, with Astronomy,
Botany, Geology, and Aquatic Life also
selected. Some indicated that our
Educational Workshops are important.
Respondents were positive towards
what the KFN is presently offering:
high quality of speakers, some
with challenging content
camaraderie with people from
many walks of life
working
for
environmental
causes
birding trips and information on
rare or good birds in the area
the diversity of interests of
members
appeal to youth
the depth of knowledge within
the club
reading
about
the
club's
activities
a good healthy membership
knowledgeable group of people
willing to teach and share
information
strong support for local land
conservation initiatives (e.g.
acquisition & monitoring)
no pressure to participate
We also received a variety of
suggestions which will be considered by
the executive and implemented where
applicable:
more social interaction at the
meetings to ensure everyone
feels welcome
Page 240
Decem ber 2012
project voices in meetings to
ensure everyone hears questions
and answers
occasional trips further afield
attract more young members via
social media (Facebook, Twitter,
Blog etc.)
a succession plan for our junior
and teen program
help new members “break into”
the group
more events geared to working
people, (evenings, summer)
more information re natural
history and about invertebrates
and other lesser-known species
a permanent location to house
club records, and materials
fund-raising using the website.
Results indicated a willingness from
members to contribute their expertise to
the club by leading outdoor sessions,
presenting at a monthly meeting or
writing an article for the Blue Bill.
Others are willing to sit on the
executive, help with research and
conservation committees and to help
when needed. The Short-Eared Owl
Survey, the Bioblitz, membership
activities, Youth program, refreshments
at meetings, clean-ups, bird roundups
and Christmas Bird Counts are
examples of club activities which need
volunteers to make them successful.
Hopefully
the
responses
are
representative of members’ feelings. The
executive appreciates the positive
feedback, a salute to the many people
who have built this club during the past
six decades. It’s up to the current and
future executives to continue with the
‘good things’ and to improve in the
areas that we can. At our last general
meeting, we stressed welcoming people
and will strive to ensure that we are
inclusive with all members.
Perhaps the greatest impact the club will
see in the future is the continued use of
technology to support us. Bird records
are now being added to eBird on the
internet, allowing the world to see
what’s being seen in the Kingston
Region. At a recent executive meeting,
several members used smart phones
and tablets to look up information to
answer or clarify queries.
Thank you to those members who filled
out the survey. You have given your
executive much ‘food for thought’,
which will help keep the KFN a vibrant
and significant organization.
Kingston Region Birds Autumn Season 1Aug to 30Nov 2012
Mark Andrew Conboy
The most exciting birding this autumn
came in late October and early
November as Hurricane Sandy sent a
host of interesting birds to the Great
Lakes region. Observers in our region
were lucky enough to locate a few good
species, but nothing like was seen
elsewhere on Lake Ontario and Lake
Erie. Winter finches began to move into
our region from the north and Cave
Swallows appeared from the south.
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 241
Here are the highlights from the autumn
season.
Biological Stn. (Conboy) 7-9Sep; 4 at
Chaffey’s Lock Rd. (Conboy) 12Nov.
Snow Goose: Highest count and first
migrants were 5 at Bath (O’Toole) 6Oct.
The latest migrant was 1 at Bath
(Hennige) 6Nov. The only other sighting
was 1 at Wolfe Isl. (Hennige) 2Nov.
Upland Sandpiper: 2 at Amherst Isl.
(North Leeds Birders) 3Aug.
Brant: The only observations were of
450 off Patterson Park in Kingston
(Martin) 30Oct and 6 off the El Dorado
Beach Preserve (Shrimpton) 2Nov.
Trumpeter Swan: Widespread sightings
from north of the city and the islands
beginning 17Oct (Conboy), except for
one injured bird which over-summered
on Lake Opinicon (Conboy). The highest
count was 13 at Charleston Lake
Provincial Park (Robinson) 14Nov.
Tundra Swan: Highest count was 120 at
Prince Edward Pt. (Keen) 16Nov. The
first migrants were 10 at Amherst Isl.
(Grooms & Hennige) 3Nov.
American Black Duck/Mallard Hybrid:
1 at Patterson Park (Martin) 30Oct.
Canvasback: 3 at Wolfe Isl. (Hennige)
27Oct.
Red-throated Loon: 1 at Prince Edward
Pt. (Vandermeulen) 19Nov.
Ruddy Turnstone: 2 at Amherst Isl.
(North Leeds Birders) 3Aug; 4 at Salmon
Isl. (Mackenzie) 8Aug.
White-rumped Sandpiper: A fairly late
migrant was 1 at Amherst Isl. (O’Toole)
24Nov.
Baird’s Sandpiper: A handful of records
from Amherst Isl. and the Amherstview
Sewage Lagoons (KFN) 30Aug-13Sep.
Purple Sandpiper: 3 at Wolfe Isl.
(Martin) 1Nov.
Red-necked
Phalarope:
Amherstview
Sewage
(Mackenzie) 28Aug.
1
at
Lagoons
Red Phalarope: 1 at Bath (Hennige)
13Oct.
Black-legged Kittiwake: 1 at Wolfe Isl.
(Martin); 1 at Bath (Hennige) 6Nov
Little Gull: 1 at Prince Edward Pt.
(Hennige) 16Nov; 1 near Waupoos
(Hoar) 18Nov.
Iceland Gull: 1 at Bath (Hennige) 6Nov.
Golden Eagle: 1 at Henderson Bay
(Shrimpton) 2Nov; 1 at Amherst Isl.
(Hennige) 19Nov.
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 at Amherst
Isl. (Conboy) 28Aug.
Sandhill Crane: 2 near Elgin (Burns)
10Aug; 1 at Queen’s University
Glaucous Gull: 1 at Amherst Isl.
(Grooms & Hennige) 3Nov.
Page 242
Decem ber 2012
Jaeger sp.: 1 at Amherst Isl. (Hennige)
29Oct.
Common
Redpoll:
widespread
observations 4Nov onward (KFN).
Red-headed Woodpecker: 1 at Prince
Edward Pt. (Blancher) 16Sep.
Hoary Redpoll: 1 at Amherstview
Sewage Lagoons (Hennige) 15Nov.
Olive-sided Flycatcher: 1 at Prince
Edward Pt. (Conboy) 28Aug; 1 at
Amherst Isl. (Hennige) 1Sep.
Evening
Grosbeak:
widespread
observations 18Oct onward (KFN).
Cave Swallow: 3 at Prince Edward
County (Hennige) 5Nov.
Red-breasted Nuthatch: There was a
fairly strong flight into our region.
Northern Mockingbird: 1 at Amherst
Isl. (Hennige) 1Sep; 1 at Kingston (KFN)
21Nov.
Prairie Warbler: 1 at Amherst Isl.
(Hennige) 1Sep.
Clay-coloured Sparrow: 1 at Prince
Edward Pt. (Conboy) 28Aug.
Nelson’s Sparrow: 1 at Amherst Isl.
(Conboy) 28Aug.
Orchard Oriole: 1 at Prince Edward Pt.
(Conboy) 28Aug.
Pine Grosbeak: fairly widespread, but
limited sightings throughout the region
9Nov onward (KFN).
Red Crossbill: fairly widespread, but
limited sightings throughout the region
23Oct onward (KFN).
White-winged Crossbill: widespread
observations 28Oct onward (KFN).
Other species observed during the
reporting period: Canada Goose, Mute
Swan, Wood Duck, Gadwall, American
Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard,
Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler,
Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal,
Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater
Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Whitewinged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed
Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye,
Hooded
Merganser,
Common
Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser,
Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Pheasant,
Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Common
Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe,
Red-necked
Grebe,
Double-crested
Cormorant, American Bittern, Great
Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron,
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Turkey
Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier,
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk,
Northern Goshawk, Bald Eagle, Redshouldered
Hawk,
Broad-winged
Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged
Hawk,
Virginia
Rail,
Common
Gallinule, American Coot, Black-bellied
Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer,
Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper,
Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs,
Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpiper,
Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper,
Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed
Dowitcher, Wilson’s Snipe, American
Woodcock,
Wilson’s
Phalarope,
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Bonaparte’s Gull, Ring-billed Gull,
Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull,
Caspian Tern, Black Tern, Common
Tern, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove,
Yellow-billed
Cuckoo,
Black-billed
Cuckoo, Eastern Screech-Owl, Great
Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, Barred Owl,
Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl,
Northern Saw-whet Owl, Common
Nighthawk, Eastern Whip-poor-will,
Chimney
Swift,
Ruby-throated
Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Redbellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated
Woodpecker, American Kestrel, Merlin,
Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Wood-pewee,
Yellow-bellied
Flycatcher,
Alder
Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Least
Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great
Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird,
Northern Shrike, Yellow-throated Vireo,
Blue-headed Vireo, Warbling Vireo,
Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo,
Blue Jay, American Crow, Common
Raven, Horned Lark, Northern Roughwinged Swallow, Purple Martin, Tree
Swallow, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow,
Cliff Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee,
White-breasted
Nuthatch,
Brown
Creeper, House Wren, Winter Wren,
Marsh Wren, Carolina Wren, Blue-grey
Gnatcatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet,
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet,
Eastern
Bluebird, Veery, Gray-cheeked Thrush,
Swainson’s Thrush, Hermit Thrush,
Wood Thrush, American Robin, Grey
Catbird, Brown Thrasher, European
Starling, American Pipit, Bohemian
Waxwing, Cedar Waxwing, Lapland
Longspur, Snow Bunting, Ovenbird,
Northern Waterthrush, Golden-winged
Page 243
Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler,
Tennessee Warbler, Orange-crowned
Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Mourning
Warbler,
Common
Yellowthroat,
American Redstart, Cape May Warbler,
Cerulean Warbler, Northern Parula,
Magnolia
Warbler,
Bay-breasted
Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow
Warbler,
Chestnut-sided
Warbler,
Blackpoll Warbler, Black-throated Blue
Warbler, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated
Green Warbler, Canada Warbler,
Wilson’s Warbler, Eastern Towhee,
American Tree Sparrow, Chipping
Sparrow,
Field
Sparrow,
Vesper
Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Fox
Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln’s
Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Whitethroated
Sparrow,
White-crowned
Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Scarlet
Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rosebreasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting,
Bobolink,
Red-winged
Blackbird,
Eastern Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird,
Common
Grackle,
Brown-headed
Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, Purple
Finch, House Finch, Pine Siskin,
American
Goldfinch
and
House
Sparrow.
Observers: Peter Blancher, Cody Burns,
Mark Conboy, Chris Grooms, Kurt
Hennige, Tyler Hoar, Christopher Keen,
Paul Mackenzie, Paul Martin, North
Leeds Birders, Paul O’Toole, Chris
Robinson, Antony Shrimpton, Josh
Vandermeulen. When three or more
observers were involved in a particular
sighting, the observer has been cited as
KFN.
Page 244
Decem ber 2012
Kingston Butterfly Summary for 2012
John Poland
I have been telling everyone what a
wonderful summer it was for butterflies,
but that is not strictly true. It was a
rather poor year for butterflies, but a
great year for butterfly enthusiasts.
The great excitement this summer in
Ontario and the Kingston area was the
large numbers of migrant butterflies
that were seen. Four butterflies new to
our area were observed.
Over ninety percent of the butterflies
found in the Kingston region are
residents; they overwinter here in one of
their life stages. The hot dry summer
was not conducive for reproduction; as
a result their numbers were much lower
than normal. This was very noticeable
for skippers that prefer moist conditions
and which are normally plentiful in
July; most skipper species were
observed but numbers were low. Of the
82 resident butterflies on the KFN list,
68 were seen this year, the lowest total
for resident butterflies for many years.
Among the butterflies not observed this
year were the Brown Elfin, Tawny
Crescent and Silver-bordered Fritillary.
In April I wrote an article for the Blue
Bill (Vol. 59 #2, 2012) on Kingston’s
migrant butterflies. This was prompted
by the huge influx of Red Admirals on
16April and subsequent days. At the
time I thought their numbers would be
high all summer. However, as with
resident butterflies, their numbers
dwindled during the hot dry summer.
There was concern that they may not
have survived cold weather in late
April, but migrating adults were still
around in good numbers in May. A
large migration of Question Marks and
American Ladies accompanied the Red
Admiral invasion. Numbers remained
high until mid-June. Orange Sulphurs
started appearing in late April and their
numbers remained high all summer.
The Wild Indigo Duskywing, new to the
Kingston area, was discovered at the
Lennox generating station this summer
as reported in the Blue Bill (Vol. 59 #3,
2012). Individuals have subsequently
been seen in Kingston, Howe Island and
Sandhurst Shores, and are most likely to
become permanent residents in our area
using Crown Vetch as their food plant.
The Giant Swallowtail continued to be
seen frequently and now appears to be
established in our area. In fact, it has
become one of the most observed
butterflies especially in residential areas.
Painted Ladies are rare in the Kingston
area and some years are not seen at all.
A few were seen during the Red
Admiral influx in late April, but in early
August, a massive migration occurred.
Unlike the Red Admiral invasion which
was mostly restricted to central and
eastern Ontario, the Painted Lady
migration stretched from Ontario
through Quebec. These beautiful
butterflies were still around in good
numbers in September. I do not know
whether they subsequently migrate
southward to the U. S., but recently an
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
article appeared from the U. K.
(Ecography 16October and The Guardian
19October 2012) where a similar
phenomenon occurred in the summer of
2009. Buddleia were saturated with
them – I wish they were easier to grow
in Kingston. A project run by
Conservation Butterfly involving more
than 10,000 people across the country
found that they did indeed go back. In
fact, radar at one location recorded an
invasion of 11 million and a departure
of 26 million. It was difficult to know
because the Painted Ladies departed
from 500 meters up. I learned from this
article that these butterflies travel up to
9000 miles from as far north as the
Arctic Circle to tropical Africa taking up
to 6 generations to complete the journey,
further than our Monarchs, but not all to
the same small location.
The other 3 migrant butterflies on the
KFN list are normally only rarely seen.
This year Buckeyes were seen
everywhere in large numbers from
August to October. Little Yellows, only
been recorded 7 times before in the
Kingston region, were seen on 6
occasions. Both of these butterflies were
seen at the Lemoine Point Conservation
Area. Grey Hairstreaks were also seen
more frequently.
Four new migrant butterflies were seen
this summer in our area, the first new
butterflies for five years. Because of the
long hot summer there were few
wildflowers around in late August and
September and those that were, notably
asters and goldenrod, are not popular
nectar sources for butterflies. Therefore
the best places to look for migrant
Page 245
butterflies in late August and September
were gardens. The flowerbeds at
Churchill Park on Brock St. proved to be
one of the best locations in the Kingston
area as there were large beds of
colourful Zinneas and blue Salvias.
Fiery Skipper
John Poland
Fiery Skippers were seen there in late
August and were still around in early
October. Up to 30 of these fast moving
small skippers were seen at once. They
were also observed at several other
locations. The Sachem is similar skipper.
A female was seen at the Churchill
gardens on 7September and also on the
butterfly bush near the booking station
at Rockport on 2September.
Pipevine Swallowtail
Janet Elliott
Page 246
Decem ber 2012
A
Pipevine
Swallowtail
was
photographed on a butterfly bush in a
nearby garden from 2-7August.
The final and rarest butterfly was a
White-M Hairstreak seen nectaring on
Boneset at Prince Edward Point in late
August.This butterfly had only been
observed north of the Point Pelee area
once before.
What will next year bring? - another
northward expansion for migrant
butterflies, better conditions for our
resident butterflies to flourish or even a
few northern strays?. I can’t wait until
Spring.
White-M Hairstreak
Bruce Ripley
Reported Butterfly Sightings for 2012
Butterfly
First Date
Last Date
Number of Broods
Pipevine Swallowtail
2 Aug
7 Aug
2
Black Swallowtail
6 May
13 Sep
2-3
Giant Swallowtail
18 May
5 Oct
2-3
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
21 May
16 Jun
1
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
5 Jun
31 Aug
2
Mustard White
19 Apr
13 Jul
2
West Virginia White
13 Apr
12 May
1
Cabbage White
22 Mar
17 Oct
3+
Olympia Marble
2 May
12 May
1
Clouded Sulphur
6 May
22 Nov
3+
Orange Sulphur
26 May
22 Nov
3+
Little Yellow
18 Jun
11 Jul
1
Harvester
16 Aug
16 Aug
2
American Copper
5 May
19 Jul
2-3
Bronze Copper
14 Jun
8 Oct
2
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 247
Butterfly
First Date
Last Date
Number of Broods
Bog Copper
13 Jul
13 Jul
1
Coral Hairstreak
11 Jul
23 Jul
1
Acadian Hairstreak
10 Jul
11 Jul
1
Hickory Hairstreak
11 Jul
11 Jul
1
Banded Hairstreak
10 Jul
10 Jul
1
Hoary Elfin
2 May
2 May
1
Henry’s Elfin
13 Apr
18 May
1
Eastern Pine Elfin
8 Apr
15 May
1
Juniper Hairstreak
21 May
21 May
1
White-M Hairstreak
16 Aug
25 Aug
1
Gray Hairstreak
11 May
13 Sep
2
Eastern Tailed Blue
6 May
4 Oct
3+
Spring Azure
7 Apr
20 May
1
Summer Azure
15 Jun
1 Oct
2
Silvery Blue
7 May
29 Jun
1
Great Spangled Fritillary
22 Jun
25 Sep
1
Aphrodite Fritillary
24 Aug
24 Aug
1
Meadow Fritillary
6 May
6 May
2
Harris Checkerspot
5 Jun
24 Aug
1
Northern Crescent
27 May
1 Oct
1
Pearl Crescent
11 May
9 Oct
2-3
Baltimore Checkerspot
22 Jun
22 Jun
1
Question Mark
16 Apr
22 Nov
2
Eastern Comma
13 Mar
18 Oct
2
Gray Comma
19 Mar
21 Oct
2
Compton’s Tortoiseshell
18 Mar
21 Mar
1
Mourning Cloak
13 Mar
22 Oct
1
Page 248
Decem ber 2012
Butterfly
First Date
Last Date
Number of Broods
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
16 Mar
5 Jun
2
American Lady
16 Apr
25 Sep
3+
Painted Lady
2 May
15 Nov
2
Common Buckeye
5 May
11 Nov
2
Red Admiral
16 Apr
12 Nov
2
White Admiral
5 Jun
12 Sep
2
Viceroy
30 May
1 Oct
2
Monarch
15 May
25 Oct
2-3
Hackberry Emperor
21 Jun
21 Jun
2
Northern Pearly Eye
22 Jun
31 Jul
1
Eyed Brown
15 Jun
23 Jul
1
Appalachian Brown
18 Jun
13 Jul
1
Little Wood Satyr
24 May
13 Jul
1
Common Ringlet
15 May
27 Sep
2
Common Wood Nymph
27 Jun
24 Aug
1
Chryxus Arctic
27 Apr
6 May
1
Silver Spotted Skipper
27 May
7 Aug
2
Northern Cloudywing
21 May
12 Jul
1
Dreamy Duskywing
11 May
5 Jun
1
Juvenal’s Duskywing
27 Apr
5 Jun
1
Columbine Duskywing
2 May
23 Jul
2
Wild Indigo Duskywing
4 Jul
17 Sep
3
Arctic Skipper
25 May
27 Jun
1
Least Skipper
3 Jun
11 Sep
2
European Skipper
9 Jun
4 Jul
1
Fiery Skipper
25 Aug
4 Oct
1
Leonard’s Skipper
18 Aug
18 Sep
1
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 249
Butterfly
First Date
Last Date
Number of Broods
Indian Skipper
23 May
9 Jun
1
Peck’s Skipper
15 Jun
17 Sep
2
Tawny Edged Skipper
21 May
25 Sep
1-2
Crossline Skipper
22 Jun
10 Jul
1
Long Dash
5 Jun
26 Jun
1
Northern Broken Dash
23 Jun
19 Jul
1
Little Glassywing
22 Jun
18 Aug
2
Sachem
2 Sep
7 Sep
1
Delaware Skipper
24 Jun
12 Sep
1
Hobomok Skipper
19 May
24 Jun
1
Broad Winged Skipper
8 Jul
31 Jul
1
Dun Skipper
6 Jul
24 Aug
1
Common Roadside Skipper
11 May
9 Jul
2
Coffee and Conservation
Shirley E. French
Coffee consists of two species, Coffea
canephora (robusta) and Coffea arabica.
Arabica is higher quality coffee; robusta,
more bitter, is used as filler in cheaper
brands (www.coffeehabitat.com). Coffea
arabica is naturally an understory shrub
adapted to a shady habitat. Farmers try
to increase yields by growing suntolerant hybrids of C. arabica. More
fertilizer and herbicides are needed.
Because plants grow faster, they age
more quickly: sun-grown coffee plants
produce well for 15 years; shade-grown
ones yield for twice as long.
Why did ~40% of Latin American coffee
plantations “technify” in the 1990’s?
According to Donald (2004), coffee leaf
rust arrived in Brazil in the 70’s and a
later outbreak occurred in Nicaragua.
The spread of the disease was not as bad
as initially predicted based on the
devastating historical rust outbreaks in
India and Sri Lanka in the late 1800’s. It
is likely the higher elevation and cooler
temperatures prevented the rust from
becoming an epidemic (Donald, 2004).
Nonetheless, the pressure was already
on to change to more technically-run
agrosystems of sun-grown coffee.
Before 1990, few papers were published
on bird studies in coffee plantations, but
from 1996 to 2004 each year there were
Page 250
two to nine publications on the subject
(Komar, 2006). The consensus was that
diverse agroecosystems are less likely to
have an outbreak of pests because of a
greater diversity of consumers attracted
to the area (Armbrecht et al., 2004;
Perfecto et al., 2004). More species of
birds are thought to be attracted to
shade-coffee plantations than sungrown, and they may have more
species, especially migratory ones, than
local forest patches.
In Komar’s (2004) extensive critical
review, he states “none of these
assumptions have been tested by
rigorous
studies
that
assess
conservation value specifically”. As an
example, he argues that even though
migratory birds are shown to be
abundant in shaded plantations, they
are also numerous in disturbed habitats
that include sun plantations. He asserts
that most migratory species are not
“threatened” so are therefore of “low
conservation importance”. The Cerulean
Warbler is a threatened species that
Komar acknowledges as being a more
frequent
forager
in
shade-coffee
plantations (Jones et al., 2000).
Outcomes may not be the ones
intended. Groom et al. (2006) comments
that shade-grown organic coffee farms
are typically family businesses that have
free-roaming chickens feeding amongst
the coffee plants. The concern is the
potential for the transfer of avian
diseases from the poultry to wild bird
populations. Wild birds have little
resistance to the strains of infection that
they could contract from poultry.
Tropical regions are notable for the
Decem ber 2012
diversity of both resident and migratory
birds, and an avian epidemic could be
devastating.
An impressive list of 92 species of North
American migratory birds has been
reported (~15 publications) to forage in
coffee plantations in Latin America
(Komar, 2004). For that reason alone I
think we should pay attention to how
coffee is grown. Should you buy
organically grown coffee? Should we be
concerned about the watersheds and the
health of the people living in the area?
To be just we also need to consider fair
trade issues. There is no doubt; our
collective market power can be a
conservation tool. Food for thought
while you sip your next cup of coffee.
Armbrecht, I., Perfecto, I., and Vandermeer,
J. (2004) Enigmatic Biodiversity Correlations:
Ant Diversity Responds to Diverse Resources.
Science 304: 284-286.
Donald, P. F. (2004) Biodiversity impacts of
some agricultural commodity production
systems. Conserv. Bio. 18: 17-37.
Groom, M. J., Meffe, G. K., and Carroll, C. R.
(2006) 3rd Ed. Principles of Conservation
Biology.
Jones, J., Ramoni-Perazzi, P., Carruthers, E.
H. and Robertson, R. J. (2000) Sociality and
foraging behavior of the Cerulean Warbler in
Venezuelan shade-coffee plantations. Condor
102: 958-962.
Komar, O. (2006) Ecology and conservation of
birds in coffee plantations: a critical review. Bird
Conservation International 16: 1-23.
Perfecto, I., Vandermeer, J. H., Lopez
Bautista, G., Ibarra Nunez, G., Greenberg,
R., Bichier, P. and Langridge, S. (2004)
Greater Predation in Shaded Coffee Farms: The
Role of Resident Neotropical Birds. Ecology
85(10): 2677-2681.
.
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 251
Fall Round-up 2012 Nov 03-04
Ron D. Weir
The 47th KFN Fall Round-up took place
between 1500h Saturday Nov03 and
1500h Sunday Nov04. Participants
numbered 38. During Saturday, sun and
scattered cloud made birding very
pleasant, with a fairly brisk north wind
and a temperature about 8oC. The night
remained clear but with strong
Northerly winds through Sunday with
temperatures varying from 4oC to 10oC.
A total of 132 species was realized,
above the 42-year 1970-2011 average of
120. The cumulative total stands at 242
species with the addition of Pomarine
Jaeger and Cave Swallow. Among the
noteworthy finds were Pacific Loon,
Cackling Goose, Golden Eagle, and nine
species of finches including Pine
Grosbeak, redpoll and both species of
crossbills.
The totals in the following table have
had known duplications removed; the
total individuals for a species may not
equal the sum of the contributions from
each party.
The composition of the parties and the
sites visited are given before the
summary table. Following the 24-hour
count, birders met at the home of
Marian and Joel Ellis for potluck supper.
As usual, Marian and Joel were
excellent hosts, and a warm thank you is
extended for their continued hospitality
and opening their home to us.
Party #1: Alex & Erwin Batalla, Betsy &
Gaye Beckwith, Hugh Evans, RoseMarie Burke, (American side within
Kingston circle, Amherstview sewage
lagoon, Elevator Bay & Lemoine’s Pt.,
Greater Cataraqui R.) (6).
Party
#2:
Kurt
Hennige,
John
Cartwright, Chris Grooms, Gary Ure
(Amherst Isl., Wolfe Isl., Dupont Lagoon
& Elevator Bay, Greater Cataraqui R.,
Amherst Sewage Lagoons, Cartwright
Pt.) (4).
Party #3: Sharon David (Howe Isl.) (1).
Party #4: Joel Ellis, Peter Good, Kathy
Innes, Paul Mackenzie, Bud Rowe, Ron
Weir (Prince Edward Pt., Kingston area,
Adolphustown, Sillsville, Wilton Creek
at Morven, Amherstview sewage
lagoon) (6).
Party #5: Gerald Paul (Little Cataraqui
Cr., Elevator Bay, Dupont lagoon) (1)
Party #6: Andrew Edwards, Ken
Edwards (Amherst Isl., Cataraqui R.,
Elevator Bay, Prince Edward Pt.) (2).
Party #7: Robert & Dawn Scranton,
Harm & Madeline Vandersweep, Brian
Morin + 12 other from the Cornwall and
Area Birding Club (Amherst Isl.) (17)
Party #8: Miscellaneous: Hugues Bonin,
David Kelly
Page 252
Species
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
American Coot
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Decem ber 2012
Party Number
1
2
3
50
25
76
10
2
4
1
6
7
1
4
10
2
2500 1600 345
2
1
2
20
30
20
50
25
70
20
240
10
65
15
120 74
215
10
15
20
8
2
8
58
1000 700 100 25
82
10
800 250 1
1
11
3
55
110 75
52
80
50
12
3
2
60
178
40
35
5
13
100 16
1a
7
2
-
4
1
4
43
40
4
15
10
3
4350
43
55
655
8
660
45
47
45
60
2130
15550
310
175
8
76
60
85
138
35
105
35
20
1a2i
1
1
-
5
2
1800
3
85
19
215
1
17
95
185
450
38
2
17
38
14
3
2
6
35
12
25
1
10
11
3
1
3000
8
25
150
17
40
x
90
45
70
20
200
200
75
300
9
75
x
80
25
45
x
21
25
1a
5
1
-
7
10
8
1
2
20
6
35
10
2
200
5
45
25
2
60
3i
10
-
8
2
100
10
-
TOT
1
200
71
74
7
41
39
8
1
13715
59
10
75
385
762
163
1,319
160
121
193
17
1875
2724
17210
640
2
475
9
165
383
324
245
360
254
74
164
8
25
2
2
The Blue Bill
Species
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
White-rumped Sandpiper
Dunlin
Wilson’s Snipe
American Woodcock
Pomarine Jaeger
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eastern Screech Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Shrike
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Party Number
1
2
3
4
5
7
2
1
2
7
1
1
1
67
1
3
2
1
10
6
2
1
40
30
30
45
25
2
35
15
1
1
1
12
30
10
14
85
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
12
3
3
1
1
10
6
35
4
1
10
1i
1
11
55
375
28
1
5
16
2
5
1
1
4
2
3
2
26
Page 253
5
1
4
275
4
1
2
1
10
6
14
6
2i
1
2
1
1
2
2
2
1
40
x
x
5
x
x
2
1
1
5
4
1
1
x
7
20
10
4
1
3
1
20
50
4
1
25
25
1
1
1
1
4
1
3
12
8
1
-
TOT
2
64
19
3i
16
5
1
2
81
6
4
1
1
18
2
1
1
185
800
92
1
10
62
150
1
4
7
2
1
1
3
6
27
12
8
3
1
3
1
89
Page 254
Species
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged
Swallow
Cave Swallow
Cave/Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Decem ber 2012
Party Number
1
2
3
18
9
8
2
2
1
-
4
130
4
-
5
36
1
-
6
x
4
-
7
5
2
-
8
-
TOT
206
15
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
1
14
1
7
2
1
52
5
10
15
1
1
1
5
1
40
1
25
3
205
26
1
5
2
1
1
3
2
7
26
121
45
2
100
1
15
1
4
4
1
9
3
55
2
86
1
40
28
12
2
5
9
25
4
32
2
115
4
50
5
4
1
1
10
2
7
80
1
45
25
11
6
3
4
23
3
56
55
6
50
5
90
-
x
5
5
2
12
5
3
4
400
x
50
5
1
x
15
3
x
1
1
x
41
3
30
10
1
4
8
1
1
4
45
1
1
15
5
1
2
3
10
30
1
50
1
15
100
-
4
128
18
37
5
1
4
40
11
3
19
571
1
321
45
2
189
17
1
1
1
51
18
1
17
10
3
21
7
208
58
282
16
622
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Species
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow
TOTAL SPECIES
PARTICIPANTS
Party Number
1
2
3
2
7
1
5
2
2
3
2
21
12
15
1
10
65
18
11
5
8
20
1
1
18
1
76
97
45
6
4
1
4
4
2
1
15
3
5
65
125
60
89
6
Page 255
5
4
29
1
6
1
6
2
17
18
x
x
6
12
95
2
7
10
1
10
12
5
14
64
17
8
-
TOT
80
11
6
1
26
48
1
42
24
170
154
87
50
132
37
Frontenac’s Gibson Lake Loop: A Must to Hike
Terry Sprague
It was the Maclean Lumber Camp we
were now staring at, or at least what
remained of it. We were in a remote
section of Frontenac Provincial Park
where we had walked for six hours and
had not seen a soul. It was one of those
days that naturalists dream about – a
balmy November day, bright sunshine
and nary a stir from any of the few
remaining leaves stubbornly clinging to
the trees. There was silence, broken only
by a scattering of black ducks, disturbed
by the noise of us shuffling through
thick carpets of dead leaves.
This was the Gibson Lake Loop trail in
Frontenac Park’s northern side, accessed
by driving to the Kingsford Dam off
Canoe Lake Road, then walking two
kms. along another trail before reaching
where we wanted to begin our hike. But
we had been psyching ourselves up for
this hike for several months, and we
were well prepared for the 15 kms
ahead of us. This is pioneer country,
accented by humble attempts at
scratching a living from the granite rock,
and several mica mines. There was
logging, but after the industry suffered
losses from fires and harvesting, the
large scale logging and lumber industry
began to wane, and settlers turned to
open pit mining. The story of their
struggles can be seen all along this
portion of the Park. Earlier, we had
passed by the 1843 Mark’s Cabin
remains and nearby Crab Lake Mine.
A few ironwoods had fallen beside the
trail, no match for the strong winds that
travel down the precipitous ridges.
Mostly, the walking was pleasant, over
Page 256
barren plateaus with spotty patches of
grass brown from the summer drought,
struggling to hold the sparse soil in
place. Oaks, elms and both yellow and
white birch stood like sentinels,
sometimes scant in numbers, other
times morphing into dense woodland
where we wondered how they managed
to survive at all in the thin soil.
Lunch was at a side trail to a lakeside
campsite where we listened to ravens
calling and the drumming of a distant
woodpecker. One along the trail turned
out to be a pileated woodpecker, and
two others showed themselves as hairy
woodpeckers. We didn’t need to be told
that a pileated was in the area, as we
saw several holes that these giant
woodpeckers had made in the snags.
Ducks took flight, most of them
unidentified due to the distance
although one closer flock banked as it
passed over the lake, revealing
themselves as black ducks. Two adult
bald eagles took advantage of the sun
and gave us superb looks at their
contrasting black and white colours.
Decem ber 2012
There is a Frontenac Challenge in the
fall and participants are offered the
challenge of walking all 160 kms of trails
in a two month period. It is a
demanding endeavor, especially the
grueling 21km Slide Lake Trail. I did
one inner loop several years ago and
while it is reputed to be the most
breathtaking section of the park, it is
also the most difficult, involving lots of
crab walking on all fours and “bum
rocking” (the art of sitting on rocks
when descending, one stone at a time).
That one needs to be started at daybreak
if expected to finish before darkness
falls. One friend from Tweed has done it
for 17 consecutive years. With arthritis
in his feet, he is a prime example of
outdoor enthusiasts ignoring discomfort
and medical problems and just getting
out there, and doing it.
For those with me a week ago, our
Frontenac Challenge will be to walk all
of the trails, even if it takes us five years
for we want to savour the beauty and
serenity of the trail system and not
worry about deadlines. We will do the
Slide Lake Loop, but in the spirit of
Johnny Cash’s hit song, one piece at a
time. We may need to walk some of the
same trails several times to access
different portions of the trail, but we
will do it, me, my friends and
Ibuprofen, the breakfast of champions!
Or, we may decide to throw caution to
the wind and do the entire thing in one
sweep.
We are so fortunate to have this
magnificent park practically on our
doorstep, where we can immerse
ourselves in nature and history, if only
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
for a few hours, and think back to the
pioneers who helped shape this
wilderness area. They are no longer
around to tell their stories, but the
dedicated staff at the Park and
especially the Friends of Frontenac can
bring these stories to life. Books, like my
favourite, Their Enduring Spirit by
Christian Barber and Terry Fuchs are
also a big help.
The trails are always in super shape,
thanks to the efforts of the Friends. We
Page 257
were commenting on our hike that we
didn’t see one speck of garbage. While
the Friends rightfully deserve credit, we
can also attribute the condition of the
trails to the park’s users who are of a
different mentality, that this park is
special, so let’s keep it that way.
Terry Sprague is a professional
naturalist, free-lance writer and KFN
member who lives in Prince Edward
County.
Odonate Sightings & Yearly List 2012
Kurt Hennige
This List includes records for the
Kingston Checklist area and Charleston
Lake & Menzel Provincial Parks. Eighty
species were recorded this year. The
season started with a very early sighting
of a Common Green Darner on 19March
in Charleston Lake Provincial Park.
Red Saddlebags by Philina English
A new species was added to the
Kingston Checklist: a Red Saddlebags
(Tramea onusta) photographed on14July
at the Amherstview Sewage Lagoons by
Philina English, the first confirmed
record for this species. The drought of
2012 impacted common breeders and
lower numbers were observed. Recently
established species from further south
like Eastern Amberwing and Black
Saddlebags were noticed in new
locations and in higher numbers.
Species not recorded in the Kingston
area until 5 or 6 years ago but now seen
annually are: Emerald Spreadwing,
Aurora Damsel, Elfin Skimmer, Eastern
Amberwing, Sphagnum Sprite, Shadow
Darner, Swamp Darner, Horned
Clubtail, Rusty Snaketail, Eastern Least
Clubtail,
Swift
River
Cruiser,
Beaverpond
Baskettail,
Ebony
Boghaunter, and Wandering Glider.
Contributors:P. English, M. Conboy, M.
Burrell, D. Edwards, J. Hall, B. Ripley, J.
Poland, K. Hennige, V. P. Mackenzie, L.
Nuttall, C. Robinson, C. & M. Seymour
Page 258
1st for 2012
19March
19April
5May
5May
6May
9May
9May
10May
11May
11May
11May
11May
13May
14May
14May
15May
17May
17May
17May
17May
17May
19May
23May
24May
25May
25May
25May
26May
26May
26May
26May
26May
26May
26May
27May
27May
29May
30May
31May
2June
2June
Species
Common Green Darner
Hudsonian Whiteface
Beaverpond Baskettail
American Emerald
Dot-tailed Whiteface
Four-spotted Skimmer
Eastern Forktail
Dusky Clubtail
Spiny Baskettail
Springtime Darner
Chalk-fronted Corporal
Boreal Bluet
Northern/Vernale Bluet
Racket-tailed Emerald
Harlequin Darner
Common Baskettail
Taiga Bluet
Common Whitetail
Aurora Damsel
Ebony Boghaunter
Hagen's Bluet
Stream Cruiser
Ebony Jewelwing
Powdered Dancer
Belted Whiteface
Frosted Whiteface
Cyrano Darner
Eastern Pondhawk
Widow Skimmer
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Elegant Spreadwing
Ambr-wngd Spreadwing
Calico Pennant
Lancet Clubtail
Fragile Forktail
Sedge Sprite
Orange Bluet
Slaty Skimmer
Dragon Hunter
Halloween Pennant
Emerald Spreadwing
Decem ber 2012
Latin Name
Anax junius
Leucorrhinia hudsonica
Tetragoneuria canis
Cordulia shurtleffii
Leucorrhinia intacta
Libellula quadrimaculata
Ischnura verticalis
Gomphus spicatus
Epitheca spinigera
Basiaeschna janata
Ladona julia
Enallagma boreale
Enallagma cyathigerum
Dorocordulia libera
Gomphaeschna furcillata
Epitheca cynosura
Coenagrion resolutum
Plathemis lydia
Chromagrion conditum
Williamsonia fletcheri
Enallagma hageni
Didymops transversa
Calopteryx maculata
Argia moesta
Leucorrhinia proxima
Leucorrhinia frigida
Nasiaeschna pentacantha
Erythemis simplicicollis
Libellula luctuosa
Libellula pulchella
Lestes inaequalis
Lestes eurinus
Celithemis elisa
Gomphus exilis
Ischnura posita
Nehalennia irene
Enallagma signatum
Libellula incesta
Hagenius brevistylus
Celithemis eponina
Lestes dryas
Location
Chrlstn Lk PP
QUBS
Third Depot Lk Rd
Third Depot Lk Rd
Enterprise
Bayview Bog
Bayview Bog
Chrlstn Lk Burns Ln
QUBS
Frontenac PP
Frontenac PP
Frontenac PP
Blue Mountain Road
QUBS
QUBS
QUBS
Menzel
Menzel
Menzel
Menzel
Menzel
QUBS
QUBS
Millhaven Creek
Charleston Lake
Charleston Lake
CLPP
QUBS & Chrlstn Lk
QUBS
QUBS
QUBS
QUBS
QUBS
QUBS
CLPP boardwalk
CLPP boardwalk
QUBS
CLPP Tllw Rock Bay Tr
QUBS
Chrlstn Lk Burns Ln
Millhaven Creek
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
1st for 2012
Species
Latin Name
3June
Sphagnum Sprite
Nehalennia gracilis
5June
5June
7June
7June
7June
7June
7June
10June
11June
14June
16June
16June
16June
16June
16June
16June
17June
17June
19June
22June
22June
24June
29June
29June
3July
3July
10July
12July
12July
13July
14July
14July
15July
16June
21July
30July
2August
18August
Blue Dasher
Lilypad Clubtail
Rusty Snaketail
Elfin Skimmer
Rainbow Bluet
Eastern Least Clubtail
Horned Clubtail
Prince Baskettail
Fawn Darner
Violet Dancer
Northern Spreadwing
Swamp Darner
Stream Bluet
Vesper Bluet
Tule Bluet
Marsh Bluet
River Jewelwing
Swift River Cruiser
Skimming Bluet
Canada Darner
Whitefaced Meadowhawk
Green-striped Darner
Black-shouldered Spinyleg
Eastern Amberwing
Familiar Bluet
Black Saddlebags
Lance-tipped Darner
Shadow Darner
Lake Darner
Black-tipped Darner
Wandering Glider
Red Saddlebags
Mottled Darner
Swamp Spreadwing
Autumn Meadowhawk
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk
Sweetflag Spreadwing
Spotted Spreadwing
Pachydiplax longipennis
Arigomphus furcifer
Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis
Nannothemis bella
Enallagma antennatum
Stylogomphus albistylus
Arigomphus cornutus
Epitheca princeps
Boyeria vinosa
Argia fumipennis violacea
Lestes disjunctus
Epiaeschna heros
Enallagma exsulans
Enallagma vesperum
Enallagma carunculatum
Enallagma ebrium
Calopteryx aequabilis
Macromia illinoiensis
Enallagma geminatum
Aeshna canadensis
Sympetrum obtrusum
Aeshna verticalis
Dromogomphus spinosus
Perithemis tenera
Enallagma civile
Tramea lacerata
Aeshna constricta
Aeshna umbrosa
Aeshna eremita
Aeshna tuberculifera
Pantala flavescens
Tramea anusta
Aeshna clepsydra
Lestes vigilax
Sympetrum vicinum
Sympetrum internum
Lestes forcipatus
Lestes congener
Page 259
Location
CLPP, Blue Mtn (1st for
park)
QUBS
QUBS
Salmon River
2nd Depot Lake
Salmon River
Salmon River
2nd Depot lake
Charleston Lake
QUBS
Ch Lk PP
Ch Lk PP
Amherst Island
Amherst Island
QUBS
Amherst Island
Amherst Island
Napanee River
Napanee River
QUBS
QUBS
QUBS
QUBS
Red Horse Lake
QUBS
Amherstview S Lagoon
Verona Hambly Lake
QUBS
Lake Opinicon
QUBS
Wolfe Island
QUBS
CLPP
Frontnc PP Slide Lk Tr
Bayview Bog
Amherst Island
Frontnc PP-Slide Lk Tr
Page 260
Decem ber 2012
KFN Outings Sep-Nov 2012
08Sept Teen Trip to Mitchell Creek
Michael Jaansalu
29Sept Field Trip to Main Duck Isl.
Chris Grooms
On September 8, Michael, William, Silas,
and
Rowan
accompanied
Anne
Robertson on a field trip to Mitchell
Creek on the west side of Frontenac
Park. On the way there, we discussed
the edge of the Canadian Shield and
stopped to collect mica at the side of the
road. The weather was overcast
interspersed with thunderstorms, and it
was these storms that made us abandon
our initial plan of canoeing in favor of
going for a hike on the Nature
Conservancy of Canada’s Mitchell
Creek Property instead.
Main Duck Island (St. Lawrence Islands
Nat. Pk.) is one of a crescent-shaped
island chain extending into Lk. Ontario
from Prince Edward Point, crossing the
US/Canada border and ending with
Stony Island off-shore from Robert G.
Wehle State Park. This arch of islands is
said to once have been the eastern shore
of the Lake and may form a stepping
stone flyway for migrating birds.
On our hike, after being delayed by a
thunderstorm, we used magnifiers on
fungus, a Hickory Tussock Moth
caterpillar, Large-toothed Aspen and
Red Oak leaves, some spiders, and a
snail. We walked through a Pine
plantation, heard a Blue Jay, picked
raindrops, found a bone in an American
Beech tree, observed lots of fallen trees
and branches, ate Basswood buds, and
discovered what happens when you get
stuck in a downpour in improper gear:
you get very wet quite quickly.
We then drove, wet and cold, to the
Helen Quilliam Sanctuary for lunch in
the car before going to Sydenham to
write in our notebooks and get ice
cream (we weren’t too cold for that).
Despite that, we got home early. It was a
satisfying, event-filled day even though
we abandoned the canoeing part.
Figure 1 Map showing Main Duck Island between
Prince Edward County and New York State
Main Duck Island has long been of
interest to naturalists; the KFN has
made numerous field trips there. In the
1970’s the KFN did several years of
banding focussed on migrating owls.
Through this history we know that the
Island is a migratory stopover for many
bird species. So it was with alarm and
concern for the birds that KFN received
the news that the Island environs are
being considered for an offshore wind
farm. In that light, KFN Conservation
Committee organized a field trip to
Main Duck Island on 29September2012.
We hope to make regular trips to keep a
club presence, maintain an interest in
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
the Island in the naturalist community,
and to collect natural history data to
help defend birds and bats from the
effects of any potential wind farm.
At 8 a.m., 10 members of the KFN
departed Prince Edward County for
Common Name
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Mallard
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Dble-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Genus
Branta
Aix
Anas
Anas
Anas
Mergus
Mergus
Gavia
Phalacrocorax
Ardea
Cathartes
Haliaeetus
Circus
Accipiter
Accipiter
Buteo
Falco
Pluvialis
Charadrius
Charadrius
Actitis
Larus
Larus
Larus
Sterna
Megaceryle
Sphyrapicus
Picoides
Colaptes
Contopus
Sayornis
Vireo
Cyanocitta
Page 261
Main Duck on a boat chartered from
Ducks Dive. We had excellent weather,
with NNW winds and moderate wave
height. Everyone was enthusiastic and
happy with the trip. A list of bird
species observed follows.
Species
canadensis
sponsa
strepera
rubripes
platyrhynchos
merganser
serrator
immer
auritus
herodias
aura
leucocephalus
cyaneus
striatus
cooperii
jamaicensis
columbarius
squatarola
semipalmatus
vociferus
macularius
delawarensis
argentatus
marinus
hirundo
alcyon
varius
pubescens
auratus
virens
phoebe
solitarius
cristata
Comment
Not seen on island
Not seen on island
Page 262
Common Name
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Gray-cheeked Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blck-thrtd Green Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Bobolink
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
Decem ber 2012
Genus
Poecile
Sitta
Sitta
Certhia
Regulus
Regulus
Catharus
Turdus
Dumetella
Sturnus
Anthus
Bombycilla
Oreothlypis
Parula
Dendroica
Dendroica
Dendroica
Geothlypis
Pipilo
Spizella
Passerculus
Melospiza
Melospiza
Zonotrichia
Zonotrichia
Junco
Dolichonyx
Agelaius
Agelaius
Euphagus
Quiscalus
Spinus
13 Oct Teen Trip to HQS
Anne Robertson
Just two Teens were able to join Erwin
and Anne to explore the SW corner of
the Helen Quilliam Sanctuary on
13October. The weather was fine and
Species
atricapillus
canadensis
carolinensis
americana
satrapa
calendula
minimus
migratorius
carolinensis
vulgaris
rubescens
cedrorum
peregrina
americana
magnolia
coronata
virens
trichas
erythrophthalmus
passerina
sandwichensis
melodia
georgiana
albicollis
leucophrys
hyemalis
oryzivorus
phoeniceus
phoeniceus
carolinus
quiscula
tristis
Comment
relatively warm. The tree colours were
close to peak. It was an ideal time for a
good hike. On the way Michael spotted
an Eastern Bluebird on a nest box near
Sydenham, a late sighting. We saw a
dozen Wild Turkeys crossing the road
near Big Salmon Lake Road.
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Volum e 59, N o. 4
After consulting various maps, we left
the cars to walk on the Rideau Trail to
where it meets the Porcupine Trail
thence south, close to the east boundary
of the south lot of the Sanctuary, as far
as the view of Gould Lake. We found a
squatter’s camp which we recorded for
future checking. We then explored up a
new valley to a small (almost dry)
beaver pond in another wetland system
which extends from here NE back to the
road and SW to Gould Lake. This pond
is in the southwest portion (100 acres) of
the sanctuary.
En route we took GPS waypoints of
significant locations and photographs to
illustrate these. We made Michael the
American Basswood tree person (he
enjoys eating basswood buds) and we
made Samuel the American Beech tree
person. Samuel photographed his tree,
its leaves and buds as well as the
Beechdrops, a parasitic plant that grows
on Beech tree roots. We photographed
several beaver ponds and some fungi
and a spider. We eventually found an
old beaver dam near the now named
Destination Pond.
Page 263
Here we looked at a sedge, Carex
lupulina. This sedge has a stigma that
curls (very small but very neat!).
Lunch was on a rocky outcrop near
Destination Pond where we wondered if
anyone else had ever been before us. We
returned by the same route for easier
walking but would like in the winter, on
the ice, to explore to Destination Pond
down the string of wetlands from the
road. On our way back, Erwin showed
how his GPS could keep us going in the
correct direction. We took the old
yellow trail to meet up with the present
route of the Porcupine Trail with a
detour to look at the Wood Duck pond.
Here 4 nest boxes have been installed; a
couple of predator guards are damaged.
We saw a pair of Hooded Mergansers
and a Great Blue Heron take off.
Back at the cars we wrote in our field
notebooks before returning home tired
but satisfied that we had explored an
unknown corner of this KFN property
and named a new pond.
Page 264
20Nov Ramble to Collins Crk Trails
Joe Benderavage
Mud, mud, inglorious mud! At 9 a.m.
on a blustery November 20, Carol and
Murray Seymour led ten KFN hikers to
explore natural features along very
muddy trails in the vicinity of Collins
Creek. We encountered a farmer’s field
where butterflies congregate during
summertime, and we admired a
magnificent clump of birch trees.
A highlight was an area of exposed
limestone, extensively fissured, bearing
fossil remains of round Crinoids that
look like plants, but are animals. The
limestone was so well covered by fallen
leaves from nearby Oak trees that some
of us stumbled into the covered fissures.
We marvelled at coil formations from
Squid-like animals, and other creatures
of the Ordovician period. Especially
evident among them was a fossil group
named Orthocone Nautiloids. Fossils
from this period are over 450 million
years old. Some were curved or coil-like,
while others had ice-cream-cone shapes.
We saw some long, linear forms and
some with structures resembling
intermittently alternating windows,
through which a strand of tissue
probably excreted water from the
creature’s inner chamber.
As we advanced along the trail, we
came upon a magnificent, fine-grained
rock, a metre wide and as high, with a
uniform greenish cast. It was described
as an ‘erratic’, meaning that it was
unlike local rock, having come from
afar, likely transported from the
Canadian Shield by a glacier. It
Decem ber 2012
probably formed in a volcanic
environment, and when it was still
semi-solid, it gained its unique texture
under pressure. The rock contains a
white intrusion, probably of quartz,and
the larger matrix rock may be olivine.
We studied the hairy basal leaves of
Mullein, used by women as a natural
make-up for reddening the cheeks. We
found Hop Hornbeam and Poplar;
Prickly
Ash
was
discovered,
unwittingly, by a hiker who happened
to lean against it. We examined the red
buds of a Basswood tree, which some of
us tasted, but found uninteresting.
Delicate Fairy Cup lichen were spotted.
And Tooth fungus with little “fangs”.
Lichens abound in the area, with many
types of mosses growing on rocks.
At the path’s edge we noticed Dogstrangling
Vine,
Wild
Parsnip,
Bittersweet, Grey Dogwood, Zig-zag
Goldenrod, and a female colony of
Staghorn Sumac. We were amazed to
see what appeared to be White
Honeysuckle still in flower on this late
November day. Nearer the flowing
water of Collins Creek, some tree trunks
bore Bracket fungi, and Virginia
Waterleaf was seen. A shelf-like flat
rock in midstream, high and dry, served
as a marker of the high volume of water
that flows in April and May. We
admired a female Downy Woodpecker
on a tree trunk and heard and saw
Raven pursued by Crows.
Thanks to our assiduous leaders, we
arrived back at the starting point at
exactly noon, as planned, in spite of
some unexpected twists and turns.
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Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 265
Salamanders of the Kingston Region
Matt Ellerbeck, Salamander Advocate & Conservationist
Ontario
has
an
abundance
of
biodiversity, including a group of
secretive animals, the salamanders.
Twelve salamander species are found
across the province; several occur in the
Kingston, area. The most common is the
diminutive Red-Backed Salamander
(Plethodon cinereus), which has an orange
to red stripe down its back. They also
occur in almost uniformly dark blue or
purplish coloration, known as ''Leadbacked'' Salamanders, shown here.
Individuals with yellow and white
stripes, and even almost solid red forms,
occasionally occur. Some estimates state
that in pristine habitat as many as 1,000
Red-backs can be found per acre!
Also found in the area are the beautiful
Yellow-Spotted (Ambystoma maculatum)
and Blue-Spotted (Ambystoma laterale)
Salamander.
Both
have
dark
background colors (black to dark blue)
with spots of bright yellow and blue
over the body. Markings are variable
and unique to individual salamanders.
Both species are part of the same family,
the Ambystomatidae, commonly known
as mole salamanders. These are larger
then the streamlined Red-Backs. Mole
salamanders are stoutly built, and quite
abundant, but rarely seen, as they spend
much of their time deep in subterranean
habitats, especially the Yellow-Spotted
Salamander, shown below, which may
only emerge after heavy rains.
A more aquatic species of salamander in
the area is the Eastern Newt
(Notophthalmus viridescens). Newt is a
name given to salamanders in the family
Salamandridae, many of which are
primarily aquatic. After the larval stage,
Eastern Newts enter the ''Red Eft'' stage
which is terrestrial. During this stage
newts are solid orange with brilliant red
spots. After 3 years they darken to
greenish-gray with a yellow underside.
They retain red spots, but less of them.
The tail becomes flattened and they
return to the water.
The largest salamander species found in
the area is also an aquatic form: the
Mudpuppy. The name comes from the
false belief that these salamanders bark
if they feel threatened. They reach a
maximum size of around 18 inches.
Page 266
Decem ber 2012
Mudpuppies
differ
from
other
salamander species as they do not lose
their external gills and metamorphose
into a terrestrial form. They retain gills
and essentially stay in their larval stage
for their whole life. This is known as
pedomorphosis or neoteny. Along with
gills, mudpuppies can absorb oxygen
through the skin and occasionally
surface for air, as they do possess lungs.
Most of their respiration, however, does
occur through the external gills.
Given that six forms of salamander can
be found in the area, one may ask why
they are rarely seen. These amphibians
prefer to remain hidden under debris or
in fossorial habitats, only coming out
seasonally to mate or breed, or at night
after heavy rains - not usually time
people are hiking or visiting woodlands.
Whether we see them or not,
salamanders are there and we can do
several things to help them. The first is
is not wearing insect repellents or
sunscreens when visiting woodlands,
forests, and wetlands. (An alternative is
to wear lightweight and light colored
long-sleeve shirts, a hat for sun
protectionto
and
natural
ore
environmentally friendly oils as insect
repellents).
If a salamander is encountered on land
or water admire it by observation only.
Salamanders have very absorbent skin
and the oils and salts from human
hands can harm them. If worn, insect
repellents, sunblock, and lotions can be
absorbed. The skin damage could result
in secondary infections, and bone and
muscle injuries can result from
struggling.
For
these
reasons
salamanders should never be handled.
Taking measures to protect salamanders
is important as some species face the
threat of extinction, and several in
Ontario are listed as Species At Risk by
the Committee on the Status of
Endangered
Wildlife
in
Canada
(COSEWIC).
Further information can be found at
[email protected]
www.savethesalamanders.com
Local Conservation Concerns
Shirley E. French
This fall, I have been auditing
Conservation Biology (422) given by
Dr. Paul Martin at Queen’s University.
The students were assigned a major
project in which they were to select a
topic concerning conservation in the
Kingston
region.
An
important
component of their project was to bring
science to the community and inform
the public about a conservation issue.
The students’ outreach approach varied
from going to schools, making
brochures, talking to people in their
target group, to setting up a website. I
have summarized the presentations in
the table that follows. These are topics
the students have selected as important.
The Blue Bill
Student Topic
Loons &
Cottaging
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 267
Summary of Conservation Issue
Important to inform cottagers on the biology of loons to ensure good
boating habits (even canoeists), fishing practices, and keeping
shorelines natural.
Energy
The pros and cons of various energy sources from natural gas to
Alternatives
nuclear power, hydroelectricity to wind energy.
Cottage
Minimizing habitat alterations, the importance of dead woody debris,
Shoreline
macrophytes, and other habitat features used by wildlife. The potential
Development
negative effects of adding sand, removing plants (such as trees that
help stabilize the shore) and offering solutions and alternatives.
Conservation & Researched the most popular fish species consumed in Kingston and
Seafood
provided information about sustainable fishing practices, what to avoid
(e.g. Halibut caught by trawling as opposed to line fishing). They
investigated five large local grocery stores to see which ones supported
sustainable fishing practices.
Homeowner’s
Their target group is young people starting out in a new apartment or
Guide, Ecohouse. Information about inefficient usage of energy and water. What
friendly
to look for in appliances that are more eco-friendly. Making informed
decisions about the products you buy and use.
Bumblebees
Their role in pollination. Threats to their survival (monoculture e.g.
corn; pesticides, herbicides, pathogens, invasive species) and what is
needed for bees to flourish. They thoroughly covered the issues on their
website. http://beependent.wordpress.com/learn-more/
Catch & Release How to handle fish when they are being caught to minimize stress to
Fishing
them. Information about the type of hook to use, how to release the
fish, etc.
Polar Bears
How climate change is impacting the polar bears and how we can
contribute to reducing our carbon usage.
Bird
They targeted a young age group, conveying their message about bird
Conservation
conservation through a puppet show (e.g. inform kids that cats are a
(kindergarten to danger to birds). In a fun way show kids what they can do to attract
grade 1)
birds to their yard and provide them with a safe environment.
Invasive Bird
Targeting children about the issue of invasive species, in this case birds.
Species (grade
They designed a game that demonstrated how an invasive species can
6)
have an advantage over a native species and how that can threaten
their survival.
The
What one needs to consider when buying beef. The benefits of grass-fed
Moovementcattle (e.g. less methane produced) vs grain-fed. The benefits of buying
More
local food but also eating less red meat because of the contribution to
Sustainable
greenhouse gases and a loss of biodiversity. Where to shop for locally
Choices
raised beef and organic beef in Kingston.
Page 268
Decem ber 2012
Student Topic
Golf &
Pesticides
Summary of Conservation Issue
They cover pesticide effects on frogs and turtles (eggs are most
susceptible), offer solutions and want to implement a Green Golf
Certificate in Kingston based on their sustainable golf green solutions.
A very informative website:
http://igarcha.wix.com/sustainablegolf#!about/cjg9
Organic Wastes Target audience is university and college students. It is about reducing
food waste, and “helping you compost today for a better tomorrow”.
http://foodsmart.weebly.com/index.html
Eco-friendly
These students selected five chemicals found in household products
Personal Care
that can be detrimental to human health, can end up in our water
systems and wildlife. They have a list of eco-friendly alternatives. The
chemicals of concern are triclosan, triclocarbon, parabens, synthetic
musk, and sodium fluoride. https://www.facebook.com/LessIsBest
Other topics of concern (I was not able to attend these presentations): Eco-friendly Home
& Garden; Firewood & Invasives; Small Animals and Highways
Orthoptera in the Kingston Area
Paul Mackenzie
Many members of the KFN are keen field observers and well-informed on various
aspects of our flora and fauna. Birds have been a special interest of many. Others study
bats, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, dragonflies, vascular plants, trees, ferns,
mushrooms and the list could go on. The more we are aware of, the more we appreciate
nature, which is all around us and in us.
The insect order Orthoptera comprises grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. Are they a
manageable group that could be identified during field trips? There are about 24,000
species worldwide, but only about 72 species in our area compared to about 377 species
of birds. Many are identifiable in the field, but some groups require careful examination.
Identification by naked eye or binoculars or from photos, or even by sound, is possible
for some. Others can be identified if caught and examined with a hand lens. This article
is an introduction to local Orthoptera, and mentions the most commonly encountered
species. Consulting the references is highly recommended. A checklist of local species
follows this article.
First a little about observing, catching and handling these animals. Diversity is highest
in late summer and early fall. In spring and early summer there are many immature
forms, which are more difficult than adults. Some species prefer wetland grasses, some
dry fields or sandy areas; some live on the ground and some at the tops of trees. Some
are nocturnal. In some places grasshoppers flush in dozens as you walk. Some hide
behind the stems of long grass or shrubs, and may drop to the ground when disturbed.
They may not be as easy as you expect to catch with a net, unless they perch near the top
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 269
of a plant or on relatively open ground. Some can be approached slowly and
photographed or caught by hand. Some grasshoppers spit out a dark sticky “tobacco
juice” as a defense. They have strong hind legs and can escape quickly given a chance,
and if they are caught by a leg, the detached leg may be all you are left holding. The
body may be held between fingers and thumb so they cannot get a purchase with the
hind legs, but can be seen from several angles. They may try to bite, but are generally
harmless against the fingers although the largest ones can pinch human skin.
Next a little anatomy. Like many insects the adult’s body is comprised of head, thorax
and abdomen, with 6 legs and two pairs of wings (if present) attached to the thorax. The
exoskeleton covering the top and sides of the thorax is called the pronotum. I had
imagined that those with short wings or no wings were nymphs, but the adults of some
species have short wings or no wings, and some species have short and long-winged
forms. When present, the forewings act as covers for the wider folded hind-wings. The
genitalia at the end of the abdomen include ovipositors in females and cerci and furcula in
male grasshoppers. Body length measurements are not standardized. From the front of
the head to the tip of the abdomen is used if the wings are shorter than the abdomen,
and to the tip of the wings if they are longer than the abdomen. Some authors include
the ovipositor which can extend far beyond the tip of the abdomen.
And now a little taxonomy. The Orthoptera are divided into two suborders: Ensifera
(katydids and crickets), are “long-horned” with antennae longer than the body.
Caelifera (grasshoppers) are “short-horned” with antennae shorter than the body.
Ensifera in our area are in three families, the Crickets (about 11 species), the Katydids
(about 15 species), and the hump-backed Camel Crickets which are nocturnal, and rarely
seen. Crickets have 3-segmented tarsi and Katydids have 4-segmented tarsi, but you
don’t need to count the joints, as you will recognize our common crickets as dark and
ground-dwelling (except for the pale delicate Tree Crickets) and Katydids as attractive
green (or brown) insects on foliage.
Caelifera (grasshoppers) of the Kingston area are also in three families. Most are Shorthorned Grasshoppers (Family Acrididae), one is a Sand Cricket (Family Tridactylidae) and
several are Pygmy Grasshoppers (Family Tetrigidae).
Now a little cultural diversion. In China, Japan and parts of south-east Asia for
hundreds of years pet crickets have been kept in the palaces of Emperors and in private
homes. Competitions are held for their singing ability and poems are written about
them. The songs of the tiny Golden Bell Cricket are highly regarded. Others are kept for
cricket fighting competitions, with betting on the outcome. Individuals only live and
sing for a few months, but are cared for tenderly. Cricket cages sold in markets may be
small enough to carry in a pocket, or large elaborate bamboo cages. Cages may have
Plexiglas tops through which to watch the cricket and a plugged hole in the side for
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adding food (fruit or commercial cricket food). Grasshoppers and crickets are eaten in
parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. They are sold in markets in south-east Asia.
They are a good source of animal protein. Plagues of locusts are described in the Bible,
and are still a major problem in some African countries. Franklin’s Gulls are
remembered in Utah for helping Mormon farmers by eating locusts during a plague in
1844. Rocky Mountain Locusts devoured western crops in 1874-75 but that locust is now
extinct, and few specimens were preserved despite their abundance.
Sound Production Calling songs are produced by stridulation, that is, by rubbing body
parts against each other. Often this is the hind femur against the fore-wing or the forewing against the hind-wing. These body parts have rough files for sound production.
Another method of sound production used by Band-winged Grasshoppers is crepitation
or wing-snapping while displaying the wings in flight. Parts of some Orthoptera songs
are above the human hearing range. A male can make more than one type of song; There
are calling songs and courtship songs, and females sometimes reply. In our area the
Snowy Tree Cricket is known as the thermometer cricket due to the effect of temperature
on its rate of song: to find the temperature in Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in
13 seconds and add 41.
Identification Good ID keys are available on the net at BugGuide.net and Singing
Insects of North America which has sound recordings of some species. Many species in
our area are in reference 1 below. Reference 8 is exhaustive and requires more expertise.
Family Gryllidae - Crickets. Let’s start with ordinary-looking crickets that live mostly
on the ground. Crickets are divided into blackish Field Crickets, smaller Ground
Crickets, and delicate pale Tree Crickets. The blackish ones seen on the ground are Field
Crickets if they are over 14 mm long and Ground Crickets if less than 14 mm long.
Field Crickets (Grillinae) include the Spring Field Cricket and the Fall Field Cricket
which look and sound the same but have different life cycles. The Spring Field Cricket
overwinters as a juvenile and matures in spring. The Fall Field Cricket overwinters as
eggs; adults appear in summer when the Spring Field Cricket adults are dying out. Both
chirp at a rate of 2-3 per second. The House Cricket is Straw-coloured with dark brown
markings. It is introduced and likely does not have wild populations established in
Ontario but is available commercially as food for reptiles and amphibians.
Ground Crickets (Nemobinae) look like small Field Crickets. We have 5 species in range.
Two are common in lawns. Allard’s Ground Cricket is black and has a continuous
trilling song, whereas the Striped Ground Cricket has alternating light and dark stripes
longitudinally on the head and sings in chirps at 3-5 per second. The Gray Ground
Cricket and the Carolina Ground Cricket are similar. A hand lens is required to key
them out by features of ovipositor or tibial spurs.
The Blue Bill
Fall Field Cricket (nymph)
Gryllus pennsylvanicus
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 271
Ground Cricket
Allonemobius species
Photos by Paul Mackenzie
Tree Crickets (Oecanthinae) are a fascinating group. They sing at night. The song is
lower pitched than other crickets. They are found on leaves of shrubs, trees or even
grass. In fact the Four-spotted Tree Cricket is often found within 30 cm of the ground.
They are less than 20 mm long, pale greenish with delicate wings, narrow heads, and
slim femurs compared to katydids. There are 4 species here and they are keyed out by
the pattern of dark spots at the base of the antennae, which requires a hand lens or very
sharp eyes. However, the Black-horned one can be recognized by black legs and
antennae, and the arboreal Snowy Tree Cricket is quite pale. I found a Narrow-winged
Tree Cricket at knee height on grasses at Kingston Mills. A photo shows the diagnostic Jcurved black spots at the base of the antennae. This species, known to occur in
southwestern Ontario, was reported from Presqu’ile by David Bree.
Narrow-winged Tree Cricket
Oecanthus niveus (”EE-CAN-THUS”)
Black-horned Tree Cricket at Lost Bay Reserve
Oecanthus nigricornis
Family Tettigoniidae. Our Katydids can be divided into four subfamilies. Most of our
katydids are bright green although brown forms do occur.
Meadow Katydids (Subfamily Conocephalinae) are unobtrusive in grass and shrubbery.
The long antennae and, in females, the long ovipositors are obvious. Identification to
species may not be possible in some females, but the shape of the cerci, which can be
seen with a hand lens, is species-specific in males. However, body size narrows local
choices. We have two under 30 mm long (not including the long ovipositors). The
smallest has wings shorter than the abdomen and is called the Short-winged Meadow
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Katydid. It is 12-16 mm long. The Slender Meadow Katydid is 18-28 mm and has wings
extending past the tip of the abdomen.
Short-winged Meadow Katydid
Conocephalus brevipennis
Slender Meadow Katydid
Conocephalus fasciatus
Photo Paul Mackenzie, Abbey Dawn marsh
Photo by Dennis Doucet c permission
Two Meadow Katydids over 30 mm long are in range, the Common Meadow Katydid
(male has green cerci with a curved tooth shorter than the shaft beyond the tooth) and
the Gladiator Meadow Katydid (male has brown cerci with a long curved tooth).
Common Meadow Katydid
Gladiator Meadow Katydid
Orchelimum vulgare
Orchelimum gladiator
Photos c permission by Jim McCormac, Ohio
Coneheads (Subfamily Copiphorinae) have projections on the forehead. Only one
species is clearly in range, the Sword-Bearing Conehead, which has the front of the head
elongated to a cone-shaped point with a black tip which is visible to the naked eye. In
the female, the tip of the sword-like ovipositor is up to or beyond the wing-tip.
Female Sword-bearing Conehead
Neoconocephalus ensiger
View of cone
Photo by Carl Strang c permission
by Kenneth E. Barnett c permission
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 273
False Katydids (Subfamily Phaneopterinae) are over 3cm long, and up to 7 species are
in range. All Katydids detect sound on the fore tibiae, but this group has a wide
tympanic opening there which is grossly visible, while in other subfamilies this is a
narrow slit. Identification to species is possible by song and in some by size and shape of
wings, but many require examination of the shape of dorsal process of the male genitals
for definitive ID. See the list of False Katydid species in the appendix.
Tympanic opening in tibia of a False Katydid.
Texas Katydid on Bedford Road
Shield-back Katydids (Subfamily Tettigoniinae). One species, Roesel’s Bush-cricket,
(Metrioptera roeselii) looks a bit like a grasshopper, but the long antennae are a giveaway. Introduced from Europe to Montreal in 1950, it has spread. Long and short
winged forms.
Short-winged form of Roesel’s Bush-Cricket
Long-winged Form of Metrioptera roeselii
Photo c permission by Brandon Woo
Photo c permission by Dennis Doucet
Short-horned Grasshoppers Family Acrididae. Most local grasshoppers belong to one of
four subfamilies of this family. I imagined that locusts were bigger, but the terms locust
and grasshopper seem interchangeable in common names.
Band-winged Grasshoppers (Subfamily Oedipodinae). Fourteen species may be here,
but only 5 have been confirmed. Most of have colours in the spread underwing which
show in flight. Some species do flight displays making a clicking noise with the wings
(stridulation). To confuse the band-winged concept, they include the Clear-winged
Grasshopper, and the Sedge Grasshoppers which have unbanded wings.
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Everyone will have noticed the Carolina Locust (Dissosteria carolina), a large common
grasshopper which flushes from the ground showing a black wing spectrum with a
wide yellow border. No other species in our area has this pattern. Once they land, their
cryptic sandy colours make then almost invisible
Carolina Locust : Dissosteria carolina
Wings in flight
Photo by Paul Mackenzie in HQS
Photo c permission by Deeana Brown
Several have the wing colours reversed, with a wide yellow inner band and a darker
band outside. This pattern is seen on Boll’s Grasshopper, a woodland species, and
Marbled Grasshopper which inhabits sand dunes.
Spur-throated Grasshoppers (Melanoplinae). These grasshoppers look like typical small
grasshoppers. They have a protuberance at the throat which is visible from below
between the forelegs. It can be small.
Spur on throat
Australian species with spur
Photo source unknown
by permission Arthur Chapman
Genus Booneacris: The two in the checklist should be looked for in bog habitats. They
are wingless.
Most (15) of our species are in the large genus Melanoplus. There is variation within a
species in the amount of brown and green on the body. Many species require a hand
lens or good marcrophotos to see the diagnostic genital shape features of males. Females
are often not separable in the field.
The Red-legged Grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) is a common member of this
group in fields and roadsides. The tibia is red and the underside of abdomen is yellow.
The male’s abdomen looks swollen at the tip compared to the narrower abdominal tip of
a female.
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Red-legged Grasshopper male
Page 275
Male sub-genital plate
The Red-legged is not the only one with red tibia. The Migratory Grasshopper
(Melanoplus sanguinipes) looks similar when the tibia is red although the abdomen is
not yellow below. Look at the male sub-genital plate. Note in the Migratory
Grasshopper the small cleft in the middle of its sub-genital plate (at tip of abdomen). It
also has a wider blunter end of the cercus, which is the pale structure to the side.
Migratory Grassshopper
Male sub-genital plate
Photos by K. S. Matz with permission
The Two-striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivitattus) is easy to recognize in the field. It
is larger than the ones above, and has prominent pale stripes forming a V on the wing
edges from above.
Two-Striped Grasshopper
Photo by Paul Mackenzie on Abbey Dawn Rd.
The Pine Tree Spur-throated Grasshopper (Melanoplus punctulatus) lives in forest and
is less well known. It perches on tree trunks but is well camouflaged by black and white
barring which extends to the femurs.
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The Appendix lists other spur-throated grasshoppers that should be looked for here.
Slant-faced Grasshoppers (Subfamily Gomphocerinae) do not have spur throats and the
face is flatter and more slanted as seen from the side.
The Marsh Meadow Grasshopper (Pseudochorthippus curtipennis) is small, males 1220mm and females 20-35mm. Tips of femora are black. The Sprinkled Broad-winged
Grasshopper (Chloealtis conspersa) is similar in size. Males have more black on the
sides of the pronotum. In both species the wings are longer in males than females.
Marsh Meadow Grasshopper
Pseudochorthippus curtipennis
Sprinkled Broad-winged Grasshopper
Chloealtis conspersa
Photo by PM on Abbey Dawn Rd
Photo c permission by Brandon Woo
Several other slant-faced species are listed in the checklist.
Pygmy Grasshoppers Family Tetrigidae. As the name suggests these are small, about 914 mm long and I have yet to see one. BugGuide says “To see these you have to reorient
to looking for something really small. They are active, hard to follow with the eye, and
very well camouflaged.” They are squat shaped and come in many colour phases. They
are often near water. Some jump or fly into the water to escape and then swim to shore.
A good macrophotograph of the dorsum and one from the side are needed to accurately
id the species. Here are illustrations of three species which could occur here. The Blacksided Pygmy has been found at QUBS.
Ornate Pygmy G.
Obscure Pygmy G.
Two photos with permission by IIona Loser, Wisconsin
Black-sided Pygmy G.
photo permit by Brandon Woo
Summary: Perhaps anyone taking the trouble to read this account will be more likely to
look closely at these interesting insects. I encourage members to keep a record of the
dates and locations of species identified so that more local data can be collected.
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 277
````Acknowledgements: Thanks to Steve Paiero for suggestions and for additions and
corrections to the checklist. Thanks to David Bree, Mark Conboy, Owen Lonsdale and
Bruce Ripley for providing material and advice for this article, to the photographers who
gave permission to use their photos and to Alex Simmons the Editor of Blue Bill.
References and resources
1. Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids and Crickets of the United States
by John Capinera, Ralph Scott, Thomas Walker, Cornell Press 2004
2. List of Orthopteroids at Queen’s University Biological Station
Steve M. Paiero and Mark Conboy. Updated December 2010. Unpublished
3. An annotated list of the Crickets and Grasshoppers of Prince Edward
County, Ontario by Fred Urqhuart. 1941
Available
at
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/title/52197#page/27/mode/1up
4. Checklist of Orthoptera of Ontario compiled and forwarded by David Bree.
Unpublished.
5. Vickery, Vernon R. and Kevan, Keith D. 1985 The Insects and Arachnids of
Canada Part 14: The Grasshoppers, Crickets and Related Insects of Canada
and Adjacent Regions. Research Branch Agricultural Canada Publication
1777.
6. Singing Insects of North America. A useful website on Crickets and
Katydids by Walker and Moore with range maps, photos, song recordings.
7. BugGuide.net. A good interactive website with lots of information and
photos.
8. Eades, D. C.; Otte, D.; Cigliano M. M.; Braun, H. Orthoptera Species File
Online. Version 2.0/4.1. Worldwide coverage and many keys.
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Decem ber 2012
Checklist of Orthoptera for the Kingston area
Paul Mackenzie
Here are 72 species whose range includes the Kingston area. No systematic survey has
been done. Species marked* were listed in QUBS area by Steve Paiero and Mark Conboy
Common names are unofficial ones from references, internet sites and NHIC.
SUBORDER ENSIFERA: CRICKETS & KATYDIDS - antennae longer than the body
FAMILY GRYLLIDAE (Crickets)
Subfamily Gryllinae: Field Crickets
Acheta domesticus
*Gryllus pennsylvanicus
*Gryllus veletis
House Cricket (not wild here)
Fall Field Cricket
Spring Field Cricket
Subfamily Nemobiinae: Ground crickets
Allonemobius allardi
Allard’s Ground Cricket
*Allonemobius fasciatus
Striped (Pale) Ground Cricket
Allonemobius griseus
Gray Ground Cricket
*Eunemobius carolinus
Carolina Ground Cricket
Neonemobius palustris
Sphagnum Ground cricket (restricted to sphagnum
bogs; known from Ottawa and could be here)
Subfamily Oecanthinae: Tree Crickets
*Oecanthus nigricornis
Black-horned Tree Cricket
*Oecanthus fultoni
Snowy Tree Cricket
*Oecanthus quadripunctatus Four-spotted Tree Cricket
Oecanthus niveus
Narrow-winged Tree Cricket (found by David Bree
at Presqu’ile and at Kingston Mills by Paul Mackenzie)
FAMILY TETTIGONIIDAE (Katydids and allies)
Subfamily Conocephalinae: Meadow Katydids
*Conocephalus brevipennis
Short-winged Meadow Katydid
*Conocephalus fasciatus
Slender Meadow Katydid
Conocephalus nigroplerum*
Black-sided Meadow Katydid
Conocephalus attenuatus*
Long-tailed Meadow Katydid
*Neoconocephalus ensiger
Sword-bearing Conehead
Orchelimum gladiator
Gladiator Meadow Katydid
Orchelimum vulgare
Common Meadow Katydid
The Blue Bill
Volum e 59, N o. 4
Page 279
Subfamily Phaneopterinae: False Katydids
*Amblycorypha oblongifolia
Oblong-winged Katydid
*Scudderia curvicauda
Curve-tailed Katydid
Scudderia furcata
Fork-tailed Bush Katydid
*Scudderia pistillata
Broad-winged Katydid
Scudderia septentrionalis
Northern Bush Katydid
Scudderia texensis
Texas Bush Katydid
Subfamily Tettigoniinae: Predaceous / Shield-back Katydids
*Metrioptera roeselii
Roesel’s Katydid
Subfamily Meconematinae
Meconema thalassinum*
Drumming Katydid or Oak Bush Cricket
(introduced species that appears to be spreading along the lake shores)
FAMILY RAPHIDIPHORIDAE (Camel Crickets)
*Ceuthophilus guttulosus
Thomas Camel Cricket
*Ceuthophilus meridionalis
Striped Camel Cricket
SUBORDER CAELIFERA: GRASSHOPPERS - antennae shorter than the body
FAMILY ACRIDAE (Short-horned Grasshoppers)
Subfamily Oedipodinae: Band-winged Grasshoppers
Arphia pseudonietana
North-west Red-winged Grasshopper
Arphia sulphurea
Sulphur-winged Grasshopper
Camnula pellucida
Clear-winged Grasshopper
*Chortophaga viridifasciata
Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
*Dissosteria carolina
Carolina Locust
*Encoptolophus sordidus
Clouded Grasshopper
Pardalophora apiculata
Coral-winged Grasshopper
*Spharagemon bolli
Boll’s Grasshopper
Spharagemon collare
Mottled Sand Grasshopper
*Spharagemon marmorata
Marbled Grasshopper
Stethophyma gracile
Northern Sedge Locust
Stethophyma lineatum
Striped Sedge Grasshopper
Trimerotropis maritima
Seaside Grasshopper
Trimerotropis verruculata
Crackling Forest Grasshopper
Subfamily Gomphocerinae: Slant-faced Grasshoppers
*Chloealtis conspersa
Sprinkled Broad-winged Grasshopper
Chloealtis abdominalis
Thomas’s Broad-winged Grasshopper
*Pseudochorthippus curtipennis Marsh Meadow Grasshopper
Orphulella pelidna
Spotted-wing Grasshopper
Page 280
Orphulella speciosa
Decem ber 2012
Pasture Locust
Subfamily Melanoplinae: Spur-throated Grasshoppers
Booneacris glacialis
Wingless Mountain Grassshopper
Booneacris variegata
Variegated Wingless Grasshopper
*Melanoplus bivitattus
Two-striped Grasshopper
Melanoplus borealis
Northern Spur-throated Grasshopper
Melanoplus bruneri
Bruner’s Spur-throated Grasshopper
Melanoplus confusus
Little Pasture Spur-throated Grasshopper
Melanoplus dawsoni
Dawson’s Spur-throated Grasshopper
Melanoplus fasciatus
Huckleberry Spur-throated Grasshopper
*Melanoplus femurrubrum
Red-legged Grasshopper
Melanoplus huroni
Huron Short-winged Grasshopper
Melanoplus islandicus
Forest Locust
Melanoplus keeleri luridus
Keeler’s Spur-throated Grasshopper
Melanoplus mancus
Smith’s Short-winged Grasshopper
*Melanoplus punctulatus
Pine Tree Spur-throated Grasshopper
*Melanoplus sanguinipes
Migratory Grasshopper
Melanoplus stonei
Stone’s Grasshopper
Melanoplus viridipes
Green-legged Grasshopper
FAMILY TRIDACTLYIDAE (Sand Crickets)
Neotridactylus apicalis*
Larger Sand Cricket
FAMILY TETREGIDAE (Pygmy Grasshoppers)
Subfamily Tetriginae: Grouse Locusts
Paratettix cuculatus
Hooded Grouse Locust
Tetrix arenosa angusta
Obscure Grouse Locust
Tetrix brunerii
Brunner’s Grouse Locust
*Tetrix ornata ornata
Ornate Grouse Locust
Tetrix subulata
Slender/Awl-shaped Grouse Locust
Subfamily Batrachideinae: Pygmy Grasshoppers
Tettigidea lateralis
Black-sided Pygmy Grasshopper

December 2012, Volume 59, No. 4

Transcription

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