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Song sparrows welcome back spring

In Birds by couchiching

Song sparrows usually arrive back in our region while there is still snow on the ground. Two individuals arrived at our property on March 22 this year. If you are brave enough to sleep with your bedroom window open just a little, he will serenade you with his song as he cracks the early morning quiet, at first light.

A member of the very large family of Sparrows, often referred to by birders as “little brown jobs” or LBJ’s, Song Sparrows are one of the most widespread bird species having a number of sub species. They nest in most every region of Ontario.

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And here’s to the next 20 years…

In Events, News by couchiching

More than 150 people joined us at the HawkRidge Golf Club on January 26th to renew memberships, see old friends, and hear about the past year of activities. We got down to business with the highlights of the 2011 AGM, the President’s Remarks and the Treasurer’s Report. This is a big year for the Conservancy, as it is our 20th Anniversary! It is incredible how much has changed over the years.

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Friendly northern visitors; Gray jays

In Birds by couchiching

Although it is a member of the same family, the Gray Jay is nowhere near as raucous as the Blue Jay or Crow. They tend to be very friendly and tame, and will sit, with feathers all puffed up quietly in nearby trees soaking in the warmth of the winter afternoon sun, affording one some wonderful photographic opportunities. They will readily accept peanuts and other seeds from an open hand. Algonquin Park campers know this bird as a camp robber, snatching food off a table or even from a pot on an outdoor stove.

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Natural Habitat Protected in Washago area

In Nature Reserves & Easements, News by couchiching

The waterways associated with the village of Washago have seen development pressure over the past several decades. However, a relatively large block of natural habitat is still intact in the area bounded by Riverdale Drive, between the Green River and Cooper’s Falls Road. This area includes a diversity of ecological communities typical of the southern Shield, as well as habitat for several species at risk.

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The Kris Starr Sanctuary; richly diverse

In Carden Alvar, Nature Reserves & Easements by couchiching

At its south end, the Sanctuary takes in a small piece of the Carden Alvar, and the steep limestone slope created by the rough caress of the glaciers. At the foot of this slope, the Head River meanders across the reserve, its spring floods nourishing a rich floodplain forest. Beyond that is a band of mixed forest of oak, pine and birch on pockets of drier soils. But the northern half of the Sanctuary, north of Monck Road, is classic granite barrens with scattered trees and a mosaic of beaver ponds and wetlands. All on this one property, the ecological transition known as The Land Between is fully on display.

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A flash of scarlet; the northern cardinal

In Birds, News by couchiching

Seven American States have claimed the Northern Cardinal as, State Bird! Many sports teams have been named after it, producing some creative logos; images of cardinals appear on just about anything that can be sold! The bird is a marketer’s dream!

Named after the scarlet vestments worn by Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, we live in the Northern Cardinal’s northerly range. Few of these beauties are found much north of here. I remember even in the Toronto area when they were very scarce, as they are primarily a Southern bird. Today, Cardinals are fairly common birds in Southern and South Central Ontario.

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East Coulson Swamp Nature Reserve

In Nature Reserves & Easements by couchiching

Every piece of land has a story. Sometimes it’s a tale of fortunes made and lost or historic efforts great and small.
For green spaces, sometimes it’s a story of overuse and recovery but often it is a celebration of dedicated individuals who cherish the natural values of the land. This is one of those stories.

The red-shouldered hawk was once common in southern Ontario, but suffered a decline several decades ago. Through conservation efforts this magnificent raptor has made a strong comeback.

Its recovery owes much thanks to famed author Margaret Atwood, who donated 87 acres of wetland and woodland near Bass Lake in Oro-Medonte Township to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

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Red-breasted nuthatch surprise visit

In Birds by couchiching

Although the occasional Red-breasted is identified during our local Christmas Bird count, we seldom see them in our vicinity as their preferred habitat is a coniferous forest and we live in an area forested with a mix of deciduous and conifer trees. Most of my encounters and all my photographs of these diminutive little hustlers have been taken in Algonquin Park, where they abound in the conifers and the abundant food supply they offer.

Smaller than the common white- breasted nuthatch, and bearing a rufous coloured breast and a black stripe along the eye line, they along with black- capped chickadees and gray jays, are very much candidates for those much sought after photographic images of birds feeding out of an open hand, filled with various seeds.

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Local Conservation Leaders Honoured at OLTA

In News, People by couchiching

Three members of the Couchiching Conservancy were recognized for pioneering contributions to the Land Trust movement at this year’s Ontario Land Trust Alliance gathering in Geneva Park.
Lou and Judy Probst moved to Carden Township several decades ago and dedicated themselves to protecting the distinctive natural features of the area. In doing so, they have created a living legacy for future generations.

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Latest Acquisition Appeal: Agnew Nature Reserve

In Nature Reserves & Easements, News by couchiching

Wetlands are among the most endangered habitats in Ontario. Despite the crucial role they play in providing natural habitat and maintaining the health of our lakes and rivers, they are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres a day.

Protecting such vanishing wilderness is a high priority for The Couchiching Conservancy, and when the opportunity to create the Thomas C. Agnew Nature Reserve arose, we acted.