New Resource for BC
Coastal Waterbird Volunteers
Dunlin and Western Sandpipers Photo: Moira Lemon
9 February 2012
– As part of a new Pacific Flyway Shorebird project led by U.S. Forest
Service and their International Programs
Copper River International Migratory Bird Initiative, Bird
Studies Canada’s British Columbia Program is partnering with groups in
the U.S., Mexico, and South America conducting a hemisphere-wide survey
to assess the distribution and abundance of Western Sandpiper and Dunlin
on their wintering grounds and at migration stopovers. BSC’s
BC Coastal
Waterbird Survey will be included in this project.
To provide guidance for
volunteers when counting large shorebird flocks, BSC’s Rob Butler and
Pete Davidson, and the Canadian Wildlife Service’s Moira Lemon, held a
field-based training session at Boundary Bay on January 7, 2012 for
surveyors who cover sites in the Fraser Delta area where large flocks of
Dunlin overwinter. Each person counted the same flock of Dunlin and then
estimates were compared to assess the amount of variation between count
estimates. Photos were taken of the flocks counted, and precise counts
were then made using a computer to determine the actual number of Dunlin
present. Preliminary analysis determined that count estimates can vary
greatly. In order to improve consistency, we have developed a new tool
that describes tips and techniques for counting large flocks, and also
includes a photo quiz. The information is applicable when counting
flocks of shorebirds, ducks, or other birds that congregate in large
numbers.
Select this link to download the tips and quiz, which will soon
be posted to the program webpage as well.
To learn about ‘magic mud’ and
the importance of biofilm to BC’s shorebirds, read the article by Bob
Elner, Scientist Emeritus with Environment Canada, in this week’s
Vancouver Sun, or listen to the podcast interview with Dr.
Elner on CBC Radio’s “As
it Happens” from February 8. Environment Canada is a partner in
the Pacific Flyway Shorebird project.
TD Bank to Support Maritimes
Breeding Bird Atlas Publication
8 February 2012 – TD Friends of the
Environment Foundation (TD FEF) will donate $20,000 to the
Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas
for the hard copy book publication, to be released in late 2012. “We are
thrilled to support this great initiative,” says Mary Desjardins,
Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Bird
Studies Canada is thrilled to have their support. Funding from TD FEF
will go to the design and layout of the Atlas publication, and will
reduce the cost of the book for volunteers and other users.
Fieldwork for the second
Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas was completed in 2010. Over 1000
volunteers dedicated 50,000 hours to gathering the information that will
guide bird conservation and management in the Maritimes for the next 20
years. The project is a collaborative effort to the end; more than 40
Maritimers are currently involved in writing the book, which includes
200 species accounts and numerous chapters. Pre-sales for the Maritimes
Atlas publication will begin this spring.
Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas
Newsletter
8 February 2012
– For stories, statistics, summaries, and announcements from the
Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas,
look no further than Volume 2, Issue 4 of the project newsletter.
Select this link to read the latest edition of the newsletter
online.
Ontario Species at
Risk Forums
7 February 2012
– Bird Studies Canada (BSC) is working in partnership with Bruce County
Stewardship Council and Ottawa Stewardship Council to host Species at
Risk Forums in the Grey/Bruce area on Thursday, February 23, and in
Eastern Ontario on Wednesday, February 29. The forums, held in
Southampton and Ottawa, are designed to engage local groups and
organizations in actively sharing their information and knowledge, and
to develop partnerships and priorities for future projects. The goal is
to facilitate knowledge transfer, increase coordination, and improve the
effectiveness of Species at Risk stewardship efforts.
BSC invites groups or individuals
engaged or interested in Species at Risk activities to contact Kristyn
Richardson, BSC Ontario Stewardship Biologist (krichardson@birdscanada.org
or 1-888-448-2473 ext. 127) to request more information and/or register
to attend a forum. The Species at Risk Forums in Grey/Bruce and Eastern
Ontario have been undertaken with financial support from the Government
of Canada.
OBBA Annual Meeting
6 February 2012
– The Ontario Bird Banding Association will hold its Annual General
Meeting on February 25-26 at the Bird Studies Canada headquarters in
Port Rowan, Ontario. All are welcome, although a small registration fee
applies. This year’s meeting will feature interesting talks about bird
banding in Ontario related to shorebirds (Red Knots and Piping Plovers)
and aerial insectivores (Tree Swallows and Chimney Swifts). For more
information and to see the agenda,
select
this link.
LPW Fundraising Dinner
6 February 2012
– Long Point Waterfowl will host their inaugural fundraising dinner on
Saturday, April 28, 2012 at The Greens at Renton, just east of Simcoe,
Ontario. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a cash bar, complimentary hors
d’oeuvres, and informative posters and displays highlighting LPW’s
current research and programs. Dinner starts at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are
$75 per person, which includes a gourmet meal, courtesy wine, attendance
gifts, and chances to win door prizes. A $125 ticket also includes a
signed 2012 Long Point Waterfowl limited edition print by renowned
wildlife artist Vic Gibbons.
The evening’s agenda will include
special raffles, a silent auction, and a live auction featuring
something for everybody. All funds raised will be used by Long Point
Waterfowl to support their research, conservation, education, and
outdoor heritage programs. For more information and to purchase tickets,
contact Rob Smith (519-426-7346;
lily.dipper@hotmail.com) or
Greg Dunn (519-586-3531 ext. 147;
gdunn@longpointwaterfowl.org).
Return to Top of Page
