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>>> 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. >>