Backyard Birding Can
and scientific research. Whether you’re an
expert or have only recently learned to
Keep Your World Natural
tell a blue jay from a great blue heron, you
could contribute observations to databases
which scientists and conservation
And you can help scientists monitor
organizations use to measure the size
and health of bird populations, how
the big picture
those populations change over time, and
how birds respond to changes in the
environment.
By ADAM C. SMITH
Donating a little of your time to one
of these programs, you might observe
Spring is here and the birds are singing. and away from windows, which birds the birds at your feeder, the nest in your
If you are looking to connect solidly with might crash into. The Ottawa Field Nat- backyard, or the loons at the cottage. Bird
the natural world and help to keep it uralists Club has a code of conduct on its Studies Canada www.bsc-eoc.org has
natural at the same time, look no further website www.ofnc.ca/birding.php with information on a whole slew of national
than your backyard. some of the practicalities of those “best and provincial programs.
Birds are way up on the list of natural interests” of birds. One of them is local. The Ottawa
attractions, and providing good habitat – Another “natural” idea is planting trees, Breeding Bird Count www.ottawabirds.ca
food, water and shelter – you can watch shrubs, and flowers that provide both has three separate programs for volunteers
and hear them close at hand. With the food and shelter for birds. Native plant to observe active nests (like the robin or
right feeder and foods, you can attract species produce food that local birds are phoebe nest in your backyard), survey
seed-eating birds like finches, sparrows, best adapted to. It’s not rocket science acreage to measure the effects of
chickadees and cardinals, fruit-eaters like – think about berries. Trees and shrubs construction and development on birds, or
orioles, robins, and other thrushes (which with berries such as black cherry, pin monitor changes in bird populations over
love orange halves spiked to a fence), cherry, choke cherry, staghorn sumac, time.
or sugar-water tubes for nectar-feeding or red osier dogwood provide food for And then there’s bird-banding. A key
hummingbirds. waxwings, cardinals, orioles, and robins. station in Canada’s Migration Monitoring
A birdbath is magnet on hot days. Like Then there are flowers – good to Network is just outside of Ottawa at the
us, birds enjoy bathing and they have to look at for us, food for birds. Bergamot, Innis Point Bird Observatory (homepage.
drink, so set one up, clean it regularly, and fireweed or butterfly weed attract mac.com/ipbo) upstream on the Ottawa
sit back and watch the show. Birdhouses, hummingbirds to their nectar. River. Every bird-bander in the world started
which you can buy or build yourself, can Sunflower, echinacea out as an amateur, and there is no barrier to
attract birds to nest in your backyard (purple cone-flower), or you getting into it.
and you can watch flight school New England aster provide So get outdoors, open your eyes and ears
in action later on. seeds for finches and now that spring is here to the exuberance
However you attract sparrows, and if you leave of birdsong. By providing good habitat
them, it’s import- the dried flower-heads intact in and around the city or volunteering to
ant to have into winter the birds will keep monitor the locals, Ottawans awaken to the
the bird’s coming when they really need richness of birdlife and help make sure that
best them. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring never comes
inter- And ditch the pesticides. to pass.
est at In spring and summer
~ Adam C. Smith is a PhD candidate at Carleton
heart. the most important food
University, the co-ordinator of the Ottawa
Breeding Bird Count, and a bit of a bird nerd.)
Feed- for birds is the insects
ers that live on your plants.
should Let them do the work, ottawaoutdoors tips
have not the chemicals. Insects
decent, provide the extra protein
Did you know
fresh that the birds need to raise
Gatineau Park is an important nature
food (no their young. Drop by the
preserve, measuring 36,131 hectares
mouldy Fletcher Wildlife Garden in the
and anchored to the Capital which
R
liebishop
bread) and Arboretum near Hartwell Locks
is the fourth-largest urban commu-
all feeders, to learn more about landscaping for nity in Canada. It is home to more
t
o-4cha
baths, and houses wildlife www.ofnc.ca/fletcher.php. than 100 endangered plant species,
should be cleaned Observing birds in your backyard
the largest concentration of rare
regularly and be out is rewarding on its own but can also
species in Quebec. www.canadas-
t
ockpho
y
: is
of the reach of cats provide vital information for conservation
capital.gc.ca/.
t
o b
pho
www.ottawaoutdoors.ca OTTAWA magazine summer/fall 2009 41
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50