In the second two weeks (almost) of the challenge we are up to 202 registrants. Participants submitted almost 1,600 checklists from 47 of the 50 census divisions across the province. An impressive 151 species were reported including some 34 species of waterfowl, three grebes, nine gulls, ten hawks, eight owls, four falcons, ten finches, 11 sparrows, and seven warblers. Some of the interesting species reported were Ross's Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, King Eider, Harlequin Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Slaty-backed Gull, Great Gray Owl, Gyrfalcon, Varied Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Northern Waterthrush, Tennessee Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula Warbler, and Yellow Warbler. For total species, Chatham-Kent again led the way with 97, followed by Toronto (85), Essex (81), Halton (72), and Durham (70). For checklists, Toronto (142) was again tops, followed by Ottawa (140), Middlesex (1137), Peterborough (125), and Halton (83) rounding out the top five. People can explore the results (to the county level) by going to the OFObirds eBird profile: https://ebird.org/profile/MjAxODI1Ng/CA-ON Congratulations to the Bi-Weekly Winter Birding Challenge Winner Congratulations to Anne Goulden who won the second bi-weekly prize. she qualified for the prize by submitting at least 10 checklists! Anne will receive a copy of the book, Best Places to Bird in Ontario by Kenneth & Michael Burrell and an official Ebird Toque. Join the Challenge Now! It’s not too late to join the Winter Birding Challenge and qualify for bi-weekly prizes, along with a Grand Prize of a pair of Vortex Viper 8x42 Binoculars! You do not need to be a member of OFO to register. 1. First, register at: https://ofo25.wildapricot.org/event-4070132 2. Second, remember to share your checklists with OFObirds on Ebird to qualify for prizes Challenge Rules • A minimum of 10 checklists must be submitted and shared with OFObirds on eBird to qualify for bi-weekly prizes • A minimum of 60 checklists must be submitted and shared with OFObirds on eBird over the length of the Challenge for your chance to win the Grand Prize of a pair of Vortex Viper 8x42 Binoculars!!! • Become a new OFO member for a chance at another great prize to be drawn at the end of the challenge! Thank you to everyone that has participated so far in the Winter Birding Challenge. Watch out for bi-weekly updates and prizes announcements. Bundle up and Good birding, The OFO Winter Birding Challenge Team: Charmaine Anderson Mike Burrell Lynne Freeman Sarah Rupert Ivor Williams