Maritimes
Atlassers Visit Moose Island, NS
Photo: Ivy
Austin
27 June 2007 – With funding from the
James L. Baillie Memorial Fund, and in collaboration with David E.
Harris of the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, the
Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas
led a trip to Moose Island, NS, part of Five Islands Provincial Park,
the weekend of June 22-24. A total of seven atlassers joined the trip.
Highlights included a Barred Owl that kept the team up for a good part
of the night, a Pileated Woodpecker who seemed surprised by the presence
of people on a usually uninhabited island, a pair of Brown Creepers with
a young fledgling, and a Black-throated Blue Warbler high in mature
trees. The final bird list consisted of 38 species, 10 of which were
confirmed breeding on the island.
Excursion pour
l’Atlas sur Moose Island
Le 27 juin 2007 – Grâce aux fonds
James L. Baillie Memorial, et avec la collaboration de David E. Harris
du Département des Ressources Naturelles de la Nouvelle-Écosse, l’équipe
de l’Atlas des Oiseaux Nicheurs des
Maritimes a mené une excursion sur Moose Island, Nouvelle-Écosse,
qui fait partit du Parc Provincial de Five Islands le weekend du 22 au
24 juin 2007. Un total de sept atlasseurs étaient présents. Les points
fort inclus une Chouette rayée qui a tenue notre équipe éveillée une
bonne partie de la nuit, un Grand pic qui eu l’air surpris de la
présence de personnes sur l’île qui est habituellement inhabitée, un
couple de Grimpereau brun avec un jeune et une Paruline bleue qui se
tenait très haut dans des arbres matures. Le compte complet pour cette
excursion a monté à 38 espèces dont 10 furent confirmés comme nichant
sur l’île.
St. Williams
Hooded Warbler is Oldest on Record
26 June 2007 – BSC field researchers
have once again found the female Hooded Warbler affectionately referred
to as the ‘purple girl’ because of her unique colour band combination.
She is currently nesting in St. Williams Conservation Reserve in
southern Ontario. The ‘purple girl’ was banded in 2000 by Becky Whittam
as an after second year bird. She is now at least nine years old – a new
longevity record for the species.
Over the past eight years, this
female has constructed at least 12 nests that were located and monitored
by field crews. She has been paired with six different males and has
successfully raised 19 Hooded Warbler young to fledging, and only one
cowbird. In 2003, she set another record by being the first Hooded
Warbler at the northern fringe of their range to attempt three broods in
a single season. Unfortunately her third nesting attempt (in early
August) was unsuccessful.
BSC has been conducting Hooded
Warbler research and monitoring in the conservation reserve in
partnership with the Acadian Flycatcher/Hooded Warbler Recovery Team
since 1999. Long-term monitoring of nest productivity, habitat
preferences, and return rates of young and adults reveals factors
influencing the population dynamics of this Threatened species. The
Hooded Warbler is one of few neotropical songbirds with an increasing
population in southern Ontario.
Visit our website
to learn more.
OFAH Funds LPWWRF
Sandhill Crane Research
25 June 2007 – The Long Point
Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund (LPWWRF) recently received $26,000
from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters to fund a study in
the Algoma region, where Sandhill Crane populations have increased
substantially. The work will be conducted by LPWWRF biologists and
researchers Mike Boyd, Ted Barney, Scott Petrie, and Shannon Badzinski.
Fieldwork will begin in August. The researchers will assess habitat use
and impacts on agricultural producers, and will also study movement
patterns of this crane population using satellite telemetry.
University
Students Complete Field Course at BSC
Photo: LPWWRF
9-16 June 2007 – Recently, sixteen
third- and fourth-year students from several universities participated
in a one-week Waterbird and Wetland Ecology field course, coordinated
and taught by staff of the Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research
Fund (LPWWRF). Through lectures, field trips, and hands-on work, the
students learned about ecology, management, and conservation in Canada’s
lower Great Lakes region – especially in the Long Point marshes and the
Lake St. Clair area. Activities included surveying and identifying marsh
birds, banding Canada Geese, sampling and identifying aquatic plants and
invertebrates, making bird study skins, and dissecting waterbirds to
learn about anatomy and physiological processes.
The students gained insight into
the role of several organizations in wetland and waterbird conservation,
monitoring, and management. Numerous individuals from BSC, Canadian
Wildlife Service, Long Point Region Conservation Authority, Ducks
Unlimited Canada, Long Point Company, Big Point Club, and Murray Marsh
Club kindly offered their time and expertise, and we thank them for
helping to teach the course and contributing to its success. LPWWRF will
continue to offer this course annually as part of its ongoing commitment
to university education.
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