The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



VOL. XXXVI 



OTTAWA, ONT., DECEMBER, 1922 



No. 9 



THE BIRDS OF NORTH BAY, ONTARIO, AND VICINITY IN 1904 



By Stuart L. Thompson 



NORTH BAY is situated on the northeast 

 shore of Lake Nipissing, in the District 

 of Nipissing, Province of Ontario. At the 

 time of my acquaintance with it, 1904, it was a 

 town of some 3,500 inhabitants of French-Cana- 

 dian and British stock, with a sprinkling of 

 Indians, living for the most part in the outskirts, 

 the territory to the west of the lake being an 

 Indian reserve. 



Speaking generally, the country surrounding 

 the town slopes very gently towards the lake, is 

 fairly level and extends north and east some four 

 miles where it rises abruptly into a sort of bushy, 

 rounded cliff between 100 and 200 feet high. 

 This ridge extends in a south-east to westerly 

 direction, forming a sharp contour on the sky line. 

 In the south and east it rises abruptly, but it is 

 gradually lost towards the west in the general 

 level. Below this ridge is the flat sloping surface 

 covered with low woods that form the immediate 

 background to the town. North and east of the 

 town the country is flat or gently rolling, with more 

 or less stony mounds, and dips down into a damp, 

 boggy thicket which becomes locally grassy 

 muskeg. To the west the same character of 

 country prevails except that the mounds become 

 rocky hills, sometimes of bare rock with little 

 vegetation of any size. Lake Nipissing, occupy- 

 ing the south and west outlook from the town, is 

 18 miles in length and empties into Georgian Bay 

 by way of the French River. It is generally 

 supposed to be a treacherous lake due to its shal- 

 lowness and the sudden wind storms to which it 

 is subject, which raise comparatively rough water. 

 For many miles along the north arm of the lake 

 the shore is a level sandy beach, but to the west it 

 becomes rocky and wooded. 



On the south side of the town flows Chippewa 

 Creek, a small stream but a few feet across. Its 

 course is very crooked and its banks for the most 

 part are covered with alders and similar shrubbery. 

 It rises to the north in the low-lying woods behind 

 the town. A mile or so west of town is Chien 

 Creek, a much larger stream, rising in the rocky 

 hills and flowing through rock channels and small 



gorges. Like Chippewa Creek it empties into the 

 lake. 



Speaking generally the country about North 

 Bay could at that time be called rocky woods. 

 The only exception to this description was the low- 

 lying grassy and bushy marsh. The only spot 

 that could be called a field was a certain clearing 

 of 40 or 50 acres in extent, grass grown between 

 great pine stumps, bounded by the lake on one 

 side and by dense woods and the town on the 

 others. Here alone were seen such species as 

 Vesper Sparrow and Meadowlark. 



The forest was a mixture of coniferous and 

 deciduous trees. The commoner of the former 

 species were Red and White Pine, Cedar and 

 Balsam Fir, with Tamarack in the damp parts. 

 Of the latter, Black, Yellow and White Birch; 

 Maple, Cherry, Poplar, Willow, Alder, Dogwood 

 and other of lower growth were found. The 

 character of the country on the whole is very. 

 suitable for both migrant and resident birds. 



The climate does not differ greatly from that of 

 Northern Ontario generally, and is not greatly 

 modified either way by the immediate presence of 

 Lake Nipissing. The summers are short and hot 

 but the nights are always cool enough for comfort. 

 June and July are the hottest months; August, 

 especially towards the end, usually suggests the 

 return of autumn. The winters are long and 

 fairly cold. Heavy night frosts begin in October, 

 November is cold and December usually sees 

 winter fairly well begun. January and February are 

 the coldest months. Temperatures of 40 and 46 

 degrees below zero are not rare and the snow lies 

 about two feet deep. Towards the end of Feb- 

 ruary the sun shines brightly and the days appear 

 almost mild. In March, real winter may be 

 considered to be past. April is a rather cold 

 spring month and May is likely to be showery. 



1. Podilymbus podiceps. PiED-BlLLED Grbbe. 

 — Common summer resident in the reedy parts at 

 the west end of Lake Nipissing. August 29, I 

 secured two specimens. 



