Observations: February 19, 1997 Time: 11 am Weather: Cloudy, bitter wind, occasional snow

Dazzling Winter Trees Snow-covered fir trees aren't the only winter-white trees along the Irving Nature Park roads. The bare-branched hardwood, White Birch (Betula papyrifera), is a beautiful tree particularly if you see its white branches dazzling with ice in the sunlight after an ice storm. Its name comes from its paper-white bark with narrow horizontal black stripes. When the white surface bark is peeled back it shows an orange-brown inner bark. Animals enjoy eating the bark as well as its tender twigs with buds. Unfortunately, the tree dies when its bark is removed. This medium-size tree can grow as tall as 24 meters (80 ft.) in height. In open areas beside the road, the white birch's branches form a pyramid-shaped crown. Among other trees in the forest the birch's branches curve into an oval crown. When its branches are coated with ice the slender birch looks to be bowing to the ground.

Noisy Winter Birds One of the birds you can easily spot in the winter is the glossy black American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). It has a fan-shaped tail and stands about 43-53 cm (17-21 inches) high. You will hear them calling loudly, their familiar "caw - caw" as they flap over areas of the park hoping to frighten a mouse or small rabbit into the open. On winter evenings the crows group communally in a few large trees that can hold hundreds of birds. In the winter crows feed on whatever they can find - small mammals or birds, and even garbage. In the summer months crows also feed on insects.

Memories of Summer While hiking on the park road through the snow, as you round Sheldon Point, there is a spot that always recalls some summer visitors, the playful harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). From July to early October a group of these fish-like mammals can often be seen there, swimming rapidly near the shore as they hunt for food or surface to breath. Each of these warm-blooded, small-toothed whales is about 1.5 meters (5 ft). in length, with a dark gray or black skin on its upper surface, and a light grey underside. Its head that ends in a thick black beak appears very round because it has a "melon" of waxy tissue on its forehead. This melon helps the porpoise use echoes to navigate and find schools of fish. Porpoise travel in pods (groups) of two to 10. They feed on herring, mackerel and squid. These warm weather visitors are most commonly seen breaching (breaking the water's surface to breathe) off the Irving Nature Park's shores.

The Naturalist's Notebook is published quarterly. If you have any questions or topics that you would like to see addressed, please call John Gilbert, Manager, Fish and Wildlife, J.D. Irving, Limited, (506) 632-7777.