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2017 A Year in Review

Kristen Martyn- Regent Bowerbird

Welcome!

Welcome!

I’m Kristen- a birder, naturalist and entrepreneur. I love exploring places in search of interesting wildlife and nature. While traveling is a passion of mine, I also enjoying exploring my own backyard. I’m passionate about teaching people about the natural world. I have the pleasure of doing so everyday through my business (Wild Birds Unlimited Barrie), speaking engagements and as a tour leader. This blog is a place where I combine my love of birding, wildlife, bird feeding, traveling and business.

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If you would have told me in 2010 (when I did my f

If you would have told me in 2010 (when I did my first trip to MI to see breeding Kirtland's Warblers) that in 12 years time I would be living 30 mins away from an active Kirtland's Warbler restoration site- I probably wouldn't have believed you. I'm still pinching myself that in the last two weeks I've been able to visit 3 times and enjoy this species. One early morning visit yielded 4 males singing their hearts out and offering fantastic views popping up beside the trail. It was even more exciting for me to be able to bring my daughter and share the experience with her. We reguarly read Fire Bird a kids book all about the biology of these birds.

If you're not familiar with this species, the Kirtland’s Warbler is one of the rarest songbirds in North America which was nearly extinct 50 years ago. A true habitat specialist, it breeds only in young pine forests. Their nickname "Fire Bird" 🔥 comes from the natural history of Jack Pine forests- which are dependant on fire. Kirtland's Warblers only nest in trees of a certain size (relatively small). Fire helps to open the Jack Pine cones and release the seeds which then grow into the small trees they need to nest. The supression of natural forest firest resulted in habitat loss for the warblers. Now, their habitat is controled by prescribed fire which is rotated between sections of forest. Brown-headed Cowbirds moving east out of grasslands/prairie and parasitizing nests have also cause issues with Kirtland's Warblers. In some areas cowbirds are actively controlled through trapping to reduce their numbers and give the Kirtland's better nesting success rate.

In 2017 the current site the birds are at was created by Simcoe County. The project aimed to establish 130 acres of early succesional pine-oak forest specifically to attract Kirtland's Warblers. Incredible how successful this has been. A true case of if you build it they will come. #habitatcreation #conservation #conservationsuccessstory #kirtlandswarbler
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#builsitandtheywillcome @countyofsimcoe #mysimcoecounty #birding #birdnerd #rarebirds #incrediblestory

As pollinator week comes to an end, I'm finishing

As pollinator week comes to an end, I'm finishing off my pollinator posts with a stunning bee, the Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens). These little gems 💎 are a pleasure to see as they go from one flower to another. Here pictured on Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). I hope you enjoyed my pollinator week posts and please support your native pollinators through habitat creation with native plantings. 🐝 #pollinatorweek
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#pollinators #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobees #bees #savethebees #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening #nativebees

It's pollinator week and we can't forget about the

It's pollinator week and we can't forget about the flies! Flies are extremely efficient pollinators. Second only with their pollinating skills to bees (and some are event on par with the bees). Flower flies (hoverflies or Syrphid flies) 🪰 family Syrphidae are extremely important pollinators. They often get mistaken for bees and in fact many are great mimics. When you encourage these flies in your garden not only do you get fantastic pollination services, but their larvae eat LARGE quantities of garden pests such as aphids. Win-win 😉 #pollinators #flowerflies
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#pollinatorweek #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #homegrownnationalpark #naturalpestcontrol #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening

Bees are of course the quintessential pollinator.

Bees are of course the quintessential pollinator. The two words, bee and pollinator, are pretty much synonymous. It's important when planning a native plant garden to include plantings for specialist bees. Native heucheras are a type of plant that attract specialist bees. Check out the coral coloured pollen of this Prairie Alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii) on what I believe is a species of Small Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum sp.). Gorg! #pollinatorweek
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#pollinators #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobees #leps #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening

Another butterfly feature for pollinator week! I'v

Another butterfly feature for pollinator week! I've spotted a few Viceroys (pictured) recently and my first Monarch of 2022 (so exciting). The Viceroy and Monarch were once thought to exhibit Batesian mimicry where a harmless species mimics a toxic species. Studies conducted in the early 1990's suggest that the Viceroy and the Monarch are actually examples of Mullerian mimicry where two equally toxic species mimic each other to the benefit of each. Just goes to show you there's always something new to discover in the natural world! 🦋 #viceroy #mimicry
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#pollinator #pollinatorweek #butterfly #butterfliesofinstagram #getoutside #amazinganimalfacts

No matter how many times I see them, the Hummingbi

No matter how many times I see them, the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) is still one of my favourite garden pollinators! Such a cool insect. Really neat to watch them hovering and flying from flower to flower. Can't wait for the blooms of our summer wildlife garden to appear so we can enjoy these beauties again. #HummingbirdClearwing #hemaristhysbe
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#pollinatorweek #pollinators #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #butterflygardening #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobutterflies #leps #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening #moths

Leave it to kids to find the coolest most interest

Leave it to kids to find the coolest most interesting things! Case and point my little nature lover called me over to investigate a ladybug 🐞 She wanted to know exactly what it was. After a little research we learned it's an Eye-spotted Lady Beetle 🎉 While not the most efficient pollinators ladybugs do pollinate as they move from flower to flower. There are many species of beetles that pollinate and some plants who depend on beetle pollination (i.e. spicebush). Although beetles do have color vision, they rely primarily on their sense of smell to find flowers. Many people tend to describe flowers pollinated by beetles as spicy, sweet, musky, or fermented like overripe fruit. 🤓🪲 #beetlepollinators #eyespottedladybeetle
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#pollinators #pollinatorweek #neatgardenfinds #kidfind #pollinatorgardening #backyardwildlife #wildlifegardening #macro #canoncanada #itsthelittlethings #habitatgardening #R5 #EOSR5 #macrophotography #nativeplantgardening #ladybug

Happy Pollinator Week! I thought I'd kick off poll

Happy Pollinator Week! I thought I'd kick off pollinator week with an update: Our little garden cats 🐛 are growing! Since my post last week the teeny caterpillars have grown enough to be ID'd and they are ... 🥁 American Lady butterflies ⭐️ As I mentioned in the last post almost every single plant spike has a single caterpillar "nest". Exciting to see so many of these beauties making their home in our garden.

Remember, if your plants aren't being eaten, then your garden is not part of the ecosystem 😜
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#habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #americanladybutterfly #americanlady #ontarionativeplants #butterflygardening #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobutterflies #leps #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening #pollinatorweed #pollinator

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If you would have told me in 2010 (when I did my f

If you would have told me in 2010 (when I did my first trip to MI to see breeding Kirtland's Warblers) that in 12 years time I would be living 30 mins away from an active Kirtland's Warbler restoration site- I probably wouldn't have believed you. I'm still pinching myself that in the last two weeks I've been able to visit 3 times and enjoy this species. One early morning visit yielded 4 males singing their hearts out and offering fantastic views popping up beside the trail. It was even more exciting for me to be able to bring my daughter and share the experience with her. We reguarly read Fire Bird a kids book all about the biology of these birds.

If you're not familiar with this species, the Kirtland’s Warbler is one of the rarest songbirds in North America which was nearly extinct 50 years ago. A true habitat specialist, it breeds only in young pine forests. Their nickname "Fire Bird" 🔥 comes from the natural history of Jack Pine forests- which are dependant on fire. Kirtland's Warblers only nest in trees of a certain size (relatively small). Fire helps to open the Jack Pine cones and release the seeds which then grow into the small trees they need to nest. The supression of natural forest firest resulted in habitat loss for the warblers. Now, their habitat is controled by prescribed fire which is rotated between sections of forest. Brown-headed Cowbirds moving east out of grasslands/prairie and parasitizing nests have also cause issues with Kirtland's Warblers. In some areas cowbirds are actively controlled through trapping to reduce their numbers and give the Kirtland's better nesting success rate.

In 2017 the current site the birds are at was created by Simcoe County. The project aimed to establish 130 acres of early succesional pine-oak forest specifically to attract Kirtland's Warblers. Incredible how successful this has been. A true case of if you build it they will come. #habitatcreation #conservation #conservationsuccessstory #kirtlandswarbler
.
.
.
#builsitandtheywillcome @countyofsimcoe #mysimcoecounty #birding #birdnerd #rarebirds #incrediblestory

As pollinator week comes to an end, I'm finishing

As pollinator week comes to an end, I'm finishing off my pollinator posts with a stunning bee, the Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens). These little gems 💎 are a pleasure to see as they go from one flower to another. Here pictured on Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis). I hope you enjoyed my pollinator week posts and please support your native pollinators through habitat creation with native plantings. 🐝 #pollinatorweek
.
.
.
#pollinators #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobees #bees #savethebees #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening #nativebees

It's pollinator week and we can't forget about the

It's pollinator week and we can't forget about the flies! Flies are extremely efficient pollinators. Second only with their pollinating skills to bees (and some are event on par with the bees). Flower flies (hoverflies or Syrphid flies) 🪰 family Syrphidae are extremely important pollinators. They often get mistaken for bees and in fact many are great mimics. When you encourage these flies in your garden not only do you get fantastic pollination services, but their larvae eat LARGE quantities of garden pests such as aphids. Win-win 😉 #pollinators #flowerflies
.
.
.
#pollinatorweek #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #homegrownnationalpark #naturalpestcontrol #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening

Bees are of course the quintessential pollinator.

Bees are of course the quintessential pollinator. The two words, bee and pollinator, are pretty much synonymous. It's important when planning a native plant garden to include plantings for specialist bees. Native heucheras are a type of plant that attract specialist bees. Check out the coral coloured pollen of this Prairie Alumroot (Heuchera richardsonii) on what I believe is a species of Small Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum sp.). Gorg! #pollinatorweek
.
.
.
#pollinators #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobees #leps #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening

Another butterfly feature for pollinator week! I'v

Another butterfly feature for pollinator week! I've spotted a few Viceroys (pictured) recently and my first Monarch of 2022 (so exciting). The Viceroy and Monarch were once thought to exhibit Batesian mimicry where a harmless species mimics a toxic species. Studies conducted in the early 1990's suggest that the Viceroy and the Monarch are actually examples of Mullerian mimicry where two equally toxic species mimic each other to the benefit of each. Just goes to show you there's always something new to discover in the natural world! 🦋 #viceroy #mimicry
.
.
.
#pollinator #pollinatorweek #butterfly #butterfliesofinstagram #getoutside #amazinganimalfacts

No matter how many times I see them, the Hummingbi

No matter how many times I see them, the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) is still one of my favourite garden pollinators! Such a cool insect. Really neat to watch them hovering and flying from flower to flower. Can't wait for the blooms of our summer wildlife garden to appear so we can enjoy these beauties again. #HummingbirdClearwing #hemaristhysbe
.
.
.
#pollinatorweek #pollinators #habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #ontarionativeplants #butterflygardening #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobutterflies #leps #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening #moths

Leave it to kids to find the coolest most interest

Leave it to kids to find the coolest most interesting things! Case and point my little nature lover called me over to investigate a ladybug 🐞 She wanted to know exactly what it was. After a little research we learned it's an Eye-spotted Lady Beetle 🎉 While not the most efficient pollinators ladybugs do pollinate as they move from flower to flower. There are many species of beetles that pollinate and some plants who depend on beetle pollination (i.e. spicebush). Although beetles do have color vision, they rely primarily on their sense of smell to find flowers. Many people tend to describe flowers pollinated by beetles as spicy, sweet, musky, or fermented like overripe fruit. 🤓🪲 #beetlepollinators #eyespottedladybeetle
.
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.
#pollinators #pollinatorweek #neatgardenfinds #kidfind #pollinatorgardening #backyardwildlife #wildlifegardening #macro #canoncanada #itsthelittlethings #habitatgardening #R5 #EOSR5 #macrophotography #nativeplantgardening #ladybug

Happy Pollinator Week! I thought I'd kick off poll

Happy Pollinator Week! I thought I'd kick off pollinator week with an update: Our little garden cats 🐛 are growing! Since my post last week the teeny caterpillars have grown enough to be ID'd and they are ... 🥁 American Lady butterflies ⭐️ As I mentioned in the last post almost every single plant spike has a single caterpillar "nest". Exciting to see so many of these beauties making their home in our garden.

Remember, if your plants aren't being eaten, then your garden is not part of the ecosystem 😜
.
.
.
#habitatforwildlife #habitatgardening #americanladybutterfly #americanlady #ontarionativeplants #butterflygardening #homegrownnationalpark #ontariobutterflies #leps #pollinatorfriendly #pollinatorgarden #nativeplantgardens #nativeplantgardening #pollinatorweed #pollinator

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