[NatureNS] Great Horned Owl

From: "John and Nhung" <nhungjohn@eastlink.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2020 11:39:40 -0400
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&gt;&gt;&gt; species-at-risk, Canada Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, 
Bev, I'm sure the process was frustrating, but you started something.  The example you and the gang set last year on the Dalhousie-Corbett lands has led me to preach the gospel of collaboration between DLF, industry, and citizen scientists.  

The reaction I received from a few (but major) folks in both DLF and industry has been positive, although the need for a little training for the citizen scientists has been brought up.  (I'll grant that the nature of the training may bear discussion and that some of the technical folks may need encouragement in a more holistic direction!  Splitting hairs over what constitutes old growth is a case in point.)

You started something good and important and the rest of us need to encourage that momentum.  Don’t stop!

-----Original Message-----
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Bev Wigney
Sent: February 13, 2020 9:35 AM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Great Horned Owl

Hi David and all,

They probably *could*, but do you realize how difficult it is to have
any kind of logging suspended in a forest due to the confirmed
presence of nesting migratory birds - even Species at Risk -- even
though the Migratory Birds Covention Act exists?

A group of us went through all of this at Corbett-Dalhousie Lake last
spring with several expert birders having visited and listened and
observed birds (including Scott Leslie & Cindy Staicer, just to name a
couple of the MANY).  Scott even photographed a Magnolia Warbler on
its nest.  Chimney Swifts were repeatedly seen over the huge partly
hollow Yellow Birch by as many as a group of 50 people at one point.
Bob Bancroft and I both saw a Broad-winged Hawk there -- and I saw it
again a couple of times in the same spot.  Little Brown Bats were
recorded over the forest with Scott Leslie's bat detection audio
equipment.  Even with all of that, there was such incredible
resistance.  *Finally* the logging was suspended due to the presence
of the Chimney Swifts, but only over a huge amount of outcry from the
many, many naturalists and citizens who saw them there every time we
went out to the forest -- but in all likelihood, due to the media
coverage from reporters who visited the woods.  If photographs of
birds on nests, and the listening reports of expert birders cannot
force logging out of a very "bird dense" forest -- I don't really know
what will.

I purchsed an AudioMoth and was about to order 2 or 3 more -- paid for
personally by me -- to help our local naturalist get sound recordings
to use to prove the presence of nesting migratory birds because they
deserve protection.  Please note, it is not just "species at risk"
that are supposed to be protected, but *all* nesting migratory birds
-- contrary to what *some* in the Dept. of Lands and Forestry were
telling us last year.  We verified this through several letters with
the federal government.  However, they won't do much to "enforce"
these regulations -- they are more into "explaining to industry" and
"advising" them how to avoid disturbing birds.  It's a real problem
because the current modus operandi is just destroying bird habitat
and, no doubt, chopping up nesting birds, nests, eggs and young.
Here's an article from last June -- there were plenty more as it was
constantly in the news in several papers and on radio and TV for
several weeks:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/birds-westfor-logging-bridgetown-1.5167928

bev


On 2/13/20, David Webster <dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
> Hi John & All,
>
>      I am wondering if an array of these AudioMoths could determine the
> sound source  location by triangulation. If so, then this would perhaps
> enable detection of species at risk activity locations so logging could
> be diverted elsewhere during the breeding season.
>
> DW, Kentville
>
> On 2/12/2020 2:26 PM, John Kearney 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.
>> John
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca On Behalf Of Bev Wigney
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 10:08
>> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>> 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> wrote:
>>> Hi Donna and all,
>>>
>>> This kind of census has a great appeal to me. I don't participate in
>>> the nocturnal owl studies sponsored by Birds Canada since I don't
>>> agree with disturbing and agitating breeding birds that may result
>>> from the requirement to broadcast recordings of owl calls. So many
>>> studies of birds, in the name of conservation, are stressing birds
>>> through capture, tagging, and playback.
>>