THEOSPREYNature Journal of Newfoundland andLabrador
Winter 2014 Volume 45 Issue 1
NatureNewfoundland and LabradorISSN 0710-4847
ISSUE AT A GLANCE
(Left to Right from Top) The Quarterly Bug: Springtails on Mushrooms (Pg. 19), C-NLOPB Eastern
Newfoundland Strategic Environmental Assessment (Pg. 5), Nature in the Raw! (Pg. 32), Plant Galls of
Newfoundland and Labrador Part 5: Exobasidium Galls ofBlack Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) (Pg.
14), Citizen Science Programs in Newfoundland and Labrador (Pg. 35).
3 Society Matters
5 Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador
Offshore Petroleum Board Eastern
Newfoundland Strategic Environmental
Assessment
Allan Stein
1 3 Nature Newfoundland and Labrador Annual
General Meeting
Dave Innes
14 Plant Galls ofNewfoundland and Labrador
Part 5: Exobasidium Galls ofBlack
Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
Henry Mann
16 Species Placemat - Sharing Newfoundland
Beaches with the Endangered Piping Plover
Intervale Associates
18 Marine Protected Areas: Restoring our
Ocean and Rebuilding our Commercial
Fisheries
FredWinsor
19 The Quarterly Bug: Springtails on
Mushrooms
Dave Larson
22 The Night Sky and Star Charts
Fred R. Smith
25 The Fall Migration (2013) in Saint-Pierre et
Miquelon
Roger Etcheberry
32 Nature in the Raw!
Allan Stein
35 Citizen Science Programs in Newfoundland
and Labrador
The Osprey is published quarterly (winter, spring, summer and fall), both electronically and in hard copy, by Nature Newfoundland
and Labrador. Subscription is free with membership, which costs $25 annually. Opinions expressed in The Osprey are those of the
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liography (PAB), a free database available at www.library.mun.ca/qeii/cns/pab.php. Photocopies of articles can be requested by
email to [email protected].
Nature Newfoundland and Labrador (formerly the Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Lab-
rador), formed in 1910 and incorporated in 1972, is the provincial affiliate of Nature Canada, a non-
profit conservation organization whose mission is to protect and conserve wildlife and habitats in
Canada by engaging people and advocating on behalf of nature.
ISSN 0710-4847; mail registration #8302
CONTENTSWinter 2014 • The Osprey • vol 45 no 1
Front and Back Covers: Icicles on a fir tree (Photos by Sarah Penney-Belbin).
Winter 2014 1
2 The Osprey
Nature NL ActivitiesNature Newfoundland and Labrador has an Indoor Program of informed and interesting guestspeakers as well as an Outdoor and Workshop Program. Monthly indoor meetings, with publicpresentations on topics of interest, are usually held 7:30 PM on the third Thursday of themonth at an appropriate venue. There are no indoor meetings during the summer months. Theoutdoor & workshop program run year round.
We welcome the participation of all residents and visitors to the province of any age, andencourage all to participate in our programs where they feel comfortable (families, children,young adults, and senior citizens alike). Not all of our outdoor events are suitable for allpersons, however we try to offer a balanced program.
See "naturenl.ca" for up-to-date information or contact Julie Huntington [email protected]. All are welcome!
NATURE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADORBOARD OF DIRECTORS (201 4-201 5)
Executive
Co-Presidents Rita Anderson (Nature Canada Representative)
Michael Coll ins (The Rooms Coordinator)
Past-President John Jacobs
Vice President VACANT
Secretary Dave Innes
Treasurer Marjorie Evans
Directors
Doug Ballam
Chantel le Burke
Margie McMil lan
Paul Regular (Digital Media)
Allan Stein
Valued Volunteers The Osprey
Membership Secretary Carolyn Walsh Editors Sarah Penney-Belbin
Humber Representative Lois Bateman Justin So
Communications Len Zedel
Webmaster Aaron Goulding
Fish Science R. John Gibson
Programming Jul ie Huntington
The Osprey welcomes submissions from all members and interested readers.
Please refer to our submission guidel ines on page 1 .
Deep-sea corals in Newfoundland and Labrador
waters (January 16, 2014)
Dr. Evan Edinger, MUNDepartments ofGeography
and Biology
Dr. Evan Edinger’s major research interests
centre around coral reefs and environmental impacts
of human activities on them, the paleoecology of
fossil coral reefs, and the biogeography and
conservation of deep-sea corals. He spoke about
research he and his students
have been doing on these
remarkable organisms.
Arctic Invasion: The
Snowy Owl Event of 2013-
2014 (February 20, 2014)
Jared Clarke
Jared Clarke is an avid
birder and naturalist who
lives in St. John’s. Having
grown up on the northeast
coast of the Newfoundland,
Jared was introduced to the
outdoors at a very young age
– mostly by his
grandfathers. Always a
nature enthusiast, he became
interested in birds while
working for a local
conservation group and
never looked back. While
his “day job” is that of a
health researcher, he
especially enjoys sharing his passion for birds with
others and has led nature tours big and small across
the province and further afield. Jared has also served
on environmental advisory committees with both
federal and provincial governments. Jared presented
on the Snowy Owl Event of 2013-2014 where many
snowy owls were sighted in Newfoundland.
Nature Newfoundland and Labrador Annual
General Meeting (March 20, 2014)
The Nature NL Board presented on the activities
of Nature NL and the results of strategic planning
sessions. The meeting was followed by a nature
slideshow compiled from member contributions. A
full account of the meeting can be found on Page 13.
A Snowshoeing and Nature Interpretation Outing
(February 22, 2014)
Allan Stein and Michael Collins lead snowshoe
walk in Portugal Cove. The group explored some of
the forest trails towards Winsor Lake with Michael
Collins providing nature interpretation—tracks, tree
and shrub buds, birds. A full
account of the outing is
presented on Page 32.
April Talks at The Rooms:
Newfoundland Mosquitoes
and Australian Thrips
(April 16, 2014)
Dr. Tom Chapman, MUN
Biology Department
Dr. Chapman talked
about the diversity of
mosquitoes at Salmonier
Nature Park and their role in
transmitting arboviruses. He
also presented his research
on the evolution of
cooperation amongst
Australian thrips and why
it’s the kindest insects that
survive.
April Talks at The Rooms:
PlantWatch Newfoundland
and Labrador, Citizen Scientists at Work (April
17, 2014)
Madonna Bishop, MUNBotanical Gardens
Ms. Bishop talked about PlantWatch, a part of the
national NatureWatch series of volunteer monitoring
programs designed to help identify ecological
changes that may be affecting our environment, such
as climate change. ‘Citizen scientists’ watch plants
bloom in spring, record their observations, and
submit the data. Ms. Bishop showcased the spring
flowering plants in the province and PlantWatching
program.
Winter 2014 3
Society Matters
Snowy owl (Photo by FlickrUser peggycadigan)
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board
Eastern Newfoundland Strategic Environmental Assessment
By Allan SteinDirector, Nature Newfoundland andLabrador
The SEA
Recently, on March 5, 2014, the C-NLOPB
released the draft of the Strategic Environmental
Assessment for Eastern Newfoundland—hereafter
called simply the SEA— for public comment, with
the deadline ofApril 1 6, 2014. It can be accessed on
the website address: www.cnlopb.nl.ca and clicking
on “Public Consultations”.
Len Zedel and Allan Stein
have represented Nature
Newfoundland and Labrador,
NNL, on the C-NLOPB SEA
working group since its formation
in April of 2013. A SEA is not to
be confused with a project
environmental impact statement
(EIS). A SEA is a broadly-based,
systematic assessment lacking the
detailed, site specific analysis
required for a development. Its
purpose is to facilitate informed
strategic decisions regarding the
issuance of exploratory licences
for our eastern offshore. It is a
planning tool, both for the
regulatory agency, C-NLOPB,
and the industry. It forewarns
both of potential environmental
issues that may be encountered
and/or that will require
consideration in a detailed project
EIS.
A survey of the content
The study area is huge—see
the map, Figure 3.1 6. The
DRAFT REPORT, produced by
AMEC, too is huge, in excess of
600 pages (including appendices).
It includes a wealth of up-to-date
information about our offshore.
Among the topics of probable interest to naturalists
are:
Physical Environment: Geology, Bathymetry,
Climatology, Historical Ice Conditions. . .
Biological Environment: Fish and Fish Habitat,
Marine Birds and Mammals, Sensitive and Special
Areas. . .
Figure 3.16 Existing Oil andGas Licences andCurrent Call for Bids (AMEC2014).
4 The Osprey
Human Activities: Fisheries, Aquaculture,
Recreation, Transportation.. .
Clearly, it is not possible to review the massive
document in a few pages in The Osprey but we can
indicate the range of information provided. For
example, consider marine organisms. For each of
twenty benthic species, Table 4.58 lists name, habitat,
distribution, biology and ecology, and use and
importance. Table 4.59 gives spawning times for the
more commercially important ones. For deep water
corals, Table 4.61 tabulates the distribution and
density of the 37 coral species in the SEA region.
Maps show known locations for about ten species;
Figure 4.70 is an example.
Similar details are provided for commercial
species of shellfish and of nearly fifty species of
finfish. Harvest maps for redfish, Figure 4.74, and
Greenland halibut, Figure 4.80, and maps showing
taxonomic richness, Figure 4.93, illustrate that the
ocean’s productivity tends to be highest at the break
of the shelf, around sea-mounds and, for selected
species (e.g., shrimp and crab) in the colder, more
arctic northern waters off the Northern Peninsula and
Labrador.
Of course the shelf break region is also where the
oil activity has been concentrated to date. Conflicts
Table 4.58 Overview of Some Key Shellfish Species in the SEA Study Area (AMEC2014). Full table available in the Eastern
Offshore SEA.
Winter 2014 5
6 The Osprey
with the fishery and risks to corals, fish, benthic
species, marine mammals, and seabirds are greatly
increased due to sharing this common region. Risks
are increased further by the seasonality of the
activities. Late fall and winter storms and spring ice
mean petroleum related activities (seismic studies,
exploratory drilling, production field and equipment
maintenance activities) tend to be concentrated in
June-October. This is also the fishing season,
spawning season for many fish species, and a
feeding period for whale and seabird, all
concentrated in the same time and region because
that is the most productive season and biologically
rich region.
Some gaps in the SEA report and in our
knowledge:
Marine Birds andMammals
There are huge gaps in knowledge of seabirds
outside their nesting colonies. Seasonal distribution
maps are included for several species; that for storm-
petrels, Figure 4.1 07, has the densest data which
emphasises the general lack of data. Whale sighting
reports are more extensive because protocols for
seismic operations requires that a deck watch
confirm no whales are visible in the area before
operations can begin. The observers log sightings in
the area too. Figure 4.110a shows reported locations
for baleen whales; there are also figures for large
toothed whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Bird observers and observations are not
required. From the figures in the SEA, it seems most
of the reported bird sightings were from the deck of
a vessel, probably DFO Fisheries vessel on a cruise
with a different purpose likely fisheries related.
Imagine though the data that could have been
obtained for the area if experienced bird observers
were required on seismic surveys—see Figure 3.1 7
which shows the released seismic lines for the SEA
area. And consider the incremental cost of placing
an observer on board a ship already operating in the
area relative to the cost of a dedicated marine bird
survey cruise. The incremental cost to place an
observer aboard an operating survey ship would be
in the order of $100 per day, basically a bunk and
food. A DFO ship for a dedicated marine bird cruise
would cost tens of thousands of dollars per day.
Thus, at very little cost to the offshore industry, a
wealth of scientific information could be gained. Of
course, since the seismic studies are seasonal, that
data would be concentrated in summer months, and
in areas ofmost interest to the oil industry. Over the
years as the oil activity shifts, other areas would be
covered. The seasonality will be more difficult to
overcome but good data for a third of the year is
better than almost no data!
The industry should be required to accommodate
observers on seismic and service vessels for both
Table 4.58 Spawning Periods andLocations of Some Key Invertebrate Taxa (AMEC2014).
Winter 2014 7
Table 4.61 CoralOccurrence Within the SEA Study Area (AMEC2014).
marine mammals and birds. Should the company be
unable to do so, they should be required to provide
monetary support for such research by DFO and
other Federal and Provincial agencies.
8 The Osprey
Impact ofMarine Noise
Relatively little known about the impact of the
noise pollution from offshore activity upon marine
species, including finfish and crustaceans, and some
of the existing studies are ambiguous. For example,
several studies show increased catches of fish with
gillnets, others reduced catches with longlines, for
several days after seismic operations. (A possible
explanation is that the fish were spooked by the noise
and more likely to blunder into the nets but less
likely to feed.)
The effect of noise upon spawning aggregations
is also little studied but some finfish appear to use
sonic communication, using similar frequencies.
What impact does that have? Of course seismic
studies are not the only source of increased marine
noise. Shipping, drilling and other oil related
activities contribute considerable background noise.
Much work remains to be done.
Sharing/Selling Data
Duplication of seismic studies is obvious from
Figure 3.1 7. Given the uncertainty of impacts of the
sonic booms and additional ship noise on the marine
ecosystem, the sharing/sale of seismic data among
operators should be strongly encouraged. It could
markedly reduce the overall impacts. And costs!
Dumping ProducedWater
Any petroleum entering the ocean has a
cumulative effect upon the hydrocarbon load.
Sources are varied, including fuel spills and leaks
from recreational boaters, parking lot drainage,
incomplete combustion of boat engines,
lawnmowers, motorcycles, suv’s. . . . As long as we
use hydrocarbons, some will escape, adding to the
burden in the environment. Spills from the offshore
oil industry are inevitable; hopefully they will be few
and relatively small. There is however one
significant “intentional spill”, the dumping of
produced water.
Produced formation water is a co-product of oil
production, the amount of that produced water
normally increasing as the oil field is depleted.
Currently, produced water is dumped into the ocean.
It is permitted to contain 30 ppm of hydrocarbon
which sounds like very little, but over the life of the
fields the volume is huge, much higher than the
Left to right: Figure 4.70 Distribution of Corals (NAFO Zones 3MNLO) Derived from DFO RVSurveys. Figure 4.74
Distribution andAbundance of Redfish in the SEA Study Area (2005-2009 Surveys). (AMEC2014).
Winter 2014 9
volume of oil produced, hundreds of billions of litres.
The impact on the marine environment is increased
by the fact that it is the smaller aromatic
hydrocarbons which are most water soluble and
therefore selectively retained in the produced water.
These compounds, benzene, toluene and other alkyl
benzenes and phenolic and amino analogs, are also
among the most toxic components. Produced water
also contains a range of heavy metals, including
some radioactive species which are leached from
deep strata.
To maintain the field pressure and to increase
recovery of crude oil from the fields, water flooding
is employed. Sea water is injected into the
formation. Some jurisdictions prohibit the dumping
of produced water, e.g. Norway and Australia,
requiring that it be re-injected with the necessary
make-up sea water. That should be a requirement
here but the SEA is silent on that issue.
Conclusion
The SEA document contains an extensive
summary of current knowledge of our waters and
ocean floor and the species present. It will simplify
performing environmental assessments for specific
projects since much of the background work has
been done. Proponents and government bodies will
have a better idea of the possible environmental
constraints in particular areas, allowing informed
decisions about locations of licences and operations
before major expenditure. Hopefully, future project
environmental impact assessments will be less
repetitive and briefer while remaining as, or perhaps
becoming more thorough. Much general information
about the industry, the processes and the general area
is already compiled so a project EIS need only
emphasise and examine in detail the site specific
factors and required mitigation.
And you may find delving into it rewarding. Or,
considering the gaps in our knowledge, disturbing.
Should it whet your interest in the environmental
aspects of the oil industry, consider becoming
involved in NatureNL’s reviews of environmental
assessments. We review a number annually and
would welcome your participation.
Left to right: Figure 4.80 Distribution andAbundance of GreenlandHalibut in the SEA Study Area (2005-2009 Surveys).
Figure 4.93 Areas of Relatively High Taxonomic Richness as Determined by Canadian RVSurveys, 2005-2009 (Finfish and
Invertebrates) (AMEC2014).
1 0 The Osprey
Figure 4.107 SeasonalDistribution of Storm-PetrelObservations (AMEC2014).
Winter 2014 11
Left to Right: Figure 4.110a Marine MammalSightings off Eastern Newfoundland-Baleen whales. Figure 3.17 Released Seismic
Data Completed in the SEA Study Area (AMEC2014).
References
Allen, J.A. (1 963). Observations on the biology of Pandalus
montagui (Crustacea: Decapoda). Journal of the Marine
Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 43: 665-
682.
AMEC (2014) Eastern Newfoundland Strategic Environmentl
Assessment. Report prepared for the Canada-
Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board. Draft.
Bluhm, B.A., Piepenburg, D., and von Juterzenka, K. (1 998).
Distribution, standing stock, growth, mortality and
production of Strongylocentrotus pallidus (Echinodermata:
Echinodea) in the northern Barents Sea. Polar Biology. 20:
325-334.
Christian, J.R., Grant, C.G.J. , Meade, J.D., and Noble, L.D.
(2010). Habitat Requirements and Life History
Characteristics of Selected Marine Invertebrate Species
Occurring in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region
(Report no. 2925). Canadian Manuscript Report of
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
Gilkinson, K.D., Gagnon, J.M., and Schneider, D.C. (1 998).
The sea urchin Strongylocentrotus pallidus (G.O.Sars) on
the Grand Bank of Newfoundland. In Echinoderm Biology,
Balkema, Rotterdam. pp. 467-473.
Hooper, R.G. (1 986). A spring breeding migration of the snow
crab, Chionoecetes oilio (O. Fabr.) into shallow water in
Newfoundland. Crustaceana. 50: 257-264.
Hudon, C., Parsons, D.G., and Crawford, R. (1 992). Diel
pelagic foraging by a pandalid shrimp (Pandalus montagui)
off Resolution Island (Eastern Hudson Strait). Canadian
journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 49(3): 565-576.
Kenchington, E.L.R., Prena, J. , Gilkinson, K.D., Gordon Jr.,
D.C., MacIsaac, K., Bourbonnais, C., Schwinghamer, P.J. ,
Rowell, T.W., McKeown, D.L., and Vass, W.P. (2001 ).
Effects of experimental otter trawling on the macrofauna of
a sandy bottom ecosystem on the Grand Banks of
Newfoundland. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic
Sciences. 58: 1 043-1057.
LGL Limited (2012). Orphan Basin Exploration Drilling
Program Environmental Assessment: Update 2012. LGL
Rep. SA1160. Rep. by LGL Limited, St. John’s, NL, for
Chevron Canada Limited, Calgary, AB. 53 p. + appendix.
Mercier, A., Sun, Z., and Hamel, J.-F. (2011 ). Reproductive
periodcity, spawning and development of the deep-sea
scleractinian coral Flabellum angulare. Marine Biology.
1 58: 371 -380.
Murillo, F.J. , Munoz, P.D., Cristobo, J. , Rios, P., Gonzalez, C.,
Kenchington, E., and Serrano, A. (2012). Deep-sea sponge
1 2 The Osprey
grounds of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass and the Grand
Banks of Newfoundland (Northwest Atlantic Ocean):
Distribution and species composition. Marine Biology
Research. 8: 842-854.
Ollerhead L.M.N., Morgan, M.J., Scruton, D.A., and Marrie, B.
(2004). Mapping spawning times and locations for 10
commercially important fish species found on the Grand
Banks of Newfoundland. Canadian Technical Reports in
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2522: iv + 45 p.
Spetland, F., Rapp, H.T., Hoffmann, F., and Tendal, O.S. (2007).
Sexual reproduction of Geodia barretti Bowerbank, 1 858
(Porifera, Astrophorida) in two Scandinavian fjords.
Porifera research: biodiversity, innovation and
sustainability. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro 28: 61 3-620.
Sun, Z., Hamel, J.F., Edinger, E., and Mercier, A. (2010).
Reproductive biology of the deep-sea octocoral Drifa
glomerata in the Northwest Atlantic. Marine Biology. 1 57:
863-873.
Nature Newfoundland and Labrador
Annual General Meeting, March 20, 2014
By Dave Innes
Nature Newfoundland & Labrador (NatureNL)
held its AGM on March 20, 2014. Reports were
presented following acceptance of the minutes from
the 2013 AGM. Past-President, John Jacobs,
reported that current membership consists of
approximately 65 members and institutional
subscriptions, about the same as the previous year.
Over the past year, activities included a regular
program with monthly public meetings, collaboration
with The Rooms to present public presentations and
Nature Nook activities as well as outdoor activities to
view local nature. Public consultations included
reviewing and commenting on environmental
assessments on petroleum projects and forestry issues
including Forest District 1 planning. NatureNL
continues to collaborate with Important Bird Areas
(IBA), the Sandy Pond Alliance and Nature Canada.
Other collaborations include the Salmonid
Association of Eastern Newfoundland and the
Northeast Avalon Atlantic Coastal Action Program
(NAACAP) on re-vegetation and restoration of urban
rivers. NatureNL also awards the annual WildThings
Scholarship to recognize efforts of a student whose
volunteer activities help conserve and enhance nature
in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Treasurer, Marjorie Evans, presented the
financial statement for Jan. 1 , 2013 – Dec. 31 , 2013.
Osprey Editor, Sarah Penney-Belbin, presented
highlights for the issues published over the past year
including the Don Steele tribute issue (14[4]).
A NatureNL Strategic Planning (organized by
Rita Anderson, Carolyn Walsh, Michael Collins, and
Margie McMillan) meeting was held on Jan. 25,
2014 and included most of the board members. A
report was prepared and one suggestion was the
establishment of Working Committees consisting of
1 . Membership; 2. Fundraising; 3 . Programming
(Indoor, Outdoor); 4. Watch Dog/Oversight; 5.
Publicity/Communications; and 6. Osprey Editors.
Any NatureNL member is encourage to volunteer on
any of the working committees. Results for the
elections of the NatureNL Board and Volunteers
(2014 – 2015):
President - VACANT
Past-pres. - John Jacobs
Vice-pres. - VACANT
Treasurer - Marjorie Evans
Secretary - Dave Innes
Members at Large: Volunteers:
Doug Ballam Julie Huntington
Margie McMillan Len Zedel
Allan Stein Carolyn Walsh
Rita Anderson John Gibson
Paul Regular
Chantelle Burke Osprey editors:
Michael Collins Justin So
Sarah Penney-Belbin
A delightful slideshow of nature images followed
the business meeting.
Winter 2014 1 3
1 4 The Osprey
Plant Galls of Newfoundland and Labrador Part 5:
ExobasidiumGalls of Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
By Henry Mann
Most individuals who frequent our peatlands
will already have a familiarity with the fungal
genus Exobasidium even if they have never seen or
heard the name before. Throughout Newfoundland,
small reddish to pink shrubby shoots can regularly be
noticed in bogs (Figure 1 ). A close inspection will
sometimes reveal that what appears to be a separate
plant is actually a branch of a common peatland
shrub, bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia). The
normal leaves of bog rosemary are characteristically
narrow, blue-green, firm-leathery, and veiny above,
but the reddish leaves are broad, soft and fleshy.
These reddish shoots are infected by the parasitic
fungus Exobasidium karstenii and are considered a
type of leaf gall where the fungal species causes
structural growth changes in its host.
On July 10, 2013 I had the opportunity to wander
over a large expanse of slope bog east of the Trans-
Canada Highway (TCH) near the Robinson’s exit in
western Newfoundland. Both of our huckleberries,
black huckleberry (G. baccata) and dwarf
huckleberry (G. bigeloviana), were present and in
bloom (Figures 2 and 3). Reddish abnormal shoots
(Figure 4) as well as unusually enlarged flower/fruit
structures (Figure 5) were noted on scattered G.
baccata, but not on G. bigeloviana. Although red leaf
galling is common on bog rosemary, this is the first
time I have noticed it on huckleberries.
Exobasidium is a parasitic fungus belonging to
the same group as the mushrooms, the
Basidiomycetes. However, this genus does not
produce a mushroom-like fruiting body; instead, it
forms white powdery surfaces which produce the
spores on host plants. These whitish surfaces can be
seen on the galled huckleberry shoot of Figure 6 and
also on the abnormal flower/fruit of Figure 5. In
Newfoundland, Exobasidium especially parasitizes
our heaths, members of the Family Ericaceae, which
include the blueberries and their relatives. The heath
leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), can also
occasionally be seen with red leaf gall (Figure 7). In
some heaths, leaf and fruit galls are not produced,
only spots or surface areas of infection.
Some older literature suggests that a single
species (Exobasidium vaccinii) in its several variants
is responsible for the galls of many different
ericaceous shrubs and that the type of gall that is
produced is determined by the plant host, not the
parasitizing fungus. More recently, European
literature considers the fungus to be very host
specific and each ericaceous species is infected by a
separate species of Exobasidium. So E. karstenii
infects bog rosemary, E. oxycocci infects marshberry,
E. cassandrae infects leatherleaf, E. vaccinii infects
Figure 1. Red galling ofbog rosemary; normal green
leaves can be seen at the left.
Figure2.Blackhuckleberryinbloom.
Selected Sources
Burt, E.A. 1915. The Thelephoraceae of North America IV: Exobasidium. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 2:
627-656.
Brannen, P., H. Scherm, B. Cline, and D. Ingram. 2011 . Exobasidium fruit and leaf spot: An emerging concern on
blueberries in the southeast. Small Fruit News 11 (4): 1 -4.
Ing, B. 2001 . Exobasidium. Available at http://fungus.org.uk/nwfg/ingmay01 .htm.
Nannfeldt, J.A. 1 997. Class Ustilaginomycetes. In: Hansen, L. and H. Knudsen. 1 997. Nordic Macromycetes, Vol. 3 .
Nordsvamp, Copenhagen, Denmark.
partridgeberry, E. expansum infects alpine bilberry,
and so forth. However, even some current authors
indicate that E. vaccinii is a “species complex”
which means a group of closely related fungi of
uncertain designation as to whether it is a single
species with several varieties, or a series of separate
species. For the non-specialist and the naturalist all
this naming uncertainty can be confusing, but it is
only the same
conundrum as old as
taxonomy itself:
whether to split or to
lump. Fortunately,
naturalists need not be
concerned with such
detail and can leave it
up to the experts to
eventually make up
their minds.
The species of the
Exobasidium complex
responsible for the
galls on our black
huckleberry will have
to be determined or
opined by a specialist, but generally the coloured
abnormal shoots on heaths can readily be noticed and
attributed to this fungal genus. Exobasidium-induced
galls in addition to those mentioned in this article
may potentially also be found on other members of
our Heath Family. Look for them and let The Osprey
know of your finds at [email protected].
Not many plant galls of fungal origin are known
for Newfoundland,
but another
common group of
juniper galls with
alternate hosts on
members of the
Rose Family
(chuckleypears,
dogberries, apples,
etc.) are produced
by the fungus
Gymnosporangium
. Illustrated articles
on these can be
viewed on the Foray Newfoundland and
Labrador (FNL) website, in Omphalina Vol. 3 (10),
2012. http://www.nlmushrooms.ca.
Figure 3. Dwarf huckleberry in
bloom.
Figure 4. Typical galled shoot of
black huckleberry.
Figure 5. Abnormal flower/fruit
galled structure; normal immature
developing fruits to left.
Figure 6. Galled black
huckleberry shoot with white
spore producing surface.
Figure 7. Exobasidium galls of
leatherleaf.
Winter 2014 1 5
This month's species
placemat features the
Piping plover. This
species is one of 14 bird
species at risk in our
province. You can help
this species by taking care
not to disturb nests while
visiting beaches.
Placemat is reprinted
with permission from
Intervale Associates.
1 6 The Osprey
Winter 2014 1 7
1 8 The Osprey
Marine Protected Areas:Restoring our Ocean and Rebuilding our Commercial Fisheries
By FredWinsor (PhD. NorthwestAtlantic fisheries history)
St. John's, NL March 2014
The modern day concept of Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs) has its origins in New Zealand in
the mid 1960's, when the operators of a local marine
biological research station were able to convince the
New Zealand government to establish an MPA
nearby that prohibited all fishing activity.
There was opposition from local fishermen who
viewed it as an average fishing area. Remarkably, the
New Zealand government sided with the marine
biologists, permitting the establishment of a no-take
or no fishing zone.
Unfettered by fishing activity, the ocean habitat
in the closed areas recovered at an astounding rate
that, within a few years, exceeded all expectations.
However, despite the overwhelming evidence of
ocean habitat and ocean food web recovery,
including major commercial species, it took the New
Zealand proponents of MPAs 15 years before they
could get another area closed. Today, New Zealand
has over 100 locations, covering over one million
square kilometres of ocean, set aside to permit ocean
habitat recovery.
Similarly the United States, after trying with
mixed success to establish Marine Reserves in the
mid-1960s, moved ahead in the early 1990s to
establish no fishing zones in areas off New England
as far north as Georges Bank. Within a few years the
Americans experienced measurable ocean habitat
recovery and commercial fisheries recovery. They
followed up on this experience and since then have
closed many areas in the Pacific off the continental
United States, off Alaska, and off Hawaii, to the
point where they have set aside approximately four
million square kilometres of ocean for habitat
recovery and protection. Commercial fish stocks
have recovered well under this management regime.
In the late 1990s the Norwegians began
experiencing large catches of small cod – fish
unsuitable for their international markets. Almost
immediately the Norwegian government, through its
Fisheries Department, stepped in and closed the
fishery in that area. Over the next ten years the
Norwegian government identified and closed a
number of areas off their coast and in the Barents
Sea. By 2010, they had closed 1 .1 million square
kilometres of ocean. During that ten-year period, cod
stocks off Norway and Russia recovered under this
protection. In 2010, the cod quota for that part of the
Northeast Atlantic was set at 750,000 metric tonnes –
the highest in decades.
Unfortunately, Canada has maintained a dismal
performance in managing its jurisdiction in the
Northwest Atlantic. Such failures include: not
adhering to international marine conservation
agreements, not taking steps to protect sensitive
ocean habitats inside and outside the Canadian
economic zone, and failing to develop sustainable
commercial fishery rebuilding and recovery
strategies through the establishment of no-take zone
MPAs.
While the countries mentioned above, and others,
strive to attain the internationally agreed goal of
having 10% of the ocean under their jurisdiction
closed to some form of protection, Canada has yet to
reach the one per cent mark.
When the initial agreement was signed as part of
the Kyoto Accord some 20+ years ago, Canada
ranked 66th among countries establishing MPAs.
Today, Canada's rank has fallen to 100th in that
group. Similarly, in 2009 the World Economic Forum
ranked Canada 125th out of 127 countries in fisheries
management practices.
In 1991 , a report titled “The effects of trawling,
dredging, and ocean dumping on the eastern
Canadian continental shelf seabed,” Continental
Shelf Research Journal, pp.1 237-1263, Aug.-Oct.
1 991 , estimated that bottom contact gear, such as
bottom trawling and scallop dredging, criss-crossed
Canada's continental shelf from Georges Bank in the
southwest to Saglek off northeastern Labrador,
covering a distance of approximately
4,300,000 kilometers in one year - the equivalent of
five round trips to the moon. At this time (1991 ),
Winter 2014 1 9
industrial bottom contact fishing had been ongoing
since the late 1940s/early 1950s. The evidence
presented in the 1991 study most likely pales in
comparison to the massive foreign fishing activity in
the 1960s and 1970s leading up to the declaration of
the 200 mile limit in 1977.
Despite six decades of conspicuous overfishing,
Canada has done very little to protect and rebuild the
marine environment by establishing MPAs. To date,
the sites that have been identified and set aside fall
within recent independent scientific findings, and do
not really protect those areas of abundance and
biodiversity. Such areas, if closed to fishing activity,
could foster ocean and commercial fisheries
recovery. Unfortunately, it appears that we do not
have the necessary legislation, administrative
structure, and transparency to create those
circumstances. Instead we are left with political
lobbying, short-term unsustainable national
solutions, and lobbyist-organized back room
meetings with Federal fisheries ministers.
None of these have ever served Canada's oceans
and coastal communities in a positive way.
Sincerely
Fred Winsor PhD.
(Northwest Atlantic fisheries history)
Conservation Chair
Sierra Club Canada
Atlantic Canada Chapter
St. John's, Newfoundland
The Quarterly Bug
Springtails on Mushrooms
By Dave [email protected]
Springtails on mushrooms
The photographs of bugs on mushrooms introduce
us to the realm of the microarthropods. Those in
the photographs are springtails (Arthropoda, class
Collembola), curious little six-legged arthropods that
look like small insects, but probably shouldn't be
classified as insects as they differ in a number of
important features. Specifically, all springtails are
small, they are primitively flightless, the mouthparts
are withdrawn into the head (entognathous as
opposed to ectognathous in insects), and the
abdomen has a reduced number of segments (six as
opposed to 11 in true insects) as well as several
peculiar features including: a ventral tube
(collophore) on segment 1 , a springing or leaping
organ on segments 3 and 4 (hence the name
springtail), and has only a simple genital pore
lacking the sexual structures of true insects. The
spring of springtails consists of a forked structure on
the underside of abdominal segment 4 that can be
tucked up under the abdomen and latched in place by
20 The Osprey
a couple of hooks on segment 3. The latches can be
released and the spring slams down on the surface on
which the springtail is sitting, catapulting the animal
into the air. This is an escape reaction that may not
have much directional control, but it certainly gets
the animal out of harm's way in a hurry.
The photographs show specimens with the two
main body forms of springtails. Most (subclass
Arthropleona) are elongate with the three evident
body regions of typical insects: head, thorax which
bears the legs, and a distinctly segmented abdomen.
Members of the other group (subclass
Symphypleona) have a globular body with the thorax
and abdomen more or less one mass and the
abdomen lacks clear segmentation, except for the
apical two segments which form small bumps. The
Arthropleona, with the longer body, are generally
burrowers living in soil and litter, whereas the
Symphypleona occur more on open surfaces such as
on top of the ground, on plants, logs or mushrooms.
Springtails range in adult length from 0.25 to 6.0
mm, although most Newfoundland species are in the
range of 0.5 to 3.0 mm. Their small size and a
general lack of good water-proofing means these
animals have to live in moist environments such as
the soil and surface litter zones, amongst moss and
lichens, or on moist surfaces such as bark,
mushrooms, etc. The larger and more colorful
species occur more in the open, such as on plants or
on the surface of fallen logs and leaves.
The mouthparts are termed entognathous because
they sit within a cavity on the front or underside of
the head. The mandibles can't swing out to produce
a bite; rather, they work up and down like little picks
and are used to lance the walls of fungal mycelia or
algae, or to pick away at organic films on the surface
of decaying material, logs or even rocks.
Individually, the feeding of a single springtail can't
accomplish a lot, but their populations can be
immense - in the millions per hectare - so that the
cumulative effect of all their picking and prying is
the gradual reduction of large particles to dust and
feces. We are familiar with the role of earthworms in
the breakdown of organic material in the soil and
their importance in releasing nutrients for recycling
through the ecosystem. Springtails do for cool and
wet soils, such as are found in the boreal and arctic
regions, what earthworms do in temperate soils.
Thus, that lovely black boreal forest soil is actually
springtail feces and feeding residues. I think of
springtails as God's millers, for this quote describes
their role very nicely:
“Though the mills ofGod grind slowly, yet
they grind exceedingly small;
Though with patience He stands waiting, with
exactness grinds He all.”
~Longfellow translation ofVon Logau
A question deriving from the photographs is how
close is the association between springtails and
mushrooms? Knowledge of the feeding habits of
springtails is meager but it seems likely that there is
little specificity in food selection, at least as far as
the fruiting bodies of fungi are concerned.
Springtails have limited powers of dispersal and are
Springtails on mushrooms - close-up view (top and
bottom)
unable to follow a food resource that is ephemeral
and erratic in occurrence. There are many species of
springtails (Christiansen and Bellinger 1998); 412
have been recorded from Canada and Alaska
(Skidmore 1995), and 72 species just within old
growth balsam fir forests of Newfoundland
(Puvanendran et al. 1 997). However, this diversity
seems to be related to physical/chemical
characteristics of the habitat such as moisture, soil
particle type, depth in soil, etc. , rather than related to
the distribution of a particular host. However, with
more careful study, especially into the relationships
between springtails and the soil microflora (in the
broad sense, including fungi, bacteria, algae, etc.),
there will certainly be some surprising relationships
discovered. A comprehensive review of what is
known of Collembolan biology is given by Hopkin
(1997), but Evans (1968) is an excellent place to
start to get an appreciation of what springtails do.
Evans (1968) wrote during the days of the space race
to show how wonderful our Earth is and why our
efforts and resources would be well rewarded if spent
exploring the wonders of the worlds hidden at our
feet.
References
Christiansen, K. and P. Bellinger. 1 998. The
Collembola of North America north of the Rio
Grande. A taxonomic analysis. Parts 1 - 4.
Grinbell College, Grinnell, Iowa. 1 520 pp.
Evans, H.E. 1 968. Life on a little known planet.
Dutton. N.Y.
Hopkin, S.P. 1 997. The biology of springtails,
Insecta: Collembola. Oxford Univerity Press,
New York.
Puvanendran, D.C., D.J. Larson and I. Thomson.
1 997. Collembola (Arthropoda) of balsam fir
forests of western Newfoundland. Canadian
Entomologist 1 29: 505 - 517.
Skidmore,. R.E. 1 995. Checklist of Collembola
(Insecta: Apterygota) of Canada and Alaska.
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of
Ontario 126: 45 - 76.
Winter 2014 21
Springtail "Purple people eater"
The difference between the right word and the almost rightword is the difference between lightning and a lightningbug.
~Mark Twain
22 The Osprey
By FredR. Smith
Winter 2014 23
24 The Osprey
In the past, this has included:• Being a Nature NL Docent; • Leading outdoor activities;
• Giving nature talks; • Writing articles forThe Osprey;
• Executive activities; • Environmental advocacy;
• andmore. . . See www.naturenl.ca formore details.
Do you enjoy the outdoors? Are you excited about the natural world? Would youlike to share that passion for the environment with others?
Nature Newfoundland and Labrador is looking for volunteers to help with theirongoing programs and partnerships.
Nature NL Call for Volunteers
Tuck-Walters Award
The Tuck-Walters Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding and enduring
contributions to the advancement of natural history appreciation and protection in Newfoundland and
Labrador, outside the parameters of their employment responsibilities. The award is discretionary – it
does not have to be given out every year. On the other hand, it may be given to more than one recipient
if the Nominating Committee feels this is appropriate.
For more information or to make a nomination for the Tuck/Walters Award, contact:
William Montevecchi, Chair
Tuck/Walters Awards Committee
e-mail: [email protected]
This award is named in memory ofDr. Leslie M. Tuck and Captain Harry Walters. Dr. Les Tuck was
Newfoundland’s first Dominion Wildlife Officer, and Harry Walters was the Director of the
Newfoundland Rangers Force. Following Confederation with Canada, Dr. Tuck headed the Canadian
Wildlife Service in the province – a position he held for more than twenty-five years. In the latter part of
his long and distinguished career, Dr. Tuck held the L. J. Paton Research Professorship in the
Psychology Department ofMemorial University. He was instrumental in the reactivation ofthe Natural
History Society in the 1950′s. Captain Harry Walters served for many years as the Head of the
NewfoundlandWildlife Division, which he was instrumental in establishing.
Both Walters, working provincially, and Tuck, working federally, were instrumental in establishing
our province’s first seabird reserves (Funk Island, Cape St. Mary’s, Witless Bay, and Hare Bay) and the
former Avalon Wilderness Area. Their combined efforts put natural history awareness, protection and
appreciation on a solid footing in Newfoundland and Labrador. Although they were employed in
resource conservation and management careers, their enthusiasm and dedication transcended their
duties, and it is for these qualities that Nature Newfoundland and Labrador has chosen to honor their
memory with this award.
Winter 2014 25
The Fall migration (2013) in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
By RogerEtcheberry
Red-throated Loon: The last two were off the west
coast of the isthmus on September 23 (RE).
Common Loon: Two were off the west coast of
Langlade on August 1 and one was heard off the west
coast ofMiquelon on August 7 (RE). None until
August 23 where two were off the Isthmus (RE).
Very few reports then to the end of the period.
Pied-billed Grebe: One bird was in St. Pierre
between November 3 and November 5 (JD/PB).
Northern Fulmar: More than 20 birds were south of
St. Pierre on October 1 and 7 (JD). 2 to 3 birds were
between Miquelon and Fortune on November 8 (RE).
Hundreds were present about 20 miles south of Saint-
Pierre on November 10 (JD/RE).
Greater Shearwater: Reported as quite common in
August at sea around the islands (JD). Few reported
in September and October. One or two only were
south of St. Pierre on November 10 (RE/JD).
Sooty Shearwater: Same comments as above. A
few were between Miquelon and Fortune on October
18 (RE). Last seen a maximum of 3, about 20 miles
south of St. Pierre on November 10 (JD/RE).
Manx Shearwater: More than 50 birds were at sea
near Colombier islands on August 1 (RE) and
reported as common around the islands throughout
the month ofAugust by JD. Several dozens were
present a few miles west ofBrunette island on
August 14 (RE). Is the bird nesting there ? About 15
were still around Colombier islands on September 19
and 22 (JD). One was south of St. Pierre on October
1 and 11 (JD).
Leach’s Storm-Petrel: Quite common south of St.
Pierre in August and September while two only were
seen on October 1 (JD).
Northern Gannet: Reported as quite common
around the islands throughout the month ofAugust
(JD). 1 5 were offColombier island on September 19
and 5, same area, on September 22 (JD). Between 5
and 10 were reported a few times south of St. Pierre
between September 25 and November 10 (JD).
Double-crested Cormorant: About 40 birds were
seen around the village ofMiquelon in August and
September (RE). About a dozen were at Grand
Barachois on September 19 and a few on October 1 3
(RE).
Great Cormorant: About 40 birds were on the
cliffs ofCape Miquelon on August 1 (RE). About 20
were in the S. part of St. Pierre on August 3 (PB) and
more than 50 on Little Colombier island on August
12 (JD).
Great Blue Heron: One bird was in St. Pierre on
August 30 (LJ).
Green Heron: One bird was in St. Pierre between
September 6 and 8 (PB/PHA).
Canada Goose: 83 birds were on the sand banks of
Grand Barachois on August 1 (NM) and 84 on
August 31 (RE). 4 birds only were there on
September 25 (LJ). Our present population reaches
its northern limit here and migrate south in the fall.
Eurasian Wigeon: One bird was in St. Pierre from
November 15 to the end of the period (PB).
American Wigeon: 5 birds were in St. Pierre on
October 7, then six to November 9 (PB). 3 were near
the village ofMiquelon on November 26. 2 Wigeon
sp. were also there on November 12 (RE).
American Black Duck: 91 birds were already on
Grand Barachois on August 1 (RE),while a brood of
9, aged about 2 weeks was seen in St. Pierre the
same day (LJ). Highest numbers in the lagoon as
follows: August: 290, September: 682, October:
1 081 , November: 993 (RE).
Mallard: One male was at Grand Barachois on
August and September were OK, October and November quite windy. The season was considered by most
observers as “uneventful”, nevertheless we had one new species and a new breeding record. There was an
obvious lack ofobservations as far as Sandpipers and Plovers are concerned. There were very few Finches.
26 The Osprey
October 30 (RE).
Blue-winged Teal: At least one was in St. Pierre on
October 20 (PB).
Northern Pintail: Two were in St. Pierre on August
4 and October 7 (PB). There was a maximum of 7 or
8 birds with the blacks at Grand Barachois on
October 1 3 (RE). Two males and 2 females were in
St. Pierre between November 1 and 27 (PB).
Green-winged Teal: Fairly common and well
reported throughout the season (m. ob.).
Ring-necked Duck: One male was in St. Pierre from
October 8 to Oct. 1 0 (LJ) and one also in St. Pierre
on October 19 (PB).
Greater Scaup: The first ones (11 ) appeared on
Mirande lake on October 7 and built up slowly to
about 50 on October 27 (RE/LJ). 3 were in St. Pierre
on November 18 (PB) and another was reported in a
different spot between November 17 and 21 (PB).
About 80 birds were at Grand Barachois on
November 24 (LJ).
Common Eider: The first report was for about 250
birds off St. Pierre on October 8 (LJ) and about 400
on October 12 (LJ). Few other reports !
Harlequin Duck: The first birds (9) were off St.
Pierre on October 12 (LJ). 2 males were off the west
coast ofMiquelon on October 22 (LJ). 5 were
between St. Pierre and Langlade on October 30
(PHA). There was a maximum of 81 in St. Pierre on
November 15 (LJ).
Surf Scoter: Two birds were off St. Pierre on
October 12 (LJ) and one female or immature off the
west coast ofMiquelon on October 30 (RE).
White-winged Scoter: Seen as usual east ofMirande
lake, where a maximum of only 30 was there on
October 11 (RE) while LJ had about 20 off the N.E.
coast ofLanglade the same day. 6 were off St. Pierre
on October 12 (LJ) and one on November 6 (PB).
Black Scoter: Unusually reported only for St.
Pierre: 43 off the west coast on October 12 (LJ) and
2 off the south-west coast on October 29 (PB).
Long-tailed Duck: The first migrants (2) were off
Miquelon harbour on October 22 (LJ). One was in St.
Pierre harbour on November 6 and 2 on November
17 (PB). No other report !
Common Goldeneye: About 20 were at Grand
Barachois on October 30 (RE). 6 were in St. Pierre
on November 6 (LJ) and about 110 at Grand
Barachois on November 26 (RE).
Red-breasted Merganser: Common, about as usual.
There was a maximum of about 100 at Grand
Barachois on October 30 and some off the east and
west coast ofMiquelon throughout the season. As
usual, very few were seen in St. Pierre.
Osprey: One was near Mirande lake on September
29 (RE), one was in St. Pierre on October 6 (PB) and
one near the village ofMiquelon around November
20. This is a record late for the island where the latest
fall observation dates back to October 21 , 2006.
Bald Eagle: One nest on a cliff of SW Langlade
seemed in good shape, with one adult present on
August 1 . One adult was near the east coast of
Langlade also on August 1 (RE).
Northern Harrier: Well reported, 1 6 times between
August 20 and November 26, one bird at a time,
mostly in St-Pierre. This is where most of the
observers are!
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 9 reports only, from
September 28 on (m. ob.). One individual at a time,
twice in Langlade, twice in Miquelon and 5 in St.
Pierre.
Northern Goshawk: Two in flight near the W. coast
ofLanglade on August 1 8 (NM) were probably the
ones nesting in that area. One was heard in cape
Miquelon on October 10 (RE). One was seen near
Mirande lake, and another one a few km to the north
on November 5 (RE). One was in St. Pierre on
November 16 (JD).
RED-TAILED HAWK: One bird was seen and
photographed (from above and below) in Cape
Miquelon by FD on November 19 :
http://www.spmaviavis.com/discus/messages/1 5/575
4.html?1 386029744. This is a new species for us !
Rough-legged Hawk: Two were on the S. part of
Miquelon on November 16 (FD). One was in St.
Pierre on November 23 (PHA/JD).
American Kestrel: One report only, on bird in St.
Pierre on September 18 (LJ).
Merlin: 5 reports only, one bird at a time, between
September 8 and October 12, in Miquelon, St. Pierre
and the Isthmus. On the low side, reflecting the
dwindling ofmany passerine species.
Peregrine Falcon: A fairly early one was in St.
Pierre on August 1 5 (PB). 7 other reports between
October 6 and the end of the period, one bird at a
time, all in St. Pierre except one at Langlade on
October 26 (LJ).
Sora: Although a suspected breeder on the Isthmus,
the nesting was confirmed this year, and for St.
Pierre: The adults, present since June 6, and two
young, aged a few days, were first seen in St. Pierre
on August 1 (LJ) and subsequently with 3 young, up
to August 22 (PHA). One bird was seen about I km
from this nesting site on September 18 (LJ).
American Coot: Rare this fall, one bird only was
seen in St. Pierre on November 4 (LJ).
Black-bellied Plover: Fairly common, about as usual
and unfortunately not reported for the isthmus where
it was certainly present in numbers. About 100 birds
were near the village ofMiquelon on August 1 3 and
about 1 50 on August 19. Three or 4 were near the
village on October 1 3, then none until the last one
seen there on November 5 (RE).
American Golden Plover: Certainly underreported !
1 2 were in St. Pierre on September 22 and 4 on
September 28 (JD). 4 were also in St. Pierre on
October 9 (LJ). One only was near the village of
Miquelon on October 1 3 (RE).
Semipalmated Plover: Fairly common, about as
usual, arriving in mid-summer (RE/PHA/PB). Last
seen, one in St. Pierre on November 9 (PB).
Killdeer: One bird was in St. Pierre on September 14
(PB).
Greater Yellowlegs: Fairly common throughout
most of the season, seen in usual sites regularly, no
concentration reported, possibly for lack of
observations. Last seen, one in St. Pierre on
November 3 and Nov. 7. (LJ/PB).
Lesser Yellowlegs: The first ones arrived in early
July. Four were on the NW corner ofGrand
Barachois on August one (RE). 7 or 8 birds were in
St. Pierre on August 11 (PB). Few other sightings,
none reported after August 1 3 where 2 were near the
village ofMiquelon (RE).
Solitary Sandpiper: All reports for St. Pierre: One
on August 25 (LJ); one on September 14, 1 5 and 19
(LJ).
Spotted Sandpiper: One report only, one bird in St.
Pierre on September 12 (LJ).
Whimbrel: About 90 birds were near the village of
Miquelon on August 3 (RE). 26 were in St. Pierre on
August 20 (PB). The last two reports are for St.
Pierre: 2 birds on September 16 and one on October
9 (LJ).
Hudsonian Godwit: This uncommon species is
usually reported for Miquelon and the Isthmus. There
was no reports for St. Pierre until LJ found one in St.
Pierre on September 19. 6 other reports, all for the
Isthmus for a maximum to 8 individuals
photographed by Ph. Lahiton on October 20.
Ruddy Turnstone: The first ones arrived in late July.
A few here and there in August for a maximum of
about 50 birds near the village ofMiquelon on
August 7 and only about 20 the next day (RE). 30
birds were in St. Pierre on August 16 and only 10 on
Aug. 21 (PHA). None reported later than August,
probably for lack of observation.
Red Knot: 1 2 were on the W. shore ofGrand
Barachois on November 22 (LJ) and 20 on
November 26 (RE).
Sanderling: The first one was reported for St. Pierre
on August 14 (PB). 3 or 4 were on the W. shore of
Grand Barachois on October 5 (RE) and 2, same area
on November 24 (LJ).
Semipalmated Sandpiper: A few here and there
between August 1 and August 31 (PB/PHA/RE).
Least Sandpiper: One was in St. Pierre on August 4
(PB), a few on the shore of the salt pond near the
village ofMiquelon on August 7 and 2 on August 1 3
(RE). 5 were in St. Pierre on August 21 (PHA).
White-rumped Sandpiper: This is the only species
fairly well reported from August 1 to November 28
in fairly good numbers, in Miquelon, St. Pierre and
the Isthmus (PB/RE/JD/LJ).
Pectoral Sandpiper: One bird was on the Isthmus
on September 25 (LJ); 5 in St. Pierre on October 8
(LJ) and 13 (PB) and two only on October 14 (PHA).
Purple Sandpiper: The first birds (6) were seen in
St. Pierre by JD on November 1 while the average
Winter 2014 27
28 The Osprey
arriving date is November 17. About 20 were, also in
St. Pierre, on November 6 (PB) and 6 on November
28 (JD).
Dunlin: 6 were at Grand Barachois on September 6
(LJ) while the average arriving date is Sept. 1 8. One
was on the S. part of the Isthmus on September 20
(PB). Then seen regularly although certainly
underreported. There was a maximum of 53 birds at
Grand Barachois on October 22 (LJ), one of them
was wearing a band.
Stilt Sandpiper: One bird was in St. Pierre on
August 25 (PHA/PB).
Short-billed Dowitcher: The first ones arrived in
early July this year ! One was in St. Pierre on August
4 and 2 on August 31 (PB). Three were near the
village ofMiquelon on August 31 and 29 at Grand
Barachois on September 6 (LJ).
Wilson’s Snipe: A few here and there, about as usual
(m. ob.). None reported in November.
Red-necked Phalarope: Reported as quite common
at sea, south of St. Pierre in August; one only was
seen there on September 25 (JD). One was near the
SW coast of St. Pierre on October 7 and 8 (LJ).
About 30 were at sea S. of St. Pierre on October 11
(JD). One bird was near the east coast ofMiquelon
on October 27 (LJ).
Red Phalarope: Reported as quite common by JD, at
sea, south of St. Pierre in August. Ten birds were near
Colombier island on September 19 (JD).
Great Skua: One bird was at south of St. Pierre on
October 1 (JD/RE).
Pomarine Jaeger: 3 birds were south of St. Pierre on
October 1 (JD).
Black-headed Gull: Apparently few birds were
present this fall: One was off the N.E. coast of
Langlade on October 11 (JD). One was in St. Pierre
on October 19 and 26 (JD/PB).
Bonaparte’s Gull: One juvenile was in St. Pierre
from August 30 to September 1 (PB).
Ring-billed Gull: Common, about a usual although
not reported except one juvenile in St. Pierre on
October 28 (PB).
Herring Gull: There was an unusual high number of
7 to 800 birds on the salt pond near the village of
Miquelon on October 16 (RE).
Iceland Gull: Two early immature were present near
the village ofMiquelon on October 16 while the next
ones, adults and immature, were on the NW coast of
Cape Miquelon on November 5 (RE). A few adults
and immature were about 20 miles south of St. Pierre
on November 10 (RE).
Caspian Tern: Three birds were in St. Pierre on
August 14, and one only on August 1 8 (PB).
Common Tern: About 1 5 were north ofColombier
island on September 19 (JD).
Arctic Tern: Same as above (JD).
Dovekie: The first migrants were seen the same day
in Miquelon with about a dozen off the east coast of
Miquelon (RE) and in St. Pierre with more than 100
north ofColombier island (JD).
Common Murre: More than 20 were N.E. of St.
Pierre on October 11 (JD) and about a dozen on
November 10, south of St. Pierre (JD).
Thick-billed Murre: About a dozen were south of
St. Pierre on November 10 (JD).
Razorbill: About a dozen were south of St. Pierre on
November 10 (JD).
Black Guillemot: On a cruise around the coast of
Langlade on August 1 I found them quite numerous
with several of them carrying food (RE).
Atlantic Puffin: No data for Colombier island where
it is nesting as usual and is quite common. Some
birds were reported at sea, south of St. Pierre and
between Miquelon and Fortune from September 25
to November 10 where more than 100 where south of
St. Pierre (JD).
Mourning Dove: Seems rather scarce, one was in St.
Pierre on October 20 (JD) while one was near
Miquelon’s N.E. coast on October 26 (RE). 4 were at
FD’s feeder in Miquelon on November 22.
Snowy Owl: The first bird was seen and
photographed near Mirande lake on November 16
(FD). A good year for the species, seen in St. Pierre,
Miquelon and the Isthmus. There were probably
about 10 birds or more pn our island at the end of the
period (m. ob.).
Short-eared Owl: One bird was near the summit of
St. Pierre on August 11 (JD) and one in the same
general area on August 17 (LJ). Two were, again in
the same general area, on November 23 (JD).
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: One female was
visiting MJB’s feeder regularly, several times a day,
between September 9 and 21 at Langlade.
Belted Kingfisher: 7 reports, one to two birds at a
time, were seen in St. Pierre between August 24 and
October 29 (PB/PHA/LJ). I had one bird in
Hermitage harbour (S. NFLD) on August 14 (RE).
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: One was at Langlade on
September 26 (LJ) and 1 in St. Pierre on October 22
(JD).
Northern Flicker: Two birds then a group of 4 (a
family ?) were seen at Langlade on August 3 (NM).
One to two birds were reported between Aug. 1 8 and
Nov.23 (m. ob.). 4 were S. Langlade on October 12
(PHA).
Eastern Wood-Pewee: Rather uncommon in fall,
one bird was in St. Pierre on September 16 (LJ).
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Two birds were reported
at Langlade on August 16 and 18 (NM).
Eastern Kingbird: One bird was in St. Pierre on
September 6 (PB) and one also in St. Pierre on
September 17 (NM). The species has been seen here
in fall only 13 times in a 40 year period.
Northern Shrike: One bird was in St. Pierre on
November 14 (LJ) and 23 (PHA).
Blue-headed Vireo: One was in St. Pierre on
October 20 (NM).
Philadelphia Vireo: One was at Langlade on
September 8 (LJ) and one in St. Pierre on September
25 (PB).
Red-eyed Vireo: One was in southern Miquelon on
September 7 (LJ). 4 other birds were seen in St.
Pierre between September 7 and October 27 (PB/JD).
Blue Jay: Fairly common and well reported
throughout the season (m. ob.), few birds at a time
except 1 3 in St. Pierre on September 27 (PB). 4 were
near the N.E. coast ofMiquelon on September 28
(RE). Several birds were reported in the village of
Miquelon and vicinity in November (m. ob.). From
my notes I find that the species is fairly common and
regular in our islands since 1998.
Horned Lark: They were fairly numerous during the
fall migration between October 1 3 and November 26
(RE/PB/JCH).
Bank Swallow: Two birds were near the village of
Miquelon on August (RE) and 2 in N.E. St. Pierre on
September 22 (LJ).
Cliff Swallow: One bird was in St. Pierre on
September 16 (PB); 3 in the village ofMiquelon on
September 29 (RE) and 2, near the village on
October 24 (LJ).
Boreal Chickadee: Fairly common, about as usual
(m. ob.).
Brown Creeper: One was in St. Pierre on October 7
(PB).
Winter Wren: 3 birds, one singing, were on N.E.
Langlade on August 7 and one, also singing on W.
Langlade on August 1 8 (NM). One was seen in St.
Pierre on September 7 and 30 (PB). Somewhat
surprising, one at Ghislain Detcheverry’s feeder on
November 14 in the village ofMiquelon.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: Fairly common, reported
mostly for St. Pierre and a couple of times in
Langlade between August 2 and October 22 (m. ob.).
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: One bird was singing in the
woods near Mirande lake on September 16 (RE). IT
appeared more common during the fall migration
between September 29 and October 22 (PB/RE/JD).
Northern Wheatear: One bird was seen near the
town of St. Pierre on October 9.
Hermit Thrush: The only thrush reported this fall,
between August 16 and October 1 3 in the three
islands, usually one bird at a time except 4 at
Langlade on August 1 8 (NM) and 4 or 5 in St. Pierre
on September 1 3. Last seen one in St. Pierre on
October 1 3 (JD).
American Robin: Common, about as usual. They
were fairly numerous in the woods ofN.E. Miquelon
on October 11 while PB had between 200 and 250 in
N.E. St. Pierre the same day. Several dozens were on
the east coast ofMiquelon on October 27 (LJ). About
30 were on N.E. St. Pierre on November 30 (LJ).
Gray Catbird: One bird was on PHA’s property in
St. Pierre throughout the month ofAugust, to mid-
September, seen by (PB) who lives nearby only on
September 11 (PB). One was also in St. Pierre in the
Winter 2014 29
same general area on November 4 (LJ).
American Pipit: Reported nine times between
September 22 and November 8 in St. Pierre and in
Miquelon. About 30 birds were in St. Pierre on
September 22 (JD) and about 1 5, also in St. Pierre on
October 10 (PB). A few were near the village of
Miquelon on October 20 (RE).
Bohemian Waxwing: 2 birds were on W. Langlade
on October 26 (LJ).
Cedar Waxwing: 1 3 reports between August 2 and
November 14, mostly in St. Pierre for about 20 on
September 30 and October 6 (JD). 1 7 were also seen
in St. Pierre by NM on September 17. One bird was
at Langlade E. on August 16 (NM) and 9 on W.
Langlade on October 26 (LJ).
Northern Parula: One was in St. Pierre on
September 10 (PB) and Sept. 1 6 (LJ).
Yellow Warbler: Fairly common but certainly
underreported, 7 reports only from August 2 to
September 1 3 (NM/PHA/PB/LJ).
Magnolia Warbler: One was in St. Pierre on
September 7 (PB) and Sept. 1 8 (JD).
Yellowrumped Warbler: A few juveniles seen in St.
Pierre in early August (PB). suggest some breeding
activity this summer for a species which an
uncommon nester in the islands. Well reported
throughout the season and up to November 16 in
variable numbers (m. ob.), so far from the numbers
we had in the past !
Black-throated Green Warbler: Reported 7 times
between September 7 and October 11 (PB/JD). One
to two birds at a time, all for St. Pierre.
Blackburnian Warbler: One bird was in St. Pierre
on September 8 (PHA/PB).
Palm Warbler: About 20 were in St. Pierre on
September 8 (JD) while I had 2 to 3 birds near
Mirande lake on September 21 . 5 other reports to
October 25, few birds at a time (PB/RE).
Bay-breasted Warbler: One male was in St. Pierre
on September 25 (NM) one, also a male, was there
on October 6 (LJ). Another individual was reported
for the same day in a different area (LJ).
Blackpoll Warbler: They were termed “numerous”
in St. Pierre by PB on September 7. About ten were
there on September 18 (JD). Then, few reports, few
birds at a time to October 25 (m. ob.).
Black and White Warbler: Reported 9 times
between August 2 and October 11 (NM/PB/JD), few
birds at a time except at least 7 or 8 in St. Pierre on
September 10 (PB) and on September 18 (JD).
American Redstart: 5 reports only between
September 7 and October 26, one to two birds at a
time, in St. Pierre, Langlade and Miquelon.
Ovenbird: One bird that hit PHA’s window on
October 5 in St. Pierre did not survie.
Northern Waterthrush: Reported 12 times between
August 2 and September 16 (m. ob.), few birds at a
time for this early migrant.
Mourning Warbler: 2 females were in E. Langlade
on August 16 and 2 on W. Langlade on August 1 8
(NM).
Common Yellowthroat: Reported 12 times between
August 26 and November 4, few birds at a time (m.
ob.) in the three islands.
Wilson’s Warbler: 5 reports only, in Langlade and
St. Pierre, few birds at a time between August 16 and
October 6 (NM/PB/LJ).
Scarlet Tanager: One bird was in St. Pierre on
October 11 (PB).
American Tree Sparrow: One bird was near the
N.E. coast ofMiquelon on November 23 (LJ).
Chipping Sparrow: One bird was on S. Miquelon
on September 7 (LJ) and one in St. Pierre on
September 8 (PHA). One was on N.W. Langlade on
September 29 (PHA).
Clay-colored Sparrow: One bird was in St. Pierre
on September 17.
Field Sparrow: One bird was seen and photographed
in St. Pierre on November 15 and seen again on
November 30 (JD). This is only the fourth record for
our islands, seen in 1984, 1 989 and 1995.
Savannah Sparrow: Common, about as usual (m.
ob), often seen in small flocks along the roads. Last
seen one in E. Miquelon on November 23 (LJ)
Fox Sparrow: Common and well reported
throughout the season (m. ob.). A few were still
singing near Mirande lake on October 11 . Last seen
30 The Osprey
Song Sparrow: Reported only for St. Pierre, few
birds at a time, between September 7 and November
17 (NM/PHA/PH/PA).
Swamp Sparrow: Fairly common and very well
reported throughout the season (m. ob.). Last seen 2
in St. Pierre on November 4 (LJ).
White-throated Sparrow: Well reported and up to
November 4 (m. ob.), few birds at a time except
more than 50 in St. Pierre on September 18 (JD).
White-crowned Sparrow: One bird was in St. Pierre
on October 16 and November 4 (LJ).
Dark-eyed Junco: Fairly common, about as usual,
reported only for St. Pierre and mostly around
feeders (m. ob.).
Lapland Longspur: 9 birds were N. of the town of
St. Pierre on October 9 (LJ) and 3 in southern. St.
Pierre on November 25 (JD).
Snow Bunting: 2 birds were in St. Pierre on October
20 (JD) and 3 the next day (PB). They were 3 days
later than average. Seen regularly in fairly good
numbers from October 30 to the end of the period
(JCH/JD/PHA).
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: One young male was in
St. Pierre on September 10 (PB) one day earlier than
the previous fall record dating back to 1983. Sexes
were not mentioned for the 3 others sightings, all in
St. Pierre: one on September 12 (NM); one at JD’s
feeder on October 10 and 11 .
Indigo Bunting: 2 birds were near PHA’s feeder on
October 9.
Dickcissel: One was at PHA’s feeder between August
28 and 31 . One was seen, in the field, in W. St. Pierre
on November 16 (LJ).
Red-winged Blackbird: One immature was in W.
Langlade on October 26 (LJ) and one bird at PHA’s
feeder on November 30.
Common Grackle: About 1 5 birds were present in
St. Pierre between September 1 3 and November 3
(PB/PHA/LJ). There was a maximum of 25 to 30
birds at PB’s feeder on October 22. About 15 birds
were in the village ofMiquelon on October 19.
Baltimore Oriole: One bird was in St. Pierre on
September 9 (JD). One, also in St. Pierre was present
between October 6 and 13 (JD/PHA). One was in
PA’s garden on November 17.
Pine Grosbeak: One female was seen with 2 young
at Langlade on August 12 (NM). 6 other sightings,
few birds at a time, in Langlade but mostly in
Miquelon, few individuals at a time, to the end of the
period (NM/RE/JD).
Purple Finch: One bird only was seen once in St.
Pierre on November 3 (JD).
American Goldfinch: This now resident was
reported in rather low numbers at various feeders
throughout the season (NM/PHA/JD).
Contributors: Pascal Asselin (PA); Patrick Boez
(PB); Michel Borotra (MJB); Joël Detcheverry (JD);
Frédéric Disnard (FD); Patrick Hacala (PHA); Jacky
and Christine Hébert (JCH); Laurent Jackman (LJ);
Nathalie Michel (NM).
Miquelon, December 29, 2013
Winter 2014 31
32 The Osprey
The title above refers only to the weather for the
day, of course.
On Saturday, February 22, 2014, the forecast
called for snow, then ice-pellets, followed by
freezing rain, topped off with rain, and a replay, back
through the repertoire. Despite that forecast, five
intrepid naturalists, attired appropriately—is that
possible for such a day?-- donned
snowshoes and headed toward Winsor
Lake from Old Broad Cove Road.
Actually at 10:00 am when we left our
cars, it was quite a nice morning, about
-6°C, heavily overcast with light winds,
exactly what the forecast had called for.
The weather smorgasbord was forecast
to start about noon but started an hour
early!
As we left the road, we met a couple walking a
pair of Golden Retrievers. They reported the start of
the trail was hard packed by snow mobiles but we
planned to leave the packed trails for un-trodden
paths in the deep snow. There the snow had a
somewhat crusty, icy surface dusted with a layer of
fresh snow; excellent for finding animal tracks. We
hoped to identify animals by their tracks, and plants,
principally shrubs and deciduous trees, by their
swelling buds. A short distance in, we identified
snowmo-bilious garbagious by his scat, 8-10 beer
cans, a dozen beer bottles and assorted snack food
bags, all empty and scattered. While not really wild
animals, they certainly showed little sign of
domestication. We gathered the garbage on our way
in but your author must confess he forgot to pick it
up on the way out. By then the fast falling new snow
had buried the litter; out of sight, out of
mind unfortunately for all of us.
Despite the disgusting start, we
soon encountered numerous rabbit
(snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus) and
red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
tracks. The tracks of these introduced,
and therefore exotic animals, look
surprisingly alike, except for their size
of course. For both, the prints of the front feet of the
running animal are behind the prints of the back feet.
Of course, squirrel tracks commonly start or end at a
tree while hares rarely climb trees!
Soon, we started seeing what we concluded were
coyote (Canis latrans) tracks along narrow, heavily
overgrown old trails. These prints were generally in
close proximity to hare tracks. Coyotes, like foxes
and many other predators, “register”, that is, place
their rear paw in the foot print of their front, an
adaptation facilitating quiet stalking of game as they
Nature in the Raw!
By Allan SteinDirector, Nature Newfoundland andLabrador
Coyote and snowshoe hare tracks through the snow.
"The tracks oftheseintroduced, andtherefore exoticanimals, look
surprisingly alike,except for their size
ofcourse. "
Winter 2014 33
can see where they place their front paw
and then place their back paw in the same
quiet spot. Their trail is thus a nearly
linear, single line, unlike a dog’s double
line with the rear prints offset from the
front.
We saw no signs of successful
predation. From its prints, though, one of
the coyotes appeared to have an injured
right rear leg or foot as it left dragging
prints in the snow. Unfortunately, light
conditions were awful for photography.
The heavy overcast and very fine
particulate material in the air meant the
light was very “flat”. My photographs
were grey on off-white to white with no
contrast! Pity too because we also found
some very clear prints of both hare and
squirrel, so distinct that prints in the thin layer of
falling snow, showed every toe and even claws.
Hare scat and trampled snow helped us locate
where those animals had been feeding on deciduous
shrubs. Some de-barked stems were well above the
current snow level so clearly drifts had been perhaps
40 cm higher earlier in the winter. Several dog berry,
i.e. , mountain ash, trees had suffered browsing by
hares but also by moose. An obvious way to
distinguish between hare and moose browsing is the
height above the ground but that can be misleading.
Snowshoe hares can walk on deep snow and drifts so
their browsing may be well above ground level,
perhaps at normal moose level. Moose feed by
wrapping their tongue around a twig or small branch,
tearing it from the tree and leaving a jagged, broken
stub. Hares, being rodents, have sharp, “pruning”
incisors and leave smooth cut ends on twig and
branch. Where they feed, hares leave “buttons”
about the size of milk chocolate coated raisins
whereas “buttons” of moose would be large
chocolate coated almonds! While we saw tracks and
browsing signs of numerous hares, the only sign of
moose was their browsing on dog berry trees and
wild raisin shrubs.
By 10:45, it was snowing quite seriously, tracks
were being obliterated. We did a loop, via Winsor
Lake on narrow trails with undisturbed, deep snow,
and were soon back on the main trail and at our cars.
We had an enjoyable hike, saw loads of hare, coyote
and squirrel tracks, and possibly a shrew track. The
only sign of birds were a few black capped
chickadees chirping in the woods as the snow
increased in intensity. We saw no sign of fox,
ptarmigan, grouse, or other birds, perhaps in part
because they were aware that the weather was going
to deteriorate and took cover early.
Still, all in all, a good mid-winter outing!
Intrepid naturalists, attired appropriately.
NATURE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADORMEMBERSHIP FORM
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34 The Osprey
Citizen Science Programsin Newfoundland and Labrador
Winter 2014 35
Newfoundland and Labrador Nocturnal Owl Survey
Calling all Owlers! Bird Studies Canada would like to coordinate a
volunteer Nocturnal Owl Survey
(http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/natowls/) in Newfoundland and
Labrador this spring (April/May 2014). First we need to know if you
have a favorite route that you already do, and if you would be interested
in adapting your owl survey and sending in your owl observation data
online. We will also recommend routes for new owl enthusiasts. In an
attempt to match survey efforts in other provinces, we can recommend a
survey protocol and would like to involve as many people as possible, to
spread out survey routes across the province. Your help will be greatly
appreciated! Please contact Laura McFarlane Tranquilla (Atlantic
Canada Program Manager) at [email protected].
Citizen scientists are people that contribute to local observations to help researchers monitor the
environment. Citizen scientists make a difference locally and nationally with their sightings of plants,
wildlife and more. There are many opportunities to be part of environmental projects throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador. A few ongoing projects are listed below:
NL Nature
NLNature (www.nlnature.com) is an online atlas of wildlife in
Newfoundland and Labrador based on observations by residents and
tourists. We welcome any sighting of plants, animals, and other things
(e.g., interesting rocks, landmarks) in Newfoundland and Labrador. The
sightings data is used to monitor local wildlife, inform conservation
policy, protect endangered species, educate students & public about local
natural history as well as to develop innovative approaches to
information modeling, information management and information
systems development. To contribute to the atlas, visit
www.nlnature.com.
PlantWatch
PlantWatch is part of the national NatureWatch series of volunteer
monitoring programs designed to help identify ecological changes that
may be affecting our environment. The goal is to encourage Canadians
of all ages to get involved in helping scientists discover how, and more
importantly why, our natural environment is changing.
The PlantWatch program enables "citizen scientists" to get involved
by recording flowering times for selected plant species and reporting
these dates to researchers through the Internet or by mail. When you
submit your data electronically, it's added instantly to Web maps
showing bloom dates across Canada, so your observations make a
difference right away! Contact Madonna Bishop (MUN Botanical
Gardens) for more information [email protected].