Tiny Marsh Important Bird Area Conservation Plan

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Tiny Marsh Important Bird Area Conservation Plan Tiny Marsh Important Bird Area Conservation Plan May 2001 Prepared for the Tiny Marsh Important Bird Area Stakeholders by William Wilson and Edward Cheskey Table of Contents Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................................................2 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................3 2.0 The Important Bird Area Program..........................................................................................................................4 3.0 IBA Site Information...............................................................................................................................................5 4.0 IBA Species Information.........................................................................................................................................7 4.1 Why Tiny Marsh Is an Important Bird Area........................................................................................................7 4.2 Natural History of IBA Species...........................................................................................................................8 4.2.1 Black Tern (Chilidonias niger).....................................................................................................................8 4.2.1.1 Distribution and abundance ...................................................................................................................8 4.2.2.2 Natural history ......................................................................................................................................9 4.2.2 Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis).................................................................................................................10 4.2.2.1 Distribution and abundance .................................................................................................................10 4.2.2.2 Natural history .....................................................................................................................................11 4.2.3 King Rail (Rallus elegans)..........................................................................................................................12 4.2.3.1 Distribution and abundance .................................................................................................................12 4.2.3.2 Natural history .....................................................................................................................................13 5.0 Other Elements of High Conservation Value ........................................................................................................14 6.0 Land Ownership and Use ......................................................................................................................................14 6.1 Land Ownership ................................................................................................................................................14 6.2 Land Use............................................................................................................................................................14 6.2.1 Historical ....................................................................................................................................................14 6.2.2 Current........................................................................................................................................................15 7.0 Conservation Management Achieved at Tiny Marsh ............................................................................................16 8.0 Stakeholders ..........................................................................................................................................................17 9.0 Opportunities .........................................................................................................................................................18 10.0 Threats................................................................................................................................................................19 11.0 The Action Plan...................................................................................................................................................20 11.1 Vision ..........................................................................................................................................................20 11.2 Goals and Objectives.......................................................................................................................................20 12.0 Evaluation............................................................................................................................................................23 References ...................................................................................................................................................................24 Appendix 1 IBA Program Partners............................................................................................................................26 Appendix 2. Least Bittern Survey, Tiny Marsh and Matchedash Bay ....................................................................27 Appendix 3 Final Report by the MTM-IBA Committee ...........................................................................................28 Introduction ............................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Acknowledgments ................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Methods................................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Survey Techniques .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Results of Black Tern Surveys at Tiny Marsh......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Least Bittern, Tiny Marsh and Matchedash Bay ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Discussion ............................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Black Tern Surveys, Tiny Marsh......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Least Bittern, Tiny Marsh and Matchedash Bay ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Habitat Observations ........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table of Figures Figure 1. Black Tern......................................................................................................................................3 Figure 2. Tiny Marsh Important Bird Area Location Map ............................................................................6 Figure 3. Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area and IBA Boundaries ...........................................................7 1 Acknowledgments The Important Bird Area (IBA) Program is part of the Natural Legacy 2000 program, a nation- wide initiative to conserve wildlife and habitats on private and public lands. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada's Millennium Partnership Program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to Great Lakes Basin Important Bird Areas. Canadian Nature Federation and Bird Studies Canada are the national partners of BirdLife International in Canada. The Federation of Ontario Naturalists is responsible for site conservation planning in Ontario IBAs. The following people, listed alphabetically by last name, were part of the Tiny Marsh IBA Steering committee. They have contributed considerable time and effort to the development of this conservation plan, and the conservation of Tiny Marsh: Jim Broadfoot, Robin Craig, Andy Fletcher, Dorothy and Sid Hadlington, Margo Holt, Mike Lavin, Bob Livsey, Dave McLachlin, Dan Middleton, Kevin Rich, and Jim and Pat Woodford. The following agencies and organizations have contributed to the development of this conservation plan: MTM Conservation Association Inc. Ducks Unlimited Canada Canadian Wildlife Service Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Orillia Field Naturalists Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists Photographic credit: Figure 1. Black Tern: Bird Studies Canada Citation: Wilson, W.G. and E.D. Cheskey 2001. Tiny Marsh Important Bird Area Conservation Plan. Can. Nature Fed., Bird Studies Can., Fed. of Ont. Naturalists. 26 pages plus 3 appendices. 2 1.0 Introduction Camille was mesmerized by the aerial acrobatics of the elegant, sooty black birds swooping and darting in pursuit of flying insects over the expanse of open water. His eyes followed the ballet back and forth. “I wish I could fly,” he told me, giving voice to my exact thoughts. If ever a bird made me want to fly, it had to be this species, a master of graceful and effortless flight. Later, reflecting on his first “birdathon,” Camille confided that Black Tern was his favourite
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