BARRIE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT CANCELLED

Dear Nature Barrie Members 

As compiler/organizer of the Barrie Christmas Bird Count (CBC), I was hopeful I could coordinate a modified, "COVID-19 safe" 2020 Barrie CBC. I was preparing a proposal to present to you. However, as the second wave COVID-19 situation has developed recently, I have deliberated and consulted with the Area Leaders and made the difficult decision to cancel the count for 2020. Given the uncertainty of where this province is headed with respect to Covid-19, I cannot ask people to put themselves in a potentially harmful situation or potentially compromise essential services. Birds Canada has indicated missing one year of data will have a "limited impact on the long term scientific and conservation value of the Christmas Bird Count" and the safety and well being of birders and essential services workers come first.

This would have been my tenth year coordinating and compiling the Barrie Christmas Bird Count. While I regret to have had to cancel it, I firmly believe it is the best decision. While we hope 2021, our 50th Annual Barrie CBC, will allow us to continue this great tradition, we would be wise to be prepared for the possibility it may not. "Whatever will be, will be."

However, I have an idea ...

In the spirit of the Barrie CBC, I offer you the following alternative activities you may choose to engage in on the now canceled 2020 Barrie CBC Count Day of December 19th, within the Barrie CBC circle as attached, provided you ensure you can strictly follow all COVID-19 protocols in effect at that time and still carry out the suggested activity. i.e. my first suggestion would likely be safe under any protocol as you are simply looking out the window of your own home at your bird feeders. However, the second suggestion is to go outside and walk around, which may be forbidden on December 19th. Who knows what the situation will be? So, you will need to be fully aware of, and understand the COVID-19 restrictions in effect on December 19th before engaging in the second suggestion.

You may consider using the Birds Canada "Project FeederWatch" protocol, https://feederwatch.org/about/detailed-instructions/, to count the birds at your bird feeders on Count Day and submit your observations checklist using the eBird smartphone App or online data entry and putting "ONBA Barrie Christmas Bird Count Feeder Count" in the Comments field of the checklist. Also include the number of people counting, their names and how much time was actually spent watching birds. The link above gives detailed counting protocol instructions, including practice videos, etc. I would highly recommend you consider joining Project FeederWatch and practice for your CBC Feeder Watch by doing Project FeederWatch. The only difference is that Project FeederWatch requires your counts to be over two consecutive days and you report their data on their project site, whereas the CBC is one day only and reported using eBird. So, December 19th could be one of your two days of a FeederWatch and you could "kill two birds with one stone". Sorry, bad aphorism for birding! Seriously, you would need to make day one the Count Day and submit that data using eBird and then continue recording the next day for Project FeederWatch.

If you wish, you might consider using the eBird App on your smartphone and going out on Count Day on foot in your neighbourhood, strictly observing all COVID-19 restrictions and safety protocols. As for the CBC Feeder Watch above, just be sure to enter the number of people and the names of those participating from your household group and use the App to track your distance and include ONBA Barrie Christmas Bird Count in the Comments section of the checklist. Here is a link (go to the "" section) with other links in it to help guide you in using the eBird smartphone App as a CBC recording and reporting tool... https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001059718-ebird-policies-for-special-birding-circumstances#anchoreBirdCBC You may also just keep notes of your observations and effort data and submit them using the online eBird checklist portal, but be sure to follow the guidelines in the link above.

Please note these activities are not Nature Barrie events, but are only suggestions of how you may be able to safely provide Citizen Science data that will replace some of the missing canceled Barrie Christmas Bird Count data. The idea is to enjoy Nature safely during the pandemic while strictly observing the government restrictions and guidelines which apply.

I wish you all enduring safety, health, joy and happiness.

Yours in Nature,

Chris Evans, Barrie Christmas Bird Count Compiler/Coordinator

Ontario's Third Breeding Bird Atlas

Calling all Simcoe County and area Birders!

Ontario’s third Breeding Bird Atlas is set to kick off in the spring of 2021, and we’re looking for birders to make this the most successful effort yet.

The atlas is a five year project intended to document the presence and distribution of all the birds that breed in the province, and to provide data on their relative abundance. Previous atlases were undertaken from 1981 to 85, and 2001 to 2005. Ontario is one of the first jurisdictions anywhere to begin its third atlas, providing valuable information on population and distribution trends over time.

Data is collected by citizen scientists (volunteers like you and me) in the field. The entire province is divided into 10km x 10km squares. The goal is to achieve a MINIMUM of 20 hours of birding effort in every square, recording the birds observed during the breeding season, and documenting evidence of breeding (nest-building, courtship display, feeding young, etc). In addition, volunteers are asked to complete 25 point counts where all the birds seen and heard at specified points in the square are recorded.

I’m the regional coordinator for the Simcoe County atlas region. To assure coverage, I am assigning a birder to each square in the region. This person will ensure that the minimum effort is met in that square. It doesn’t mean others can’t submit records for the square, and it doesn’t mean that the person assigned a square can’t do atlassing elsewhere. 20 hours spread over 5 years is not a huge effort. It could be completed with one visit every year, although the more time spent in the square the better. Personally I find it’s a great way to give you incentive to get out there, sharpen your birding skills, and discover lovely new birdy spots in your square.

Ideally I’d like the birders I recruit to “adopt” a square to be experienced. By that I mean be familiar with most of the birds likely to breed in the region, and be proficient with at least the more common bird songs likely to be encountered. If you are a more novice birder, or unsure of your skills, there will still be lots of opportunity to participate and to sharpen your skills.

More information including detailed protocols and data collection software is available at the atlas’ website at https://www.birdscanada.org/birdmon/onatlas/main.jsp  

Most importantly, register at https://www.birdscanada.org/birdmon/onatlas/register.jsp

If you think this is for you, contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. If you have a square you would particularly like to adopt or a general region of interest let me know; I will try to accommodate. Remember though, if your favourite birding spot is in a square assigned to someone else, you are still more than welcome to provide data. This really is a fun project for those of you who, like me, love to get out in nature and have an interest in birds. Good birding! Ian Cook

Lyme Disease in Ontario

Brochure author John Scott and his wife Catherine (Kit), have been researching Lyme and ticks since 1990.  For more information on Lyme Disease in Ontario, click this link.