Notes from Bird Studies Canada Annual Meeting

We attended the Bird Studies Canada (BSC) Annual General meeting last week in Port Rowan.
There was, of course, lots of dry but necessary reporting. But some exciting stuff as well.
The feature presentation came from Dr. Doug Tozer on BSC’s  Lakes Loon Survey  that is now in its 33rd year.  The database for this work is large encompassing  4,550 lakes and 25,000 breeding pairs, I believe. (http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/clls/resources/CLLSsummary.pdf)

The work, which looks at loon chicks as reported by volunteers across the country, reveals how our lakes are doing.  Probably because of mercury pollution and acid rain eastern loon chicks aren’t doing that well.  While still producing at levels that will maintain decent populations, birth rates are going down. 

Meanwhile, loon reproduction does much better in Western Canada but these reproduction rates are going down considerably faster than in the east.  I’m not a scientist but what I get from the research is that mercury and maybe acid rain continue to have an effect on our lakes even after their prevalence in the atmosphere has been reduced.  More research is needed.

An exciting development is a $3.5 million dollar research project that will use new technologies to study migratory routes of birds and bats.  BSC President and CEO George Finney briefly described the project in his remarks.
Scientists from Western, Guelph and Acadia  have come together on this.  You can read an undated description of the project written by Mitchell Zimmer at http://www.uwo.ca/sci/news/silent_seasons.html

Zimmer quotes biologist Chris Gugliemo:

“The big overarching goal of this is a twenty year commitment to link all of Canada’s birds to their migration and wintering areas to create a migration atlas which doesn’t exist anywhere in the world.”

In the article, Guigliemo notes that some species have an 80% mortality rate during their extended migration.

“(Y)et those flights are largely a black box. Where do the birds go on their way south, where do they stop to rest and refuel, why do they die?”

The research is important to learn more about species at risk and also climate change.

As I said, this is exciting stuff.

Learn about Dragonflies

Here is an event in our back yard of which we’ve just become aware.
It is one-day course designed to educate and train participants about the conservation, ecology, and life history of dragonflies.

It is being put on by Migratory Dragonfly Partnership.

According to the Partnership’s website, “Dragonfly migration is one of the most fascinating events in the insect world, but also one of the least-known.”

The Migratory Dragonfly Partnership is composed of dragonfly experts, nongovernmental programs, academic institutions, and federal agencies from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Together, they are combining research, citizen science, and education and outreach to better understand North America's migrating dragonflies and promote conservation of their wetland habitat.

Participants will be trained to become citizen science contributors for the Migratory
Dragonfly Partnership's North America-wide citizen science research projects.

The course, which is free, will run Saturday September 28th from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM EDT at the Long Point Bird Observatory/Bird Studies Canada.  They’re located just west of beautiful Port Rowan Harbour at 115 Front Rd in Port Rowan.

You can find out lots of details on the event and dragonflies at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e82tceaj9a685417&llr=tnjebhdab

Labour Day Weekend in Port Rowan

This was the first year we’ve been around Port Rowan for Bayfest weekend.  Originally called Tomato Fest the event highlights the tomato that was packed and processed here in great numbers at Innes Foods from 1963 – 1981.  According to Down by the Bay A History of Long Point and Port Rowan,   local farmers delivered trailers with up to four tons of tomatoes to the plant.   At the plant on the western edge of Port Rowan, the hand-picked field grown vegetables were canned in four hours.  A large parade and fireworks are among highlights of Bayfest



.

Lisa "longball" Vlooswyk drills a 300 yarder.

We were surprised when we moved here that Port Rowan hosted a Canadian Championship.  That would be the Long Drive Championships http://www.internationallongdrivechallenge.com/canadian_nationals.html which is now part of the Labour Day weekend festivities.    We caught the Women’s Final at Stark’s Golf Course where Burlington’s Fareen Samji defended her championship in a close contest over seven time champion Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk.  Many drives over 300 yards were recorded in the Sunday final.

On the birding front things were  slow at the old Cut Banding Station but staff tell us they should pick up when the cold front comes in later this week.  My niece did get the opportunity on Sunday to hold a Wilson’s Warbler after it had been banded.   


Wilson's Warbler

                                                               

Migration - All Year at Long Point

(I've updated this short piece that appeared originally at http://foreveryoungnews-com.factorepreview.ca/posts/2304-bob-s-blog-bird-of-the-month-baltimore-oriole)

I’ve heard it said that migration happens all year at Long Point. This is our first full summer year so we are still learning the patterns.

For example, for two months beginning in early May we had regular and frequent visits to our
backyard oriole feeders from Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles. That stopped for a few weeks. Now, in August we are again having  frequent visits from male Baltimores.

That is because our "May to July" Orioles have left; gone south. What we are likely seeing now are migrating Orioles from farther north.

No complaints though.

The male Baltimore Oriole is arguably Southern Ontario’s most eye catching bird.

My old Peterson Field Guide describes it as “fiery orange and black.” It is smaller than a robin.
They were around enough this spring/summer that I began to recognize their whistling call. Cornell does a lot better job of the call than I do. Info on the Baltimore Oriole including its various calls can be found here http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/baltimore_oriole/id

 

Related to this I just looked back at a video son Graham did two years ago. The video does a bit of a comparison of birds seen in our old backyard in Burlington to the greater diversity and numbers down here in Long Point/Port Rowan.  You can find that video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY-gHnbIduk

Fall Migration Starting

 Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) will kick off their fall migration program in middle of August.

LPBO began collecting standardized data on bird migration at Long Point, Ontario in 1960.  That makes them the oldest bird observatory in the western hemisphere.

They have three banding stations – The Tip, Breakwater and Old Cut.

The Old Cut Station is the only one accessible to the public.  Banding goes every morning weather permitting.  Visitors are not only welcomed but encouraged.  Banders provide an ongoing narrative as they work.

I’ve got some knowledge of these activities as my son Ross was employed as a Warden and Assistant Warden from 2008 – 11 by LPBO.  (Now he is off on Longridge Point on James Bay with a Project run by the Royal Ontario Museum in partnership with others like Bird Studies Canada.  (Here are Jean Iron’s pictures and notes from of this project from two years ago. (http://www.jeaniron.ca/2011/JamesBay2011/))

But back to Long Point/Port Rowan….

In 1986, LPBO coined the term “migration monitoring.” ” That term is now widely used to describe the use of standardized daily counts of migrating birds as a method of monitoring populations of many migratory species.   Read more about LPBO notes on their website (http://www.bsc eoc.org/longpoint/index.jsp?targetpg=index&lang=EN)

 Migration Starting

I’ve heard it said that migration happens all year at Long Pont.  This is our first full summer year so we are still learning the patterns.  For example, for two months beginning in early May we had regular and frequent visits to our back yard oriole feeders from Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles. That has stopped.  Now we get only rare visits from male Baltimores.  That is because “our May to July Orioles" have left; gone south.  What we are likely seeing now are migrating Orioles from farther north.  

No complaints though. 

I just looked back at a video son Graham did two years ago which does a bit of a comparison of birds seen  in our old backyard in Burlington to the greater diversity and numbers down here in Long Point/Port Rowan.  Take a look.  

C:\Users\Lee\Videos\Listing Ontario with The Wood Bros Ep8_ Backyard Birding - YouTube.mht

Shorebirds at the Tip

I see that the Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO) is providing opportunities to go to the Tip of Long Point again.

If  you ‘re interested in experiencing fall migration at the Tip  they’re making a private cabin available for guests to rent between August 25 and October 25.  There is a minimum five-day stay.  

For more information, take a look at their website at http://www.birdscanada.org/longpoint/index.jsp.   Book your adventure by mailing lpbo@birdscanada.org

Two years ago son Graham headed out there to help out his older brother.  Ross was an LPBO staffer at the time. 

Graham posted a couple of funny videos that included good shots of the shorebirds you’ll find at the Tip in early fall.  Here is one of the videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW5bTpvhFCQ

Ross's Goose Visits Port Rowan

Cold enough for you on Friday?

This Ross's Goose was hanging out with some Canada Geese just north of Port Rowan on the east side of Bay Street around 
the 1st Concession.

According to Ron Ridout of Bird Studies Canada (http://www.bsc-eoc.org/) this is the latest spring record at Long Point by more than two months for this species.

However, Ron jokingly pointed out that given Friday's "frigid temperature and north winds maybe it's our earliest fall record."