Forests and Treed Swamps
Forests and Treed Swamps working group
The Forests and Treed Swamps Working Group collaborates to address forest fragmentation, invasive forest species, and degradation of interior treed wetlands to keep these systems well-functioning in the Long Point Walsingham Forest (LPWF) Priority Place.
The priorities of this group are to:
- Identify areas of low forest connectivity and improve habitat and increase forest cover through tree planting on private lands
- Implement a project to monitor treed wetland water levels on private and public lands
- Engage woodlot owners, forestry industry, and the public to increase awareness of and practice Species at Risk Best Management Practices
- Develop a model for invasive species control and implement invasive species control on private and public lands
Partner organizations within this group include: ALUS Norfolk, Birds Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Long Point Basin Land Trust, Long Point Region Conservation Authority, Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Norfolk County, Norfolk Woodlot Owner’s Association, and St. Williams Conservation Reserve Community Council.
Read articles about this working group:
Birds Canada Update
In 2022, we surveyed 56 woodlots in the Long Point Walsingham Forest Priority Place, covering 3,615.8 ha. We surveyed both public and private woodlots (55.3% public sites, covering 2,082.7 ha or 57.6% of the hectares we surveyed). We detected a total of 104 bird species, including our five target forest species at risk: Acadian Flycatcher, Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Prothonotary Warbler, and Red-headed Woodpecker. Numbers for our five target species are below. All of the Acadian Flycatcher nests sadly failed (depredation), but three of four Louisiana Waterthrush nests fledged successfully (one was abandoned due to cowbird parasitism). We confirmed that at least one of the Prothonotary Warbler nests was successful, as was the Red-headed Woodpecker nest. We also observed three non-target forest species at risk: 1 Canada Warbler, 136 Eastern Wood-Pewees, and 94 Wood Thrushes.
| Species | Total number of individuals found | Number of pairs | Number of nests |
| Acadian Flycatcher | 25 | 7 | 4 |
| Cerulean Warbler | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | 24 | 10 | 4 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | 3 | 1 | 1 |
* Total number of individuals includes the paired birds
We also installed 11 Prothonotary Warbler nest boxes across southern Ontario, including two in Norfolk County. Three of these boxes were occupied by Prothonotary Warblers this year and all three fledged successfully, yielding at least 16 fledglings. Three additional boxes were visited by Prothonotary Warblers, though they did not ultimately set up shop. Here’s hoping the fledglings from this year will return to fill our boxes next year!