Great Backyard Bird Count /
Le Grand
dénombrement des
oiseaux de février

Great Lakes MMP

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27 January 2012 
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Get Ready for the 15^th Great Backyard Bird Count

Pine Grosbeak Photo: Norm Dougan

27 January 2012 – From February 17-20, take part in a free, family-friendly, educational activity that is loads of fun and supports bird conservation! Each year, tens of thousands of Canadians and Americans take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), counting birds wherever they happen to be. The possibilities are endless!
   The GBBC is a great way for people of all ages and levels of birding experience to learn more about local bird species. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect with nature, from your living room window or by hiking a local trail. Count on your own or as part of a group of family, friends, or classmates. The GBBC is also an ideal way for more experienced birders to introduce others to the wonderful world of birding.
   Explore the species seen in your community or province using maps and charts on the Canadian GBBC website, where you can also find out how to take part in the community challenge and view Canadian highlights. Make the birds in your neighbourhood count as part of the big picture in continental bird conservation. Join in this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count. Email us at gbbc@birdscanada.org for more information.
   BSC is seeking GBBC Ambassadors. If you are interested in promoting the GBBC in your area, you can sign up online. For more information, contact the Canadian GBBC Coordinator, Kerrie Wilcox, at gbbc@birdscanada.org or 1-888-448-2473 extension 134. The GBBC is a joint project of Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.

Participez au Grand dénombrement des oiseaux de février

27 janvier 2012 – Du 17 au 20 février 2012, participez à une activité gratuite, amusante et instructive pour toute la famille qui, de plus, vous permettra de contribuer à la conservation de l’avifaune!
   Tous les ans, des dizaines de milliers des personnes dans l’ensemble des États Unis et du Canada prennent part au GDOF. Les participants peuvent recenser les oiseaux à l’endroit de leur choix.
   Les observateurs de tout âge peuvent participer. Que vous soyez débutant ou chevronné, joignez-vous au GDOF. C’est une excellente façon d’en apprendre d’avantage sur les oiseaux de votre collectivité et de profiter de la nature.
   Vous pouvez participer seul, avec les membres de votre famille ou des amis ou en compagnie d’un groupe communautaire ou de votre école! Le GDOF est aussi une excellente occasion pour les observateurs expérimentés de faire connaître le monde merveilleux de la faune ailée à leurs enfants, leurs petits enfants ou à toute autre personne.
   Vous pourrez également consulter les cartes et les diagrammes sur le site Web du GDOF pour savoir quelles espèces ont été repérées dans votre collectivité, état, ou province. L’avifaune de votre quartier a besoin de votre aide! Participez au GDOF de 2012.
   Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez consulter le site Web ou communiquer avec Kerrie Wilcox, la coordinatrice du programme au Canada, à gdof@oiseauxcanada.org. Le GDOF est un programme conjoint entre Audubon, le Cornell Lab of Ornithology et Études d’Oiseaux Canada.

Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program: Participants Needed

23 January 2012 – Each spring, hundreds of active Citizen Scientists in Ontario and the Great Lakes States dedicate eight or more hours to survey marsh birds and/or amphibians in Great Lakes coastal and inland marshes. Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program volunteers are awarded with a great opportunity to spend time in these unique habitats – enjoying nature, improving their skills, and supporting wetland conservation. Interested in participating? Learn more about the Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program online, and view a map of available and assigned routes. To register, contact Kathy Jones at volunteer@birdscanada.org and let her know your location and preferred route choice.
   The Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program is delivered by Bird Studies Canada with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, and T.D. Friends of the Environment Foundation.

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Call for Applications – Student Awards for Ornithological Research

27 January 2012 – Applications for the various Student Research Awards offered annually by Bird Studies Canada (BSC) and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists (SCO) are due by February 15, 2012. Awards sponsored in whole or in part by BSC include the James L. Baillie Student Research Award (funded by proceeds of the Baillie Birdathon), and the Fred Cooke Student Research Award (offered jointly by BSC and SCO). These awards are open to students conducting ornithological research at a Canadian university. The application form and additional information are available on the SCO website.

Appel de candidatures – Bourses étudiantes pour la recherche ornithologique

27 janvier 2012 – La mise en candidature pour les bourses étudiantes de recherche offertes annuellement par Études d’Oiseaux Canada (ÉOC) et la Société des ornithologistes du Canada (SOC) est ouverte jusqu’au 15 février 2012. Les bourses commanditées, en partie ou en entier, par Études d’Oiseaux Canada sont : la bourse de recherche étudiante James L. Baillie, financée par les revenus du Baillie Birdathon et la bourse de recherche étudiante Fred Cooke, offerte conjointement par ÉOC et SOC. Ces bourses sont offertes aux étudiant(e)s qui effectuent des études ornithologiques dans une université canadienne. La formulaire d’application et des informations additionnelles sont disponibles ici.

Wanted: Keen Birders and Banders for Staff and Volunteer Positions

27 January 2012 – Canadian Migration Monitoring Network (CMMN) stations across the country are looking for keen birders and banders interested in gaining the experience of a lifetime, volunteering or working with birds. Visit the CMMN web page for more information about stations near you and opportunities offered. Population trends, seasonal abundance graphs, and other summary statistics from the CMMN are available from Nature Counts.
   Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) and Thunder Cape Bird Observatory (TCBO) are accepting applications for staff and numerous volunteer opportunities for the migration monitoring program, breeding bird census project, and Tree Swallow research project. LPBO is also offering a new Internship position for more experienced individuals. For more information on these opportunities, select this link.
   In 2011, LPBO’s Migration Monitoring Program banded 28,343 birds of 153 species, bringing the grand total to 861,416 of 270 species banded since the observatory was founded in 1960. The countdown to the one millionth bird banded at LPBO begins! Details and highlights from the migration season and profiles and program highlights are available on LPBO’s Sightings Board.

Teens: Apply for the 2012 Young Ornithologists’ Workshop!

27 January 2012 – The 2012 Doug Tarry Young Ornithologists’ Workshop will be held at Long Point Bird Observatory near Port Rowan, Ontario, from Saturday, August 4 to Sunday, August 12. Participants will receive hands-on field ornithology training, including bird banding, censusing, field identification, birding trips, preparing museum specimens, guest lectures, and more! Six of Canada’s most promising ornithologists between the ages of 13-17 will be selected to attend, and will receive the Doug Tarry Bird Study Award to cover all on-site expenses. For those traveling long distances, special grants may also be available through the Hugh T. Lemon Memorial Student Award to help offset air travel costs. Applications are due April 30, 2012. For more information and an application form, contact LPBO at lpbo@birdscanada.org, or select this link.

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GLMMP at the Ontario Wetlands Conference

Photo: Brian Hicky

27 January 2012 – Bird Studies Canada (BSC) will showcase results from several Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program (GLMMP) projects at the Ontario Wetlands Conference.
   Dr. Doug Tozer, BSC’s Aquatic Surveys Biologist, will present population trends of birds and amphibians, plus a summary of upcoming changes that will improve the way trends are calculated. Hamilton Region GLMMP Volunteer Coordinator and McMaster University URBAN Coordinator, Dr. Lyndsay Cartwright, will outline the effectiveness of GLMMP training materials and how volunteer identification ability affects bird results in the field. Andrew Chin, M.Sc. candidate at York University, will overview how indices of biotic integrity (standardized scores of environmental quality for individual wetlands based on GLMMP bird or amphibian data) vary with Great Lakes water levels. Kathy Jones, BSC’s Ontario Volunteer Coordinator, will describe GLMMP methodology and recruit volunteers.
   The GLMMP is delivered by Bird Studies Canada with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, and T.D. Friends of the Environment Foundation.

Read the Maritimes Swiftwatch Newsletter

27 January 2012 – Chimney Swifts might be gone for the winter, but Maritimes Swiftwatch is in full swing. To read about results from the program’s pilot season, check out what Swiftwatch staff and volunteers are up to this winter, and learn about new projects for the upcoming season, please select this link to download the Maritimes Swiftwatch Fall/Winter 2011 Newsletter. Those interested in joining the project in 2012 can contact the Maritimes Swiftwatch Coordinator at marswifts@birdscanada.org or 506-364-5196 to request a printable registration form.

Ontario Nocturnal Owl Surveys Fast Approaching

26 January 2012 – Efforts are under way to finalize the 2012 Ontario Nocturnal Owl Survey.  During April, survey participants spend an exciting evening broadcasting owl calls at established stops along assigned routes in central or northern Ontario. Many of last year’s dedicated participants are returning, but there are routes available in the north and a few in central Ontario. If you are interested in participating, please review the Owl Survey program materials and protocol on the Bird Studies Canada website, review the online map of available routes, and contact Kathy Jones at volunteer@birdscanada.org with your name, address, and two preferred route choices. Routes will be assigned based on wait list, geographic proximity, and time of request. The Ontario Nocturnal Owl survey is supported by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources – Wildlife Assessment Program.
   Interested in learning about Nocturnal Owl Surveys in other parts of Canada? Visit Bird Studies Canada’s National Nocturnal Owl Surveys webpage.

The Perilous Lives of Birds

Select the image to view the video

26 January 2012 – It has been an unpredictable winter right across the country. In southern Ontario, many waterfowl have lingered well beyond their normal departure dates, while others have already returned from the south. Numerous eBird entries show an influx of northbound Northern Pintails and Green-winged Teal this week across the lower Great Lakes. These over-eager birds were likely pushed by strong winds out of the southeast United States.
   At Long Point, flocks totalling 5000 American Coots were present for the Christmas Bird Count on December 17, but had dwindled to about 1000 by early January (still a very high number for this time of year). Long Point Inner Bay has recently frozen over, forcing the flock into a small opening in the ice. Up to two dozen Bald Eagles have taken advantage of these ‘sitting coots.’ For a look at the dramatic results, select the photo link above to view a video clip shot by Bird Studies Canada’s Ron Ridout.

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