The OFNC's Lectures and Excursions Committee plans an extensive program of monthly meetings, workshops, day trips, and longer excursions for the education and interest of our members.

Almost every weekend all year round, you can join a knowledgeable nature buff on an excursion to one of the many conservation areas in our region. Learn to identify some of the hundreds of birds that frequent our lakes, fields, and forests; wade through a marsh searching for amphibians; or take a leisurely stroll with fellow nature lovers.

Complete details of all the activities can be found in our quarterly newsletter Trail & Landscape, which is free to members.

Field trips to natural areas in our region and beyond take place all year round. These events are for OFNC members and guests of members, unless the notice indicates that participation is limited or that bus travel is involved. In these cases, OFNC members will have priority and guests may participate only if space permits. Guests should be aware that, in all cases, OFNC liability insurance applies to OFNC members only.

Car pooling on excusions is very much encouraged and that is why we usually try to meet at a convenient bus stop with a good place to leave a car unattended for a few hours. Please chip in for gas.

Photos by Gillian Mastromatteo. Left to right: White-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, and Downy Woodpecker at the OFNC-maintained feeder on the Jack Pine Trail.

Thursday, 2 February, 1-2 p.m.
Herbarium tour: the Saunders Collection
Leader: Tyler Smith
Meet: Saunders Building, Central Experimental Farm.

Limited to 12 participants. Please register directly with Tyler by calling him at 613-694-2446. He will give you directions and instruct you where to park when you register.

This is a short, 1-hour tour of the Herbarium at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Tyler is a new scientist at AAFC and has kindly agreed to show OFNC members the collection. If there is more interest, additional times may be added. The Saunders Collection houses 1.5 million specimens and is the largest collection of its kind in Canada.

Sunday, 5 February, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Animal tracking
Leader: Carolyn Callaghan
Meet: 9 a.m. at the northeast corner of the Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre parking lot off Richmond Road, or 10 a.m. at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre in Old Chelsea.

Join Carolyn on an outing as we look for, and may see, tracks of some of the following species: weasel, deer, wolf, mice, pine marten, porcupine, squirrel, moose and otter. She will give an introductory talk and course materials at the Visitor Centre before we travel by convoy to the tracking destination. Bring a lunch and a thermos with a hot drink. Dress for the weather. While snowshoes are recommended, warm boots are an acceptable alternative unless the snow is very deep. Please bring your animal tracks field guides to enrich your knowledge. This trip will be cancelled if there is a storm or a significant snowfall (i.e. more than a skiff) ending within 8 hours of the start time.

Monday, 6 February, 10 a.m. to about noon
Visualizing science using state-of-the-art 3D computer graphics
Leader: Alex Tirabasso
Meet: National Heritage Building, Canadian Museum of Nature, 1740 Pink Rd., (Aylmer) Gatineau, front entrance lobby.

NOTE: This event is limited to 12 participants. Please sign up with Holly Bickerton (613 730-7725) and rides will be arranged for those who need them.

Alex Tirabasso and Paul Bloskie will demonstrate how they use the techniques of computer graphics and animation to help researchers and the public visualize how an array of bones can be repositioned, clothed with flesh and made to walk or swim, as the case may be, bringing Natural History into the Future. This is a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and see how art informs the researcher and vice versa. Then we shall visit the Palaeontology collection, the focus of his work.

Saturday, 11 February, 8 a.m. to about noon
Beginners' guide to nature
*Kid Friendly*
Leader: Dave Moore & Co.
Meet: Jack Pine Trail, P9 parking lot

NOTE: Limited to 15 participants. Please register with Dave at redstart@vif.com

Join Dave (and maybe a guest leader) to find out about nature in the winter. Kids invited. Bring unsalted peanuts or sunflower seeds to pay the chickadees for using their habitat. This trip will depend on the weather, so if it looks bad it will not go. Dress warmly for the weather and bring a snack, your camera and/or binoculars. No mosquitoes, guaranteed!!!

Sunday, 12 February, 6 p.m. ("snow" date: Sunday, 19 February, 6 p.m.
Mudpuppy night in Oxford Mills
*Kid Friendly*
Leader: Dr. Fred Schueler (coordinator Fenja Brodo 613 723-2054)
Meet: Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre, near Pizza Pizza at 6 p.m. or at 7 p.m. upstairs at the Brigadoon Restaurant, Oxford Mills. (Hot drinks and other menu items available.)

Fred will give us an introduction to these unique animals and then we head outside to the best Mudpuppy viewing spot in Ontario. The flat bedrock provides safe footing and this event is lots of fun for kids. Dress very warmly. Insulated rubber boots allow participants to step into the frigid water but much can be seen from the shore. A strong flashlight is recommended. [Note: Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills occurs every Friday through the winter and the public is always invited. Details | Join the NatureList for regular updates.] We have scheduled an alternative date for this popular trip in case the weather is inclement.

Tuesday, 14 February, 7 p.m. social and club business; 7:30 p.m. formal program OFNC monthly meeting: Animal mimicry and other wonders Speaker: Professor Tom Sherratt, Carleton University Location: Canadian Museum of Nature, Metcalfe and McLeod Streets, Auditorium in the basement There is much more to mimicry, cryptic colouration and flamboyant behaviour than meets the eye. Professor Sherratt will show us these traits, combined with other behaviours that are crucial to the survival of many animals. Our monthly meetings are open to the general public.

Sunday, 19 February, 8:30 a.m. to noon
Winter birding - the Great Backyard Bird Count
Leader: Roy John
Meet: At the northeast corner of the Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre parking lot off Richmond Road.

Join Roy John to mark the Great Backyard Bird Count by making the rounds of the Ottawa Feeders - Grandview, Shirley's Bay, Jack Pine Trail, Mer Bleue and Albion Road. We will count for 15 minutes at each feeder.

A word about the count: "The Great Backyard Bird Count is a perfect example of Citizen Science," says Audubon Chief Scientist, Gary Langham. "Like Audubon's Christmas Bird Count, volunteers help us with data year after year, providing scientific support that is the envy of many institutions. It's also a lot of fun." Dress for the weather. Bring your binoculars, a snack and hot drink. This trip will be cancelled if there is a storm.

Saturday, 3 March (rain/snowdate Sunday 4 March) 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Ramsay Lake and the Eardley-Masham Road
Leader: Patrick Blake
Meet: At the northeast corner of the Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre parking lot off Richmond Road.

Join Patrick for an excursion into the Gatineau Hills, focusing on the areas surrounding Ramsay Lake and along the Eardley-Masham Road. We will start off the morning snowshoeing along Eardley-Masham Road, watching for winter finches, waxwings, and possibly even black-backed woodpeckers. We'll also explore one of the trails offered by Gatineau Park, with similar targets in mind. We'll end the afternoon watching the skies over the Eardley Escarpment, where we will likely see bald eagles and perhaps golden eagles riding the thermals along the escarpment.

This outing will be focused on snowshoeing, provided conditions are favourable, and may be physically demanding. Dress appropriately for the weather and bring your snowshoes, as well as a lunch or snack and hot or cold drinks. Binoculars, field guides, spotting scopes, and a love of the wintry outdoors are also encouraged. This outing will go snow or shine, unless we get rain or dangerous heavy snow or ice. The itinerary may change if there are any bird sightings of interest closer to the date.

Tuesday, 14 March, 7 p.m. social and club business; 7:30 p.m. formal program OFNC monthly meeting: The barcode of life: identifying Arctic plant species with DNA barcoding Speaker: Jeff Saarela Location: Canadian Museum of Nature, Metcalfe and McLeod Streets, Auditorium in the basement DNA barcodes are short unique pieces of DNA that allow an unknown individual to be matched to its species, facilitating rapid species identification. Jeff is a research scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, and will review for us the history of DNA barcoding. He will also predict its future as a major tool in biological research, and share data from ongoing work to generate DNA barcodes for the vascular plant flora of the Canadian Arctic. Our monthly meetings are open to the general public.

Thursday, 22 March, 7-9 p.m.
eBird workshop
Leader: Jeff Skevington
Meet: At the Neatby Building, 960 Carling Avenue. Park in the gravel lot out front and come in the front doors to sign in with the security guard. We will meet in Salon C behind the guard's desk; the person on duty will direct you to the room.

Bring your laptop and/or iPhone if you have one, but neither are necessary. Jeff will use his laptop and projector to demonstrate aspects of eBird in real time.

If you are a birder but either haven't heard of eBird or haven't bothered to use it because you thought it was too much work, this event is for you. eBird is a powerful online database. You can use it to keep track of your lists (all of them!) and find out what others have been seeing (really useful when traveling!). Looking for a particular species? If you haven't seen a Dovekie and are going to the East Coast, you can find out dozens of locations where they have been seen (recently or historically). As you enter data, they are simultaneously made available for other birders and researchers to use. It's free to use, easy and does not have to take much time. Jeff will discuss some of the scientific uses of eBird and show you: 1. How to enter data. 2. How to explore your data using it. 3. How to explore other people's data using it. 4. How to use smartphones to get the most out of eBird. Many people complain that eBird is too much work. Entering all of your historical data can indeed be a huge job but Jeff will show you several fast shortcuts and get you focused on the most important task - entering new data as you bird. Entering a day's records typically takes only a couple of minutes and it is a great feeling knowing that your data are instantly available to study bird distribution and population trends. It beats writing it in notebooks that are thrown out by relatives once you are gone. Leave a legacy from your hobby and start eBirding. If you wish, check out eBird ahead of time.

Saturday, 7 April, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Spring waterfowl - east of Ottawa
Leader: Rob Alvo
Meet: At Costco on Cyrville Road. Park on the north side of the building facing Innes Rd. The Innes Rd. exit is just past the split on Highway 417 as you head towards Montreal.

Join us as we head to the flooded fields east of Ottawa. If water levels are high, we will spend most of our day in the fields between the Milton Road area and Bourget. If water levels are low, we will get inventive, going to the lagoons if they are not frozen, or birding along the river. Bring lunch and dress for the weather. This trip will proceed rain or shine.

Tuesday, 10 April, 7 p.m. social and club business; 7:30 p.m. formal program OFNC monthly meeting: Litter arthropods and litter decomposition in vernal pools of central Ontario forests Speaker: Sigrun Kullik, University of Guelph Location: Canadian Museum of Nature, Metcalfe and McLeod Streets, Auditorium in the basement Vernal pools, the small temporary ponds that appear in low areas during the spring and fall, are homes to a remarkable diversity of aquatic life that has adapted to their seasonal appearance. Vernal pools are well known for their importance as breeding sites for woodland salamanders and frogs but very little research has focused on the terrestrial inhabitants of vernal pools during their dry periods. This illustrated presentation will introduce the intriguing world of arthropods that make their homes among decaying leaves. Litter communities and decomposition processes in temporary vernal pools will be contrasted with decomposition processes that occur in the surrounding non-flooded upland. Our monthly meetings are open to the general public.

Saturday, 21 April, 7-10 p.m.
OFNC Soirée
*Kid Friendly*
Location: Enter from Maitland Avenue (east side) just north of the Queensway. BUS ACCESS: Bus #85 (along Carling Avenue), get off at Maitland Avenue and walk south on Maitland towards the Queensway for 0.5 km (about a 7-minute walk)

Join us for some fun at our annual wine and cheese party and celebrate with the honoured winners of our Annual Awards. Photographers and artists may exhibit pictures for everyone to enjoy. Kids, bring your natural history displays. Back by popular demand this year is the Natural History Trivia Quiz!

Sunday, 22 April, 1-3:30 p.m.
Amphibians and reptiles of spring
*Kid Friendly*
Leaders: Carolyn and David Seburn
Meet: Entrance to the filtration plant on Cassels Road and Britannia Conservation Area (Mud Lake).

Britannia is well known for the diversity of its birds, but it is also home to a number of different amphibians and reptiles. Join herpetologists Carolyn and Dave as we hunt for salamanders and snakes as well as frogs and turtles at Britannia. We will explore a variety of habitats (woods, vernal pools) learning about the life history of these fascinating creatures. Binoculars are recommended for scanning for basking turtles. Rubber boots are suggested for kids (and for those young at heart).

Sunday, 29 April, 2-4 p.m.
Canal fish watching
*Kid Friendly*
Leaders: Hume Douglas, Hedrik Wachelka and possibly Dr. Steven Cooke or others from Carleton University's Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Lab
Meet: Parking lot of Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, 1049 Bank St.

In April many kinds of fish leave Dow's Lake for the warmer water of the mostly drained canal. Join us for this special chance to watch fish as many begin their courtship and spawning periods. If the weather is warm (unlike last year) we can expect to see Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, White Sucker, Common Carp, and possibly also Black Crappie, Muskellunge and others. Bring polarized sunglasses if you have them. Dr. Cooke or his students will be there if fieldwork allows. More information about research at the Cooke lab.

Thursday, 10 May to Sunday 13 May
Point Pelee and Rondeau National Parks - birding trip

Planning for our next birding trip to Point Pelee National Park is well underway. Our leaders will be Roy John and John Cartwright, two of our finest birding leaders. Roy has led several previous trips to Pelee and you can read his detailed account of our most recent trip in 2010 (T&L 44(4): 166-173). Both Roy and John have led many birding trips for the OFNC. (FYI: Photos from the 2007 trip)

Trip leader Roy John, Ron Bedford and other OFNC members at Point Pelee in 2010

We have arranged for Transport Thom to drive us again because they promise us a new bus with all the amenities such as comfortable seats, toilets, air conditioning or heating (as the case may be) and a good microphone on board. We have had more than our share of bus breakdown problems with Thom, especially on our most recent trip to Pelee, two years ago, but their drivers have always been so accommodating and flexible that we decided to go with this company again.

Our rooms at the Comfort Inn, Leamington, were reserved two years ago. Some rooms have a queen-sized double bed, others have two double beds, and each room is now equipped with a refrigerator. Complimentary breakfasts are available for birders as early as 4 a.m.

The cost remains the same as last year, $450 per person, shared accommodation. This includes three nights at the Comfort Inn, bus transportation and park entrance fees, truly a bargain. We would like a deposit of $100 to be paid as soon as possible to secure your place, with the remainder to be paid by April 1st. You will be able to pay this online, or you may write a cheque to the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club and send it to OFNC, Box 35069, Westgate PO, Ottawa ON   K1Z 1A2, and mark it for Pelee 2012.

Participants bring a bag lunch for the first day. For the other three days, you are invited to chip in $15 each for three delicious and nutritious buffet lunches that a team of volunteers will purchase from the supermarket across the street from Comfort Inn. (Extra tables and coolers are solicited to help make this happen.) Alternately, you can purchase or bring your own lunch and supper supplies. Dinners are enjoyed in several of the many good restaurants in the neighbourhood of our hotel.

On the way down we are likely to have a lunch stop at a good birding place, perhaps Oshawa Second Marsh. Friday is usually our day to visit Pelee National Park, Saturday we usually go to Rondeau Provincial Park, and on Sunday, on the way home we have been stopping to bird at Thickson's Woods Nature Reserve. Roy and John may make changes to this depending upon the weather and other circumstances.

My first time at Point Pelee was a surprise. Before dawn, there we were, shoulder to shoulder with many others, waiting for the tram to take us closer to the Point. I had never been in such a crowd on a nature trip. How was this going to work, I wondered? Our OFNC contingent inevitably split as a group as we dismounted, and we found ourselves among hundreds of binocular equipped birders, many also carrying spotting scopes or big cameras on tripods. Never had I experienced so many people in such a small area, moving quietly and respectfully along the network of paths, and no garbage, I realized afterwards. Not just our leaders, but anyone who spotted an interesting bird was delighted to share that find with others. You knew there was something special to see if a knot of people was gathered at a particular spot. Not only were you welcomed into that group, you were visually guided to see the particular bird that was at the centre of attention.

The magnet at Point Pelee National Park is the narrow spit of land that juts into Lake Eerie, and is the southernmost tip of Canada. The birds funnel across the great expanse of the lake and land exhausted, catch a meal or two, and then begin to sing. We, with our binoculars, get to enjoy the show.

As good birders know, some species of birds are better seen in other places, and that is why we visit Rondeau which has a wonderful, Carolinian forest with Tulip Trees and other species that we don't see in the Ottawa region. Here is where we hope to spot the elusive Prothonotary Warbler. We also fit in a visit to Hillman's Marsh for shore bird spotting. For me, this is a great way to spend the Mothers' Day weekend and this year I'll be sharing it with my spouse.