Vankleek Hill and District Nature Society

06/04/2026

Fun Fact Friday! Did you know that the Golden Eagle is the fastest eagle in the world?

Golden Eagles are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and in North America, primarily in the western and northern regions. During migration, Golden Eagles can occasionally be spotted in the Ottawa area!

Golden Eagles have an impressive wingspan of 7 feet and can weigh up to 14 pounds. Their size is comparable to that of Bald Eagles, with females in both species being significantly larger than the males. There are important differences between the two eagles, particularly in their habitats and hunting styles.

Golden Eagles are typically found in open country areas and mountainous regions, avoiding large, dense forests and developed areas. In contrast, Bald Eagles nest in forested areas near bodies of water, where they primarily hunt for fish. They soar over large bodies of water and make precise dives to catch their prey.

Golden Eagles, on the other hand, hunt with speed and agility. They primarily target mammals, including some as large as deer, but often focus on medium-sized mammals such as squirrels and rabbits. Golden Eagles can reach speeds just over 300 km/h, making them the second-fastest bird in the world, second only to the Peregrine Falcon, which can dive at speeds exceeding 350 km/h.

To achieve incredible speeds during courtship, Golden Eagles perform dramatic aerial displays known as "sky-dancing." These displays consist of steep dives, upward swoops, and a few wing beats at the peak of their flight before diving again. Another captivating display called "pendulum flight" involves diving, rising, and then turning back along the same path. Additionally, these eagles engage in aerial play by picking up sticks or prey, soaring high into the sky, dropping them, and then catching them again in mid-air.

Examine their legs closely; the Golden Eagle has feathers that extend all the way down to their feet!

This month, the Centre cared for and successfully released its very first Golden Eagle. Check back tomorrow for the story and video!

05/23/2026

Baltimore Orioles are in our area visiting blooming trees, and handouts of jelly and cut oranges. NB. Males also have some black on their tails.

05/21/2026

Thank you for supporting us!!

05/21/2026

Thank you for making our fundraiser a success!!

05/20/2026

05/20/2026

Most people hear a pileated woodpecker for years before they see one. The hammering sounds like someone beating a dead tree with a bat.

Then she lands on a trunk ten feet away — and the reaction is always the same.

She's the size of a crow. Every other woodpecker at the feeder fits in your hand. Your brain builds a template from downies and hairies: woodpecker equals small. The pileated breaks the template.

The rectangular holes in dead trees are hers. No other woodpecker cuts that shape. And the cavity she drills for nesting becomes the most competed-over address in the woods after she leaves — species that can't excavate their own depend on the ones she abandons.

The dead tree she's working on is the most productive thing in the yard 🌿

05/13/2026

Excellent advice!!

Most bee hotels sold at garden centers are designed to look good on a shelf — not to keep bees healthy across seasons.

The problem isn't the idea. Solitary bees like mason bees genuinely need nesting cavities, and a bee hotel can provide them. The problem is what happens inside the tubes after the first year if the hotel isn't designed to be cleaned.

Tubes that can't be removed or replaced accumulate moisture, mold, and parasites over winter. When next spring's bees move in to lay eggs, the conditions inside are worse than no shelter at all. The hotel looks occupied. The bees inside are struggling.

🌿 What makes a bee hotel actually work:

- Removable tubes or paper liners that you can pull out and replace each fall — this is the single most important feature. If the tubes are glued in or the block is solid, it can't be maintained
- Tubes deep enough that developing larvae aren't exposed near the entrance — short tubes leave them vulnerable
- A location facing morning sun with a small overhang for rain protection
- Replace or sanitize nesting materials once a year — a fresh start each spring is what keeps the cycle healthy

🌱 The alternative that works without buying anything:

- Leave a bundle of dead hollow stems — bee balm, elderberry, raspberry canes — tied together in a sunny spot. Native bees find them on their own
- Leave a bare patch of soil in a sunny corner — many solitary bee species nest in the ground, not in tubes
- A pile of dead wood with beetle holes and bark crevices provides the same kind of cavities a hotel tries to replicate

The most effective pollinator habitat isn't bought in a store. It's the messy patches you decide to leave alone 🌱

05/12/2026

So, so important!!

Always go native!!!