All
Buffleheads Day
9 October 2008 – It’s official: All
Buffleheads Day falls on October 14, 2008, on the first day of the Full
Moon of Weselanew (Leaves Shaking Moon) on the Salish Sea. In a climate
of change, the punctual Bufflehead is a comforting constant. Two papers
in press in the Canadian Field-Naturalist by Kerry Finley document the
remarkable precision with which the Bufflehead returns on the 288th day
of the year to Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, southeastern
Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The timing of their autumn
migrations does not appear to have changed in the last half of the
twentieth century, consistent with evidence that freeze-up has not
advanced. What’s more, the Buffleheads’ daily routines are equally
precise. They depart their coastal feeding areas for the offshore
roosting grounds in the Salish Sea and Gulf Islands very punctually
after the onset of Civil Twilight Time (CTT), a phenomenon that may have
evolved in response to predation pressure from Peregrine Falcons.
The dual habitat requirements of
Buffleheads in Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary (the oldest on the
west coast, established in 1931) and Sidney Channel Important Bird Area
are to be included within the proposed Gulf Islands National Marine
Conservation Area. Kerry Finley has conducted Coastal Waterbird Surveys
in the area since the project began in 1999. These publications are just
one example of the uses to which he has put these data. And just in case
you’re wondering what day this month’s
Coastal Waterbird Survey date falls on, but of course, it is All
Buffleheads Day. How many other survey sites will witness the same
phenomenon?
Nova Scotia
Volunteer Submits Over 3000 Nest Record Cards in 33 Years
9 October 2008 – Bernard Forsythe of
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, made his first contribution to the Maritimes
Nest Record Scheme (MNRS) in 1975. By 1981 he had submitted over 1000
cards, and in 1991 he hit the 2000 mark. In 2008, Mr. Forsythe made a
special effort to collect enough cards to reach the 3000 mark. Julie
Paquet, MNRS coordinator with the Canadian Wildlife Service, received
his 2008 cards this week. “This is a phenomenal effort from a single
volunteer,” said Paquet. “Mr. Forsythe is the first MNRS volunteer to
submit over 3000 cards.” MNRS nest record cards are stored at the
Canadian Wildlife Service office in Sackville, NB, and are shared with
BSC’s
Project NestWatch database, as well as the
Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas
database.
Bluebills and
Cranes Winging their Way South
7 October 2008 – Lesser Scaup and
Greater Scaup implanted with satellite transmitters by
Long Point Waterfowl
on the lower Great Lakes have begun to depart from the north and
are in the early stages of their autumn migration. Many scaup that spent
the summer in western North America are now congregating in the Prairie
provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, whereas scaup that spent the
summer in eastern North America have yet to depart that region. Three
Sandhill Cranes fitted with satellite transmitters have also recently
departed from breeding and fall staging areas in north-central Ontario.
Two cranes are currently at a traditional stopover site, Jasper-Pulaski
State Fish and Wildlife Area, in Indiana; one bird is farther north in
central Michigan. Be sure to check Scaup Tracker and Crane Tracker on
the Long Point Waterfowl
website often over the next few months to follow the birds to
their wintering areas.
Another Rare,
Endangered Bird Found at Vaseux Lake!
Photo: Dick
Cannings
3 October 2008 – Not satisfied with
their recent encounter with a Prothonotary Warbler outlined in the last
issue of Latest News, birders at the Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory banded
a Black-capped Vireo there on September 27. This species is listed as
Endangered in the United States, where it breeds in a small area of
Texas and Oklahoma, as well as in similar oak woodlands in adjacent
Mexico. It winters on the west slope of the Sierra Madre Occidental in
Mexico. This is, not surprisingly, the first record for British
Columbia, but not the first for Canada. That honour goes to the
Breakwater station of the Long Point Bird Observatory, where one was
banded on April 27, 1991.
Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory is a
member of the
Canadian Migration Monitoring Network.
Bill Ansley:
The End of an Era
Photo: Erica
Dunn
3 October 2008 – Bird Studies Canada is
sad to report the passing of Bill Ansley, who died at age 79 on October
1, 2008. Bill was the head lighthouse keeper at Long Point, Lake Erie
from 1955 until 1984. During his long service, he helped immensely with
Long Point Bird Observatory’s operations at the Tip field station right
from its earliest days. Bill not only contributed interesting bird
records, but he was always quick to offer hospitality, share stories,
assist with logistics, and provide friendly assistance and guidance in
numerous ways – especially when it came to anything mechanical or
nautical. Bill’s friendship, wry sense of humour, practical wisdom, and
hot cups of coffee on blustery days will be sorely missed. Our sincere
condolences are extended to his family.
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