Oak Leaves

NATURE ARTICLE - NATURE NOTES - by Earl Plato

OAK LEAVES - A NEW YEAR'S LESSON
George Foss of Sherkston and I walked the trails of the Stevensville Conservation Park in December. We passed by various oaks, red, white and two large Burr oaks. They all had one thing in common. There were varying numbers of leaves still on each of their branches. A LESSON FROM THE OAK TREE
Have you ever noticed that in late fall and winter some oak trees retain crisp, dry leaves long after maples, the elms and the walnuts have become bare skeletons? When we return to the Stevensville site in spring we will find that the strong winter winds and the early spring rains have not stripped the oak branches completely. This is what I read recently in a devotional booklet,
"As springtime progresses, something wonderful happens. Tiny little oak leaf buds start appearing at the tips of the twigs, pushing off the dried remnants of the preceding season. What the winds and rains could not do without, the forces of new life do from within."
Now you don't have to wait to spring in order to make new resolutions for 1994. We all know that at times old habits, that are not essentially good for us, cling to our lives with the same tenacity as those old oak leaves. The message is: "The best way to get rid of a bad habit is to start a good habit." The writer also says, "Rely on God and he will give you the strength to push off our old habits." That's good advice.
STEVENSVILLE CONSERVATION AREA
I had been here a few weeks before to see the Conservation Authority's new permanent display board. There's a map and some descriptions of what you'll see. George had never been to the conservation area before or walked the paths. He pointed on the map to the pickerel hatching pond and I was not sharp enough to tell him where it was. We started out. It was not the best day to do so for the sun never shone and I remind you that there were slippery spots along the trails. Black-capped chickadees greeted us and in the distance a Blue Jay hollered his recognition of us. We walked across the new bridge to Mount Stevensville ( the man made hill) and from its height looked out over the December landscape. George found some fox droppings on the hill trail. Once down the hill he asked me about one of the plants still green and growing close to the ground. Believe me, I had learned from Ernie Giles what it was but alas the old memory failed me. George identified some wild barley grass. I thought that it might be rye grass but my book on grasses failed to verify which of us was right. Looks like we will have to return again. I should have taken a sample home for study. He mentioned the pickerel pond again. I told him that the lagoon to our left was stocked with fish in May. I still hadn't caught on to where the pickerel hatchery was.
We returned and walked along the edge of the creek and crossed the bridge where the Black Creek gets one of its two main sources. This one branch had its head water from Humberstone Marsh in Port Colborne. We turned right and took the Inner Trail. This is a pleasant walk high on the bank. Below us and to our right, easily seen through the leafless trees was, the Creek Trail following the meandering of Black Creek. The two of us stirred up the debris under a large Bur Oak. Note: I apologize to the Fort Erie Conservation Club for insisting on spelling Bur with two "r's." Their sign is correct. As hard as we looked we found no acorns with the unique "bur" edges. We reached the junction of the three Trails, the Outer, Inner, and Creek. Along the way in this area someone had tied pieces of wool to the branches of trees in a haphazard fashion. Why? There is a little bench here and there once was a bird feeding station. Again chickadees flitted in the underbrush and sang their familiar song. We headed north along the outer trail. Someone had cut back the branches of encroaching evergreens. At first we thought someone had entered the Conservation area for some Christmas trees. Not.
George asked what the trees with the almost birch - like trunk colour was. I said aspen, trembling aspen. The "trembling" part was gone. I had seen these trees some weeks before when their leaves with their light under colour were plentiful and would move in the slightest breeze and give that "trembling" effect. There were three clumps of young aspens as we headed back into the evergreen growths. Now, I never admit to being lost. If we had continued and reached the inner trail we would have seen the little bridge and the way back to the car. Instead I told George we would have to backtrack. We did and reached the Creek Trail. This trail was a little slippery. The water was flowing freely. Someone had used railway ties to "shore up" the creek banks in order to slow down the erosion.
We arrived back at the little bridge and followed the hilly Cline Nature trail back to the car. Autumn olive and high bush cranberry bushes lined the creek here. A feeder station at the tree had plenty of chickadees and some slate coloured juncos.
We looked at the map on the Conservation Authority sign again and I then realized that the Pickerel Hatchery was behind the Club building. The pond was dredged and almost empty. Drain pipes from the two outer buildings led into the pond. Construction of an addition was underway.
Take some time to visit the Stevensville Conservation Authority Park. I am sure that once you enjoy the peacefulness of the setting you will return again.
THE SCHNEIDER'S HERONRY - THAT SAME DAY
I am looking at some photos I recently took of Great Blue Heron nests. I am not talking about five or ten roughly formed nests of sticks. At 11:03 a.m. on that same day of our visit to Stevensville Conservation Area we pulled into Don Schneider's old place on Bowen Road. Let me explain that the Schneiders no longer live here.
ASK PERMISSION FIRST
I asked permission to enter the wet area behind the property where the heronry was located. You can see about 18 nests from Bowen Road. Always seek permission when entering private land. A SIGHT TO BEHOLD
George walked on ahead as I fiddled with my camera and mini-tape recorder. We had to navigate bodies of water but the sight that was unfolding was amazing. I had seen perhaps 25 heron nests in the Alabama Swamp outside of Lockport, New York. George called out, "There's at least 40 here!" He was right. As we walked on we counted 20 more. I took my bird glasses and focused in on the nests. We both agreed that they were rough structures indeed and wondered how the young chicks could remain safe.
WRITER'S NOTE: Great Blue Herons have from 3-5 pale greenish-blue eggs in a nest lined with finer material on a platform of sticks.
We couldn't see this finer material in the nest but remember this was December. One tree had five nests in it. If you have had heard the hoarse, guttural squack of this giant bird you can imagine the level of noise in just this one tree if all the nests were inhabited. The question: When the herons return from the South do they use the same nest again? We hope to answer that question in Spring of 1994.
We drove down Winger Road past the Darleen Wildlife Refuge of the Schneiders. Hundreds of Canada Geese surrounded their pond. We looked to our right, eastwards, into the woods and spotted a few more heron nests. We estimated that in all there were over 60 nests. Amazing, and here in Greater Fort Erie.
Remember nature is at your doorstep anytime of year. Best wishes for the New Year and take some time to enjoy the outdoors in '94.