Archives

22 December 2005 
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Christmas Seabird’s Marathon Trip Rivals Santa’s Reindeer

12 December 2005, BirdLife International – Scientists have gained a unique insight into the life of one of the world’s rarest and most enigmatic seabirds, the Christmas Island Frigatebird. During 2005, scientists from Parks Australia have been satellite tagging the frigatebirds at their Indian Ocean nesting site in an attempt to find out more about their movements.
  As part of this research, ornithologists were amazed to discover that one particular bird, nicknamed ‘Lydia’ had undertaken a non-stop 26 day, 4000 kilometre flight which took her to Sumatra and Borneo and back to Christmas Island, with an overland flight crossing Java’s mountains and volcanoes. It is almost certain that Lydia didn’t land during the mammoth journey. Indeed it’s likely that she fed at sea and slept on the wing, probably at altitudes of hundreds or thousands of metres.
  The seas of Southeast Asia are becoming a perilous place for seabirds. Fishing levels are very high and frigatebirds are extremely susceptible to entanglement in fishing gear. Marine pollution levels are also high. To learn more about Lydia’s incredible flight, click here.
 

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Help Conserve Seabirds at Risk

Common Murre Photo: © Ron Ridout

22 December 2005 - Bird Studies Canada recently appealed to many of our supporters to consider a special donation to help conserve birds at sea. While seabirds may be accustomed to surviving violent storms and frigid waters, human activities often add more difficult challenges. Many species of seabirds, such as murres, puffins, and albatrosses, risk entanglement and drowning from fishing nets and lines. All face ominous climate changes that threaten food supplies. Perhaps most disturbingly, they die needlessly in huge numbers from oil spills every year.
  You can help make Canada’s oceans safer for millions of birds at sea by making a donation in support of Bird Studies Canada’s seabird conservation work.
  Each year, Bird Studies Canada volunteers conduct about 1700 coastal surveys along nearly 300 beaches in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada. Some count winter bird numbers, which is helping to quantify population trends and delineate key habitats. Others count dead birds washed up on coastal beaches through beached bird surveys. In fact, Bird Studies Canada is the only organization with standardized surveys of beached birds in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
  Knowing and understanding the risks to seabirds is an essential step to safeguarding these birds. BSC’s volunteer surveys are: highlighting areas of high risk to birds at sea; accumulating baseline data to help quantify disasters and define recovery objectives; defining key habitat areas for consideration in coastal development; providing an early warning system for spills and other disasters; and recruiting a network of trained and knowledgeable volunteers who are watching over Canada’s birds at sea.
  If you haven’t already, please consider a gift in support of Bird Studies Canada’s seabird conservation work. Every needless death prevented is a victory, and every dollar helps. To donate online, click here.

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Call for Winter Raptor Observations

21 December 2005 - To all winter birders in Ontario - help is needed in collecting important information about Short-Eared Owls and Bald Eagles over the winter months.
  Bird Studies Canada and the Ontario Barn Owl Recovery Program are now in the third year of a wintering Short-eared Owl survey in Ontario. These owls, characterized by a distinctive and erratic moth-like flight pattern are listed as a species of Special Concern in Canada by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). Large concentrations of these owls, however, are observed during the winter months in southern Ontario. Little is known about the species, and why numbers are declining. For more information on Short-eared Owl monitoring click here.
  Through the Southern Ontario Bald Eagle Monitoring Project, Bird Studies Canada has been tracking eagle nesting success and productivity. To complement this research, winter observations are of interest within the lower Great Lakes basin (from the Ottawa valley through to the Bruce Peninsula) to determine the number of eagles and their wintering locations. For more information on the Southern Ontario Bald Eagle Monitoring project, click here.
  If you see either of these raptors in the areas described above, be sure to take note of the date and time of sighting, number of birds, age class (adult/juvenile), habitat, geographic location, and activity. Observations can be submitted to Susan Debreceni, Volunteer Projects Research Assistant, by e-mail at sdebreceni@bsc-eoc.org.

More Québec Marshes Monitored in 2005

21 December 2005 - The Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP) had a successful second season in Québec in 2005. Marsh bird species and numbers were surveyed at 135 stations in 51 marshes. This represents a big increase from the first season when 98 stations were surveyed in 32 marshes. The marsh conditions were also described at most stations, providing crucial information on nesting habitat. For more information about this program or to register for the 2006 season, please contact Catherine Poussart at 418-649-6062 or Catherine.poussart@ec.gc.ca. Québec MMP is funded by Environment Canada, Québec region.

Le Programme de surveillance des marais du Québec s’est déroulé pour une deuxième saison l’été dernier. Le rapport sommaire peut être téléchargé (document PDF) à www.bsc-eoc.org/regional/qcmarais.html. En 2005, 135 stations ont été inventoriées pour les oiseaux dans 51 marais. Ceci représente une forte augmentation par rapport à l’été 2004 lorsque 98 stations ont été inventoriées dans 32 marais. La majorité des stations ont également été décrites, ce qui fournit une information de première importance sur l’habitat de nidification des oiseaux. Pour plus d’informations sur ce programme ou pour vous inscrire à la saison 2006, contactez Catherine Poussart au (418) 649-6062 ou à Catherine.poussart@ec.gc.ca. Le Programme de surveillance des marais du Québec bénéficie d’un financement d’Environnement Canada de la région du Québec.

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BC Waterbird Trends to be Presented

21 December 2005 - Peter Davidson, BSC's British Columbia Projects Coordinator, will be presenting a talk to the Vancouver Natural History Society on Birders' Night to be held Thursday, 5 January 2006. The principal focus of the talk will be a summary of the first five years of the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey (1999-2004), taking a look at individual species distributions and population trends, and measuring how well the survey is performing as a detector of long-term change in the many key bird populations using BC’s fertile coastal habitats. All are welcome at St. Mary's Anglican Church meeting room in Vancouver (at 37th and Larch), BC starting at 7.30 p.m.

Regal Stays Home for the Holidays

21 December 2005 - Unlike the other satellite-tagged Bald Eagles who have been exploring new territories over the summer and fall, Regal has not strayed from his nest site in the 1000 Islands area of Lake Ontario. Regal’s movements are of particular interest to the Biosphere Network of the 1000 Islands-Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, and Regal has been sighted regularly since leaving the nest. The 1000 Islands community has really pulled together to help sponsor this bird and their support, enthusiasm, and continued interest in Destination Eagle is very much appreciated. To learn more about the program and follow young Regal and other eagles using Eagle Tracker, click here.

LPBO Thanks Shell Environmental Fund

20 December 2005 - With funding from the Shell Environmental Fund (SEF), Canadians from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland continue to take personal action in support of the environment. Thanks to a grant of $4890 from SEF, BSC's Long Point Bird Observatory migration monitoring program was able to purchase much-needed field equipment, including mist nets, a spotting scope and tripod, and a couple of GPS units for use by volunteers. The SEF grant also helped support LPBO's hugely popular "Sightings Page," which recounts the weekly highlights of bird migration "traffic" at Long Point. While the migration season officially wrapped up in mid November, you can still access all of this year’s record-breaking postings by clicking here.
  Created in 1990, the Shell Environmental Fund is a national program intended to make a local difference. A total of about $10 million has been granted to about 3500 environmental projects across the country. These projects include habitat restoration, beach and road clean-ups, waste reduction and recycling programs, trail building, educational initiatives, and other innovative environmental projects.
  Individuals, schools, community associations, service clubs, and environmental groups have used the grants, of up to $5000 per project, to improve and protect their environment. The Shell Environmental Fund accepts applications for projects that are action-oriented, innovative, and community-based. To make the funding decisions, Shell consults representatives of environmental organizations and government. For information about the Shell Environmental Fund, visit the SEF website by clicking here.
 

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