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conservation, are stressing birds through capture, tag This is a multipart message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001C_01D5E248.70962B30 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Yes, I would see a new protocol with human listeners using recording = devices as a tool to enhance their surveys. =20 From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca On Behalf Of Randy Lauff Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 15:50 To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Great Horned Owl =20 I could see Audiomoths being used concurrently with the Nocturnal Owl = Survey for a few years, just to correlate the two protocols, then = converting over entirely to the Audiomoth protocol. =20 Randy _________________________________ RF Lauff Way in the boonies of Antigonish County, NS. =20 =20 On Wed, 12 Feb 2020 at 14:37, John Kearney <j.f.kearney@gmail.com = <mailto:j.f.kearney@gmail.com> > wrote: Hi Bev, Nancy, Randy and all, I would be most happy to share my knowledge about using AudioMoths; = set-up, deployment in the field, and programs for listening to and = annotating recordings. An essential component of the Listening Together = project is to reach out to community organizations such as yours so I = would be glad to come and meet with your group to discuss how = bioacoustics might be useful to the group now and in the future. The = Listening Together project area includes most of the Valley and the = South Shore up to about Bridgewater. There are many views about the use of playback during the breeding = season (and during migration as well). It is strictly prohibited, = including pishing, in the North American Breeding Bird Survey, while it = is an integral component of other survey methods such as nocturnal owl = monitoring routes. My purpose is to offer another alternative, one that, = in the long-term, will provide more in-depth and reliable results. We = haven't yet developed a survey protocol for owls using AudioMoths, but = it would be fun to work on one.=20 John -----Original Message----- From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca = <mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> On Behalf Of Bev Wigney Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 10:08 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>=20 Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Great Horned Owl Hi John, That sounds like an interesting project. I just bought an AudioMoth = unit to try out and was thinking of buying a couple more. I bought this = one to put in forests to determine which birds are nesting in an area. = I'll be interested in hearing more about how you will be putting your = units to work. Agree -- I think community listening projects could be quite useful. Our local facebook group has a few hundred members in the Annapolis = Royal area and many are very interested in nature. I'm quite sure we = could get something going for listening for owls as many people are = already doing so at their farms and rural residences. I look forward to hearing more about how you'll be putting the AudioMoth = units to use in your area. Bev On 2/12/20, John Kearney <j.f.kearney@gmail.com = <mailto:j.f.kearney@gmail.com> > wrote: > Hi Donna and all, > > This kind of census has a great appeal to me. I don't participate in=20 > the nocturnal owl studies sponsored by Birds Canada since I don't=20 > agree with disturbing and agitating breeding birds that may result=20 > from the requirement to broadcast recordings of owl calls. So many=20 > studies of birds, in the name of conservation, are stressing birds=20 > through capture, tagging, and playback. > Studies are beginning to show that stress during the breeding season=20 > from human-generated sources can affect not only breeding success but=20 > long-term physiological health. > > A new project, called Listening Together, in Southwest Nova Scotia, is = > developing a survey method that people could use to replace the Birds=20 > Canada survey method. This method involves the placement of=20 > inexpensive but programmable recording devices along an owl survey=20 > route. This method enables the survey participant to listen on a more=20 > frequent basis for the presence of owls on the route without=20 > disturbing the owls. The project is also working on methods to detect=20 > the presence of owl calls in the recording automatically and even=20 > identify the species. These more advanced features will take more time = > to develop but I'm hoping to have automatic identifiers for a few=20 > species-at-risk, Canada Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Rusty=20 > Blackbird, in the next few months. These identifiers will be useful=20 > for confirming the breeding presence of these species-at-risk in=20 > woodlands. I hope to have recording devices, called AudioMoths,=20 > available to borrow by conservation groups by early April.=20 > Unfortunately, the coronavirus may delay the arrival of my order since = > China produces the circuit boards. Listening Together is funded by=20 > Environment and Climate Change Canada, Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry, = > and a group of university and NGO partners in Southwest Nova Scotia.=20 > Please contact me if you would like to know more about it. > > John > > j.f.kearney@gmail.com <mailto:j.f.kearney@gmail.com>=20 > > > > From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca = <mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> On Behalf Of Donna Crossland > Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 20:58 > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>=20 > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Great Horned Owl > > > > It would be fun to form some sort of auditory census for Great-horned=20 > owl nesting pairs right about now. It's interesting to learn of just=20 > where they are nesting and whether they are increasing/decreasing. =20 > The nocturnal owl survey takes care of this to some extent, but it=20 > would be interesting to learn more of their whereabouts, particularly=20 > close to towns, etc. > > > > Here's hoping that this 2nd apparently 'open winter' (I know that=20 > March can still surprise us) does not negatively affect Barred owl = populations. > Bernard Forsythe's report of last year's uncommonly low (nonexist