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South Shore Winter Panorama (Photo: Dawn Ayer)

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Come see a complete guide to choosing and using a first telescope to discover the mysteries and treasures of the Universe -- Telescopes for Beginners with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) Belleville.

Astronomy Talk at Picton Library – Flex Space on Sat., Mar. 08 2025 at 2:00 P.M.
For information, go to Astronomy Talk Mar.08.

Explore the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area with Cheryl Chapman, part of SSJI’s Wild Thing Outdoor Education Program.

NWA Tour on Sat., Mar. 29, 2025 and Sun., Mar. 30, 2025.

Meet time for both days is 1:00 P.M. Events last 3 hours. The tour coordinator will contact you with details closer to the tour date. For more information, contact Cheryl Chapman at [email protected]

 

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Muskrats, Water and Cattails: A Story of Love and Loss

Summarized by Sheila Kuja1

Wild Rice (Photo: Jeff Bowman)

We had a great turnout of members and non-members who came to learn about the recent fate of muskrats in Ontario from Jeff Bowman, PECFN’s “friend” from MNRF and Trent University in Peterborough. Jeff has visited us numerous times, always with riveting talks about topics such as flying squirrels, lynx and other cats, and coyotes in Southern Ontario. His graduate student, Jenn Baici, gave us a super introduction to wild turkeys in a Zoom presentation during Covid. As expected, Jeff delivered an interesting and thought-provoking talk about a species most of us are familiar with but might not see so often unless we live near a marsh. Since this talk is not available on YouTube, we thought that a summary would be of interest to those who missed the meeting.

How many of us realize that the cattail marshes we see today aren’t the ones we grew up with in our youth? The native species (Typha latifolia) has hybridized with the European, introduced species (T. angustifolia) to produce an example of hybrid vigour (T. X glauca) with different characteristics than its parents. The more open growth pattern of the native species has been replaced with a dense, mat-forming type that is not as conducive to the muskrats’ engineering tactics as the native species. Thus, over the years, muskrat populations in the marshes along Lakes Ontario and Erie have declined appreciably – from historical numbers of 2 to 3 per hectare to only .27 to .22 per hectare.

Much of the information describing this decline has been garnered through trapping data. However, with historical data collected from Pt. Pelee National Park from the 1960s to 1980s, Jeff was able to compare the present-day data for muskrat house counts – coming up with the numbers above, which corroborate the trapping data. In his 2014 survey of Lake Ontario, including sites in PEC, he found only 19 of 42 marshes with active muskrat houses. He postulated that the decline must be associated with habitat, since fecundity (birth rate and success) and disease didn’t appear to be determining factors. Could the decline be a result of changes in water levels or introduction of invasive species? By collecting specimens and analyzing the DNA of cattails in the marshes, it became apparent that the hybrid was now the dominant one in most marshes, including barrier-beach, drowned-river-mouth and open-coastal marshes. Barrier-beach marshes, cut off from the lake, showed fewer hybrid cattails. Of special interest was that Rice Lake in Southern Ontario is one of the few areas where the native species is still present and doing well.

What was the situation in marshes farther north? Jeff and his grad students found more muskrats and native cattails north of the French River in Ontario. So, perhaps the hybrid cattail is the main culprit causing problems for the muskrats. Various grad students have looked at different aspects that might explain the muskrat decline at different locations, e.g., at Osler Marsh, a privately owned wetland near Port Perry where cameras have been installed to observe predation, etc. Comparing results of active houses located in March (from 2014 to 2019) at Matchedash Lake on Georgian Bay to Pt Pelee N.P. on Lake Erie, they found 50 vs 30 houses in these locations. Results from 1968 to 1980 indicated 640 vs 680 houses at those sites, providing evidence for a dramatic decline. At Luther Marsh, not far from Guelph, no active muskrat houses were found in 2012, although they were present in the 70s and 80s.

Muskrat (Photo: Jeff Bowman)

Perhaps flooding is also important in maintaining healthy populations of muskrats. The International Joint Commission (IJC) had maintained Great Lake levels to within 4 T at the Moses–Saunders Dam since 2004 but decided to allow greater fluctuations to see whether this would benefit the muskrats, although they were aware that it would be detrimental to homeowner properties adjacent to waterways. 2017 was an especially high-water year, causing much flooding – and problems for homeowners. In 2022, another survey was conducted for muskrats with the same results – so either not enough time had elapsed to see a difference, or water fluctuations aren’t the most significant factor in muskrat decline. In the future, the ICJ decision will be re-examined because of the detrimental monetary outcome of allowing flooding and the apparent lack of influence for muskrats. 

Are muskrats important to their ecosystem? Yes, their presence as ecosystem engineers in opening up portions of the marsh allows other species to flourish, particularly birds nesting on their old houses, bringing increased biodiversity to the marsh. Muskrats are integral to a healthy and vibrant marsh ecosystem and thus play a vital role. Their decline does not bode well for the future of our coastal wetlands and the species that benefit from their presence.

1 - Kuja, Sheila. 2024. Summary of Muskrats, Water and Cattails: A Story of Love and Loss. Original presentation at meeting of the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists (PECFN) by Jeff Bowman on Tues., Nov.26, 2024, Bloomfield, Ont. Summary used with permission of Sheila Kuja and PECFN.

 

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Looking For A Sunset Bird In Winter

Robert Frost1

1 - The west was getting out of gold,
The breath of air had died of cold,
When shoeing home across the white,
I thought I saw a bird alight

2 - In summer when I passed the place
I had to stop and lift my face;
A bird with an angelic gift
Was singing in it sweet and swift.

3 - No bird was singing in it now.
A single leaf was on a bough,
And that was all there was to see
In going twice around the tree.

4 - From my advantage on a hill
I judged that such a crystal chill
Was only adding frost to snow
As gilt to gold that wouldn't show.

5 - A brush had left a crooked stroke
Of what was either cloud or smoke
From north to south across the blue;
A piercing little star was through.

1 -Frost, Robert. 1964. Looking for a Sunset Bird in Winter in “The Collected Poems of Robert Frost”, P.287.

Holt, Rhinehart and Winston, New York USA. https://ia903001.us.archive.org/33/items/RobertFrostCompletePoemsOfRobertFrost/Robert%20Frost%20-%20Complete%20Poems%20of%20Robert%20Frost.pdf   Accessed Fri., Feb.21, 2025.

How One Winter Came in the Lake Region

Wilfred Campbell1

1 - For weeks and weeks the autumn world stood still,
Clothed in the shadow of a smoky haze;
The fields were dead, the wind had lost its will,
And all the lands were hushed by wood and hill,
In those grey, withered days.

2 - Behind a mist the blear sun rose and set,
At night the moon would nestle in a cloud;
The fisherman, a ghost, did cast his net;
The lake its shores forgot to chafe and fret,
And hushed its caverns loud.

3 - Far in the smoky woods the birds were mute,
Save that from blackened tree a jay would scream,
Or far in swamps the lizard's lonesome lute
Would pipe in thirst, or by some gnarled root
The tree-toad trilled his dream. 4 - From day to day still hushed the season's mood,
The streams stayed in their runnels shrunk and dry;
Suns rose aghast by wave and shore and wood,
And all the world, with ominous silence, stood
In weird expectancy:

5 - When one strange night the sun like blood went down,
Flooding the heavens in a ruddy hue;
Red grew the lake, the sere fields parched and brown,
Red grew the marshes where the creeks stole down,
But never a wind-breath blew.

6 - That night I felt the winter in my veins,
A joyous tremor of the icy glow;
And woke to hear the north's wild vibrant strains,
While far and wide, by withered woods and plains,
Fast fell the driving snow.


1 - Campbell, Wilfred. 1893. How Winter Came int the Lake Region. in "The Dread Voyage Poems" Pp.164-166. William Briggs, Toronto, Ont. R.P.O. Reference B10 5840 Fisher Library, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. https://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poets/campbell-william-wilfred  Accessed Sat., Jan.04, 2025.

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Polar Vortex

Evelyn Hartford1

1 – Hartford, Evelyn. 2025. Polar Vortex graphic in “Polar Vortex explained: what it is and what does it mean for our winter weather in Ontario.” Article published on Fri., Jan. 17, 2025 and Updated on Fri., Feb.14,2025. Durhamregion.ca. Toronto, Ont. https://tinyurl.com/Polar-Vortex  . Accessed Fri., Feb.14, 2025.

 

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Lords and Ladies on the Southern Shore - The Harlequin Duck in Prince Edward County

Paul Jones


Prince Edward County hosts large numbers of wintering waterfowl. Long-tailed Duck, Greater Scaup, and White-winged Scoter are here in particular abundance from October through April. While it is an amazing sight to see their vast flocks fill the air like smoke off the southern shore, the really special moment comes when a Harlequin Duck pops into view.

Harlequin Duck female at Prince Edward Point, Ontario, Canada. December 3, 2019 (Photo: Paul Jones)

Harlequin Ducks are small and beautiful, nest far to the north in quick-flowing rivers, and winter mostly on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The male sports a splintered collage of deep blue, rich maroon, and bright white. The female’s subtle chocolate brown plumage provides protective camouflage as she raises her ducklings.

The male’s dazzling plumage is the source of the harlequin name, as the bird was thought to resemble the colourful costume of Arlequin, a jesteresque character from 16th century Italian theatre. Other local names for the species include Painted Duck, Rock Duck (from their tendency to rest on rocks), Sea Mouse and Squeaker (reflecting their high-pitched calls) and, from their graceful presence, Lords and Ladies.

Two Harlequin Duck males at Prince Edward Point, Ontario, Canada. December 6, 2024 (Photo: Paul Jones)

While the Harlequin has inspired many names, and rivals the Wood Duck for beauty, not all has been well with this species. In 1990 its eastern North American population was designated as Endangered, having fallen to less than 1000 individuals. Historically, this population had been estimated as high as 10,000 birds before over-hunting and other factors began to take their toll. Happily, under a national recovery plan, their numbers have rebounded towards 5000 and the species’ status has been reassessed to Special Concern, a step back from the more perilous Endangered category.

Counterintuitively, at the same time eastern Harlequin numbers were falling, they began appearing on the Great Lakes. Terry Sprague’s rigorous 1969 “Birds of Prince Edward County” lists no records of the species for the County prior to the publication date. It was not until December 5, 1973 that Jim Ives discovered the first local bird at West Point in the Lakeshore Lodge area of Sandbanks Provincial Park.

Other sightings soon followed and it is now considered a rare but near annual local visitor. Birds usually appear in ones and twos from the late fall to early spring, showing a preference for exposed headlands where churning waters stir up nutrients and provide an abundance of food.

Most County records are from Point Petre, Prince Edward Point, and Charwell Point. The birds are confiding, often stay close to shore, and seem to enjoy the company of the much more abundant Bufflehead duck. A good way to find a Harlequin is to carefully search inshore groups of Bufflehead, looking for the rarer visitor to abruptly surface from a deep dive. The brightly coloured males are easily identifiable, but their mates bear a close resemblance to female Bufflehead. The two can be distinguished by the number of white spots on their faces (three on Harlequin, one for Bufflehead).

While the resemblance to Bufflehead can be challenging for birdwatchers, it is also an issue for the Harlequins. In November of 2020 as I chatted with some duck hunters at Point Petre we remarked on the toughness of the winter ducks, admiring their ability to withstand howling winds, driving snow, and drifting ice. Concurring they are tough, one of the hunters indicated he had shot a hen Bufflehead point blank over the decoys earlier in the morning but she didn’t fall, just kept going. My heart sank, as the previous day I had seen a female Harlequin at the exact location.

In the late 1980s hunting was identified as a major factor in the decline of the Harlequin Duck. As a result, in 1990 the legal hunt for the species was ended. The water fowling community has abided by the closure and Harlequin Ducks are increasing at key wintering locations. Unfortunately, the inadvertent killing of Harlequins due to misidentification by hunters still occurs and remains a serious threat to the species. Given the similarity between female Harlequins and Buffleheads, and the speed at which these birds fly, it is not surprising that there is a problem. To address the issue, hunter education programs have been initiated, including handouts detailing all species likely to be encountered in a given area, and the importance of identifying all targets before shooting. These measures are a good start, but there is continuing need for the sharing of knowledge on this rare duck, underlining the importance of increased communication between the hunting and bird-watching communities.

The last Harlequin Duck sighting in Prince Edward County was on December 6, 2024, when two spectacular adult males made a brief appearance off the lighthouse at Prince Edward Point. Prior to that, a single young male was at Charwell Point on May 13, 2024 and a wintering bird was sighted at Point Petre on January 29, 2024. So, when you are out on the County’s coast, keep an eye open for this wonderful bird. They are special in their own right, but also a reminder of the larger issues and interdependencies at play on our Southern Shore.

 

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County did you know …

John F. Foster

Gulls and Terns in PEC

Gulls that can regularly be seen in PEC include: Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed, Bonaparte’s, and Little. Terns that can regularly be seen in PEC include: Common, Caspian and Black.1

1 - Ontario Field Ornithologists. 2025. Gulls, Terns and Skimmers in "Checklist of the Birds of Ontario ". Toronto, Ontario. http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/checklist.checklist . Accessed Mon., Feb.24, 2025.

Rachel Carson Quotes

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." -- Rachel Carson

“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature...the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter." -- Rachel Carson

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Winter ducks flying up off open water (Photo: Gilles Bisson)

Editor's Note

This is the 28th edition of The South Shoreliner. The editor would like to thank the following for contributing to this 28th edition of The South Shoreliner: Sheila Kuja, Robert Frost, Evelyn Hartford, Paul Jones, John F. Foster, Cheryl Chapman, Steve Burr, Wilfred Campbell. Contributions make the newsletter readable and interesting. For the next and upcoming newsletters, contributions of articles, photos and events are always welcome.

-- John F. Foster, The South Shoreliner Editor

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