So sorry this should have been sent last week!

Good work on the quiz last Tuesday night. Here is the list of birds we reviewed Tuesday May 11th and a link to the Dendroica website where you can review what we covered and set up up your own quiz to practice identifying their songs.

Towns, yards

• Mourning Dove

Woodlands

• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Ovenbird
• Wood Thrush

Wetlands

• Yellow Warbler

Fields

• Eastern Bluebird
• American Goldfinch
• Brown Thrasher
• Field Sparrow
• Eastern Meadowlark

Anyone can join in these workshops at anytime. No need to register just join the ZOOM meeting for the next workshop.

Zoom Meeting Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82089345341?pwd=SCtnckM4cjREVjNjSHRMellpT3F1QT09

Meeting ID: 820 8934 5341
Passcode: 585543

Date: Tuesday May 18th
Time: 6:50 to 7:45 p.

So, we are a club of over achievers!

A number of people asked for “Homework” after the first “Introduction to Birding by Ear” workshop. Here is the list of birds we listened to and a link to the Dendroica website where you can review their songs. And, there will be a quiz to start the workshop on Tuesday, May 11th.

Towns, Yards

• American Robin
• Song Sparrow
• Chipping Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal
• European Starling
• Eastern Phoebe
• House Finch

Woodlands

• Purple Finch
• White-throated Sparrow
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Winter Wren
• Black-capped Chickadee

Wetlands

• Red-winged Blackbird

Anyone can join in these workshops at anytime. No need to register just join the ZOOM meeting for the next workshop.

Zoom Meeting Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81871963454?pwd=SVNQM2hkN09qVTdSbnoydEZIZ0tzUT09

Meeting ID: 818 7196 3454
Passcode: 072928

Bird Songs in Your Backyard

If you’re already interested in bird identification and have always wanted to know more about identifying birds by their songs, then this series of 1-hour Zoom calls should provide you with a good introduction to the subject. We will concentrate on the commonest species singing during each week, a few at a time, so nobody is overwhelmed with information. The pace should be slow enough for all of us to have fun while learning.

To register for this event complete this form.

Location: ZOOM
Dates: Five Tuesday evenings May 4, 11, 18, 25 and June 1
Time: 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Leader: Ken Allison

COVID strikes again!

Sad to say the new lockdown announced last week means MVFN will once again have to cancel our Early Morning Bird Walks.

However, spring migration is still underway and everyone is encouraged to go out on these dates and see what you can find around your own place. And, you don’t even have to get out of bed. Just go to sleep with the window open and take note of all the birds you hear singing as the sun comes up.

So join other MVFN members each Wednesday morning in April at 6:30 a.m. for a virtual walk to see who has arrived. Take a few minutes afterwards and log your observations into iNaturalist. If you haven’t already joined our iNaturalist project, you can find directions on the website at  https://mvfn.ca/inaturalist-instructions/.

Wed.  April 7 – your backyard*

Wed.  April 14 – your front yard*

Wed.  April 21 – your porch*

Wed.  April 28 – under the covers*

* no mask required, no need to register.

To see the results for last year, check out this article on the MVFN website. Michel Gauthier and Ken Allison walked the routes to record what they saw and heard in 2020.

This will be a fun, informal opportunity to refresh our memories of many of the local bird vocalizations ahead of the busy field work season for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. We will use the Dendroica app as a source.

These two nights will be targeted at those who already know most of the common bird songs but wish to have a review before heading out to Atlas this spring. If you are just beginning to learn bird songs, you’re still welcome but you might prefer to wait until May for the Bird Songs in your Backyard Zoom series as it will start at a more basic level.

These sessions will be informal and the coverage of species will largely depend on the needs expressed by the participants. So, come prepared with requests for birds or groups of birds that you struggle with.

To register for this event complete this form.

Location: ZOOM
Date: April 6 and 13 , 2021
Time: 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Leader: Ken Allison