sightings April 2009

Lots happening this month! I had a very exciting morning: I've heard my first warbler of the year! It was a black-throated green warbler. I didn't see him, but his distinctive zee zee zee zoo zee! was loud and clear.

I'm posting our sightings from the April meeting, but shortly I'll be sending directions to our May meeting to emails. If you don't get the direction in your inbox by May 10, please let me know and I'll send them again. Sometimes mass emails get caught by spam filters, and I'd like to make sure everyone knows how to get to the bird banding station.

Now on to more exciting things! During the month of April, Young Naturalists saw:

• ruby crowned kinglet
• moles (hairy-tailed?)
• fox sparrow
• rabbit
• white moth
• muskrat
• deer
• cardinal
• kingfisher
• Blanding's turtle
• red-tailed hawk
• squirrel
• mourning cloak butterfly
• comma butterfly
• Milbert's tortoiseshell butterfly
• red-winged blackbird
• robin
• turkey vulture
• bloodroot
• trout lily
• wild leek
• mallard duck
• osprey
• white-throated sparrow
• field sparrow
• fairy shrimp
• wood frog

Excellent list, everyone! See you in May.

Nature Contest for youth

Hi Young Naturalists

I received an email about an art contest that might interest some of you.


Find the beauty of nature in your own backyard!
Youth are invited to submit original artwork, writing or photography in the Robert Bateman Get To Know Contest. This year’s theme is biodiversity, celebrating the connections between all living things and their environment. Contest deadline is May 27, so enter today!

The contest runs until May 27, 2009. Visit http://www.gettoknow.ca/en/kids/contest/ for more information and to submit your entry.

Save the Frogs Day

Guys! Save the frogs! This is a really interesting website that may interest you. There are a couple of contests coming up that you can enter, such as a frog art contest and a frog poetry contest. But most of all, the idea is to spread the word about how the world's frogs are struggling. Raising awareness is the first step to getting people to protect our frogs -- by protecting habitat, limiting pollution, and other important steps.

April program

All right! On Saturday we'll be having our next-to-last meeting for the year. And I won't be there! But you guys will get to have lots of fun with Marg, Heather, Pat, and Tigan and Kristina.

April's a great month to play catch up on some of the things we've been wanting to do -- like owl pellets, and visiting the pond. I believe that you guys will also get to be the second group ever to attempt the brand-new Treesure Hunt. Should be fun!

Remember to bring your sightings -- we should be getting some pretty spectacular creatures now that spring migration is going full steam ahead. I've seen bluebirds and kingfishers, great blue herons, turtles, garter snakes, and lots more this month.

So remember: 10am at the nature centre. Dress for the weather, although it is supposed to be sunny and very warm so you should be good! I am still working out details for May's outing -- our final outing of the year -- which if all goes well will be for us to get a private bird-banding demonstration at rare Charitable Research Reserve on May 30. Will let everyone know as soon as I've got details confirmed.