Attention birders: the Breeding Bird Survey needs your help! Enthusiastic and skilled birders are needed to participate in the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - the premier bird survey in North America. In Canada, the BBS is coordinated by the Canadian Wildlife Service (http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/nwrc-cnrf/migb/bbs_e.cfm). BBS participants survey a predetermined, roadside route one morning a year in June. Each route consists of 50 three-minute roadside stops and takes about five hours to complete. Volunteers who can survey the same route for as many consecutive years are particularly needed to maintain consistency of reporting. To do a BBS route, surveyors must be able to identify all birds in their area by sight and sound. Birders that have honed their birding by ear skills by doing point counts for the Breeding Bird Atlas should be qualified to do a BBS route! Having a helper to do the driving is also recommended but not essential. In southern Ontario, routes are available near the following locations: London Sarnia Eganville Manitoulin Island Chatham Gunter (west of Bon Echo park) Hockley (south of Barrie) Hopeville/Dundalk Pickerel Lake (west of Algonquin) Bear Lake (between Parry Sound and Algonquin) Killbear Provincial Park McArthur Mills Haliburton Luther Marsh Wallacetown If you live near one of these routes, have a cottage nearby, or just want an excuse to go birding in a different region of Ontario, please consider taking on one of these orphaned routes. There are also MANY available routes in northern Ontario. Upon request, BBS surveyors will receive a charitable tax receipt for costs associated with running a route (mileage, food, accommodations, etc.). Data collected by the BBS is extremely valuable - it is used by countless researchers, and biologists to monitor bird population trends, generate population estimates and to identify birds that are of conservation concern. If you would like to lend your eyes and ears to this very worthwhile effort, please send me an email or give me a call (Debbie Badzinski, dbadzinski@bsc-eoc.org, toll free: 1-888-448-2473 (ext. 211)). If you can't do the survey this year because of Atlassing commitments but would like to participate in the future contact me now, as the number and location of available routes is limited. Sincerely, Debbie Badzinski ************************************************************ Debbie Badzinski, Bird Population Biologist Bird Studies Canada PO Box 160, Port Rowan, ON, N0E 1M0 (519)586-3531 toll-free: 1-888-448-BIRD ************************************************************