Welcome to Call Notes, OFO’s news and events for OFO members and the birding community.
In this issue
Keep Your Membership Up to Date
Members are reminded that most renewals are due in January. Keep an eye on your e-mail inbox over the next several weeks, so you don’t get behind!
Emergency Contact
We are now asking for members to share emergency contact information with us, in case of an emergency during an OFO trip or event. This is in response to an actual emergency that took place at the OFO Convention a few months ago. All ended well, but the process would have been much smoother if the organizers had quick access to one member’s emergency contact information.
You will be prompted to add an emergency contact and their phone number when you renew your membership for 2024. If you do not need to renew this year, you are strongly urged to login and add it to your profile.
Support the Birds-Safe Windows Act, 2023
FLAP needs the support of the birding community. Please ask your MPP to support the Bird-Safe Windows Act, 2023 to incorporate bird-safe design into the Ontario Building Code.
Take two minutes to fill out this form, then personalize your email and send it.
Link: https://forms.gle/rKxmJQfvZtB9xJdv5
OFO News needs your Moments & Milestones for the February Issue
We are still accepting OFO members’ Moments & Milestones for our February issue.
Finally catch up with that elusive bird you have always wanted to see? Reach a milestone on your life list? Welcome an unexpected visitor at your feeder?
New and experienced birders who are members of OFO, please share your special bird moments and milestones, obtained locally, provincially or globally.
E-mail your Moments & Milestones, not to exceed 200 words, to ofonews@ofo.ca. Submissions will be published in OFO News in the order received, subject to light editing and space limitations.
We can’t wait to read your stories!
Niagara Gull Weekend Reminder
As a reminder, the Niagara Gull weekend begins tomorrow.
Saturday December 2 2023:
Explore the Welland Canal, Saturday morning 9:30AM – noon. Bob Highcock from the Peninsula Field Naturalists will be leading a field trip along the Welland Canal. This is a local hotspot which is noted for late migrants and waterbirds.
Space is limited, so registration is required on the OFO Niagara Gull Weekend: Explore Welland Canal
From 1:30 – 3:30, learn about gulls with Justin Peter, who will demystify this challenging group of birds. Location: The Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture, located 2565 Niagara River Pkwy, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 2S7
Watch the legendary fly-by: From 3:45 – 5:30, gather along the Niagara River to observe the legendary fly-by, when thousands of gulls fly to their night resting places on Lake Erie. This awesome spectacle is a great chance to spot a rarity and hone your gull ID skills.
Sunday December 3 2023: Gull Field Trips
On Sunday morning, join one of two gull field trips led by knowledgeable leaders.
Justin Peter, Max Segler and Sarah and Bill Lamond will lead a tour of hotspots along the Niagara River, Session 1 (Niagara River Gull Watch)
Gis Segler, Josh Vandermeulen and Marcie Jacklin will be leading from Dufferin Islands: Session 2 (Dufferin Islands)
We are currently looking for a Lead Editor for OFO News to lead a team of volunteer editors to plan and to produce OFO News three times per year as well as liaise with the graphic designer who prepares the final documentation for publication.
We are looking for a team player who is organized and able to adhere to deadlines. The following skills/experience would be an asset to this position: experience editing a magazine, newsletter or journal, professional journalism, project coordination or management.
The time commitment would be 1-2 hours per week on average and up to 6 hours per week in the two weeks leading up to publication (3 times per year).
If you are interested and feel that you may be a good fit for this position, please contact Lynne Freeman at lynnef.to@gmail.com
Upcoming OFO Member Meetings
Making Audio Recordings of Birds by Rob Porter (Online)
Rob Porter, the creator of the hugely popular Songbirding podcast series, shares some of his expertise with OFO members. If you’ve ever used sound recordings to study birds, or wished to make your own recordings, you won’t want to miss this presentation!
Register here, or join the Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, 06 Dec 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time
Or, click the Zoom link on the night of the event.
Understanding the Language of the Forest by Kristi Dranginis (Online)
Did you know that a particular call of a bird can tell you that a deer is sneaking away from you, that a cougar is nearby or that another person is approaching you on the trail, giving you advance notice and the time you’d need to respond?
Kristi Dranginis, founder of Bird Mentor and author of Identify Any Bird Anywhere, will help you learn the skills of instinctive birding and teach you how to interpret what the language of the forest looks and sounds like.
Register here, or join the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, 3 Jan 2024, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time
OFO Trip Leader Meeting on Best Practices with Jeff Skevington
Attendance at this event (or watching the recorded Youtube video of the event) is required for all trip leaders and anyone who is thinking about leading trips for OFO. The more who attend in person the better though, as we will do some brainstorming about what has worked well and what pitfalls we have found when leading that should be fun and helpful for everyone. A recent medical emergency on a hike has also led us to reassess how we can improve our response and communication.
This is a critical discussion and important for all trip leaders. Don’t worry, you don’t have to take courses or anything. We all just have to be on the same page with respect to communication of emergencies or inappropriate behaviour witnessed on hikes.
Our EDI committee has discussed the latter extensively and has provided some ideas that we can discuss that will help to make our events more accessible and fun for all. 18 Jan 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: TBD
Upcoming Trips and Events for OFO Members
OFO field trips are for OFO members and a guest. Please register on the ofo.ca website under Upcoming Trips and Webinars.
Spaces are still available for some trips. If the trip is full, please register for the waitlist as spots often become free before the trip.
Niagara Gull Weekend: Explore Welland Canal (Saturday Morning): 2 Dec 2023 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM, yellow gate at the end of Seaway Haulage Rd., Port Weller East, St. Catharines, Ontario
Niagara River Gull Watch: 3 Dec 2023 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Queen’s Royal Park (Gazebo) 45 Front Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara River Gull Watch (Session 2): 3 Dec 2023 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Dufferin Island
Colonel Sam Smith Park: 10 Dec 2023 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Colonel Sam Smith parking lot
Colonel Sam Smith Park: 16 Dec 2023 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Colonel Sam Smith parking lot
Trips in January 2024
Leaders for 2024 trips are being confirmed and trips will be opened for registration then. We will send out e-mails to members when trips are opened up.
In the meantime, we are always looking for more trip leaders. Many of our trips now have more than one leader, so if you would like to team up to lead a trip please let us know. Trips can be short excursions or longer events. Trip leaders do not need to be expert birders. If you have a favourite spot for birding and want to share it with others, please get in touch by e-mailing fieldtrips@ofo.ca.
Peterborough Area: 1 Jan 2024 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM, parking lot of Peterborough’s zoo on Water Street.
Tommy Thompson Park: 6 Jan 2024 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Leslie street and Unwin avenue
Winter Birds of the Detroit River, Windsor: 7 Jan 2024 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Lakeview Park Marina in Windsor
OFO Trip Leader Meeting on Best Practices: 18 Jan 2024 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM, TBD
Comments? Questions?
We welcome your comments and feedback! Please contact us at: ofo@ofo.ca.
Good birding,
The OFO Team