Timiskaming Birds Forum

Hi,

A big project is starting this pring, it's the second Quebec's breeding bird atlas.  If you would like to get involved, you will find the link on the website.  There are some square up north that are not too far from you guys.  When consulting the website, you'll find map of the area with all the squares.  Everything works via GoogleEarth.  When you register, you'll be asken what area would you like to cover.  Feel free to mention it or not, it's not important. http://www.atlas-oiseaux.qc.ca/index_en.jsp.  I have 135 squares to take care of in the next 5 years.  If you wish to have a square and do everything from A to Z, or just report what you have from a couple of visits, it's up to you.  Any effort is more than welcome.

Get back to me for any question.  Thanks

 I see some of the squares are partially in Ontario. Is that a co-ordinates problem, or simply a way to fit a standard sized square to fully cover edges?

 To clarify, what I'm really getting at, if the grid system is correct, will observations on the Ontario side be used, or even wanted... Some of the squares appear to be mostly in Ontario.

Same protocol and grid is used troughout Canada.  Birds must be in provincial limit.  So some squares won't need 20 hours to be spent on.  The infomation in those squares will be use to determine abundance troughout Canada.  BSC will use a DFA (discriminant function analysis), a formula that will give the datas collected the appropriate weight in the global scale versus the size of the square.  Feel free to subscribe!

Just to give some news, I spent effort for the past 3 weeks to do point count at night for owls.  I stopped in 27 different squares.  I found Woodcocks in all of them.  I found Saw-whet owl singing in 26, wich is 96%.  I found Boreal owl in one and Hawk owl in one.

I spent the last week attlassing.  I'm at 132 species now.  I did 94 point counts since june third.  My surprises are a Baltimore Oriole, several Clay-colored sparrows, some LeConte's, many trashers, some indigo buntings, some Great-crested flycatchers including one carrying food, 2 vesper sparrows, etc.

For many years now, I use to go only where I know I can get many birds in a short time.  When attlassing, I scout a lot and find some new habitats and places pretty rich in diversity.  I'm living again!

 What is the farthest North that you've found the Great-Crested Flycatcher?

The one I saw yesterday was right in front of Hayleybury.  I could see the town  looking west from where I was standing.  I use to find it in Notre-Dame du Nord, but now it's private land.  I'll have to ask permission because that was a pretty good spot.

All you need is mature deciduous forest with poplar, maple, ash, elm and bur oaks.  In Notre-Dame du Nord it's ash, bur oak and poplar.  In Guigues it was mostly poplar.  In Ville-Marie, I have a good spot with poplar and maple. Just south of Ville-Marie it's ash and bur oaks and a spot with poplar and red oak.  Between V-M and Temiscaming to south, maple is 100% guarantee.

I think that around Sutton bay park would be a good place to search if trees are more than 40 years old.  Learn the 'song' and look up!

Follow that link to see what we found so far

http://www.atlas-oiseaux.qc.ca/donneesqc/datasummaries.jsp?extent=Rg&summtype=SpList&year=allyrs&atlasver=2&byextent1=Prov&byextent2=Sq&region2=1&squarePC=&region1=3&square=&region3=0&species1=MOAU&region4=0&square2=&lang=en

Good job!  A lot of species there. Pretty productive area, a lot of variety. No Redpolls or Pine Grosbeaks, they must be North somewhere. Too bad you haven't found your Brewer's yet. I was checking out the Breeding Evidence Codes... Quite involved. So, after all that, are you relieved that you're going back to work for a break, or are you a little sad at having to pause?

Redpolls are way north, but there should be pine grosbeaks breedin around.  I just can't find them.  I was a bit tired last sunday, but after one day and a half working, I'm looking for the wind to calm down to do some more point counts!

 I'm still looking for:

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Whip-poor-will, Red Crossbill.  I will not write about my secret dream birds...