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I was once a dedicated bird watcher and have fond memories of birds which I only saw because I was willing and able to travel to see them.
Mr. P. and Rosa Rugosa (Jean Iron/Special for The Beacon Herald)
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I was once a dedicated bird watcher and have fond memories of birds which I only saw because I was willing and able to travel to see them. A Phainopepla in Brampton was a close sighting of a bird I had never seen (a “lifer” in bird watcher parlance) and the date was November 17, 2009.
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Ah, I see a reader’s hand raised with a question: what is a phainopepla? Well, that’s the question I asked myself when I got the news of the sighting. I flipped through my field guide and learned that phainopepla is a bird found in Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and central California. The Brampton Phainopepla was a long way from home and it is not surprising that the sighting prompted local observers to rush for their field guides. Brampton resident Dian Bogie is the heroine of this story because she identified the bird, the birding network was quick to point out a real rarity, and “lister” (birder’s slang for dedicated birders who want to see as many different birds as possible) their schedules newly arranged include trips to Brampton. A bird watcher from British Columbia was among the early visitors who knocked on Ms. Bogie’s door.
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The Brampton Phainopepla was soon known as “Mr. P.” He couldn’t have picked a better neighborhood, nor could visiting birders ask for a warmer welcome. Dian and her neighbors set out a table with complimentary coffee, cookies, and a logbook signed by more than 500 visitors after a month At first it seemed that Mr. P. had no fixed address in the neighborhood and Dian’s neighbors gradually became accustomed to bird watchers with binoculars, telescopes, tripods and cameras patiently walking the streets hoping to find at least one To catch a glimpse of a bird they had never seen before (a “lifer” in bird watcher parlance.) Mr. P. eventually made Dian’s garden his home base, with frequent appearances in neighboring gardens where bird watchers like to visit visitors were.
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Mr P’s stay in Brampton is said to have started on 9 November 2009, but it was very likely that he was in the area for some time before Dian and other knowledgeable birders identified him as a very rare visitor. Temperatures were mild in early November this year, but concerns for Mr. P. increased as the winter weather set in. Luckily in Dian Bogie’s garden there was a flowering rosa rugosa bush with fruit – which, as you probably know, are called rose hips – which Mr. P P. sustains for several weeks.
Rosa rugosa has many common names (among others: beach tomato, beach rose, beach plum and potato rose) and probably came to North America from Asia in the 18th century. Although this is a very attractive rose, it also has the unfortunate habit of spreading fairly easily by spreading roots and seeds. So light, in fact, that it’s often considered a troublesome weed. A 2010 survey on Brier Island in Nova Scotia found dominant coastal “colonies” of R. rugosa measuring 1 meter in height and 10 meters in length.
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But the flowers of the Rosa rugosa, and in particular its hips, are often used as ingredients in teas, syrups and jellies. Rosehips are also valuable food for wildlife and Mr P seemed to be doing quite well on a rosehip diet. Diane Bogie and her neighbors became concerned as the days passed and Mr. P showed no signs of leaving, perhaps because the rosa rugosa bush was still providing plenty of food. Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion (a very useful and readable resource for anyone interested in birds) notes that desert mistletoe thrives in the Phainopepla winter range. This may have led Dian to investigate the possibility of purchasing live mistletoe complete with berries to supplement Mr. B’s rosehip diet. I don’t know how far the mistletoe plan got, because observations of the neighborhood ended one January morning when Mr. B. was found in a snowdrift. He was quickly evacuated to a bird sanctuary where he died two days later, a sad end to a remarkable series of events.
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If you’re wondering about planting Rosa rugosa to support birdlife, there are many hybrids that may not be as invasive as those that may threaten to dominate Brier Island, and they are also very attractive. The “Explorer” series developed in Ottawa and those in Morden, Man seem particularly interesting to me. developed “Parkland” series.
Looking ahead to upcoming gardening events, the next Garden Stratford (aka Stratford and District Horticultural Society, aka SDHS) meeting will be a Zoom event on Monday 9th January. Garden Stratford members will receive emails with instructions on how to connect to Zoom. Non-members are welcome to participate and please email sdhs1878@outlook.com for connection instructions. The evening begins at 6pm with a Garden Chat about gardens tended by Garden Stratford members, followed by a brief business meeting. At 7:30pm, Nancy Lee Colibaba, a master gardener from Brantford, will be the keynote speaker.
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In other garden education news, the Stratford Public Library is partnering with Stratford and area gardeners to present a new series on horticultural practices that help gardens adapt to a changing climate. The speaker on January 19 will be Lorraine Johnson. Her topic: climate change and the garden. SDHS memberships are still only $15. Members enjoy many perks and privileges, such as workshops, special members-only events and generous discounts from gardeners in the Stratford area. Email me (reberg@mac.com) and I’ll put you in touch with the membership coordinator. Memberships are great gifts.
My big thanks to Diane Bogie and her neighbors and to Jean Iron for the great photo of Mr. P.
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