As a land trust, one of our responsibilities is to monitor and document the various species on the Marsh’s Falls property. We recently started using motion-sensor wildlife cameras, an amazing tool to discover what animals are present, what they do, and where they go. This past winter we used two wildlife cameras for the first time and got great results. Finding the right locations for the cameras took some time, but eventually we discovered a few good places and set the cameras to take 10-second video clips.
From December 2023 to April 2024, the cameras recorded over 3,000 video clips! Unfortunately, many clips were triggered by wind moving branches in front of the sensors. But we documented twelve mammals species and ten bird species. We also filmed a Painted Turtle basking on a log in early spring while there was still ice on the pond.
We’ve shared the best of these results in a nine-minute video on our YouTube channel. Check it out here!
Some species are easy to document, such as surveying the plant community which just requires time and expertise to walk the property and document the species. Other creatures, like butterflies and dragonflies, require observers to conduct surveys at specific times of the year when these species are flying. Birds can be seen and heard year-round, but surveys are usually conducted during the late spring when male birds are singing to establish their breeding territory. The Foundation has been conducting these surveys for several years. If
you are interested in assisting, join us for our annual Dr. Cathy Charles Bird Count on May 18 and the butterfly count on June 29.
Another technique used is observing tracks. Some species, like White-tailed Deer or Moose, can be hard to find but their tracks are unmistakable. Other animals, like fox, fisher, otter and martens are very difficult to detect. But now, thanks to our wildlife cameras, we and you can observe these species in the wild!
Join us for our annual Dr. Cathy Charles Bird Count at the Marsh's Falls Nature Reserve on Saturday, May 18, 8:00AM to noon.
Rick and Kelly Stronks have been conducting our bird counts for years and will lead us in documenting the species of birds at the Marsh's Falls property during the spring migration.
Bring rubber boots, cameras, binoculars (a few extras will be available to borrow), bug spray, and a sense of adventure. No experience required.
The purpose of the count is to document all birds present and especially any bird species potentially breeding on the property. The month of May is when many male birds, primarily through song, are trying to establish territories to attract females.
Although we try to locate and see the birds, sometimes we can only hear them. For example, Pine Siskins (photo above) have been very common in our area this winter due to the availability of cones from coniferous trees. Normally this species moves north in the spring but when there is abundant food, Pine Siskins may stay and breed. We will be paying close attention to try to find evidence of this breeding on the property.
The count involves walking much of the property while watching, listening and documenting all species. The data will be tabulated and submitted to eBird, a citizen science website used throughout the world to track birds. Check it out to see what’s been observed so far.
Not able to join us?
If you are not available to join us in person, we are also interested in the species you observe around your property on this weekend. Send your list of species toinfo@lakeofbaysheritage.ca. We will add it to our summary for the Lake of Bays area. And if you are unsure about what you are seeing or hearing, record it and send it to us. Our team of naturalists will try to identify it!
The generosity of our donors makes the Foundation's work in preserving the natural and community heritage of the Lake of Bays region possible. We have received several donations since our last report in January. We extend our thanks and appreciation to our new and renewing members and acknowledge Phil & Peggy Dezwirek, Judith Mills and Valerie & Andy Pringle who recently made significant donations.
After last year’s scary wildfires across Canada, some questions come to mind. What will happen this year? In the event of significant fire events, how might they spread and how will they get brought under control? What should cottagers do to minimize fire risk? And how to prepare for a fire event?
For answers to these and other questions, the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department
held an in-person event earlier this spring. It’s now available on YouTube here. The first part digs deep into our first questions - what’s likely to happen and how fires get fought. To cut to the chase and learn how we can protect ourselves from wildfires and their effects, just skip to minute 44:00.
For more precise information including a home self-assessment, we recommend you check outFiresmart Canada.
Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 81, Baysville, ON P0B 1A0, Canada
