Monthly Archives: July 2015

Birdathon Count 2015

Thanks again for all your great support and know that the money is all used for bird related research, important natural area land acquisitions and other bird related conservation projects. I like to think that we are helping to make this world a little better, not just for ourselves but for our children, grand children and all future generations. I hate to think of a world without birds, not just for their beauty but for the good they do. Thanks again! Sincerely, George Pond This is a list of birds identified during 2 Birdathons. The left check marks are from May 9, 2015, with Mike McMillan and group. Total: 101 The right check marks are from May 26 and 27, 2015, with George Pond and group. Total: 130 VVCommon Loon VVPied-billed Grebe VDouble-crested Cormorant VVGreat Blue Heron VVGreen Heron VLeast…
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Great Canadian Birdathon 2015 Report #2

By Michael McMillan Download the PDF of this article, which contains many beautiful photos. On May 9, at 6:30 a.m. I arrived at George Pond's house in Simcoe to join George, Peggy McArthur, Alan McKeown, and Shelia Smith to begin my Birdathon. A couple of minutes after leaving George's we made our first stop at a grassy field on Luscombe Drive just north of Highway 3 at the west end of Simcoe. Immediately I had my first three birds. An insect-like buzz was coming from a Grasshopper Sparrow perched on a long blade of grass. Somewhere in the distance, was the faint buzz of a Clay-colored Sparrow. Above us a Tree Swallow swooped in a circle before stopping to rest on a wire. Just before we turned west on Highway 3 from Luscombe Drive a Wild Turkey exploded into flight…
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Great Canadian Birdathon 2015 Report #1

By George Pond Download the PDF of this article, which contains many beautiful photos. “Turn down the next road! Yesterday there was a flock of Black-bellied Plovers in a field and a single Golden Plover with them,” Jeremy Hussell said, as we continued to search for birds on our Great Canadian Birdathon. Surprisingly the flock of about 75 of these beautiful tundra nesting shorebirds was still there and Jeremy soon had the Golden Plover, with its completely black underside, in the telescope for us all to see. The lighter head and white belly region of the Black-bellied Plovers were also easy to pick out. These birds were in the same plumage as when I photographed them in the High Arctic last July.   Bruce and Ann Falls, Steve Wilcox, Jeremy Hussell and I, were doing our annual Birdathon to raise…
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