[Ontbirds]OFO News

[Jim Heslop]

The February issue of OFO News, newsletter of the Ontario Field 
Ornithologists, will be mailed
today, Friday 29 February, to members who have paid for 2008. Here are the 
highlights of this 16
page colour issue:

 ARTICLES
 1. Waxwings and Winter Finches: Chris Earley reports from the University of 
Guelph Arboretum,
relating Ron Pittaway's winter finch forecast to the birds found on campus 
this winter.

 2. A Tribute to Jean Iron and Ron Pittaway, OFO News Editors 1994 - 2007: 
Ron Tozer gives an
account of the extraordinary body of work that Ron and Jean amassed both as 
editors of, and
contributors to the OFO News, making it so much more than a newsletter. He 
expresses the
gratitude of OFO members and indeed that of the entire Ontario birding 
community.

 3. The Endangered Species Act, 2007: Rob Maciver outlines this
new provincial legislation and how it will aid in the protection
of Ontario's endangered birds and species at risk. He compares it
with the original Endangered Species Act as well as federal legislation and 
a listing of the species
that have been assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered 
Wildlife in Canada.

 4. The 2008 OFO Annual Convention: This preliminary notice introduces the 
OFO Annual
Convention Committee,  slated keynote speaker, recipient of the 2008 
Distinguished
Ornithologist Award and a few of the functions planned for 4 and 5 October 
2008 in Hamilton.

 5. 2007, A Remarkable Year for Northern Saw-whet Owl Migration:
Dave Okines recounts the history of the fall migration program at Prince 
Edward Point Bird
Observatory up to and including the successful 2007 season.

 6. Samsung YP-K5 4GB MP3 Player: Bob Stamp assesses this miniature birding 
tool in
airplanes, in the field, at home and abroad.

 7. Book Reviews: Ross D. James critically listens to and reviews Bird Songs 
from Around the
World 2007 by Les Beletsky. Geoff Carpentier appraises the latest 
installment of Handbook of the
Birds of the World, that being Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees 
2007 as Edited by
Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and David Christie.

 8. Juvenile Caspian Terns from Presqu'ile Provincial Park observed at 
Hamlin Beach State
Park, New York:  Chip Weseloh has hopes of gaining insight into the 
post-breeding dispersal
of juvenile Caspian Terns around Lake Ontario with help from birders from 
both sides of the lake.

 9. The Deserted Cabin on Duck Island: Jean Johnson takes us on an excursion 
into Georgian Bay.

NOTES
 1. A Message from the OFO President: John Black introduces himself and 
challenges OFO
members to expose more young people to birding.

 2. Carden Alvar Point Counts: Register with Don Barnett to help with the 
fourth annual
bird point counts of the Carden Alvar project.

 3. OBRC Notes: Margaret Bain, Chair, reports on recent activities of the 
rarities committee. The
OBRC requests observers who submit photos also to provide written details, 
which greatly
enhance the value of records.

 4. Report Colour-banded Colonial Waterbirds to Chip Weseloh.

 5. Baillie Birdathon: Record results for 2007 and OFO Celebrity Birders are 
unveiled.

 6. Birds of Hamilton and Surrounding Areas: the limited second edition is 
now available.

 7. Upcoming OFO Field Trips are listed.

 8. Ontario Winter Bird List: Mark Cranford and Todd Pepper have added 
Ontario winter
bird sightings to a web-based Canada-wide compilation.

 ENCLOSURES
 1. Ontario Bird Checklist 2008: Please note that a free copy of the newly 
revised 2008 checklist is
enclosed with this mailing.

 2. OFO's Celebrity Birders 2008: Pete and Rob Read, and Ian and Gavin 
Platt, two father/son
teams are OFO's Celebrity Birders in this year's Baillie Birdathon. A pledge 
form is enclosed with
this issue.

OFO Membership is $25 yearly in Canada and the United States. Members 
receive three issues of
OFO News and three issues of the journal, Ontario Birds. If you are 
interested in becoming an
OFO member, please email Eleanor Beagan, Membership Secretary, etbeagan at 
sympatico dot ca

This is our first issue as the new editors of OFO News. We thank the 
contributing authors and
photographers for their great range of work as well as Judie Shore for her 
impeccable layout and
design, Members of the OFO Board of Directors and committees for their 
strong support and Jean
Iron and Ron Pittaway for their generous assistance. We wish the retiring 
editors many hours of
fruitful field ornithology.


OFO News Editors
Ontario Field Ornithologists

Jim Heslop: heslop at cogeco dot ca
76 Parker Ave.
Ancaster ON L9G 1A7
905-648-5770

Seabrooke Leckie:  sanderling at sympatico dot ca
Dave Moore: dave.moore at ec dot gc dot ca
Christine Vance: ccvance at gmail dot com

www dot ofo dot ca