For those who do not receive OFO's Call Notes. We are thrilled with the participation so far in the OFO Winter Birding Challenge! 169 participants from across the province have submitted over 1,400 checklists with an amazing 164 species reported. The birds reported included 33 species of waterfowl, three species each of grebes and loons, four species of shorebirds, nine species of gulls, seven species of owls, ten species of finches, 11 species of sparrows, and nine species of warblers. Some of the more unusual species reported were Ross's Goose, King Eider, Harlequin Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, Sharp-tailed Grouse, White-winged Dove, Purple Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Slaty-backed Gull, Pacific Loon, Great Egret, Great Gray Owl, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Swainson's Thrush, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Indigo Bunting. For total species, Chatham-Kent led the way with 110, followed by Toronto (101), Hamilton (85), Halton (68), and Norfolk (68). For checklists, Toronto (159) was tops, followed by Peterborough (123), Middlesex (107), Algoma (97), and Halton (90) rounding out the top five. If you would like to explore the results (to the county level) check out the OFObirds eBird profile: https://ebird.org/profile/MjAxODI1Ng/CA-ON Bi-Weekly Winter Birding Challenge Winner Congratulations to Josie Dinsmore, she qualified for this week’s prize by submitting a minimum of 10 checklists! Josie will receive a copy of the book, Best Places to Bird in Ontario by Kenneth & Michael Burrell and an official Ebird Toque. Register 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! Please register at: https://ofo25.wildapricot.org/event-4070132 To Qualify for Prizes! Please remember the following is required to qualify for both the Bi-weekly and the Grand Prize: • Important — checklists must be shared with OFObirds on Ebird to participate in the challenge • A minimum of 10 checklists must be submitted and shared for bi-weekly prizes • A minimum of 60 checklists must be submitted and shared 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 Winter Birding Challenge, watch out for bi-weekly updates and prizes announcements. Lynne -- Lynne Freeman lynnef.to@gmail.com "Be bold, be brave, be amazing...." Simon de Pury, Work of Art