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13 January 2006 
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Sneak Peak at CBC Results

10 January 2006 - The Christmas Bird Count season ended on 5 January 2006. About 365 counts were completed in Canada this year, an all-time record. Some early trends include a high number of Snowy Owls across the country. Northern Saw-whet Owls were abundant in southern British Columbia, where birders on the Vaseux Lake count tallied 52, double the previous Canadian record. Other surprises included a King Eider at Banff-Canmore, AB; a Gray Catbird at Kingston, NS; a Western Tanager at Prince George, BC; a Le Conte's Sparrow at Kingston, ON; and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Labrador City, NL. The biggest increase in diversity came from Nunavut, where the species total went from one species last year (Common Raven) to five this year - Common Eider, Willow Ptarmigan, Rock Ptarmigan, Common Raven, and House Sparrow. The results of many Christmas counts are already available via the internet by choosing “Current Year’s Results” after clicking here.

Share a Love of Birds on Valentines Day

10 January 2006 - Tired of giving chocolates for Valentines Day? Your expression of love can be twice as meaningful when you adopt a bird for someone you care about. Through Project Recovery, you can adopt for your loved one an individual bird, banded at Long Point Bird Observatory, in support of Bird Studies Canada’s bird research and conservation work. Each symbolic adoption of a unique, banded bird includes an adoption certificate featuring a colour photograph and detailed measurements of "their" bird; if their bird is recovered, they will be updated on the recovery details. The adoption fee is fully receiptable.
  Your contribution directly supports Bird Studies Canada's bird science and conservation work. You can choose from 21 species in total. Orders can be made on BSC's website by clicking here, or by phone toll-free at 1-888-448-2473 ext. 202.

New Ornithological Award Established in Honour of Jamie Smith

10 January 2006 - In recognition of Jamie Smith's contribution to fostering ornithological research, the Society of Canadian Ornithologists has created The Jamie Smith Memorial Award for Mentoring in Ornithology.
  This award will honour established ornithologists - either in academia, industry, non-government or government agencies - nominated by students, colleagues, and/or peers to have displayed excellence in mentoring a new generation of professional or amateur biologists. The award will be presented to the recipient at the Society's annual meeting. Details on the award, as well as information on how to nominate candidates and contribute to the endowment for this award, are available by clicking here.

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Henrietta Takes a Direct Flight to Florida

10 January 2006 - Once the cold weather hit the Canadian prairies, Henrietta, a satellite-tagged Lesser Scaup, set her fall migration path on a direct flight to Florida. During two weeks in November, Henrietta flew from southern Manitoba directly southeast to the Atlantic coast of Florida, completely bypassing the Great Lakes where she was originally caught and tagged last spring. In contrast, Mussel Muncher (also tagged on Lake Erie in spring 2005) appears to have settled in for the winter in the Bay of Quinte area of Lake Ontario.
  Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund’s Scaup Tracker program has been a resounding success and the Fund is gearing up for another season in 2006. Plans are in the works to satellite tag 10 Lesser Scaup and 10 Greater Scaup this spring using techniques developed and refined in the pilot season. To view the latest locations of these birds or to learn how to sponsor a satellite-tagged bird in 2006, click here.

Public Invited to Yukon Owl Talks

9 January 2006 - Bird Studies Canada staff member Dick Cannings will be giving two public talks on "Owls of the Yukon" sponsored by the Yukon Science Institute at the following sites: Saturday, 25 February 2006 at 7:30 p.m. at Wye Lake Cabin, Watson Lake and Sunday, 26 February 2006 at 7:30 p.m. at Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse.
  There are six species of owls resident in the Yukon, and three more that occasionally occur in the territory. These nine species range from the tiny Northern Pygmy-Owl to the powerful Snowy and Great Horned owls. Each species has its own hunting style and adaptations, although they all share the characteristics that make owls so easy to identify: the large facial disks, forward-facing eyes, and silent flight.
  Join Dick as he discusses what makes owls unique as a group, and what makes the Yukon species unique among owls. By the end of the talk, you may even be able to go home and find some - in the dark!

Winter Wetland Workshops Offered

8 January 2006 - The Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP), in conjunction with several partners, are looking for outdoor adventurers to be trained as amphibian and/or bird monitors (no prior experience necessary) for wetland areas in the Sault Ste. Marie and Hamilton regions of Ontario. The first session is being held on 28 January 2006, hosted by Ducks Unlimited at the Holiday Inn in Sault Ste. Marie, and the second is hosted by the Royal Botanical Gardens, at the RBG Centre in Burlington, ON. Both MMP workshops are within a reasonable drive from the U.S. (Sault Ste. Marie, MI; Niagara Falls, NY) and U.S. citizens interested in monitoring marshes near their home are welcome to attend. Active MMP participants are welcome as well.
  Anyone interested in attending the Sault Ste. Marie session should contact Tracey Cooke by e-mail at t_cooke@ducks.ca; anyone interested in attending the Hamilton Session should contact Kris Dobney by e-mail at kdobney@bsc-eoc.org. These sessions have been funded by the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund and by the Hamilton chapter of the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. The Hamilton Region Conservation Authority, Conservation Halton, and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority are providing additional support for the Hamilton workshop.
 

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