Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, Region 24 (Ottawa)
Region 24 (Ottawa) Report for 2003
by Christine Hanrahan
Note: 2002 and 2001 summary reports still available
Introduction
We are now more than half way through the atlas project and things are looking good. As you will see on the next page, almost 50% of our squares are considered complete. Many others need only a few more confirmations and a few more species to achieve the same status. This is great work — Thank you!
By now, most atlassers are familiar with the Region 24 territory, but for the newcomers a quick check of the attached map will give an idea of our area.
As happens each year, some volunteers move on to other places, other things, while new ones take their place. We thank those who have left for their contributions and wish them well, and welcome the new folk. To the stalwarts, here from day one, we say Thank You! You make this project worthwhile.
Forward to 2004!
Perth Region Squares: Our neighbour to the west, Region 25, has a very small pool of volunteers to draw from which has limited the number of squares they can cover. Mike Cadman has asked adjacent regions to take responsibility for those with little or no data. We’ve added five of the closest un-atlassed squares: 18UQ 68, 69, 87, 88 and 99. We held a square bash in UQ99 this year and brought the total from 0 to 88 species with 37 confirmations, thanks to Paul, Jodie, Mick, Mark and Marcel. Ken Allison has agreed to take over UQ69 (yea!), and we’re looking for volunteers for the remaining three. Failing that, we’ll organize square bash excursions.
Night birds: We decided 2003 would be the deciding factor in whether or not we organized any more owl prowls or nocturnal squares bashes. Data returned thus far shows that night birds are still under-atlassed compared to the last atlas. Therefore, we’ll hold April owling excursions to try and boost coverage of these often elusive birds. More news next year.
Point counts, Casual Observers and Roving Atlassers: More point counts were done this year with promises of further work in the next two years. Kudos to the roving atlassers who have been helping with point counts and extra coverage in other squares, and who have offered to continue helping until the project’s end. This kind of assistance is absolutely vital to the success of the atlas. Hats off to Erica Dunn, Paul Schoening, Celia Bodnar, Bernie Ladoucer, Langis Sirois, Kim Zbitnew and Mick Panesar. Special thanks to all the casual observers who have sent in data and helped fill the gaps.
New Stuff: The eagerly awaited update to the Bluebird CD-ROM, the Nuthatch, should be winging its way here before Christmas – it was originally due in late summer but… delays happened. Mike promises the new version will have improved quizzing ability, additional songs (up to 9 per species) and photos of each species, as well as the distribution range map from the first Atlas.
Sometime in spring 2004, Mike and Nicole will be arriving in Ottawa to host another workshop. This one, according to Mike, will likely feature “a main plenary session with three main themes: celebrating progress to date, appreciation of local volunteers, filling in the gaps (square, region, super-region and province). Afterwards, we would have a training component in the form of an open house with various information booths or stations (how to do a point count, entering data online etc..).” Sounds like a lot of fun. Stay tuned!
A more complete 2003 OBBA report will appear in the OFNC publication, Trail & Landscape, in the new year. Remember, this report is a DRAFT only – data will change as more reports are submitted.
Anne Hackston: The 2003 OBBA Annual Report is dedicated to the memory of Anne Hackston, one of our stalwarts, with us from the beginning, and the atlasser responsible for 18VQ49 North Gower. Anne passed away on October 12th, 2003. We send condolences to her family and grateful thanks to Anne for all her work. She was a keen birder who was committed to the atlas project. We’ll miss her
Results for 2003
Breeding evidence has now been found for one hundred and eighty-one (181) species, with confirmed breeding for 148 species (Table 1). During the last atlas (1981-1985) our region found breeding evidence for one-hundred and seventy-seven species.
Number of species per square
Table 2 shows the number of species recorded in each square. Twenty-one squares were not atlassed this year, but 7 of these meet our requirements for completion and we’re happy with the results. The remaining fourteen (indicated by NA -Not Atlassed) have varying degrees of coverage, but all require more work over the next two years.
We’re still aiming at a minimum of 80 species per square east of the city and 90 species west of Ottawa. Of course, habitat and size of square (whether partial or complete) are two of several factors that influence this. Squares of 40% or less are deemed complete if they meet or exceed the figures of the last atlas. We’d like to encourage atlassers whose squares meet the completion criteria to consider helping in or taking on other squares.
Of the 86 squares in this region, forty-two, or nearly 50% have met or exceeded our goal of 90/30 and 80/30. Another eighteen have very good species totals, but need more confirmations. The remaining squares need more work
Twenty-five squares have more than 100 species, a further 20 squares have between 90-99 species, and twenty-two have between 80-89 species.
New this year
Horned Grebe is still a very rare breeder in Ontario. Historically it was known to nest in extreme southern Ontario. Records of birds found summering but with no evidence of breeding were not included in the last atlas. The central atlas committee may well decide that the bird found this year on VR91 falls into that category. Our reasons for including it are that it fits into the same group of other prairie breeders such as Ruddy Duck which at one time were thought not to breed here, but within the last few decades have found sewage lagoons in the east a similar habitat to prairie potholes.
Redhead is another species primarily associated with the prairies but which nests in small numbers in Ontario, mostly in the south although there were a couple of scattered records south and east of Ottawa. Our record is of a pair in VR31.
The elusive Yellow Rail is so infrequently encountered that an accurate assessment of its breeding range is difficult to make. During the last atlas, most records came from the northern part of the province so the species is not listed on our ‘Breeding Evidence Form-South’. Current range maps using data returned thus far, show only a couple of records for south-eastern Ontario, including the one from 18VQ39 in our region.
Other
Carolina Wrens have increasingly been found during winter months in Ottawa and it was only a matter of time before one or two lingered into the summer. One bird, present from early spring through summer in the Beacon Hill North area of the city, was reportedly present in the two previous summers as well. Another wren was heard singing repeatedly at Ashton this summer (2003). A third belated record comes from Pakenham in 2001, a bird present all winter and throughout the year, though no evidence of nesting was noted.
Sandhill Cranes have bred in the area previously, but 2003 was the first time we had proof during the atlas. Thanks to Langis Sirois’ perseverance in pursuing this, we now have confirmed evidence.
Table 1: Region 24 Ottawa: cumulative results (2001-2003)
Table 2: Species totals and confirmations per square
Acknowledgments Heartfelt Thanks to: all the volunteers who participated so enthusiastically this year (list of 2003 participants below). Without you This whole effort would fall flat; to Elizabeth LeGeyt who publicized the project in her bird column, and to the readers who responded. As always, much appreciation to the local Atlas Committee: Mark Gawn, Paul Jones, and Mick Panesar for being consistently ready with advice and creative plans for helping achieve our goals! Atlas Volunteers 2003 Ken Allison, Ruth Allison, Rosemary Anderson, Ted Baldwin, Ron Bedford, Lisa Benedetti, Cliff Bennett, Lynda Bennett, Marg Benson, Peter Blancher, Celia Bodnar, Ludmilla Borshevsky, Brian Bowen, Colin and Pat Bowen, Bill Bower, Tracy Bridges, David Britton, Richard Brouillet, Peter Browne, Gerhard Bruins, Emily Burton, Janet Castle, Bob Cermak, Daryl Coulson, Dale Crook, Anthony and Gretchen Denton, Erica Dunn, Peter Fuller, Anne-Marie Fyfe, Marcel Gahbauer, Colin Gaskell, Jessica Gawn, Mark Gawn, Carol and Alan German, Jim Gillick, Al Graham, Marc Gravel, Anne Hackston, Christine Hanrahan, Mark Hovorka, Roy John, Paul Jones, Michael Kahn, Anthony Keith, Rick Killeen, Maryanne Koot, Bernie Ladouceur, Sandy Lang, Marc Latremouille, Chris Lewis and Bob Bracken, Dick Mabee, MacNamara Field Naturalists, Paul and Michelle Martin, Barb Martinovic, Bev McBride, Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists, Dave Moore, Heather and Richard Morlan, Mick Panesar, Bev Peterkin, Remy Poulin, Eric Ridgen, Jack Romanow, Linda Ryan, Paul Schoening, Bev Scott, Rene Seguin, Arnie Simpson, Dan and Chris Simpson, Langis Sirois, Dave Smythe, Daniel St. Hilaire, Mark Stabb and Caroline Schultz, Blair Stevens, Austin Taverner, Eve Ticknor, Chris Traynor, Sloane Watters, Laurie L. Wood, Kim Zbitnew. |