News archives   November 24 - Volunteer Support Application deadline December 1st Atlassers are reminded to get their Atlas volunteer expenses in to the BSC Delta office before December 1st in order to receive a 2009 donation tax-receipt. You are eligible for a tax receipt for the atlas expenses you incur while surveying. Here's how it works: 1) Find the Volunteer Support Application form here: http://www.birdatlas.bc.ca/download/2009TaxrlfBC.pdf. 2) Fill in your information and the distance travelled and total mileage cost (no gas purchase receipts, please). 3) Add other expenses (e.g., food, accommodation) and submit these receipts with the form. 4) Add any additional donation you would like to make to Bird Studies Canada on top of your expenses. 5) Total the donation, and 6) Mail in the form to BSC – Delta office along with a personal cheque equal to (or greater than) the total on the form. We will send you back a cheque to reimburse your expenses (minus any additional donations) AND a tax-receipt for your donation of the same amount that may be used for your personal tax purposes. Deposit your reimbursement cheque soon after you receive it. BSC will delay depositing your personal cheque for a few weeks so you have time to get your reimbursement cheque into your bank account.    Please do not include receipts for gas purchases and other related automobile expenses, as they are included as part of the mileage investment. Your total donation (personal cheque) should be equal to, and preferably greater than, the amount of your documented expenses. October 19 - Newsletter now online The autumn newsletter is now ready and available online. It's full of stories from the summer and tips and new tools available to atlassers. If you are still having a hard time getting data in, see the step-by-step instructions on "getting started." Some great new tools and tips are available for completing point counts and even a quiz to test some atlassing knowledge.    And please keep those records coming in. The second year was spectacular and we've amassed a great amount of data - we've quadrupled the number of point count records and have over 120,000 records! Thanks for your support this year! Check out the bird maps www.birdatlas.bc.ca/bcdata/maps.jsp to see where you could fill in a few species. August 4 - 2009 has been a great year The atlas records this year are rolling in every day. We have over 60,000 records so far this year already surpassing last years total. If last year is any example, we can expect thousands more records to be added in the next few months. There are breeding records for 282 species of which 232 are confirmed breeders. Point counters have been hard at it with 229 species recorded. Many squares in the southern end of the province have been completed and records are beginning to come in from more remote areas. If you have a field notebook with records of birds you saw or heard, we might be able use the data in the atlas. Drop us a note. Tell us about your stories and adventures birding the province. And thanks again to all the birders, funders and supporters. July 2  - Dendroica: an aid to learning Canadian bird songs now online "Dendroica: an aid to learning Canadian bird songs" is now online. This newly updated, web-based version was developed by the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada to help those participating in Canadian bird survey programs to enhance their bird identification skills. You can study different bird species using photographs and songs and you can limit the species you study by province, Bird Conservation Region, taxonomy or song type. There's also a quiz module to test yourself. A great new feature of the online version is that you can now create and manage your own bird lists. Still feel you are not ready to complete point counts? Polish-up your ID over the summer and winter and give it a try next season! As of now, all those participating in the BC Atlas should have received login and password information by email. If you have misplaced/ never received this information by email, head to the new Dendroica site at www.natureinstruct.org. Click on the "forgotten your password" link, then enter your email and your ID and password will be sent via email. If you still haven't received this information, please contact the Atlas office. As well, the creators are still looking for additional western recordings of sounds and photos of plumages, not currently represented. If you would like to contribute recordings or photos, please contact Charles Francis charles.francis@ec.gc.ca. June 4  - BC Bird Atlas on the road Join us if you can as we tour the Province. Christopher Di Corrado will tour Dease Lake and Telegraph Creek area June 8-14, and will join Regional Coordinator Pam Sinclair in Whitehorse to give an Atlas talk at the library June 14 at 7pm, and again at Northern Lights College in Atlin June 15. He will be atlassing the region until June 19. Dick Cannings is the guest speaker at the 27th annual Manning Park Bird Blitz (www.manningpark.com/summer.birding.html) on the evening of June 12, and will be on hand with Regional Coordinator Alan Burger to provide an Atlas flavour to the bird blitz which takes place June 13-14. Rob Butler will be atlassing the Bute Inlet area with Regional Coordinator Art Martell June 7-14, and in Port Alberni with Regional Coordinator Sandy McRuer and Pacific Rim through mid-June. He is the guest speaker at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society AGM at Mountain Equipment Coop on June 26. Rob will be traveling up the coast and to Haida Gwaii in late June. Pete Davidson will give a talk on the atlas on June 27 at the BCFO Conference at the Ski Hill Lodge in Clearwater. Point counting will take place in Wells Gray Park 25-6 June and 29 June-1 July with Dick Cannings and Regional Coordinator Rick Howie on hand to provide support. Non-members are welcome to join BCFO at the conference and the pre- and post-conference atlassing is open to all. Please contact Jude Grass at judegrass(at)shaw.ca if you are interested in joining the atlassing portion(s) of the event. May 29 - Remote Atlas Travel Funding Extension We have removed the funding deadline for support to atlassers. See May 14 News for details on how to apply. Applications will be accepted until we run out of funding.   May 22 - Remote atlassing and tax-receiptable donations The difficult economic times have slowed our plans a little for this year. Nevertheless, there is a small amount to defray travel that you can apply for using a quick and simple process on line (see May 14 message on how to apply). You can also help by making a tax-deductible donation, no matter how small, to build the fund for remote atlassing. Click on the DONATE button (right) and follow the instructions. The site is secure, or you can send a cheque to Bird Studies Canada, with BC Breeding Bird Atlas in the memo line.    Also, note that expenses you incur are eligible for a tax receipt if you make a donation to BSC in the same amount (or more). Record the mileage you cover in your vehicle and keep receipts for other expenses (e.g. food, accommodation), for submission on the Volunteer Support Application form, along with a cheque for a tax receiptable donation. Please do not include receipts for gas purchases and other related automobile expenses, as they are included as part of the mileage investment. After the survey, fill in this form and return it, along with a personal cheque, made out to Bird Studies Canada. Your total donation should be equal to, and preferably greater than, the amount of your documented expenses. We will then send you a tax receipt for your donation, and a cheque for the total amount of your documented expenses. May 22 - Sunshine Coast Bioblitz Join Christopher Di Corrado and other nature enthusiasts in Madeira Park and the Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre for the Sunshine Coast Bioblitz, May 23 & 24th. Come and count everything that flies, crawls, swims, or grows, and of course join the search for breeding birds for the BC Atlas! Christopher will be available all weekend to provide atlassing tips and answer questions and will give a short presentation at 6:30 in the community centre Saturday. http://www.lagoonsociety.com/bioblitz-schedule.php May 22 - Columbia Mountain Institute - Conserving Wetlands in B.C. Conference Join Pete Davidson and Christopher in Revelstoke, May 27 - 30th, where we will meet with regional coordinator John Woods and atlassers to blitz a few local squares. Pete will present on May 27, 2009 7:30 p.m. in the MacPherson Room, Revelstoke Community Centre, 600 Campbell Avenue.  May 14 - Remote Atlassing Travel Funding Available Applications for grants to defray travel cost associated with remote atlassing are being accepted. Go to the atlas home page (birdatlas.bc.ca) and click on "Atlasser Travel Grant 2009" (Conveniently located under "Donate to the Atlas"). The grant is to help cover mileage to remote and under-surveyed areas.    While individuals of all skill levels are invited to apply, funding preference will be given to skilled, local teams of atlassers who can complete point counts and 20 hours per square in multiple squares, and/or in areas that would not normally be covered by local atlassers. Please submit applications by May 24th, by email (preferably), fax, or mail. Late submissions will be considered if funds are still available. April 22. Birdathon by Bike This year, the Bird Atlas Office team will once again be doing our Birdathon from the bike saddle. We will be scouring the Fraser Delta-Boundary Bay Important Bird Area on our bikes to record as many species as we can during a single day around mid-May, trying to better the 118 species that we tallied last year. This year, our proceeds will go directly to the BC Breeding Bird Atlas project. The Atlas requires a very significant annual fund-raising effort to run and this year the money raised during the Birdathon can be directed to the Atlas. Your support is even more valuable now than ever before. If you don’t already support another project or group, please consider sponsoring our effort this year, either at www.bsc-eoc.org/support/birdathon/index.jsp?targetpg=donate&lang=EN - just choose a name: Peter Davidson, Christopher Di Corrado, or Rob Butler on the list, OR contact toll-free on 1-877-592-8527, or e-mail bcbirdatlas@bsc-eoc.org. For all those who sponsor us, we’ll be sending you a bird-by-bird account of the big day experience. And if you’d like to take part yourself, and raise money for a conservation project of your choosing – I’d recommend the Atlas!  – go to our secure website to register online, or contact BSC at birdathon@bsc-eoc.org. 17 April - Thank you for your support Last year was a great success thanks to you. The project achieved more results than anticipated and for that we are very grateful. You will be pleased to hear that the collaborative approach is being hailed as a way of doing conservation in the future. Many of you told us about the fun you had and shared your plans for this coming year. Thanks also to all our funders whose contributions were a major source of fuel for the atlas project. We also received generous donations from atlassers. Any amount of a donation helps with the project. You can donate on line or by sending a cheque to Bird Studies Canada (mention the BC Bird Atlas so it is targeted at the atlas). Donations are tax deductible. 17 April – Spring updates available for the Atlas! The 2009 Spring Atlas Newsletter is ready and posted online at: http://www.birdatlas.bc.ca/english/newsletter.jsp If you requested it in the mail, it will be coming to you soon. (download size: 1MB)    The Addendum to the Atlasser Guide (2 pages) is available online. Most noteworthy change: allowable point-count dates, now May 28th – July 10th.    The updated Atlasser Guide (37 pages) is also available online. Atlasser Kits (guide, forms, etc) for new atlassers will be mailed out shortly, Atlasser Guide and Addendum are available online: http://www.birdatlas.bc.ca/english/pdfkit.jsp    If you need help determining if birds are breeding or in migration, check out the Breeding Dates: http://www.birdatlas.bc.ca/download/brdates.pdf This is a general guide for BC, and some species are split into Coastal or Interior dates. Breeding Dates will vary in your region, so ask you RC if you have questions about specific birds, as they will the best idea of regional dates. 17 April - Vancouver Avian Research Centre - Bird Identification and Bird Banding Workshops The VARC (www.birdvancouver.com) is a volunteer organization dedicated to ornithological research, education and conservation operated entirely by volunteers and lead by Master Bander and Bander-in-charge Derek Matthews.    A Bird Identification Workshop has been developed for birders who wish to take their bird knowledge and identification skills to the next level - especially important for the accuracy of census data for programs such as the Breeding Bird Atlas.    Although designed for beginner and intermediate birders the ornithological aspects of the course benefit even advanced and expert birders and the workshops are receiving high praise from all levels of birders who have participated: "A solid 10! Very comprehensive, beyond expectations – I am convinced that every birder should take this course to be a better birder!!" John Vooys – Atlas Regional Coordinator. For full workshop details please go to: http://www.birdvancouver.com/workshops.html 17 April - Eagle Nest on the Internet Speaking of breeding birds, you can watch Bald Eagles with three chicks live on the internet. Go to www.hancockwildlifechannel.org and click on the Sidney nest cam. Thousands of people have watched the eagles tending their young. The nest is located on the Saanich Peninsula near the town of Sidney, north of Victoria on Vancouver Island. 16 April - Nesting Season is Here Birds are getting ready for the new season. Are you ready? For last year's participants, it is time to get familiar with the online data entry once again. For new participants, please register and you will received your login information that will allow you to access the online data entry page. If you have not yet registered, you can do it using this page. You can call us on the toll free number if you need assistance in registering or to learn how to use the web site. We can also help enter data. Happy birding everyone! 10 February - Extension to 2008 Data Entry Deadline Due to a number of requests, the deadline for entering online Breeding Evidence Forms for 2008 has been extended to Tuesday, February 17th, 2009. After this date, you will NOT be able to enter/modify data for 2008 using Online Breeding Evidence forms. However, after this date you may still enter 2008 data using the following: Casual Form, Rare/Colonial Form, or by mailing in a paper-copy of the Breeding Evidence Form. Of course, you may start using any form to enter new 2009 data! (owls, Anna's hummingbird, Gray Jay, crossbills). Thank-you to everyone who has already entered data and your recent surge of effort ahead of the deadline. Happy Atlassing in 2009 8 January - Online data entry for 2008 closing on 31st January 2009 This is a reminder to please have 2008 Atlas data entered online before the 31st of January. Until this date, you may enter 2008 data and review and modify if you find errors or need to change information. Starting in February 2009, you may still submit data by completing a breeding evidence paper form and sending it to the Atlas office. You may only enter data online for casual observations and rare/colonial species. You will not be able the make changes to your data after January 31st. Need help getting started with data entry? Click here, contact your local Regional Coordinator, or call us (1-877-592-8527) and we'd be happy to walk you through the process. Even if you have only a few records from 2008, or a bird list from a vacation trip, you could be holding onto valuable information. We especially need records from remote or rural areas where there are often less birders. And when it's July and you realise you haven't entered 2008 data, give us a call - we can help! 17 December - Gift of the Season The Breeding Bird Atlas team would like to celebrate the season with a gift for the holidays from Andrew Couturier. The species maps are now on line from the 43,000 records you provided us from 2008. They reveal all the great atlassing fun we had in 2008 and places we need to get to in 2009. You can look at the distributions (so far) of your favourite species on maps for the north, south and entire province. The maps also give a taste of what we hope to achieve over the next few years. From all of us, we extend our thanks for your help and we look forward to more great birding in 2009. To view the maps select the Bird Maps link under the Data and Maps menu item in the banner above, or click here.   10 December - Raptor identification with renowned expert Bill Clark Renowned raptor expert, Bill Clark will be holding a two day workshop on raptor identification 9-11 January 2009 at the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary Museum in Delta. Bill is a leading authority on raptor identifications and the co-author of Hawks of North America and Photographic Guide to North American Raptors. The workshop cost is $150 and limited to 25 individuals. Contact Jude Grass for details at 604-538-8774. 12 November - Atlas Newsletter Now Available On Line Read all the latest exciting news in the autumn BC Breeding Bird Atlas Newsletter by clicking here. Hard copies of the newlsetter are also available and will be mailed to those who requested it. Thanks to everyone who sent us information. 6 November - NatureCounts: A New Website on Canadian Birds In recent years much effort has gone into bringing together large amounts of data, and collaborating with partners on the development of analysis and visualization tools to make sense of it all. To this end, Bird Studies Canada (BSC) is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new web tool at www.naturecounts.ca.    NatureCounts enables data from all information sources to be deposited and stored in a single database. Now you can browse eBird checklist or BC Coastal Waterbird Survey submissions; Project FeederWatch results; Ontario and Maritimes Atlas data, and very soon, the BC Breeding Bird Atlas data. The BC Atlas already has over 32,000 records and the number will continue to grow over the winter months. The extensive NatureCounts database contains nearly 30 million bird records!    Ultimately, NatureCounts will greatly improve our ability to report on the status of bird populations in Canada by combining data management, analysis, and reporting capabilities in one place for all bird data, using the same standards as our partners. The site brings together many new interactive tools that will help the public, decision makers, and scientists explore, download, and manage bird data. Some features are still in development, and you should expect to see major improvements on the site over the coming months and years. October 31 - Unregistered assistants to be acknowledged Previously, when you tried to add an assistant to your online profile, the system would only allow you to enter the name of an assistant IF he/she was a registered atlasser. This is no longer the case. Many of you asked that your assistants, registered or not, be recognized for their hard work and we want to make sure that everyone who contributes to the project receives the recognition they deserve. To add an assistant, login to the online data entry system and click the “list of assistants” box on the data entry webpage. If your assistant does not wish their name printed in the final atlas publication, you can choose to “keep name private”. Alternatively, you can call or email the Atlas office and we will add your assistant to your list. Unregistered assistants will not receive an atlasser number, data forms or newsletters but, their names will be listed in the final Atlas publication.   September 28 - This is a reminder for those of you that have not entered your data into the BC Breeding Bird Atlas to please do so. We will be preparing maps soon and we need to report on how well the project has progressed. So far you have entered an astounding 28,000 breeding evidence records for over 250 species in 845 squares. I expect our final tally will be much higher. Well done everyone! A newsletter is in the works too. You can enter your data online (preferred) or you can call the Atlas Office in Delta at 1-877-592-8527 if you need assistance. If you used paper Atlas data forms, please send them to your Regional Coordinator. Click on the map to the right for the draft map of Varied Thrush results to whet your appetite for what is coming soon! 12 September 2008: Atlas Nest Record Cards Please note that a new BC Breeding Bird Atlas Nest Record Card has been posted on this website, to replace the previous version, which was incorrectly headed, and had a New Brunswick return address. In our haste to get all the forms out on time this spring, we used templates from the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas, and inadvertently printed a batch based on the Maritimes header and address. We apologize for this error, and for any confusion it has caused, particularly among contributors to the BC Nest Records Scheme. If you have BC Breeding Bird Atlas nest record cards to complete, please either enter the data directly online (preferred!), or use the new form posted on the web and return it to the BC Breeding Bird Atlas Coordination Office, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC, V4K 3N2. Please call (1-877-592-8527) or e-mail (bcbirdatlas@bsc-eoc.org) us if you would like some sent to you. For those of you who are regular contributors of nest cards to the BC Nest Records Scheme, please continue to fill in BC Nest Records Scheme cards and submit them to the BC Nest Records Scheme. 19 August 2008: BC Nature Winter Birding Camp on Boundary Bay Snow geese, waterfowl, eagles, loons, seabirds, owls, hawks and shorebirds! Enjoy the rich winter bird life of the Boundary Bay and Fraser River delta and work on your identification skills on a four day camp led by top birders. This is a unique chance to tour Canada's top Important Bird Area in the company of experts. The camp includes guided birding to all the hot spots of the delta, including Boundary Bay Regional Park and dykes, Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Westham Island, Brunswick Point and Roberts Bank, Blackie Spit, Iona Regional Park, and Point Roberts, WA, as well as evening talks, workshops and social time. The inclusive registration fee includes accommodation at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn, all meals, expert-led trips, and evening events (car-pooling costs, alcoholic beverages are extra). An optional extra is an open boat trip in Boundary Bay, led by Rob Butler.    When: November 6 – 9, 2008, Where: Based at Coast Tsawwassen Inn, South Delta Who: All inclusive camp for BC Nature members* (non-members pay $20 extra to cover cost of membership). Registration limited to 24 participants.    Cost $450 per person, based on two-person shared room (additional charge for single room). Optional boat trip in Boundary Bay to see seabirds and marine mammals, led by Rob Butler, additional $25. Please contact Anne Murray for more information. REGISTRATION: Wednesday September 24 2008, (8.00 am onwards), call Anne Murray at 604 943 4460 or email sanderling@uniserve.com. Register promptly to avoid disappointment. * non-members pay $20 extra to cover cost of membership 19 August 2008:As the summer fades away and migrants move south, you might want to get started with online-data entry. See the online "Birders Guide to the Atlas" under: Resources - Instructions - Getting started, or click here. This guide is a condensed-picture guide that provides step-by-step instructions and images on the first steps after signing in and adding data to your square. You will see that data entry online isn't that hard! Try it now and call the Atlas office if you need help or Atlasser number and password. 30 July 2008: The first season is wrapping up and we are preparing the first newsletter for all the participants. Let us know if you have any issues you'd particularly like us to address. We are seeking contributions too. Please keep sending your stories, photos and comments. 25 June 2008: The BC Atlas is part of a family of atlas projects in Canada that collectively improve our understanding of bird distribution and abundance across the country. The recently released Ontario Atlas continues to generate strong praise from several reviewers, including BC Atlas patron Robert Bateman. To read reviews, view sample species accounts from the book, and get an idea of what is in store for the BC Atlas, please select this link. 24 June 2008: Christopher Di Corrado will be atlassing in Smithers followed by a wrap up. On June 25, Christopher will be atlassing in Terrace with a wrap up to be held in the library. Contact Diane Weismiller for details. 20 June 2008: Christopher DiCorrado of Bird Studies Canada will be giving a series of presentations on the BC Breeding Bird Atlas (BCBBA) in the central interior starting this coming weekend: Friday, June 20 - Seminar at University of Northern BC, 6:30 to 9:00pm, Room 7-150 Theatre Agora. Saturday, June 21 - Morning: birding in the Prince George area; Evening: data summary and data entry meeting. Sunday, June 22 - Atlassing in Region 29, McBride area with Elsie Stanley (brief morning explanation of breeding evidence and off we go!) Monday, June 23 - Fort St James Tuesday, June 24 - Burns Lake then return to Vancouver Christopher will be coordinating the Fort St James and Burns Lake visits with the respective BCBBA Regional Coordinators. The presentations will describe the various BBA protocols and input methods while the field trips will allow us to put theory into practice. Contact Fraser Corbould for details. 19 June 2008: The British Columbia Waterfowl Society and Vancouver Foundation have generously offered financial support to the Atlas. 9 June 2008: SQUARE MAPS are now available for download! These maps will show you the square boundaries and help you determine different habitats available to survey. Satellite images show the landscape and contain roads, streams, clearcuts, and other useful land features to help you navigate in the square. To download the maps, you can go to this page, or if you want to see a map of the province showing all the regions, you can also use this this page. 18 April 2008: Regional maps are now available for download! Those maps will help you find which squares are available in your area and find out your square numbers. To download the maps, you can go to this page, or if you want to see a map of the province showing all the regions, you can also use this page. 14 April 2008: Online data entry is now available for all participants! If you are already registered, you should have received your login information that will allow you to access the online data entry page. If you have not yet registered, you can do it using this page. 10 April 2008: The BC Breeding Bird Atlas Guide for Atlassers is now available! Printed copies will be distributed to all registered atlassers soon, but in the meantime you can access it in PDF format from this page. 15 March 2008: A standing room only crowd attended the launch in Tswawwassen of the BC Breeding Bird Atlas on March 15. Some of BC's top birders, our supporters, partners and friends joined in an evening of talks, giveaways, and fun. The BC Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service announced their support for the project. During the weekend, Regional Coordinators from around the province gathered to learn the on-line tools for atlassers and to share experiences. The Coordination Office gratefully acknowledges the widespread support from the volunteer birders and Regional Coordinators, our supporters, partners, steering and technical committees, and individuals who have given their time to the Atlas Project. 12 February 2008: Join some of BCs best birders for a fun evening at 7pm on March 15th at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn in Delta. The evening will include talks by Pete Davidson from Bird Studies Canada, renowned naturalist and author Dick Cannings and scientist and atlas coordinator, Dr. Rob Butler as well as prize draws and giveaways. Scientist and atlas web guru Dr. Denis Lepage from Bird Studies Canada head office and the Atlas Regional Coordinators will be on hand for you to meet and help answer questions about the project. To learn more and RSVP click here. 17 January 2008: The new BC atlas web site is launched! We encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. See the story by Larry Pynn in the Vancouver Sun newspaper. Please note that the web site in still under development, so stay tuned for regular improvements over the coming months. 20 November 2007: The Canadian Intermountain Joint Venture (CIJV) Management Board recognises that the Atlas will provide a critical foundation to bird conservation in British Columbia, and unanimously endorsed the project at their Board Meeting on 20 November 2007 20 November 2007: State of Birds. A 2007 study by the National Audubon Society reported widespread declines among some North American birds. Read the report. Also visit the North American Breeding Bird Survey

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