May 2024 Newsletter
https://bit.ly/KWEFMay2024Newsletter
Included in this issue:
Black Flies
Fireworks - The Devastating Effects
Feeding the Birds
Canada Geese - Cool things to know
Black Flies
About Blackflies
As soon as the snow melts and the days become just right for working in the garden, or sitting in the sun, out come those pesky black flies. There are 42 species of black flies in Algonquin Park, but only 4 bite humans, if that’s any consolation. Like the mosquitoes, only the females bite. The females need a blood meal in order to lay their eggs. They breed in clean healthy running streams. Generally, blackflies are a nuisance from mid May to late June. A female can produce 150 – 160 larvae. The larvae attach themselves to submerged vegetation or rocks until they are ready to emerge from the pupa stage as adult black flies. Their life span is 3 to 4 weeks, with most wintering over in the egg stage.
Looking on the bright side, blackflies are an indication of a healthy environment and an important food source for fish, birds, and bats. It is said that they pollinate the blueberries. Although the only proof of that is that both males and females need nectar to give them energy to fly.
What to do
Blackflies are attracted to subtle odors in your sweat. Avoid perfumed soaps and cosmetics. Wear long legged or sleeved, light coloured, tightly woven, loose-fitting clothing, tuck in or tape the cuffs. A bug jacket is really a must if you are going to be outside for any length of time.
DEET insect repellant can be quite effective. Be sure to read the safety guidelines before using them. Put your sunscreen on first and wash your hands after applying the insect repellant. Natural products are usually not too effective. Some that you might try are lavender, vanilla, pine. Indigenous people used Natural fungi, fireweed and sweetgrass in the past.
In the meantime, stock up on anti-itch products!
Source: The Friends of Algonquin Park
Fireworks - The Devastating Effects
Setting off fireworks and sky lanterns is not allowed in Kearney and is strictly prohibited.
See By-Law 2018-24 for more information.
Did you know that fireworks can have harmful effects on wildlife and the surrounding environment?
Figures from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal show that fireworks were blamed for 129 fires and almost $2.5 million in damage in Ontario between 2009 and 2013. In addition to property damage, research studies show that the loud sounds of fireworks can cause a great amount of fear, stress and anxiety in wild animals.
Animals such as birds and other small mammals are often reported abandoning their nests leaving their defenceless babies behind due to the trauma that they experience from the loud bangs of combustion. The panic of the ordeal can cause disorientation, decreasing the ability for wildlife to locate their homes.
In addition to noise, fireworks can also expose both humans and animals to toxic chemicals from the smoke upon combustion. Upon combustion, many chemicals and small minerals are released into the air. Leftover particles that fall to the ground can pollute waterways and pose as a risk to both wildlife and humans.
Source: www.thelandbetween.ca
Feeding the Birds
Bird feeders let you see birds up close, learn their vocalizations, and observe their habits and quirks; it gives you a connection with nature.
If you put up bird feeders, it’s important to take precautions to keep birds safe. Here’s how to provide a healthy feeding environment for birds:
Regularly and thoroughly clean and dry bird feeders and baths. Feeders encourage birds to congregate more densely and more frequently than natural food sources, so one sick bird’s respiratory or fecal secretions can cause a great number of birds to get sick. Any moisture makes it easier for disease to spread.
Rake the ground under feeders. Fallen seeds can get mouldy or contaminated with feces.
Use multiple feeders. A single feeder can cause too many birds to congregate, increasing the risk of disease transmission. Set up a few feeders to give birds space and avoid crowding.
Choose the right feeders. Feeders made of plastic, steel, or glass are easier to clean than feeders made of porous surfaces, such as wood or clay.
Prevent birds from colliding with windows. Millions of birds are killed in Canada every year from colliding with windows. Birds don’t perceive glass, and they mistake reflections of sky or habitat as the real thing. Since bird feeders attract birds to your yard—and near your windows—it’s a good idea to make your windows safe for birds by putting up films, decals, cords, or screens that will break up reflections. Also keep bird feeders within three feet of your windows.
Remove feeders when there is disease. If you see a sick or dead bird near your feeder, you should take feeders down for two weeks and clean them thoroughly.
Canada Geese - Cool things to know
The Canada Geese are back – they often get a bad rap, however….
They are quick learners. Goslings are impressionable little birds; they follow just about anything that moves, from dogs to humans, mistaking the creatures for their mother. The impressionable young use this skill to mimic the adults, learning how to swim just 24 hours after hatching. At only one day old, goslings can dive 30 to 40 feet underwater.
Geese teach their young how to fly when the goslings are two to three months old. The goslings will stay with their parents for the first year of their life and even migrate with the adults that year. As the goslings continue to grow and become more independent of their parents, they may group together with other young geese. These groups can consist of up to 100 goslings.
They mate for life. Canada geese don’t start looking for a mate until they’re two or three years old and mate for life, which can be anywhere from 10 to 25 years. If their partner dies, the remaining goose will try to find a new one.
They are seasoned travelers. Since geese need open water where they can swim away from land predators, as well as for food, frozen winter water doesn’t suit the birds. Geese will travel from 2,000 to 3,000 miles during the winter if they can’t find open water, returning to their birth place in the spring. Canada geese can travel 1,500 miles in a day if the weather permits. These birds tend to fly around 40 miles per hour during migration, though that can increase up to 70 miles per hour if they catch a strong tailwind. Migrating groups tend to have 30 to 100 birds.
Their flight is energy efficient. The “V” formation geese travel in makes them recognizable even high in the sky. Each bird in line flies a little higher than the goose in front of it. One explanation for the formation is that the front bird breaks the headwind so the birds behind it can draft along the airflow from the front. Geese communicate by honks while migrating and shift positions so the birds can take turns flying in the front to help the geese from getting too tired.
They can be dangerous. Canada geese aren’t afraid to face a threat. If a parent goose feels something is a threat to their nest or goslings, they may attack. Stretching out their neck while hissing and honking loudly serves as a warning to predators, along with biting and slapping with their wings.
Once a year, they are unable to fly. When the weather warms up, geese molt their feathers. During this 6-week period, geese are unable to fly, leaving them vulnerable to predators including coyotes, foxes and raccoons. Water plays an important role in the safety of geese. They’ll retreat into water if their warnings don’t scare predators away.