Rod Murray

This month, in recognition of International Migratory Bird Day, Mr. Murray's 7th grade class of Mississauga, Ontario visited the one of the largest bird banding stations in the world. Long Point Bird Observatory is located on Long Point, a peninsula that stretches 20 miles out into Lake Erie. It is a welcome sign of land for birds migrating across the lake! Here is their report:

Rod Murray

Long Point Bird Observatory
By Darrell D'Aguilar and Jared Olmsted

The Long Point Bird Observatory is the largest bird observatory in the western hemisphere. There they have been studying birds and their migrations for over thirty years. Banding the birds for easy identification is a long painstaking task, but it is also an essential part of their program.

At the observatory, our class observed some of the many on going projects happening every day. They have been studying the migrations of many birds, for over thirty years. They have banded 350 thousand birds of 245 species, and help run the Ontario rare bird alert, a twenty four hour hotline open to people to report sightings. The breeding of Tree Swallows has been observed and recorded, to check for differences in there breeding habits.

Location
The Long Point Bird Observatory (bsc@nornet.on.ca) is the southernmost point in lake Erie region. It's about a two and a half hour drive (170 km) from our home town of Mississauga. It's just a few minutes from the town St.Williams.

Impression
This field trip was definitely very fun and enjoyable.There was lots to find out and many interesting facts . We would gladly do it again.

Elaina Ricchetti

• Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia)
• Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus)
• Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina)
• Wood Thrush (Hilochila mustelina)
• Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula)

Backus Woods: A "southern" forest in Canada

Carol M. and Ryan A.

• About Backus Woods
• Amphibian Migration of Backus Woods
• Breeding Birds of Backus Woods