Volume 52 Number 3 December 2009 Birds of East Africa with Rodger Titman and David Bird -- Monday, January 11, 2010, 7:30 pm As regular participants in McGill University’s Canadian Field ducks - his research has involved a variety of animals from Studies in Africa program, Rodger and Dave have collectively Musk Turtles to forest-dwelling bats. Over the years, he has made nine trips, each generally lasting three to four weeks, to amassed an ABA list of over 550 bird species and has record- Kenya as well as Uganda and Tanzania. During those trips, ed birds in East Africa while participating in McGill they not only taught ornithology, but also introduced their University’s Canadian Field Studies in Africa program. students to some of the most spectacular birds in the world - As a Full Professor of Wildlife Biology and Director of the Ostrich, Shoebill, Secretary Bird, Hamerkop, Martial Eagle, Avian Science and Conser-vation Centre of McGill University, and Lappet-faced Vulture! Kenya is also home to an array of David has published over 165 scientific papers on birds of other interesting and colourful birds such as Bee-eaters, prey and supervised over 40 graduate students on a wide Barbets, Hornbills, Mousebirds, Sunbirds, Turacos, and Wood- range of wildlife themes. He teaches several university-level hoopoes. Come share the evening with Rodger and Dave, courses, including ornithology, wildlife conservation and not only two highly enthusiastic bird-lovers but also best wildlife management. He has written and/or edited several buddies, and learn about the amazing habits and secrets of books, the most recent one being Raptor Research and the birds inhabiting the wilds of East Africa! Management Techniques in 2007. Besides his innumerable Rodger retired in September from the Department of public lectures and radio and television appearances, Dave is Natural Resource Sciences, at McGill University, where his also a regular columnist on birds for The Gazette of Montreal main academic interest was behavioural ecology. Although and BirdWatcher’s Digest magazine. he prefers working with birds - and above all, his beloved Rodger Titman and David Bird Rodger Titman Rodger Titman Table of Contents President’s Message...............................2 Help Wanted...........................................5 Field Trip Diaries....................................9 Second Breeding Bird Atlas..................3 Birdviews.............................................6-7 Wisdom of Birds......................................10 Membership News & Meetings...............3 Parking Permits......................................7 GBBC and Project FeederWatch.........10 Education Update..................................3 In Memoriam..........................................8 Upcoming Field Trips....................11-12 Speakers’ Corner.................................4-5 BPQ Winter Lecture Series....................8 Invitation from Mont Tremblant.......12 Message From Our President Bird Protection Quebec Now that fall is upon us and winter approaches, the BPQ Board is back in full swing dealing with the affairs of our Society. High on the agenda is a range of initiatives, some of which I have already alluded to. In this message, I would like to comment on three: the disposal of our library collection, the commencement of our urban nature initiative, and the Montreal Christmas Bird Count. The Library Committee has drafted a disposal plan for the 750 books in our library. With the decision to wind-up the Nature Adventure Centre, the books have been sitting in boxes in storage at Bishop Whelan School for the last few years. We are Bird Protection Quebec is the operational name of The Province of Quebec Society for hoping that the Blacker-Wood Library of Ornithology will take some of the rarer ones. the Protection of Birds. After that, they will be available to members on a first-come, first-served basis. We expect to notify members of sale details through The Song Sparrow Newsletter in Established January 4, 1917 February, the Songsparrow Listserv, and our website. There are a lot of interesting Officers books available so make sure you look out for our announcements. While the sheer President Jeff Harrison volume of books makes it difficult for us to properly assess their condition, most are Vice-Presidents Marie-Anne Hudson Helen Meredith in good shape and will be sold at deep discount prices as a benefit of your Hon. Vice-Presidents Robert Carswell membership. Felix Hilton A few years ago, at a focus group session hosted by Nature Quebec, BPQ Mabel McIntosh attendees set a high priority on a new initiative to get involved with urban nature. This Peter Mitchell matter was discussed and our interest reaffirmed at a recent Executive Committee Treasurer Jean Gregson meeting. The Executive thinks that a project might be the best way to get started. Secretary Jean Bacon Membership Secretary Sharon Veysey Possible future actions will be a subject of further discussion and Board approval. Website Manager Richard Gregson While this would be a new initiative, we are already managing about 60 bluebird and Newsletter Editor Marie-Anne Hudson wren boxes in Mount Royal Cemetery under the capable guidance of Helen Meredith. We hope to build on this initial success by adding boxes at our Philipsburg sanctuary Bird Protection Quebec/PQSPB is next year as well as examining other sites in the Montreal region where boxes would a registered charity. be beneficial. If you have any interest in getting involved in the nest box program, or Registration # 11925 2161 RR0001. have ideas about a suitable urban project, speak to me at a monthly meeting or give All donations are tax deductible. me a call at 514-486-4943. The 74th Montreal Christmas Bird Count will be held on December 19 this year. Membership and general inquiries: Plans are already afoot with most of our leaders back to organize their areas. This year Bird Protection Quebec we will have a new venue for the post-count social: the Montreal West Curling Club. P.O. Box 43, Station B Montreal QC H3B 3J5 The second-floor lounge is cozy and looks ideal. This year there will be a small Tel: 514-637-2141 organizing committee to help ensure a well-run event. More details will be available from the area leaders and through the Songsparrow Listserv. Birdviews: Pierre Bannon As this message will reach you just before Christmas, I wish everyone a joyous [email protected] holiday season. 514-766-8767 after 7:00 PM Email group: Averill Craig Jeff Harrison, BPQ President http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Songsparrow Website: Richard Gregson www.birdprotectionquebec.org [email protected] Annual Report: Jean Bacon [email protected] Newsletter: Marie-Anne Hudson [email protected] Diane Demers [email protected] The Song Sparrow ISSN 1710-3371 Legal Deposit: National Library and Archives of Canada Publication Mail No. 40044323 Deadline for the next newsletter: January 11, 2010 2 Bird Protection Quebec The Song Sparrow December 2009 The second Atlas of the Breeding Birds Le deuxième Atlas des oiseaux of Quebec is on its way! nicheurs du Québec s’en vient! Who hasn’t heard of the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Québec? Connaissez-vous l’Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs du Québec? Edited by Gauthier and Aubry, and published in 1996, Paru en 1995 et véritable « Bible des oiseaux du Québec », this monumental work is a veritable encyclopedia of the birds cet ouvrage (Gauthier & Aubry 1995) nous a permis de of Quebec. Between 1984 and 1989, nearly 1000 volunteers cartographier la répartition des espèces d’oiseaux du Québec collected atlas data that allowed the mapping of the méridional. De 1984 à 1989, près de 1000 bénévoles ont distribution of breeding bird species in Southern Quebec. contribué à récolter des données pour ce premier atlas. Twenty years later, Regroupement QuébecOiseaux, Vingt ans plus tard, le Regroupement QuébecOiseaux, le Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service and Bird Service canadien de la faune d’Environnement Canada et Studies Canada have joined forces to work on the second Atlas Étude d’oiseaux Canada s’associent afin de réaliser un of the Breeding Birds of Québec. deuxième Atlas des oiseaux nicheurs du Québec. We expect to find that changes have occurred in the On s’en doute, de nombreux changements sont survenus distribution of a number of species during the last two au cours des deux dernières décennies au sein des populations decades. For example, the ranges of the Turkey Vulture, d’oiseaux. Par exemple, l’Urubu à tête rouge, le Cardinal Northern Cardinal, Wild Turkey and Tufted Titmouse have all rouge, le Dindon sauvage et la Mésange bicolore sont toutes undergone a northward expansion. In contrast, we may also des espèces qui ont connu une expansion vers le nord. À discover that the ranges of certain species have contracted. l’inverse, peut-être découvrirons-nous que d’autres espèces The data collected for the second Atlas will allow us to sont en régression dans certaines régions. measure these changes, providing a powerful tool for the Les atlas nous permettent de mesurer ces changements. conservation and monitoring of bird populations in Quebec. Les données serviront à la recherche et surtout, s’avéreront des Furthermore, the data will also be used for a wide range of outils très utiles pour la conservation et le suivi des other avian research programs. populations d’oiseaux du Québec. As you know, atlassing is birdwatching with a particular Seul ou en groupe, débutant ou expérimenté, vous goal: finding breeding evidence for the largest number of pourrez tous participer à ce grand projet. Participer à l’atlas, species within a given area. To conduct this project, we need c’est pratiquer une activité d’observation où l’on se donne your help. Beginner or experienced birdwatcher, alone or as comme défi de trouver des indices de nidification pour le plus part of a group, everyone can participate. As of next spring grand nombre d’espèces. (2010) and for the next five years, we hope that the atlas Pour réaliser ce projet, nous avons besoin de votre project will unite all the birdwatchers in Quebec! participation.