Lesser
Scaup on the Move
12 May
2005 - Five of six female Lesser Scaup carrying tiny
satellite transmitters have now departed southern Ontario and are
winging their way toward their eventual breeding areas. Two of the
birds, Mussel Muncher and CB, are making their way through the Canadian
Shield country of north-central Ontario and currently are north of Lakes
Superior and Huron. Henrietta and Little Syd left Long Point Bay and
flew to the Prairie Parkland area of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Henrietta spent some time near Delta Marsh, Lake Manitoba, and is now in
the Allan Hills area of southern Saskatchewan. Little Syd is in
southeastern Saskatchewan just across the border from Roblin, Manitoba.
Since Buck Danny has left Long Point, she has been making short flights
north through the prairies of South and North Dakota and most recently
was located 70 km southeast of Minot, North Dakota. Lady Long Point is
still in southern Ontario at Long Point. You can follow the movements of
these birds and learn more about Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands
Research Fund scaup research project by clicking
here and checking out the "Scaup Tracker".
New
Brunswick Hawk & Woodpecker Survey "Retires"
12 May 2005
- After three years, the New Brunswick Forest Hawk and Spring Woodpecker
Survey has been retired. While the survey did quite a good job at
detecting woodpeckers, not enough hawks were detected to warrant
continuing the survey. Bird Studies Canada's Atlantic Canada Management
Committee decided that it would best to "retire" the survey so
that BSC staff could concentrate on more effective programs such as the
Nocturnal Owl Survey and the second Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas. To
read the 2004 Hawk & Woodpecker Survey report, click
here.
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Southern
Ontario Landbird Conservation Plan Under Review
12 May
2005 - The draft landbird conservation plan for southern
Ontario is now out for review. This plan covers the Ontario portion of
the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain Bird Conservation Region, also
known as Bird Conservation Region (BCR) 13. The plan identifies 42
priority landbird species and four priority landbird guilds, sets
measurable conservation objectives for each priority species and guild,
and identifies conservation actions needed to achieve these objectives.
The Ontario BCR 13 plan is the first of four regional plans being
developed by Bird Studies Canada under the direction of Ontario Partners
in Flight (PIF) as part of the North American Bird Conservation
Initiative. Environment Canada, Ontario Region and Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources are major supporters of this effort. A two-page
newsletter with highlights of the Ontario BCR 13 plan and the full draft
plan can be downloaded from the Ontario Partners in Flight (PIF) website
by clicking here.
Manning
Park Bird Blitz
11 May 2005 - Manning Park, BC
is a rich blend of coastal, mountain, and interior climates that support
over 200 species of birds. June is a great time to visit the park, when
forests are alive with a riot of birds noisily advertising for mates and
defending territory. This, combined with the park's extensive network of
scenic trails, makes Manning a paradise for birders! BC Program Manager,
Dick Cannings, will be the guest speaker at the 23rd annual Manning Park
Bird Blitz on 17-19 June 2005. The Manning Park "Blitz" is a
fun event for expert and novice birders alike. For more information
about the event, contact Kelly Pearce at kpearce@uniserve.com.
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LPWWRF
Publishes Waterfowl Research
9 May 2005
- Dr. Scott Petrie, Research Director of the Long point Waterfowl and
Wetlands Research Fund, recently published a paper in the journal
African Zoology. The paper is titled Spring
Body Condition, Moult Status, Diet and Behaviour of White-faced
Whistling Ducks in northern South Africa. Also, one of
Scott's Honours students, Ashley Raeside, recently completed her thesis
titled Waterfowl
abundance and diversity in relation to season, wetland characteristics
and land use in semi-arid South Africa. The papers
collectively conclude that, while provision of manmade waterbodies and
cereal grains have likely contributed to increased populations and range
expansions of a few species in South Africa, most species are likely
adversely impacted by the loss and alteration of natural wetlands. To
view the full reports, click the links above.
On
the Lookout for Peregrine Falcons
6 May 2005
- Volunteers, conservation groups, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources (OMNR) are once again working together to conduct the 2005
province-wide Peregrine Falcon survey in Ontario as part of the national
Peregrine Falcon survey, which is conducted every 5 years. The objective
of this survey is to locate and monitor all peregrine nesting activity
throughout the province. The results of this survey will be very
important in helping to assess the status of this species in Ontario and
across Canada.
Birders are invited
to help promote the survey and report signs of possible Peregrine Falcon
nesting activity during the March-August breeding period. There are a
number of established local falcon watch programs, especially in urban
centres, and observers are encouraged to continue to report their
sightings to those programs, including that of the Canadian Peregrine
Foundation. This information is shared with the 2005 survey program.
Reports can also be provided directly to local OMNR district offices, or
they can be submitted directly by fax at 807-473-3023, Attention:
Peregrine Survey, or e-mail to peregrine.survey@mnr.gov.on.ca.
For additional survey information, click
here.
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