The Lucknow Sentinel, 1976-07-14, Page 17ROCKY RACCOON
-BANDING OF WILDFOWL
It's very easy to' pick up a book
and read 'about the habits of
migratory waterfowl in Canada.
But, have you ever wondered hoW
all that information- was collected?
Organizations throughout Can-,
ada and •the United States have
been studying the migratory pat-
terns of ducks and geese for many
years.
One of these North American
agencies is Ducks Unlimited (DU),
an organization dedicated to retain
waterfowl habitats in North Artier-
Each year, DU , biologists band
hundreds of ducks and geese. To
si-reS
• "Let's discuss procrastination some Other time."
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• 6
LOW-FIRED CLAY, whether by hand or slip 'cast, is the definition of
ceramics according to Maureen McNaughton. In her Nassagaweya
workshop she lifts a blue urn from the kiln.
By the week, day or month.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1976 THE Lucktiow SENTINEL, LUCKNOW, ONTARIO PAGE SEVENTEEN
Moureen•McNoughtonFollowi Hobby. Of
Ceramics, Slowly. Accepted As An Art
Mrs. Jim (Maureen) McNaugh-
ton of Moffat, near Campbellville;
is a Widely • known authority on
Ceramics and her teaching and
writing has helped convey the craft
to others.
Maureen is the wife of Jim
McNaughton, formerly of Luck-
now, and daughter-in-law of Jim
and Susan McNaughton of Luck-
now. Maureen will have displays
at both Lucknow and Ripley Craft
Festivals later, this month.
The following article is reprinted
from the Milton newspaper con-
cerning Maureen's work.
"Maureen McNaughton is doing
her darndest to change the public
image of ceramics. Potters are
inclined to look down their noses at
ceramics and many will //not accept
it as a legitimate craft. Maureen is
quickly changing, their minds.
A nurse, who has turned 'a hobby
into an interesting and profitable
business, Maureen has been fully
accepted into 'the community of
Artisans at Aberfoyle. She'S
written four articles to be published
this fall in a leading U.S. ceramis
magazine and this month her book
on patterns and instruction is being
published.
Her Nassagaweya studio is a '
,workshop for students who come as
far as 50 miles to learn design,
glazing and new brush stroke
techniques. She's in demand by
local-studios-which are often forced
to importteachers from the United
'States because of the lack of
qualified Canadians..
Her work has been diiplayed at
large craft shows, the Kleinberg
Binder Twine Festival and the•
Elmira Maple Syrup FeStival and
she's one 'of 25 Ontario craftsper- -
sons invited to display at this year's
International Ploughing Match.
tr?to teach the student to loplE
at the shape of the piece and where
it is to be displayed," she e?cplains.
"Then they decide what would be
the most effective; design and
glaze, or glaze combinations, to use
'to enhance' that shape." "
Maureen believes there is an art
in ceramics in spite of the fact the
pieces are usually formed in a mold
rather than by hand. "Pottery can
be ceramics," Maureen explains.
"Ceramics refers to a low-fired clay
body, whether made by hand or
slip cast."
`Everything in 'pottery is, round
and I think that's .beautiful but
there is, an added dimension in
working with casts."
Beautiful colours, textures and
designs emerge as Maureen creat-
es unique effects on standard
shaped castings. Each piece has an
individual personality. Her multip-
le sets of mugi would never be
mistaken for a mass produced
product.
"Because a piece of ceramic has
not been molded by hand people
feel there is no skill involved,"
Maureen says. "Yet these same •
people think nothing of spending
vast amounts of beautiful• pieces of
antique Moorecraft, Doulton-Lam-
beth or Wedgewood. • What they
are buying is ceramic art pottery."
Especially valuable in the an
date, banded waterfowl number
well over 160,000.
By recording where the handed
birds are found, biologists learn
factual information about water-
fowl habits. Most importantly,
they can calculate changes in bird
Population. Migratory patterns of
the birds can 'also be plotted. •
Bands for North America are
distributed by the U.S. Bureau of
Sport Fisheries and Wildlite,
operating from the 'Migratory Bird
Populations Station at Laurel,
Maryland. The station also acts as
a . record library with duplicate
information copies going to Otta-
wa. .
The most popular method of
banding ducks and geese is by the
Use of a "bait trap".
A cage, constructed of chicken
wire, is placed in marshes where
waterfowl' nest.. The entrance to
the 'cage, is funnel-shaped so that
when the birds enter the cage to 'eat
the grain bait that is left for thein,
they are 'unable to escape: D.U.
'staff visit, the cages each morning
to band and release the birds
caught during the night. .
When ducks moult; during ,the
months of -June and July, large
numbers are in .a flightless stage,
This time of the year is 'when the
"drive banding" method is used..
Large net pens, are 'constructed on
land near waterfowl . ponds. The
side of the pen facing the • pond is
left open. The dticks and geese are
then coralled into the pens and
banded. Using this ' method,
hundreds of birds can often 'be
banded at a, time .
"Night lighting", although not,,
often used is also a method of
banding bird.
Banding crews in boats, equip-
.ped with large floodlights patrol
marsh areas at, night. The birds are.
.confused by the lights, and can be
captured in nets, banded and
released., The banding crews tag
the birds and record details of
species, sex, age and band
numbers used.
There are two popular types of
bands used.
A collar band, usually made •of
bright coloured plastic is loosely
wrapped around a bird's neck.
This type 'of band is used primarily
to study local populations where
identification of , individual birds is
required.
The most common type used is
the aluminum leg band. Stamped
onto each lightweight strip is a
code number and the , inscription:
Advise Fish And Wildlife Service,.
Write Washington, D.C., U.S.A. •
If you happen to find a banded
bird, the band should be immedi-
ately returned along with details of
how, when,, where and by whom
the band was recovered.
By supplying this information,
you will be aiding in discovering
another fact about the waterfowl
that inhabit Canadian marshlands.
It can be a rewarding and
educational hobby to be involved in
a project of this nature.
If you're interested in, finding
further information about this and
• other. D.U. programs, write:, Ducks
Unlimited (Canada), 1495 Pembina
Highway, Winnipeg, Manitoba,
R3T 2E2 or contact' the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority, Box
5, Wroxeters• Ontario, NOG 2XO.
BRYAN BOYLE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
I went into Belfast this morning
with Paddy's parents. 'We took 16
lambs to Market. The market in,
Belfast is quite large with 'farmers
coming from miles around with ,
their lambs,, cattle and pigs.
Belfast is the only area that seems
to be affected by the troubles, over'
,,here.'Where I'm staying you .
would 'never know the troubles
existed. It's a beautiful and
peaceful part of the , countryside
where everything just carries on as
usual.
• Faddy took me on a tour along
the North Eastern coast of Ireland
on Thursday. I saw some fantastic
sights and -scenery -including
Mountains and ,Glens of Antrim,
Giant Causeway and Carrickfergus
Castle. / •
Yesterday the Ulster .
Young
Farmers Ambassadors (former ex-
changees) had 'an outing planned
for us. • It included a cruise on
Lough Neagh and "high tea" at a
hotel followed by a tour of the
Agricultural School and lunch
there., 'All the Canadian delegates
were there along with two New
Zealanders and all our hosts. 'We
had a great time from about 9.00 -
11.30. We had a ' sing song and
spontaneous talent show including
an 'Irish jig, a New Zealand war
dance and Canadian square dance.
We sang more Irish folk songs than
I knew. existed. It was good to see
the other three of our. group again
to swap stories and experiences.
On Saturday Paddy took me to
County Down Young Farmer's
Rally. It was great - everything
from' tug-Of-war to tractor, driving,
bicycle and, pram' racing, stock
judging and floats in a parade. I
helped build Paddy's _club's -float
and coached' their tug-of-war team
that got second out of sixteen
teams!
Saturday, about supper time,
Paddy's friend took us up in a
4-seater plane for a three quarter
hour tour of the entire 'area.
Scenery was excellent. That night
we went to the rally dance at
Hillsborough. Barn dances ' are
very popular over here, mainly due .
to the style of' their sheds or
buildings. I've been to six or eight
in Scotland and Ireland. .
The cattle over here are of .a very
good quality and they seem torgrow •
Well, although some of the produc-
tion 'practises seem' rather weird.
I'm seeing a lot of country here
with Paddy, and his mother is ari
excellent cook so I'm not suffering
in the food department.
On July 1st I'll be off to 'a farm at
Stratford-on-Avon for the first part
of our' stay in 'England."
Upon his return, Bryan will take
up ditties as an assistant agricul-'
tural representative for Peterbor-
ough Connty.'i„
tique field today is the ceramic art
pottery produced out of Britain in
the 1870s. Then 'there was a
deliberate- attempt at ,artistic crea-
tion in, response to the search for
aesthetic value ,whltch prevailed at
that time.' —
"Hopefully we hasie run full
cycle," Maureen says, "and in the
1970s.are again trying to find
artistic creation."