The Green Team members are selling raffle tickets for the fabulous quilt to raise money for Le Nichoir. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. The draw will be held on the last day of school (June 22, 2012) and anyone interested in learning more about the Green Team or purchasing a raffle ticket can contact Becky 450 458 9955 or mpshomeandschool@gmail.com.

“We’re thrilled to have these two organizations supporting our project,” says Susan Wylie, the Centre’s Executive Director, who helped to launch a funding drive in January to raise part of the estimated $48,400 building cost. “We hope to have all the money in place this fall.”

The $10,000 donation from LUSH and $3,000 grant from TD Friends of the Environment came after Le Nichoir sent requests to four charitable foundations for their financial support in building the aviary. The Centre has also approached lumber companies for donations of construction material.

Depending on their design, aviaries can play a key role in bird rehabilitation, especially in the case of small insectivorous birds like swallows and swifts. After visiting aviaries at more than a dozen facilities in North America, the Centre chose a hexagon shape for the birds’ new state-of-the-art home.

“The problem with rectangular aviaries is that birds can’t get that circular momentum,” Susan explains. “They perch, go back, perch – they’re not maintaining a constant flight.” In a hexagon-shaped aviary, birds can sustain a longer flight pattern, which better prepares them for migration and survival in the wild.

The proposed new aviary, which forms part of Le Nichoir’s project for a New Centre, will contain six hexagon-shaped aviaries, each 310 sq. ft in size.

“What’s nice about it is each of the aviaries is connected and the partitions can be removed to make them into larger flight cages to accommodate larger birds,” says Susan. “So we’ll have more flexibility to accommodate birds according to their specific needs.”

The aviaries, three on each side, are divided by a corridor that will be used for food preparation and cleaning and will act as a contamination barrier. Each flight cage will also have its own drainage pipe and water tap.

“It’s all to make sure the birds don’t contaminate each other,” Susan says, “because we have received such a large number of birds and species at one time.”

With more than 1,700 birds arriving at Le Nichoir every year, the Centre has faced a challenge providing adequate housing and the best possible conditions for a full rehabilitation in the existing flight cages, built 15 years ago.

While these flight cages will continue to house larger birds primarily, the new aviary will make bird watching easier for visitors young and old, who can tour the Barn throughout the summer season (mid-May to end of August).

“Because of the design, there’s less of a visual barrier for people,” Susan says. “It’ll be easier for us to show the different species of birds currently at Le Nichoir, but the birds will still be able to hide from view if they like.”

As one of the few facilities in Canada that rehabilitate songbirds, including threatened species like the Barn Swallow, Le Nichoir will be breaking new ground with its hexagon-shaped, multi-unit aviary.

“We think that for songbirds, this hasn’t been put in place” elsewhere, says Susan. “So (Le Nichoir) would be one of the first.”

If you’d like to help Le Nichoir reach its goal of building a new aviary, please contact Susan Wylie, Executive Director (450 458 2809 or info@lenichoir.org).

The female Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) had made the nine-hour journey to Le Nichoir last December in the care of the couple who spotted the juvenile bird and looked after it until they were able to make arrangements to travel to Hudson.

After a full examination, Le Nichoir confirmed that the bird had had a fracture of the coracoid (part of the scapula), sustained from a dog attack. The fracture was calcified, so the bird had complete mobility in its wing and was able to fly extremely well.

Le Nichoir’s main task was to make sure the Crossbill was in the right condition for release and not habituated to humans. Habituation can occur when wild animals spend time in a domesticated environment and stop seeing humans as predators. Usually, habituated birds cannot survive in the wild or integrate with birds of their own species when released.

To overcome this concern, the Centre placed the bird in a cage surrounded by mirrors, so the Crossbill would think she was in the company of conspecifics. This particular bird loved seeing her reflection and would spend hours chirping to herself! The cage was also garnished with natural cut branches that the Crossbill would shred in minutes.

With the help of Chris Clouthier from the Morgan Arboretum, a forested reserve at McGill University in Montreal, Le Nichoir provided the Crossbill with a variety of coniferous cones from trees such as white cedar, white pine, and different species of spruce. The bird devoured them all, says the volunteer who took care of her daily.

“The Crossbill would get very excited when she was given fresh new cones,” says Rita Reynolds, of Saint-Lazare, Que. “She immediately knew which ones were new additions and busied herself with inspecting them all and choosing which ones she would have for breakfast.”

Mimicking the bird’s natural diet as much as possible, Le Nichoir also offered the Crossbill a variety of seeds and nuts (especially pine nuts), insects, insect pate and calcium supplements.

“I discovered that she loved unshelled peanuts and almonds,” Rita says, “not to eat but for the sheer thrill of being able to open the shells.”

The selection of seeds and nuts ensured the bird was getting the proper nutrition and, as a bonus, helped her to sharpen and maintain the length of her beak. A Crossbill’s beak is adapted to allow the bird to extract seeds from coniferous cones, which she does by gently prying open the scales of the cone.

After a two-month stay at Le Nichoir, the bird was ready for release. But first, the Centre consulted local ornithologists and biologists about the best approach, as Crossbills are typically found in Northern Quebec, and not Montreal.

Location and timing are important considerations when releasing birds, especially flocking birds. Other birds of the same species must be within the area at the time of release. The release should also take place before migration. Crossbills return to the North in March, and Le Nichoir wanted to make sure the rehabilitated Crossbill did not miss the migration.

So the decision was made to release the bird in early March at the Morgan Arboretum, where there is a good supply of cones and Crossbills have been sighted in the past.

The bird was sent off in a large spruce stand under clear skies and unusually warm temperatures.

“Without any hesitation, she flew up into a spruce tree,” says Rita. “Then, she started to sing her ‘happy’ song! I was so proud of her.”Rita adds that the care the bird received at Le Nichoir prepared the Crossbill well for survival in the wild. 

“I was confident that she would have no trouble in recognizing conifer cones and finding enough to eat,” she says. “And hopefully, she will find a mate to join her on her trip back home.”

Le Nichoir thanks all those who attended, along with the sponsors and volunteers, for their generosity and enthusiasm at the event. ( event pictures)

A huge thank-you also goes out to all auction donors and sponsors, who graciously provided the gifts and services that made this event so successful.

2 Barn Owls, Ace Hardware, Aldo, André Piette, Bird, Bath & Beyond, Bob’s Tree Service, Brasserie McAuslan, Brome Birdcare Inc., Chloe Hutchison, Claudio D’Angelo, Coranco Inc., Cramer Nursery, Décor Serenity, Diana McNeill, Dr. Littner & Dr. Baker, Élephant Mauve, Ferme Cooperative Tourne-sol, Frank Royle, Gail Steele, Garden Import, Global pet food- Pitou Minou, Heather & Bert Markgraf, Heather Bissett, Helena Richards, Hilary Ravenscroft Ford, Hudson Chamber Music Series, Hudson Film Society, Hudson Veterinary Hospital, Hudson Village Theatre, J T Gardiner, Jamie Nicholls MP, Janice Cunningham, Karen Ripplinger-Wylie, Keith Holmes, La Cabane d’Oiseaux, La Pivionerier D’Aoust, Lee Thompson – Re/Max Royal (Jordan) Inc., Les Serres Vaudreuil, Librarie Clio, Linda Cobbett , Marcel Braitstein, Margaret Gardiner, Matt & Nat, Maureen DeCelles, Melinda Brewer, Michael Lawrence, Michael McMaster, Microbrasserie Le Castor Brewing Company, Myles Goodwyn, Nancy Finnie, Nathalie Bishyk, Nature Prints, Nature’s Scene, Olive Authentique, Pamela Richardson, Physiosport Hudson, Planterra, Pridham’s Auction House, Priscilla’s, Pure Art, Regroupement Québec Oiseaux, Restaurant Carambola, Restaurant Carousel, Restaurant Mon Village, Restauraunt Sauvé, Rita & Richard Reynolds, Sharon Veysey, Suzanne Caron, The Country Gardener, Ecomuseum Zoo, The Garden Path, The Hudson Gazette, VIA Rail Canada, Wanda Bray, WID Inc., Ye Auld Curiosité Shoppe.

LUSH will provide a $10,000 donation towards the construction of Le Nichoir’s new multi-unit aviary, as well as give the work of the Centre exposure in new places. Le Nichoir’s logo, along with a statement about its mission and objectives, will be displayed on LUSH Charity Pot products in the coming months.

Learn more about LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics and the Charity Pot.

Great Auk Sculpture on Fogo Island Newfoundland

Through the generosity of Middlemarch Films, Dr. David Bird will be hosting a screening of The Lost Bird Project as a fundraiser for Le Nichoir. (film website)

Thursday April 26th 7:30 pm at Macdonald Campus of McGill University
Raymond Building Room 2-045

The Lost Bird Project is a documentary about the stories of five birds driven to extinction in modern times and sculptor Todd McGrain’s project to memorialize them. The memorials now stand in the places where the birds once socialized, courted and fed their young — a testament to what we have lost…and a reminder to preserve what we have left. An official selection at the Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA), the film is an elegy to the five birds and a thoughtful and sometimes humorous look at the artist and his mission.

Tickets are $5 (available at the door first come first served). All proceeds will be donated to Le Nichoir.

Parking free after 4 pm. ( Map) We invite everyone to come and see this great film!

www.dawnsdesserts.com

p.s. They will also be providing the desserts for our upcoming Murder Mystery on April 14th.

The film is an elegy to the five birds and a thoughtful and sometimes humorous look at the artist and his mission. The Lost Bird Project is a “buddy movie” about public art, extinction and memory.”

AUCTION OVER ! $150 was donated to Le Nichoir

Why an early return
Migratory birds return to their breeding grounds as food supplies surge in springtime, touching down between mid-February and the end of May. Light, wind, and weather in particular influence the birds’ timing. With climate change leading to a warmer planet, recent studies have suggested that long-migrating birds are returning earlier than in the past. This year may be no exception, as Environment Canada expects warmer-than-normal temperatures in February.

Spotting early migrants
Red-winged Blackbirds are among the first to make the journey back to Canada, arriving as early as mid-February. You can easily spot the male by its black coat and distinctive red-streaked shoulders (epaulettes). The female, smaller in size, is more conspicuous with its brownish plumage, although the white streak on its breast may give it away.

A walk in the woods may turn up a Red-winged Blackbird or two, as these birds prefer waterways in wooded areas. You can also find them near wetlands (marshes and swamps) and uplands (such as meadows).

The Song Sparrow is an early migrant too, but unlike the Red-winged Blackbird, it’s attracted to low shrubs and branches, building nests in residential areas and occasionally moving to open or wet areas to forage for food.

So there’s a good chance you will see a Song Sparrow in your backyard. Look for their reddish brown and grey plumage, with streaks of white on their chest, and listen for their short flutter. Install a bird feeder in your garden but keep the house cat – their most feared predator — indoors!

Feeding and caring for returning songbirds
Here are some simple steps you can take to feed and care for early migrant songbirds.

• Get the bird house ready: clean it out and lay down some fresh straw.
• Birds that tend to return early in the spring are often seed-eaters: leave sunflower seeds, millet and corn in the feeder. The Song Sparrow in particular prefers small seeds.
• Provide birds with a water bath: use a shallow pan and change the water every day. Place a few branches around the pan so birds can keep themselves dry while drinking. You can add a bird-bath heater to keep ice from forming in freezing temperatures.
• Proof your windows against accidental collisions: territorial males may mistake their own reflection for a rival. You can either use a yellow highlighter to mark small x’s on the inside of your window (birds can see ultraviolet light and will avoid the markings) or spray the outside with diluted dish soap.

Other early arrivals like Ring-billed Gulls and Common Grackles are opportunistic feeders who tend to forage in large flocks. Ring-billed Gulls will visit any surface, including landfills, as long as there is food nearby. These gulls, which sport a yellow bill with a black ring and grey wings over their white body, enjoy road kill, earthworms, insects and smelt.

Common Grackles are blackbirds with a long tail and iridescent plumage that you will often see in open areas, such as parks, fields, marshes and your front lawn. They like a mixture of grains and seeds, but because they will dominate smaller birds at the feeder, it’s best to scatter the grains or seeds on the ground.

Did you know?
The male Red-winged Blackbird returns from the south before its female counterpart to establish territory to entice the female into mating.