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December 22. 2021                                                               
Photo taken by Doug Domedion
Birding in the Towns of Yates and Somerset 2022
 
“New York is one of the top bird-watching destinations in the northeast.” This is according to the website
https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/nature/birding/. Those of us who live here find a stunning diversity of birds that change with the seasons and whether we are along the lakeshore, near a wildlife sanctuary or looking out a window.
 
It’s that time of year when Save Ontario Shores presents an updated list of bird counts conducted in our area and other related activities. You, your children or grandchildren can participate as citizen scientists by reporting what you see on the lake, at your feeder, or during one of a number of organized bird counts this year. It is a simple way to enjoy the variety of birds that pass our way and help to determine both numbers and species that are part of the natural beauty we enjoy and hope to preserve.

PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter is released as we are reviewing the recently filed "
recommended decision" by the administrative law judges in the Heritage Wind project.  This poor decision may result in severe bird mortality from the turbines close to the wildlife refuge. Look for an email with a request for action on this issue next week.  Thank you.
 
The Christmas Bird Count: Organized by the Audubon Society, this count takes place in specifically designated areas. Audubon's 122th Christmas Bird Count will be conducted between the dates of Tuesday, December 14, 2021, through Wednesday, January 5, 2022, with designated areas for the count.
http://www.audubon.org/join-christmas-bird-count.  You can participate in as many counts as you like, or choose the one that works best for you. See the map on the website to find the contact information for the Compilers. They should be contacted in advance of the count day. There are counts for the Oak Orchard River and for the Niagara Falls area in the last week of December.

The Great Backyard Bird Count: The Great Backyard Bird Count
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/ is a popular event where people collect information on bird populations all over the world.  It’s free and easy to participate. Celebrating 25 years, the GBBC will be held Friday, February 18 through Monday, February 21, 2022. In addition to the count there is a photo contest with many of the pictures sent in displayed on the website and where you will find data from the 2021 bird count. The eBird mobile app is available and allows you to enter eBird observations from anywhere in the world. You can upload both photos and sound recordings. Sightings of owls, eagles, other rarities can be added to e-Bird at any time: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/. Using the Explore tab on the eBird website, you can see counts from specific areas. For example, Golden Hill State Park is considered a Hotspot for birds with 238 species sighted, https://ebird.org/hotspot/L169679 . Another local Hotspot is the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge https://ebird.org/region/USFWS_219, with 271 species observed.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society started the Great Backyard Bird Count in 1998. Back then, most of the counts were done in the United States and Canada. In 2013, the event went global and you can access international bird data at their website. Birding classes are available at different levels, see the Cornell Bird Academy at https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/course-list. For instance, an online class on the identification of hawks and raptors covers all 34 species found in the continental U.S. and Canada.

Project FeederWatch:  The Cornell Lab also sponsors Project FeederWatch
feederwatch.org, a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders in backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. Feeder Watchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through early April and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. The FeederWatch season always begins the second Saturday in November and runs for 21 weeks, ending on a Friday in April. The 2021–22 FeederWatch season began on November 13 and ends on April 30. Even if you only count once all winter, your data are still considered valuable https://feederwatch.org/about/detailed-instructions/.  If you are a beginner, the site provides a list of common birds to get you started and an interactive page about birds, what they like to eat and where they like to eat it at https://feederwatch.org/learn/common-feeder-birds/.

FeederWatch data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. FeederWatch is conducted by people of all skill levels and backgrounds, including children, families, individuals, classrooms, retired persons, youth groups, nature centers, and bird clubs. Participants watch their feeders as much or as little as they want over two consecutive days as often as every week (less often is fine). They count birds that appear in their count site because of something that they provided (plantings, food, or water. New participants are sent a Research Kit with complete instructions for participating, as well as a bird identification poster and more. There is a downloadable research guide as well. The annual participation fee is $18 for U.S. residents ($15 for Cornell Lab members). You provide the feeder(s) and seed. The 2nd place BirdSpotter Grand Prize winner last year was from Olean, N.Y.!

Buffalo Ornithological Society:  The Buffalo Ornithological Society
http://www.buffaloornithologicalsociety.org/ was established in 1929 to promote the study of the birds of the Niagara Frontier Region. The BOS coverage area includes western New York and parts of nearby Ontario, Canada. This region is rich in bird life with over 380 species and 25 recognizable subspecies of birds recorded. Explore the site to learn more about where to report and find birds, both regional specialties and rare visitors, and find upcoming events on their calendar page. https://www.buffaloornithologicalsociety.org/Calendar.aspx.The Society is affiliated with the Buffalo Museum of Science and is a member of the New York State Ornithological Association https://nybirds.org/.

There’s a Birding Festival planned for this area, Birds on the Niagara, an international winter celebration of the birds that call the Niagara River corridor home! It is planned for February 10-12, 2022. Located at a critical flyway juncture, the Niagara River is a Globally Significant Important Bird Area. Lights Out Niagara is a related effort to encourage dark night skies during high migration periods. Check the website for updated information. http://www.birdsontheniagara.org/.

Lakeshore Waterfowl: Each January, members visit lakes, rivers and shorelines to count waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans, loons, grebes, etc.).  New York State Ornithological Association has conducted this survey annually since 1955.  In most years, more than a quarter of a million birds are tallied.  In addition to being an enjoyable outing, DEC has acknowledged this to be a useful survey for long-term monitoring of waterfowl populations wintering in New York.  The count will always begin the Saturday just before Martin Luther King Day, which is the third week in January. For 2022, it is January 15-23 (target date - Sunday, January 16) http://www.nybirds.org/ProjWaterfowl.htm

Places to watch for birds in the area. Exciting news! Yates Town Park is undergoing a major upgrade that will enhance visitor experience with a graded walk, kayaking area, new enclosed pavilion and a handicap accessible playground. Look for the grand opening in the summer of 2022. In Somerset, we’re hopeful that Beowulf, the owners of the power plant, will finalize plans with the town for a park and rails to trails access on the property. Continued public input will help make that happen. More information on both parks should be available in the new year.

Braddock Bay Bird Observatory is located in Hilton, NY, near Rochester on Lake Ontario. The Observatory focuses on ornithological research, education, and conservation. Bird counts, banding and classes are held on site.
https://braddockbaybirdobservatory.wordpress.com/

The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is located south of Medina. The refuge headquarters and visitor center is located at 1101 Casey Road, one mile north and west of the Alabama traffic light, which is at the intersection of Highway 63 and Highway 77 in Alabama. The phone number is (585) 948-5445. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Iroquois/   The refuge has a number of programs throughout the year for youth and adults as well as self-guided activities. The Wildlife Observation handout included below gives instruction on using their lookout points.

Partners in Flight is an international organization with the goal of “keeping common birds common and helping species at risk through voluntary partnerships.
https://partnersinflight.org/about/

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) monitors bird and bat migration using a number of different of different tools around the Great Lakes. The site below includes a number of maps. https://www.fws.gov/radar/documents/Avian_Radar_Project_Summary_Long.pdf  
USFWS has developed a series of training webinars that are available for viewing.
https://nctc.fws.gov/topic/online-training/webinars/forest-for-the-birds-webinar-series.html

How to Protect Birds and Bats from Wind Turbines - an article from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57176807.

 

 

SOS is 100% funded by generous local individuals. Please consider joining this work by giving what you can. SOS is a not for profit corporation and it is not a tax exempt organization, so donations are not deductible for tax purposes.

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