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5 February 2010 
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BSC Joins Great Backyard Bird Count

5 February 2010 – Bird Studies Canada is pleased to announce that we are the Canadian partner for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. Now in its 13^th year, the GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages birdwatchers of all ages across North America in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. Anyone can participate, from beginners to experts. You can count for as little as 15 minutes on a single day, or for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy – and it helps the birds!
   This year’s count takes place from Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15. It’s as simple as counting the birds at a location near you, tallying the highest number of birds of each species seen together at once, and filling out an online checklist on the Great Backyard Bird Count website. As the count progresses, you can visit the GBBC website to view results and share photographs. You can also enter the photo contest, win prizes, and share your experiences on the Facebook and Twitter social networks. Email gbbc@birdscanada.org for more information.
   BSC is seeking Backyard Bird Count Ambassadors. If you are interested in promoting the GBBC in your area, please contact the Canadian Great Backyard Bird Count Coordinator, Kerrie Wilcox, at gbbc@birdscanada.org or 1-888-448-2473 ext. 134.
   “Participating in the GBBC is an excellent way for Canadians to reconnect with their love of nature and birds,” said George Finney, BSC President. “Bird Studies Canada is delighted to be the Canadian partner for this extremely valuable program.”

ÉOC s’associe au Grand dénombrement des oiseaux de février

5 février 2010 – Études d’Oiseaux Canada (ÉOC) est fier d’annoncer qu’il devient le partenaire canadien du Grand dénombrement des oiseaux de février (GDOF), à savoir le grand décompte nord américain des oiseaux. 2010 marquera la 13^e édition annuelle du GDOF. Dans l’ensemble de l’Amérique du Nord, des ornithologues amateurs de tout âge participent à cette activité afin d’établir un profil en temps réel de la répartition des populations de la faune ailée. Que vous soyez un observateur débutant ou expérimenté, vous pouvez prendre part au GDOF. Vous devez simplement relever le nombre d’oiseaux que vous observez pendant quinze minutes au cours d’une journée du recensement, quoique vous puissiez consacrer le temps que vous souhaitez au dénombrement durant chacun des quatre jours. Le GDOF est gratuit, amusant et simple à réaliser et vous permet de collaborer à la conservation de l’avifaune!
   Cette année, le GDOF se tiendra du vendredi 12 février au lundi 15 février. Pour participer, vous n’avez qu’à dénombrer les oiseaux à un endroit près de chez vous, à consigner le plus grand nombre d’oiseaux de chaque espèce que vous observez à la fois et à remplir un formulaire de compilation sur le site Web du GDOF. Pour obtenir plus de renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec ÉOC à gdof@oiseauxcanada.org. Tout au long du recensement, les participants pourront faire le suivi des résultats en temps réel ainsi que télécharger les photos prises sur les lieux sur le site du GDOF.
   ÉOC est à la recherche d’ambassadeurs ou d’ambassadrices pour ce programme. Si vous souhaitez promouvoir le GDOF dans votre région, vous êtes prié de contacter Andrew Coughlan au acoughlan@oiseauxcanada.org.
   « La participation au GDOF est une excellente façon pour les Canadiens de renouer avec leur passion pour la nature et les oiseaux », précise George Finney, président d’ÉOC. « Études d’Oiseaux Canada est ravi de s’associer à ce programme extrêmement utile. Nous remercions le Cornell Lab of Ornithology et la National Audubon Society de nous offrir cette occasion extraordinaire » ajoute-t-il.

MMP Workshop, February 20, Depew, NY

3 February 2010 – Bird Studies Canada, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, will host a Marsh Monitoring Program Orientation/Training Workshop on February 20, 2010 at the Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve Environmental Education Center, Depew, NY. Interested citizens can come and learn about the importance of volunteer-based wetland monitoring. Workshop highlights will include an in-depth introduction to the Marsh Monitoring Program and its survey protocols, and a presentation about Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper’s local activities. This event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., will be “bring your own lunch,” and will include MMP registration, route assignment, and outdoor demonstrations in the afternoon. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Kathy Jones at (519) 586-3531 ext. 124 or 1-888-448-2473, or aqsurvey@birdscanada.org. All registrants will be provided with directions and a program agenda.

Raptor Population Index

2 February 2010 – Bird Studies Canada’s Senior Scientist Denis Lepage and Bird Conservation Biologist Tara Crewe attended meetings of the Raptor Population Index (RPI) at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Pennsylvania, on January 29-30, 2010. BSC joined as a full partner of RPI a year ago, and is playing a key role in helping develop appropriate methods for analyzing population data on migrating raptors. The other partners of RPI are Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, HawkWatch International, and the Hawk Migration Association of North America. Denis Lepage will be assuming the role of co-chair of the RPI steering committee for the next two years, jointly with Chris Farmer from Hawk Mountain.

Mapping and Atlassing Sessions at COS/AOU/SCO

2 February 2010 – At next week’s joint conference of the American Ornithologists’ Union, the Cooper Ornithological Society, and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists in San Diego, California, Bird Studies Canada’s expertise in mapping and breeding bird atlases will be featured. Andrew Couturier, BSC’s Senior Analyst – Landscape Ecology and Conservation, will present “Mapping Conservation Priorities at the Continental Level” in the symposium “Tri-national Bird Conservation: Shared Strategies for a Shared North American Avifauna.” Co-authored with Peter Blancher, Environment Canada, the presentation will demonstrate the mapping and analysis systems the two have developed for portraying patterns of bird species richness and conservation priorities at the continental and hemispheric scales.
   Andrew will also co-chair, along with Charles Francis, Environment Canada, a pre-conference workshop of NORAC (North American Atlas Committee), the goal of which is to share information and experiences among the multitude of atlas projects operating in North America, to encourage the standardization of approaches, and to encourage the use of atlases as conservation tools. The NORAC website is hosted by Bird Studies Canada.

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2009 Baillie Birdathon Results Released

5 February 2010 – Final results are in! In 2009 the Baillie Birdathon raised more than $240,000 for bird research and conservation, breaking the all-time record yet again. The proceeds support the Baillie Fund, BSC programs, and more than 80 naturalist clubs, migration monitoring stations, and other conservation groups across the country. Bird Studies Canada would like to thank all participants, sponsors, prize donors, naturalist clubs, and bird observatories involved for their dedication in ensuring this continuing success. Visit the BSC website to learn more about the Baillie Birdathon and to view the lists of the “top ten” birders and conservation organizations for 2009.

Green Budget Coalition Recommendations

4 February 2010 – The Green Budget Coalition (GBC) comprises 21 of Canada’s leading environmental and conservation organizations – including Bird Studies Canada – and has been active since 1999. This week, the GBC highlighted three priority recommendations for the upcoming federal budget. Adoption of these recommendations could stimulate over 8000 new jobs in renewable energy, ensure clean sources of drinking water for millions of Canadians, and help Canada meet its commitment under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to establish national and regional systems of protected areas. Visit the GBC website to learn more.

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Destination Eagle Update

4 February 2010 – From 2004-2009, Bird Studies Canada has been using satellite transmitters to track juvenile Bald Eagles from across southern Ontario. This project, called Destination Eagle, has endeavoured to understand the movements of southern Ontario Bald Eagles during their first few years of life. As reported back in September, we had a very successful field season in 2009, and have a total of eight Bald Eagles currently transmitting. Some noteworthy recent movements we’ve been watching include Hal, a 2009 eaglet from the Thousand Islands region of eastern Lake Ontario who has been spending the past few months in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Delhi, a 2009 eaglet from the Long Point area, has been residing in West Virginia.
   Destination Eagle is part of the Southern Ontario Bald Eagle Monitoring Program, which is a joint initiative of Bird Studies Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Service, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. To read more about the program, download the 2009 summary report. Visit the Eagle Tracker to see the movements of our birds.

Species at Risk (NWT) Act Comes Into Force

1 February 2010 – The Species at Risk (NWT) Act came into effect this week. This Act establishes an integrated and cooperative system for the conservation of species at risk, to prevent species from becoming extirpated or extinct. The Act identifies, protects, and recovers species at risk in the Northwest Territories, and applies to any wild animal, plant, or other species managed by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
   For details and a listing of the species that have been assessed as being at some level of risk in the NWT, visit the NWT Environment and Natural Resources website.

Vagrant Asian Dove Graces BC Offices

Photo: Peter Davidson

1 February 2010 – Two weeks back, Bird Studies Canada’s Christopher Di Corrado got a big surprise when he flushed a dove from the alders in Alaksen National Wildlife Area, where BSC’s British Columbia program is housed with the Canadian Wildlife Service. “When I first glimpsed it,” he reports, “I thought it was a Eurasian Collared-Dove, but then it perched in full view and it was covered in rufous scales!” Christopher quickly realized he was onto something special, and ran back to the office for reinforcements.
   On returning to the scene (visible from BC Program Manager Pete Davidson’s window) with the office’s keeners, Pete was able to confirm the bird’s identity as an Oriental Turtle-Dove, a species with which he is familiar from his work in Asia. It is the second record for BC, third for Canada, and about the tenth for North America. Pete managed to get a few poor photos pointing a camera down binocular lenses to document the record. After about 45 minutes of observation, the bird flew around a corner and has not been seen again. Oriental Turtle-Doves breed from eastern Siberia through much of east and central Asia, and migrate south to winter in the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia.

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