We've just been wowed again! The OSFN has some fine photographers, and Hub editors look forward to the treasures shared by John Dickson: Rob Wray's belted kingfisher takes a high branch,  and Carol Edwards-Harrison's song sparrow is loaded for nest.

– by John Dickson

The Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) welcomed back a popular speaker at our monthly meeting, Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.

Hike leader and author Beth Gilhespy featured the geology of the Niagara Escarpment in the Beaver Valley and Sydenham club sections, explaining both areas in connection to her Walking Through Time books.

Her Beaver Valley book was published recently and was available at the talk.

Ms. Gilhespy's latest endeavour is entitled Building Sydenham: The Making of Walking Through Time. The Sydenham book is in the works and is expected to be published in a few months.

The OSFN is pleased to announce that the club was able to sponsor two members of last season's Young Naturalist Club to attend this summer's Nature Camp featured by Camp Kawartha.

The Young Naturalists are getting ready for another year too!

The Young Naturalist Club programme coordinator is Amanda Eriksen who can be reached via email eriksen.amanda@gmail.com. Those aged 7 to 12 can be registered with her for monthly activities, usually on the last Sunday afternoon of the month from September to June.

In addition, OSFN will be sponsoring four local high school students to the Ontario Nature Youth Summit at Lake Couchiching September 22 to 24.

OSFN has sponsored many students in the past decade, and has received excellent feedback from those who have attended the summits.

To learn more about the Young Naturalist Club, about joining or supporting OSFN, with its many indoor and outdoor presentations, and its motto, Knowing Nature Better, please visit our website.

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The Sustainability Project has announced that there is a Miyawaki Tiny Forest media unveiling at Peninsula Shores District School in Wiarton on Monday, Sept. 18, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30am at 115 George Street, with light snacks available.

Beth Anne Currie shares the following information:

Hello hard-working friends and living-landscape supporters; see the unveiling of a fast-growing Miyawaki (Tiny) Forest with a connected BIOSWALE which have been installed on Peninsula Shores District School grounds in Wiarton. a project that the Sustainability Project via Regenerate Grey Bruce, has been supporting over the past several months.

These two inter-connected living systems will act as demonstration projects to showcase how living landscapes provide countless ecosystem services compared to treeless, lawn spaces.

It’s time for the official ceremony, where funders, growers, planters, water-er’s, students, teachers, parents and countless volunteers can be recognized and celebrated….. We have made a short documentary about the project – where you can see and hear a bit more background on the project.

There's even a mini-documentary!

Bring your friends, neighbours and families. Hope to see you there!

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Carol Edwards-Harrison reports from September 10: We still have at least one juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird filling up in the garden before embarking on that long journey southward. It is a marvel how they have no one to show them the way but they know the way to go to spend the winter in warmer climes. There are still plenty of nectar-rich blooms available along with fresh sugar water. The tall zinnias and jewelweed are the current favourites along with the cardinal flower.

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The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory (BPBO) will host a Fall Open House, with everyone invited Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Tobermory, at the Bruce Peninsula National Park Visitor Centre:

We will be there all day with all kinds of activities and information. You can learn all about the BPBO, and there will be Fall bird walks, display and information, plus audio visual presentations.

For more information please visit our website where you can also get an update on the recent bird migration activity with station scientist Stéphane Menu's weekly blogs. Here is an excerpt from his latest:

There’s a saying that a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. A young Red-eyed Vireo was captured for the first time on August 31 ... four days later, on September 4, the same bird was recaptured.

In this short span of time, it increased its weight by 23.5%, a remarkable physiological feast and a sure proof that this bird is getting ready for the long and sustained effort of migration.

Fat is the preferred fuel for migrating birds, providing more energy per unit than proteins or carbohydrates.

It’s energy they need in order to fly 10 or 12 hours non-stop at night, over a series of multiple flights to reach their final winter destination.

With its bountiful energy stores (and a good measure of luck!), our young Red-eyed Vireo will fly all the way to the Amazon in Brazil, with no assistance from its parents, guided by an internal compass and clock.

Unfortunately, this bird – along with all long-distance migrants – will encounter many dangers on its way: bad weather, lack of food at stopover sites, deadly predators like Sharp-shinned Hawks or domesticated cats, collisions with windows, disorientation from artificial lights of ever-expanding cities, etc.

It’s hard not to wish them luck as they embark on this, at times treacherous, journey.

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In the past year I have been aware of the Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at York University. (BEEC) and some of their many programme offerings.

Here is a link to their website and the opening of their most recent message to me, with a link to their very interesting newsletter and their upcoming conference with a keynote speaker, all of for which you can register.

I am looking forward to looking in on more of their activities too.

Our September 2023 BEEc Newsletter - Global Edition. A reminder that BeeCon registration is only open until September 29 so don't delay in signing up to attend this hybrid event October 12-13 – it's free!

I have been pleased to finally see some Orange Jewelweed on Saturday's OSFN hike throught the Amabel Tract with Kevin Predon, and just yesterday I noticed a patch of the yellow variety, while running nearby trails.

Another favourite visual at this time of year is the Jerusalem Artichoke with its sunshiny flowers waving in the breezes.

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Rob Wray is pretty sure he's got a ruby meadowhawk dragonfly in his vewifinder, top. He's more certain about the fauns he saw southwest of Bognor earlier in July.

A couple of solo submissions with solo subjects: David Turner spots a common merganser with a view over Lake Eugenia; John Dickson contributes with a red-spotted newt in its eft stage of life, on Sauble Beach.

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To close, a Nature Quote from A Bend in the Road
by Nicholas Sparks:

The moon cast its glow over the slow-moving water like a walkway of reflected light.
With low-slung oak trees and the whitewashed trunks of cypress trees lining the banks, the view was soothing, ageless in beauty.
The draping veils of Spanish moss only added to the feeling that this part of the world hadn't changed in the last thousand years ...

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Please visit the OSFN website here.

source: OSFN