August 12, 2015
Both eaglets have been getting out every day on the breezes and floating around. Thanks to Rebecca Middleton, we can see them closely in the sky from this picture! “The eaglets are taking turns leaving the nest and flying around. One will fly and land, then rest and then the other will fly, but not too far and then land and rest. The one calls and calls and calls every time it is out flying around. The parents are feeding them only once a day now.”Did you know that as adults, they can climb to an altitude of 10,000 feet? During level flight, a bald eagle can achieve speeds of about 48 to 56 kph. (30 – 35 mph)!The question was asked as to whether the Bald Eagles migrate…and hope you will read the answer in our Nature Section. Or just enjoy listening to the Bald Eagle…(Takes a few minutes to load up.)
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Arts on the Bay – Tonight at 6:15 p.m.
JAKE AND THE FUNDAMENTALS –
Jake Thomas and his group are inspired by Chicago blues, Delta blues, good ol’ Rock and Roll, R&B and everything in between.
Jake has shared the stage with many great artists such as Muddy Waters, Johnny Winters and Jeff Healey. This man can really make a guitar talk.
Jakes motto “You can’t lie down when you are busy getting down.”
This is going to be one foot stompin’ show.
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Fox Snake and Rattlesnake…Similar Yet Not Similar
 Here is a picture of the common Fox Snake taken near the Range Light. Please don’t confuse it with a rattlesnake…it is longer, wider and feeds on mice! Although endangered in the Carolinas, it is ‘only’ threatened here in Georgian Bay.
Its body is yellow to light brown with large, dark brown blotches down the back and two alternating rows of smaller blotches along the sides. This snake has a reddish brown head with dark bars around the eyes and a yellow chin. Its belly, which is also yellow, has alternating brown patches. The scales of this species are lightly keeled (ridged down the centre) and its anal plate is divided.
 The eastern massasauga rattlesnake, on the other hand, has a rattle on a blunt tail, a vertical pupil and a triangular head, and adult massasaugas do not grow longer than one metre.When threatened, the eastern fox snake vibrates its tail and, especially when it comes into contact with dry vegetation, makes a buzzing or “rattling” sound. This behaviour, combined with the snake’s blotchy patterning, causes many people to mistake it for a rattlesnake.
Eastern foxsnakes’ habitat generally use unforested habitats such as shorelines, prairies, savannahs, rock barrens and wetlands, and are most commonly found in shoreline edge habitats.
This information is taken from Ontario Nature.
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Junior Naturalist Program Rescheduled for August 23!
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Remember that the wonderful Junior Naturalist Program has been rescheduled for Sunday, August 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to noon. So mark your calendars now and check back for further details regarding this outstanding program. Questions: Contact Nancy Regan
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Response to Excessive Speed in Narrow Channels
PaBIA received the note below from a member after reading in last week’s eBlast about the concern re the danger caused by boat operators who drive their boats with large wakes in narrow channels.
“I just read your recent newsletter and the article on safe boating reminded me to let you know of a close call a few weeks ago. A friend and I were kayaking down Steamboat channel. We approached the very narrow section between MacKenzie and Touches. A large inboard/outboard was coming from the opposite direction so we hugged the cliff on the right (we were heading west), fully expecting the boat to slow down. We were in his full view for at least 500 metres. However he did not slow down one bit. It was a 20+ foot boat, full of adults, creating a huge wake. My friend and I are very experienced paddlers so we managed to get our kayaks turned into the wake and avoid being swamped. Had we been less skilled or children, the kayaks would have dumped, resulting in injury or even death because of the huge wake that was rebounding off the cliff a metre away. In frantically maneuvering, we were unable to get the boat’s registration number or the make, only that it was a blue and white new model boat. The driver and passengers all waved and laughed at the incident.”
Next time you are driving your boat of any size, any description, and in any channel, look behind you to ensure that there is no havoc created by your wake. Remember that we are responsible for our boat’s effect on other boats, docks, shoreline and the safety of small boats and people.
Please consider that if the channel is narrow, the danger is doubled
or even tripled because of strong wake ‘rebounding‘ off the rocks and back into the middle of the channel. The larger the boat, the bigger the waves and the more dangerous the consequences!
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10:30 a.m. Saturday for PaBAR
 We had a fun race with 17 boats out on Saturday. Thank you to our rendezvous hosts, Kim and John Hassard, for a wonderful party at Oneeishta Island.
Our annual regatta “PaBAR” will be held on Saturday August 15th on our traditional regatta course just south of the wreck. The first race is at 10:30 sharp followed by a picnic lunch on the Bradshaw’s rocks (A501). There will be two races in the afternoon. All boat classes are welcome for all races – the afternoon races count toward the August series.
Be sure to join us for our annual sailing dinner and awards ceremony at the Ojibway Club at 6:30 pm following the regatta. The cost is $32.00 per person and BYOB – all are welcome and non Ojibway Club members can pay cash at the door. Please contact the Ojibway Club to book your seats for this fun night by Wednesday August 12th.
Calling all Laser Sailors – Our fleet has been thin this year – Come out and join the fun!
Check the PaBIA website for course descriptions, race results and other pertinent information. See you Saturday!
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Catch & Release –
The Type of Hook Can Make A Difference
While in Florida in the winter Jan and I learned some things about different type of hooks and when different ones were legal and illegal. So we did some investigating about how this affects fishing in Ontario and found the following information.
Although considerable variation exists between species in the effects of gear type on catch-and-release mortality, several generalizations can be made. While there is some variation among species, the use of circle hooks tends to reduce mortality. Circle hooks differ from traditional J-style hooks in that the point of the hook is generally perpendicular to the shank (Figure 1). Circle hooks have been found to be less susceptible to becoming deeply embedded; however, there is some evidence that, in bluegill, the incidence of eye injuries may be greater (Cooke et al., 2003b). In a review of the effectiveness of circle hooks, Cooke and Suski (2004) found that, the use of circle hooks reduced overall mortality rates by approximately 50%, but that there was variation among species.
 For More Information on Catch & Release Strategies, visit the following Ontario’s MNR Catch and Release article
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The Perseids Meteor Shower, one of the finest night sky shows to watch, produces up to 60-100/hr bright, fast, and colorful meteors, and peaks on August 11th, 12th and 13th. It will be especially vivid this year because of the timing with the darker sky due to the new moon’s cycle. Tonight’s should be the peak…weather permitting!
While this summer’s spectacular appears to radiate from a constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky, it is actually caused by the Earth passing through the dust particles from the comet Swift-Tuttle. Each summer, the Earth passes into a trail of dust left by this comet; and as a result, all the dust and debris burning up in our atmosphere, travelling at a very fast 132,000 miles per second (59 km/s), produce the spectacle known as the Perseus Meteor Shower, or what are popularly recognized as “shooting stars”.
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Art and Photo Workshop
 with John and Joseph Hartman –
West Lookout
Bring your camera or art supplies and prepare to be inspired by this incredible landscape! The Georgian Bay Land Trust is organizing an art and photo workshop with celebrated Canadian artists John and Joseph Hartman to take place on West Lookout Island this Sunday, August 16th. Each workshop will last for two hours, from 12 noon – 2 pm. Please RSVP to guarantee your spot – contact Sarah. Click here for more information
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In Memoriam
David Menzel, A68 – 1, father of Sara Menzel (Derek Brackley) and Anne Larson, uncle of Owen (Margaret) Menzel, June 2015.
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Advocating for the Islanders
‘Til Next Time,
Your PaBIA Directors
Pointe au Baril Islanders’ Association
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PaBIA reserves all rights regarding decisions on communications to its members in accordance with the PaBIA Policy on Communications
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