Ornithological
Symposium to be Held in Buenos Aires
7 July 2005 -
La XI Reunión Argentina de Ornitología, an ornithological symposium,
is being held 7-10 September 2005 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The
symposium is sponsored by Aves Argentinas, a Birdlife International
member and one of the strongest bird conservation NGOs in South
America. Sessions will deal with birds endemic to South America but
also with migratory birds who spend the winter in the southern cone.
Of particular note are topics covering conservation of the Swainson’s
Hawk, a prairie bird which has in the past been severely impacted by
pesticide use in Argentina, swallow migration, and the breeding
biology of Bobolinks.
The southern cone of South America is
particularly important for shorebirds. Argentina has been very active
in the development of the Western
Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and has several
Hemispheric Sites including Laguna mar Chiquita and Tierra del Fuego.
To learn more or to register for the symposium, click
here.
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Birdathon
Prize Deadline Approaching
7 July 2005
- Participants in the
Baillie Birdathon are reminded to submit their sponsor money by 1 August
in order to be eligible to win some terrific prizes. The number of
prizes is now at 20, with the grand prize being an all-inclusive trip by
Eagle-Eye Tours to your choice of Costa Rica, Arizona, or the
High Arctic. Other great prizes include a Raven Spotting Scope and
Ranger 8 x 42 "Platinum Class" binoculars, both courtesy of EagleOptics.ca,
an Optio SV 5.0 megapixel digital camera courtesy of Pentax
Canada, a lovely "Common Loon" framed print courtesy
of artist Chris Bacon,
and much more. For full prize details, click
here.
Teachers
Guide about Loons Now Online
7 July 2005
- A new teachers guide about the Common Loon is now available on Bird
Studies Canada’s website. Developed initially for Nova Scotia, A
Looney for Your Thoughts is a useful and relevant resource right
across Canada. The guide covers loon biology and life history as well as
threats to loon survival. The guide emphasizes ecological concepts such
as habitat, communities, food webs, and diversity of life, and contains
three main lessons about loon biology, conservation, and folklore. The
complete book is 59 pages and includes activity sheets and additional
information about Bird Studies Canada. To view the guide, click
here.
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Changes
Proposed to Bird Studies Canada's Membership Policy
7 July 2005 -
Bird Studies Canada (BSC) has drafted an updated membership policy. The
revisions are intended to increase membership options and clarify
benefits at various levels. This draft membership policy was presented
to BSC's Board of Directors at its April 2005 meeting and is now being
made available to our members, participants, supporters, and the
interested public for comments and suggestions.
The
draft policy proposes no fee increases or changes to benefits at
existing membership levels, with the exception being that membership
benefits can no longer be accrued through irregular cumulative
donations. It does not affect monthly giving plans. It does expand on
the definitions of membership categories and proposes two new membership
categories - Student and Household. Members will be able to opt out of
various benefits of membership, including voting privileges, if they
desire.
The
revised policy also provides donors (at a giving level of $35 or more in
a one-time gift) with the option of becoming members of Bird Studies
Canada. All donors of $35 or more ("Supporters") will continue
to receive BirdWatch Canada, BSC's quarterly publication.
To review the draft
Membership Policy, click
here or phone 1-888-448-2473 ext.201 to request a copy. Please
provide any feedback to BSC by 5 August 2005 by e-mail at wcridland@bsc-eoc.org.
A final version of the Membership Policy will be presented at the
September 2005 Board of Directors meeting for approval.
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Olivia
Takes Unexpected Flight North
7 July 2005
- Olivia, a young eaglet fitted with a transmitter in the summer of 2004
as part of Bird Studies Canada's satellite tracking program Destination
Eagle, has made some incredible movements over the last month,
traveling over 1200 kilometres in the last two weeks! Originally fitted
with a transmitter near Long Point, ON, Olivia is the first hatch-year
eaglet from southern Ontario to be successfully tracked on a complete
annual migration cycle. Other first year migratory cycles for hatch-year
eaglets have been documented from Florida, Wyoming, California,
Colorado, New York, and Labrador. This is a unique record for Ontario!
On 19
June 2005, the young bird was reported in the Sandusky area on the south
shore of Lake Erie, where she had been for several weeks. By 24 June she
had already moved over 400 km to Alphena, Michigan. Olivia then made a
small move, approximately 145 km, and by her next transmission (30 June)
she was located north of the Mackinac Island State Park in Upper
Peninsula Michigan. Based upon her movements from last year, we would
have guessed that she would stay near her preferred spots in 2004 (Manitoulin,
Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron). However, Olivia made a surprising marathon
movement far to the north, approximately 630 km, completely bypassing
her summer and fall areas of 2004 and settling 130 km west of Fort
Albany, in northern Ontario. Olivia now appears to be spending time
along the Albany River and adjacent tributaries, not too far from James
Bay!
To learn more about
Destination Eagle, and view Olivia's movements via Eagle Tracker, click
here or contact BSC's Bald Eagle Project Coordinator, Dawn Laing,
at dlaing@bsc-eoc.org.
Bald
Eagle Road Show Returns
7 July 2005
- Over the next two weekends the public is invited to learn more about
BSC's Bald Eagle monitoring and satellite tracking program. Bald Eagle
Program Biologist and Project Coordinator, Dawn Laing, will be speaking
at Pinery Provincial Park Friday, 8 July and at Rondeau Provincial Park
Friday, 15 July. Please contact the parks for time and location details.
Both presentations will provide background information on BSC's
volunteer monitoring program, as well as introduce our satellite
tracking program Destination Eagle. Much of the presentation will
focus on the work in southern Ontario and the Lake Erie basin. Stay
tuned for additional public presentations throughout the summer and
fall.
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Program
Expands Parameters for Assessing Marsh Health
 
6 July 2005
- Marsh Monitoring Program staff, Steve Timmermans, Ryan Archer, and
John Jefferies, are expanding monitoring efforts in marsh wetlands
within five U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) throughout the
summer of 2005. Wetland sampling for this traveling field crew includes
detailed water quality measurements and macroinvertebrate sampling,
which will complement marsh bird and amphibian surveys conducted this
past spring. Collectively, the composition of aquatic bird, amphibian,
and macroinvertebrate communities act as indicators of relative marsh
health. Non-biological characteristics of marshes, such as water quality
and surrounding land use, can be related to biological communities to
help determine which aspects of marsh communities are indicators of
wetland health within and between AOC watersheds. The data collected
will help identify the current status of these degraded marshes and
provide a baseline for comparisons following remedial work. This project
is ongoing through 2006 and possibly beyond.
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Maritime
Atlas Advertising for Assistant Coordinator
6 July
2005 - Bird Studies Canada (Atlantic Region) is seeking
applicants for the position of Assistant Coordinator for the Maritime
Breeding Bird Atlas. This position is being staffed initially as a 6-month
term position starting 6 September 2005 with Bird Studies Canada -
Atlantic Region, with the possibility of extension. Deadline for
applications is Friday, 29 July 2005 (5 p.m. Atlantic time). For more
information, click here.
Thanks Saija!
1 July 2005 -
Bird Studies Canada bid farewell to Saija Sirkiä as she returned to her
home in Helsinki, Finland. Saija worked as an Intern in BSC's Atlantic
Region office in Sackville, NB for four months. During her stay, Saija
helped to prepare owl survey kits and process owl survey data, spent a
month banding at the Canadian Wildlife Service's Amherst Point banding
station, and spent three weeks in the field in northern New Brunswick
surveying the rare Bicknell's Thrush. Saija enjoyed her stay in Canada
and learned a great deal about Canadian birds and bird conservation.
Saija's internship was sponsored by a Finnish CIMO (Centre for
International Mobility) grant.
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