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- -- - -- - - Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, February 20, 1991-3 lst Kirby Brownie News 1by Bey Higgins The lst Kirby Brownies worked on.their "Friend to Nature" Badge on Saturday, February 9 at the home of Bem and Anita Ballentine i Leskard. The guest speaker was Peter Lockhart from east of Newtonville who do es bird banding for the government. He explained the banding process to the girls, showing them the humane traps used (they are like wire rabbit cages which the birds walk into). He also did a banding demonstration on a Neyer Late Neyer Lost With no time schedule and no designated route or places of calîs other than finally Niagara Falls a, get-away two day tnipa week ago, last Saturday and Sunday went without incidence. 0f course the birding scope, binoculars mnd bird L.D. books were in tme car mnd visits were made to every lake front park mnd parkette, along the way starting with the' Oshawa and Whitby Harbours, Pickering Generating Station m ad a host of others. Highway 401 was always far north of us until we reached the Skyway just outside of Burlington. Plenty of small rafts of ducks to be noted but nothing out of the ordinary that we could find. We were surprised at the number of black ducks encountered, as this species is supposed to be on its way out, interbreeding with- the Mallards. It is surprising the number of opportumities there are to get to the lakefront especially off Hwy. 2 from the east end of Toronto all the way to Niagara Falls. I fact we left Orono just prior'to the stroke of seven a.m. and arrived in Niagara Falls at 4:30 in the afternoon. On a number of occasions as to lakefront parks we felt that the old areas of the communities had provided the lakefront opportunities. What is there in the Town of Newcastle that would compare with a 'stretch from Toronto to Burllngton mnd men of course onto Niagara-On-The-Lake and especially from there on to Niagara Falls. We did take some time in Niagara-On-The-Lake where Tufted Titmouse, Red Bellied, Woopecers and even Mockingbirds have been reported, bird purchased fromn a craft'store. He also brought a telescope for the girls to look through. Then the girls had the opportunity to visit mhe ma work stations set up by the Bal itine's. At the first station, Bem 7 ilentine had prepared "pre-fab" b' feeders for the girls to hammer ether and paint. At the second w -k station was a basket of pine coi., --a mixture of sunflower seeds, pemnut butter and oats for die girls to niake simple feeders. At the mhird station, wintering again mhis winter. We had thought it would be easy to locate these birds because birders generally outnumber mhe birds mnd it would only> be a matter of fmnding the birders first. But after driving around for at least hall an hour no0 birders were to be found witli the exception of two elderly ladies, with binoculars'around their necks, having lunch in the warm surfs rays at a picnic bench along mhe banks of the Niagara River. They were no help but we finally did make a sighting of a Tufted Titmnouse. Our biggest break-through as to birds came half-way along the scenic drive front Niagara-On-The- Lake to Niagara Falls at one of mhe stop-off viewing parkettes. It was a Raid Eagle flying about 100 feet above mhe ground and a good clear sighting. It was an overnight stay in Niagara Falls amdwhat a surprise mhat good accommodation cost but $37.50 for a senior at mhis time of year, and add to this gas at .5(,0<a litre. 1 would suppose the op position cornes from mhe U.S.and front me abundance of motels and hotels in Niagara Falls. One bas to enjoy mhe great array of coloured lights on mhe trees and the animnated activated displays al i the park at mhe fails. Worth a trip in itself, at niglit of course. On our way tbrougli vineland we did visit a small private winery where they retailed their own product. You just have to go through the wine-tasting process mnd with our purchase spent the remaining portion of the evening watching "Dirty Dancing" on mhe T.V. Now Ive heard various versions as to mhe acceptability of this movie but founid it rather hoeéy amd easy to take. With sunrise it was off, birding again and wimh great, result. It was not mhat there were a lot of gulls or the girls could make feeders from milk cartons -or hmng suet. Fînally, there was a drawing table to make pictures of their favourite birds. Anita then served cake and ice cream for everyone in celebration of Brownie Laura Potts birthday. It was a beautiful, sunny 'aturday mnd the Brownies would like to thank the Ballentine's for al their help and hospitality in providing this wonderful afternoon spent earning their "Friend to Nature Badge". Most people are in favour of die two-party system: one on Friday night mnd one on Saturday night. -The Globe and Mail ducks but then it only takes one to niake your day. We had pulled off ai a viewing spot just west of the falîs and frnally met up with mnother couple of birders. Looked over the offerings in mhe rubble in the rapids mnd fially asked our neighbouring birder if there was mnything out of die ordinary. Yes, an Iceland Gull, mnd its location was pointed out. With the scope the Icelmnd was picked out and although it was facing away from us it was definitely a white-winged guli. Just at that point it turned around mrd I had noted with some surprise it had a small black bill. Mentioning t"i to our neighbouning birder who had packed up his equipment lie was soon to reassemble it to view the bird again. ""t's it did have a dark bll" but he questioned mhat it mighî be an Ivory GulI after ail the last time they were noted at the falîs was in 1945 and prior to that in the early '30s. "It lias to be a shadow on the bll" he said. Unfortunately the gull had since flown away but the fact that it was a small bill mnd black puts ir as an Ivory Guil. The shadow, I feel, was not legitimate as it was at noon mnd it was bight sunlight. I'm adding it to my life-list being sure of what I saw. As far as 'the life-list is concemned mnother new duck was added just last Sunday when Bunting and I tripped to Lakefield mnd south of the Village on the river, sighted two male Barrow Goldeneyes in aniongsî a raft of Common Goldeneyes. The Barrows is surely out of its range in Lakefield being native to the northemn west coast. The Ivory Guli is uncommon and is home in the high Artic. Certainly the bird was a great find for any birder., Clarke Museum reopens- on Tuesday, March 5th The Clarke Museum and of the Ontario Museum Archives will re-open on Tuesday, Association. Museum March 5, 1991 with a very special memberships ($5 - per year) are display on boan from the Royal available at the museum or from Ontario Museum. 'The Edward any member of the Board. Curtis Collection of Photographs Outreach Programmes and of native life ini Early Canada'. The school tours within the Town of 38 large black and white photos Newcastle will continue to be illustrate native life coast to coast provided free of charge. Schools in Canada. The dîsplay will be at outside the Towns boundaries wil the museum for two months and be charged a programming, fee of special group and school tours $.50 per child/adult. may be booked by calling the The Outreach Programme fée Museum office, for non school groups remains the Due to the recent economic samne at $50.00. Fees for archivaI down turn in Canada and the ever use remain the samne also. The rising costs of operating the Archives are available by museum, the Board of Directors appointment and the following have decided to implement an rates apply: $2.00 per day per admission fee at the Museum. 'Me researcher; Photocopies $.20; Board is dedicated to providing the Photocopies of file cards $.25; public with the best service Duplicates of photos ... cost plus a possible, and whenever possible, $10.00 handling charge; Requests to raise the necessary funds by mail ... $3.00 per hour/max. through their own initiative rather $ 10.00) per day. tda to continually draw on grants As of March 5, 1991 the Clarke funded through the tax payer. Museum and Archives is mhoving Fees for 1991 are: Adults to year round operation. Hours $ 1.00; Children/Students $.50; will be: Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. -,Seniors (65+) $.75; Famnily $2.00. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday il Museum memabers will receive a.m. to 5 pm. Closed Mondays free admis5ion'as a benefit of and Holidays. membership. As a professional Mark I. Jackman courtesy, the museum will also Cuator extend free admission to memibers If you are gomng to lead people you have to know where they are going. - Camillien Houde The young and the old are closest to life; they love every minute dearly. -Chief Dmn George If God realy intended men to fly he'd make it easier to get to the airpost. - George Winters Lettelr to the Editor: I last weeks paper you printed a picture, members of the Orono Figure Skating Club, who were competing in Cobourg on February 9th mnd lOth. I was disappointed that you did not put in a picture of aIl the skaters going to that competition. I hope in the future that you wihl include ail skaters going into that competition if possible. Thank you Melonie Allin 11 th Annual KIDNEY FOUNDATION DANCE Saturday, March 2nd, 1991 8:00 p.m. to 1:W0&. NEWCASTLECOMMUNITY HALL Music by: 'THE TRADESMEN' Lunch Provided $1 8.00 A Couple The OSHAWA SKI CLUB US 1OPEN For An Additional Ski Day On Friday, February 22 9:30 a.rn. to 4:30 p.m.. Lift Ticket Rates 13 and Under - - $10.50, Overl3 -- $16.00 (Including GS )