Although spring rains may dampen our desire to venture outside, it certainly doesn’t slow the emergence of life in the forest. The pleasant mix of mild weather coupled with the on and off rain have produced some favorable growing periods for both plant life and for some early woodland critters. Everyday that I venture outside [...]]]>  

Although spring rains may dampen our desire to venture outside, it certainly doesn’t slow the emergence of life in the forest. The pleasant mix of mild weather coupled with the on and off rain have produced some favorable growing periods for both plant life and for some early woodland critters. Everyday that I venture outside I am hearing new bird species which mave returned from a long migration down south, they return in numbers now that the days have warmed and the snow is gone.

For those of you who like to venture out in the spring on a nice hike or nature walk, you know that often the onyl thing louder than the birds are the frogs. This year is no different. Several species of frogs have already begun their elaborate courtship ritual of bellowing out peeps and chirps to attract mates and stake claim tho their preferred wet area. One species in particular is particularly vocal in the Arboretum at the moment, and that is the Wood Frog.

Wood Frogs in breeding posture known as Amplexus (photo: Tom Kingsbury)

Wood frogs are an amazing frog for several reasons; perhaps the most interesting feature of this amphibian is it’s ability to withstand freezing. It is only one of a handful of amphibians (or animals in general) which is able to allow it’s entire body to freeze during the winter months. It does this with the help of a special protein found within it’s cells. This protein acts to prevent the formation of ice crystals within the cells which if left uncontrolled would eventually lead to the cells being destroyed and liquifying the body of the frog. Because of thei amazing ability, the Wood Frog is the onyl frog which can be found in the boreal forests of Northern Canada

All wetter areas of the Arboretum lately have echoed with the call of this species which sound similar to a deep rolling chuckle. Listen to the following video by clicking on the link below. This video was shot near the end of March by Tom Kingsbury, Arboretum member and avid naturalist. The area pictured below is the quarry located adjacent to the Yellow trail near blossom corner, a temporary wetland which acts as one fo the principal breeding grounds for the Wood Frog in the spring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ2qBkgqswg

Have Fun out there!

This past Sunday (February 19th) was our annual Winterfest celebration, hosted in part by the City of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and the Morgan Arboretum. For the past three years this wonderful event filled day has been held at the Arboretum, and every year it gets better and better. Some of the events include Dog sledding, tobogganing, and [...]]]>  

This past Sunday (February 19th) was our annual Winterfest celebration, hosted in part by the City of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and the Morgan Arboretum. For the past three years this wonderful event filled day has been held at the Arboretum, and every year it gets better and better. Some of the events include Dog sledding, tobogganing, and a snow sculpture contest.

The snow sculpture contest from this past year was a huge success, many artists from all around the greater Montreal area participated and came up with some wonderful designs. In all, a total of 24 sculptures were created using giant blocks of snow which were prepared ahead of the event by the city of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. The selection of this year’s winner was not easy, we could have easily had a “top 6″ instead of a top three, but there could only be three winners. Measuring nearly a cubic metre each, all of the blocks were carefully carved, coloured and accented into this year’s top 3 and honourable mentions, here they are:

1st Place:

1st place: The Squirrel, by Cameron Daoust and family (Photo: Frans Lecluse)

2nd Place:

2nd Place: The Yellow Car, Annie Lefson and family (Photo: Frans Lecluse)

3rd Place:

3rd Place: The Dinosaur, Emma Ibrimov and family (Photo: Frans Lecluse)

Honorable Mentions:

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the participants of this event. As well, we would also like to thank the hard work of all of our volunteers that came out to help on this wonderful day. Thank you to those who came out in support of the Arboretum, and special thanks to the city of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue for helping us put this wonderful day together.

Have fun out there!

 (February 17th, 2012 until February 20th, 2012)

Attention all birders, welcome to the 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Visit the Morgan Arboretum from Friday February 17th to Monday February 20thth for our second year at participating in this event. If you can’t make it out to [...]]]> Great Backyard Bird Count

 (February 17th, 2012 until February 20th, 2012)

Attention all birders, welcome to the 15^th annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Visit the Morgan Arboretum from Friday February 17^th to Monday February 20th^th for our second year at participating in this event. If you can’t make it out to our forest, you can participate from the comfort of your own home! Anyone can take part, from youngsters to experts, if you know your birds then come on down. We will supply the tally sheets while you can supply your knowledge about birds.

Now, you might be asking why we’re doing this, well the reason is simple, to help the birds. The way this works is very easy, you can take as little as 15 minutes out of your day, the whole day or even all four days and look out your window. Count the highest number of birds of each species that you might see at any one time, this avoids the same bird being counted twice, and write them down on piece of paper.

As was mentioned earlier, this event is to help the birds. It does so by allowing researchers to have a picture of where the birds are across the continent. Because bird populations are so diverse and constantly changing, scientists need our help in order to map out the distribution of birds as well as answer many other unsolved questions. It doesn’t matter how many species of birds you see, any number of birds will help.

The way it works:

1. -Come to the Morgan Arboretum Office and ask for a tally sheet, and please bring your own pencils!
2. -Choose one of the trails that you’d like to walk, snowshoe or ski and count the highest number of birds that you might see at any one time.
3. -Once you have finished your beautiful stroll, return your tally sheet to the office or enter your sightings at ( http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ ).

If you decide to participate from home, please follow these instructions:

1. -Take as little as 15 minutes on one or more days of the event to count birds.
2. -Count the highest number of birds that you might see at any one time.
3. -Enter your sightings on the website ( http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ ).

You can find a list of the most common species of birds that are found in and around the Arboretum as well as the birds that you might see in your backyard by visiting our website (http://www.morganarboretum.org). We will be looking forward to seeing you between Friday February 17^th and Monday February 20^th so you can play your part in helping the birds.

A Downy Woodpecker, a commonly encountered feeder bird (photo: Chris Cloutier)

No registration required

Free to participate (but parking fees still apply)

Have fun out there!

Nature’s fridge, that is! In the fall, insects prepare for the long winter ahead in many different ways. Some burrow far beneath the soil, others remain in developmental stages that are tolerant of sub-zero temperatures, and other still wait out the winter as undeveloped eggs, just waiting for a warm day to hatch out and [...]]]>  

Nature’s fridge, that is! In the fall, insects prepare for the long winter ahead in many different ways. Some burrow far beneath the soil, others remain in developmental stages that are tolerant of sub-zero temperatures, and other still wait out the winter as undeveloped eggs, just waiting for a warm day to hatch out and explore the world. Some of our more social or colonial insects, such as bees, some wasps, and even ladybugs (Multicoloured Asian Lady Beetles) group together in numbers in suitable overwintering locations.

While out on a walk in early February, I made a discovery which surprised me. While snowshoeing along the Black trail, I noticed a lot of woodpecker activity in the vicinity of an old dead Hemlock. Pileated and downy woodpeckers were at the scene and were busy working on this particular tree. As I got closer, I noticed that the ground was littered with wood chips, probably left over by the busy woodpeckers, however on closer inspection, not all the pieces of wood were actually wood. Some of them were honeybees!

an old Hemlock stands with the handywork of many woodpeckers (photo: Chris Cloutier)

Honeybees will sometimes overwinter in large numbers, it is not uncommon to see worker bees remain in the nest in a state of suspended animation until spring returns. During this state however they are vulnerable to predators, in this case, hungy woodpeckers. The bees are kept frozen by the chilly temperatures, or in the woodpecker’s viewpoint, they are kept fresh and ready for the taking.

Frozen bee uncovered by woodpeckers (photo: Chris Cloutier)

Aside from this incident, I have also noticed many left-over wasp nests still lingering in the trees. Some of which are completely lacking the outer paper covering. Many would assume that since they are papery in texture that they would simply degrade with time, but the real culprits may surprise you. On quiet days you may hear rustling, the same sound that you would expect to hear on a nice autumn day, however if you look up, you might catch a glimpse of tiny birds, namely chickadees, ntuhatches, and even Jays tearing through what remains of a wasp colony. These birds have begun to recognise that food may be stored away in these dangling diner bells. The birds will eat any left over individuals that may have stayed behind to wait out the cold.

What remains of a wasp nest after having been discovered by hungry birds (photo: Chris Cloutier)

Have fun out there!

Even though the leaves are gone, wildlife observation in the canopy can still be a challenge. The birds and mammals which live here have done so for a very long time and have found ways of camouflaging themselves, and some, despite having some very vibrant colours or patterns, still find the way to elude even [...]]]>  

Even though the leaves are gone, wildlife observation in the canopy can still be a challenge. The birds and mammals which live here have done so for a very long time and have found ways of camouflaging themselves, and some, despite having some very vibrant colours or patterns, still find the way to elude even the most patient observer. This cryptic behaviour is way that these animals remain unseen by predators (although predators have come up with ways to exploit this still…a real life arms-race).

Today while taking a stroll down by the Conservation Centre to check out the feeders, I encountered many different bird species. Many fruit-eating species such as Cedar Waxwings, American Robins and European Starlings were rustling about. Purple Finches, Juncos, Chickadees, Cardinals and Mourning Doves rounded out the party of avian critters hanging around the feeders and trees which surround the building. It was only as I got closer to them that I realized how numerous they truly were. Because many of these individual birds see people regularly, they are not as timid as their more “wild” counterparts. This means that you can often get quite close without flushing them (flushing refers to the act of scaring birds from a perch). While simply scanning the branches of the trees, my initial hunch of about 20 American Robins turned into close to 80 birds. Moments later a large group Robins descended to the edge of the forest where they began busily searching through exposed leaves. These birds were sitting in a tree right above my head and I had not seen them until they flew. The total count is now over 100 American Robins for the day.

Birds such as the Mourning Dove (given the name MOURNING dove because their call sounds reminiscent of weeping) seem to simply materialize out of thin air. They are a medium sized bird, not a tiny chickadee by any means, but their motionless roosting and bland colouration allow them to often slip by without detection, even to the observant eyes of a birder. Often times mourning doves remain motionless in the trees until you get too close then they explode in a flash producing an ominous bellowing whistle as they fly as far as they can. Even after the intial flush, some will often remain in the tree from which the other fled, so be prepared to get  tiny scare twice.

A Mounring Dove remains motionless in the tree top, trying to avoid detection (photo: Chris Cloutier)

If you are interested in observing these and many other species, please Join myself and Richard Gregson for an introductory bird walk and lecture on Saturday January 7th. The presentation begins at 9:00am and the whole workshop will conclude at about 12:00. The main topics to be covered are winter adaptations of birds, as well as where to see them and how to attract birds to the home. Richard will be discussing the finer points of bird photography and equipment. After the lecture, we will head out on a short walk to visit some of the winter bird hot spots.

If you are interested in this of any other workshops, please call the main office to make a reservation at 514-398-7811

It has finally begun to look like the winter we know and love. From all of us here at the Morgan Arboretum, thank you very much for your support this year, and we hope to see you early in the new year!

Beautiful white snow covers the landscape (photo: Chris Cloutier)

All the best to you [...]]]>  

It has finally begun to look like the winter we know and love. From all of us here at the Morgan Arboretum, thank you very much for your support this year, and we hope to see you early in the new year!

Beautiful white snow covers the landscape (photo: Chris Cloutier)

All the best to you and yours!

p.s. Note that the Arboretum is closed on the following days: (December 25th, 2011 and January 1st, 2012)

With winter just around the bend, and the leaves a distant memory, some of natures hidden gems are now revealed. Looking up in the trees these days will often yield some fascinating surprises. Nests; big and small, high and low, neat and unkept. Many animals were actively busy during the spring, summer and fall preparing [...]]]>  

With winter just around the bend, and the leaves a distant memory, some of natures hidden gems are now revealed. Looking up in the trees these days will often yield some fascinating surprises. Nests; big and small, high and low, neat and unkept. Many animals were actively busy during the spring, summer and fall preparing these retreats for different uses at different times of year.

Most birds will use their nests only for the spring and summer. Often they leave the nest after their young have fledged. Several species will return to use the same nest year after year if it’s condition is still favorable for raising young. Bird nests are as unique as the birds themselves. Among a certain group of birds, the nests may look similar, but the complexity of some nests is quite astounishing. Species like swallows and swifts use saliva, mud and sticks to fashion shallow cups which they will adhere to the insides of  barns, hollow trees, chimeneys, etc. The typical nests that msot of us are familair with are often made with sticks. The materials used can vary quite a bit, and the way they are fashioned together can also be very distinct. The size of the nest varies from species to species. The nest of a hummingbird can barely hold something as large as a ping-pong ball, whereas the large platform nest of a bald eagle can easily support the weight of an average man.

Bird nest revealed (photo: Chris Cloutier)

Squirrel nests which superficially resemble large bird nests are often constructed out of leaves into the shape of a large ball. Squirrels use these treetop shelters all year round. They don’t hibernate, but it allows them a place to escape the cold on really chilly days, or to store food out of the reach of other animals.

Another large nest that you will most likely encounter belongs to a very different animal. The large papery nests are eaily seen in young forests, particulalry areas such as Pullin’s Pasture. These amazingly constructed nests are made by Paper Wasps.

Nest of Bald-Faced Hornets (photo: Chris Cloutier)

Most of the large nests (bigger than basketballs) are made by a species known as the Bald-Faced Hornet. These large members of the paper wasp family may take several years to complete these large nests. The papery appearance and texture is due to the way in which these social insects create the nests. Female workers collect building materials in the form of wood. Using their large and powerful jaws, the wasps chew tiny strips of wood off of any wooden material thet can find, whether it be a dead tree, a swing set, or a picnic table. The wood is then chewed into a pulp and mixed with saliva. This buggy form of “papier mache” then hardens to give a waterproof and papery texture to the nest.

Have fun out there, and remember to keep looking up!

CC

On Saturday the 10th, John Watson, our Forest Operations Manager is hosting a FREE workshop on how to prepare your garden [...]]]> Saturday September 10th and Sunday September 11th are two days to mark down on your calendars. The Morgan Arboretum is hosting two educational workshops, one on each day, and both should be very interesting indeed.

On Saturday the 10th, John Watson, our Forest Operations Manager is hosting a FREE workshop on how to prepare your garden and your trees for the onset of winter. John has many years of experience doing this and has offered to share his knowledge with all who attend. The workshop runs from 9:00-13:00. Please bring along your questions.

Although this activity is free, pre-registration is still required, so please give us a call at the gatehouse to sign up today! 514-398-7811

Sunday September 11th is a day to remember. This will mark the 2nd time that the Arboretum has hosted it’s “Monarch Melee” This educational activity is focused on one of North America’s most iconic wildlife symbols, the Monarch Butterfly. Chris Cloutier has prepared a wonderful event for this day, beginning with a detailed presentation on Monarch Butterfly behaviour, life history and migratory patterns. This workshop is unique in the sense that it allows visitors to get up close and personal with the monarchs themselves. One of the activities involved is “monarch tagging” which involves placing a numbered sticker on the butterfly’s wing before setting it free to continue about it’s migration. These numbered stickers are sought out in Mexico where the butterfly will overwinter, providing information to researchers about where the Monarchs came from, how long it took them to reach Mexico from here, and where they may have stopped over en route. This workshop is great for young children and adults alike. The activity begins at 9:00 and runs until noon.

There is a small fee associated with this workshop and pre-registrations is required, so please contact the gatehouse if you are interested. 514-398-7811