Congratulations to Geoff Olaveson, winner of the fifth biweekly participation prize! In the fiffth two weeks of the challenge (January 24-February 6) we are up to 147 registrants. Participants submitted 708 checklists across the province from 33 of the 50 census divisions. Despite us getting into the depths of winter, an impressive 130 species were reported including 27 species of waterfowl, nine gulls, ten hawks, seven owls, three thrushes, 10 finches, 10 sparrows, and five blackbirds. Some more unusual species reported were Barrow's Goldeneye, Slaty-backed Gull, Black Vulture, Fish Crow, "Oregon" Dark-eyed Junco, and Golden-crowned Sparrow For total species, Toronto led the way with 78, followed by Chatham-Kent (72), Niagara (34), and Lambton (54). For checklists, Toronto (147) was tops again, followed by Muskoka (50), Ottawa (47), Hamilton (42) and a three-way tie between Niagara, Wellington and Peterborough at 34. People can explore the results by species and county in a Google Sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-3LvIvg9GFDUJx7NVLo1Y4k97CQ0Kfxm/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118187139860984701170&rtpof=true&sd=true The next prize will be drawn on February 21st for the Great Backyard Bird Count followed by the final biweekly prize and the Grand Prize on February 28. To qualify, you must submit at least 10 eligible checklists in the previous 2 weeks. It's not too late to join and qualify for the grand prize at the end of February, too. The challenge is open to everyone, so register if you haven't done so, then submit your observations. Find out more and register at: ofo.ca/events/winter birding challenge. Remember, you do not need to be an OFO member to participate - just record your bird observations, whenever and wherever you are. Lynne -- Lynne Freeman (she/her/hers) lynnef.to@gmail.com "Be bold, be brave, be amazing" Simon de Pury - Work of Art