Some Saturday events at MacGregor Point.
Saturday, January 14 2:00pm, Guided Hike: Wetlands in Winter.
Saturday, January 21 10:00am, Guided Hike: Winter Track ID.
Saturday, January 28 10:00am, Meet a Naturalist: Hibernation vs. Migration.
Click the image below for more details, or head to the Friends of MacGregor Point Park website:
If you missed out on the Extraordinary Tree Lecture Series, or just wanted to watch one of the speakers again, not to worry! The lecture series has been recorded and is now available on the Extraordinary Tree YouTube Channel.
Something to keep you busy if you’re snowed in!
Held every year between December 14th and January 5th, the Christmas Bird Count is one of the the largest citizen science projects.
If you would like to join one of the counts in Grey or Bruce counties, the contact information and dates of the 2016 counts are listed below. If you are outside the area, or would like more general information about the project, head to the Bird Studies Canada Website.
December 14 – Tobermory, Tricia Stinnissen – tricia.stinnissen@pc.gc.ca
December 15 – Kincardine, James Turland – jaturland@gmail.com
December 17 – Owen Sound, Freeman Boyd – boydsproduce@gmail.com
December 17 – Saugeen Nature (Hanover/Walkerton), Gerard McNaughton – gmcnaughton@wightman.ca
December 18 – Wiarton, Jarmo Jalava – jjalava@yahoo.com
December 28 – Meaford, Lynne Richardson – lynnerichardson@rogers.com
December 29 – Pike Bay, Andrew Keaveney – uofgtwitcher@msn.com
January 4 – Saugeen Shores, Norah Toth – ntoth@rogers.com
With the Holiday Season coming up soon, you can also support the local OSFN Club and Ontario Nature by purchasing packs of 10 Greeting Cards, or Hasty Notes (blank inside) for $11, (tax included), featuring this year’s lovely image of two Snow Buntings. To view these visit Ontario Nature and contact us soon (in the next week – by November 2) to place an order so the cards can be here for you by mid November. Email John Dickson at jwdickso@gmail.com to place your order through the Owen Sound Field Naturalists.
There’s still room for approximately 10 members in the Young Naturalists’ program! Next event is Sunday, October 30th. For more information, see their Year-at-a-Glance and registration form below.
“Tonight [Sept 24, 2016] at the Ontario Federation of Ornithologists Annual General Meeting in Kingston, the Plover Lovers hard work for their efforts in trying to help the rare and endangered Piping Plovers was recognized by OFO. Norah Toth received the award on their behalf. Congratulations to all of you for your efforts. We are proud to know you and happy that you, our friends, have been recognized. for your dedication in trying to assist this wonderful bird.” ~Fred Jazvac
A note from Norah:
“I should qualify this. I am only one of 5 committee members (Aubrey Fergusony and Cheryl Wile Ferguson, Lynne Richardson and Catherine Dickison) who have dedicated themselves to ensuring that the Piping Plovers at Sauble Beach have the best opportunity to contribute to the recovery success of the Piping Plover on the Great Lakes.
There were also many volunteers who spent valuable time talking to the public and making citizen science observations. Without these volunteers, all the efforts of the committee would be unsupported and unfruitful. The on the beach volunteers, some of whom were members of the OSFN, and our volunteer coordinator, Jenna Skinner, need a huge thank you from all of us.” ~Norah Toth
Congratulations from the Owen Sound Field Naturalists to the Plover Lovers Committee and entire team, for receiving this well-deserved recognition from Ontario’s Birding Community! The OSFN Club also received a similar award several years ago, and the Plover Lovers have made a concerted effort to continue in this worthwhile endeavour. If you want to learn more about the Plover Lovers, head to their website:
Due to Wednesday’s noisy high winds, this event has been rescheduled to:
Thursday, May 18th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
There is still space available, please contact Beth Anne Currie to register (details below).
A message from Tim McCarthy, who is trying to rally birdwatchers to search for Broad-winged Hawks:
“Hello to all birders
Here is a follow-up to the recruitment message I sent out last week not just to you but to every Nature Club I could find. If you would like to come out and observe somewhere on the line on my map (download attachment “Linear Hawkwatch Handbook”) Sept.17 or 18 or wherever you are any morning or afternoon during the month of September we need your input to find out where the Broadwinged Hawks are going. You can watch for them as much or as little as you like but if you spot any please let me know or even better, inform Ontbirds as well at birdalert@ontbirds.ca
Please advise how many Broadwinged Hawks you see , their flight pattern (i.e.kettle, ridgeline or whatever) the wind direction (where it was coming from) direction the birds were heading and whether they were high or low. we need all the help we can get as Broadwinged Hawks were almost totally lacking over High Park last fall although the overall population if anything, was up slightly from the year before. Social Media have made it easier than ever before so please get your eyes in the sky and lets hear from you.
Happy Hawking,
Tim Mccarthy
RSVP, TimMcCarthy_5@hotmail.com
Over the next six weeks at Sauble beachm there’s a series of weekly Tuesday talks revolving around Plovers and human involvement with nature. Click the image below for the nitty gritty, or head to the Plover Lovers website for the full details.
