LPW
Seeks Postdoctoral Researcher
6
August 2009 – Long Point Waterfowl is seeking a Postdoctoral
Researcher to study the potential impacts of offshore wind turbines on
the lower Great Lakes. This will be a two-year position located in Port
Rowan, Ontario, with potential for eventual promotion to the level of
Waterfowl Scientist.
The study’s proposed objectives will be to
determine the present-day abundance and spatial distribution of sea
ducks and other waterfowl using nearshore and offshore areas of the
lower Great Lakes; and spatial and temporal patterns in habitat use and
movements of sea ducks and other waterfowl.
Select this link to learn more about the position.
Please send transcripts, CV,
reference letters, and a covering letter to Dr. Scott Petrie, Long Point
Waterfowl, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, ON, N0E 1M0;
spetrie@birdscanada.org.
Okanagan Valley
Birding Guide Released
31
July 2009 – The Okanagan Valley is one of Canada’s best
birding destinations, and a new guide will help visiting birders enjoy
their pilgrimages there. The four naturalist clubs in the Okanagan
Valley worked together to publish a 32-page full-colour guide to the
Okanagan Valley Birding Trail. Bird Studies Canada’s Senior Project
Biologist Dick Cannings was involved in the creation of the guide,
providing information on sites of interest and the birds that can be
seen at each, and sharing checklists generated by
eBird Canada to support the guide’s development. Dick also spoke at the launch event
for the guide on July 27.
The guide is available for $5.00 plus postage
and handling ($2.25 in BC). For more information and to order, email
soncpres@telus.net.
Whip-poor-will Surveys in Norfolk Forest IBA
Whip-poor-will
Photo: Jim Flynn
30
July 2009 – Earlier this month, several BSC staff headed out
after sunset to survey for Whip-poor-wills along roads transecting the
nearby Norfolk Forest Important Bird Area (IBA) near Long Point,
Ontario. This declining nightjar species is hard to find by day but easy
to detect at night, particularly on calm nights with bright moonlight.
The surveys were timed to take place on moonlit nights within a few days
of the full moon on July 7.
Each survey consisted of up to 10 six-minute
stops, during which the surveyor listened for the distinctive
Whip-poor-will call. Because the song can be heard over long distances,
the stops were spaced 1.6 km apart to avoid double-counting birds. In
total, 91 roadside stops were completed and at least 44 Whip-poor-wills
were counted (it can be difficult to count the number of individuals
when more than a few birds are calling close by). Given that the Norfolk
Forest IBA survey area consisted of patches of suitable forest habitat
with a patchwork of mixed forest types and agricultural fields, the
number of detections was quite high. For comparison, surveys by
Frontenac Bird Studies in a heavily forested landscape in eastern
Ontario detected more than 50 birds at 30 stops.
Roadside point counts
appear to be a useful method for assessing the distribution and relative
abundance of the Whip-poor-will, which was recently identified as a
Threatened species by COSEWIC. However, more intensive research is
needed to identify the factors behind its severe long-term population
decline. Bird Studies Canada is working with the Northeast Coordinated
Bird Monitoring partnership in the United States to address widespread
declines in nightjar populations in eastern North America. The Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources – Terrestrial Assessment Program provided
funding to Bird Studies Canada (Ontario Region) to develop a
Whip-poor-will study design.
LPW’s Youth
Hunting & Wildlife Heritage Workshop a Success
29
July 2009 – Twenty youth (ages 12-16) from across Ontario
spent five action-packed days during Long Point Waterfowl’s recent Youth
Hunting & Wildlife Heritage Workshop, July 18-22, 2009. Through hands-on
programs, the participants learned about conservation, waterfowl hunting
and decoy placement, retriever training, taxidermy, and wild game
cooking. They also completed the Ontario Hunter Safety and Canadian
Firearms Training courses, and were given the opportunity to safely use
firearms at the Waterford Sportsman’s Club.
LPW would like to thank the
Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Ontario
Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and the training course instructors
for helping develop and deliver the workshop. Thomas Pigeon from the
television program Canada in the Rough spent a day with the group, and
plans to air a show on the workshop this winter. Due to the overwhelming
success of this year’s program, LPW plans to offer two separate programs
next year, consisting of 20 youth participants each. Please contact Ted
Barney (tbarney@birdscanada.org) for information on the 2010 workshop.
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