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Presentations |
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Please contact me for a presentation to your nature club or
organization: jeanironATsympatico.ca
or phone: 416-445-9297. I
have my own projection equipment. See below for a list of
presentations. |
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1. Gull Watching in
Ontario |
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Gulls are
fascinating and challenging. This presentation will help you
appreciate the 21 species of gulls in Ontario with tips on
identification,
plumages, and where and when to see rare gulls
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2.
James Bay
Birds |
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The extensive marshes
and mudflats of Ontario's James Bay are of international importance to
breeding and migrating waterbirds. In the summers of 2009, 2010 and
2011,
Jean was a member of a Royal Ontario Museum crew surveying the
endangered rufa subspecies of the Red Knot and other
shorebirds. You will also see special birds and wildlife of James Bay.
Jean will give identification tips and show what it's like doing
bird research in a wilderness camp. |
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3. Northbound Shorebirds
Workshop |
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This workshop
covers 28 regularly occurring spring migrant and breeding
shorebirds, plus 8 rarer species that migrate through southern
Ontario to their Arctic breeding grounds.
It is loaded with tips to sharpen identification skills, and you
will increase your knowledge of shorebird molts, plumages and aging.
In this workshop you will learn to identify shorebirds by jizz
or giss - general impression of size and shape. Test
your new knowledge by doing interactive shorebird quizzes. Find out the best spots to see shorebirds in spring. |
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4. Akimiski Island
Natural History |
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Remote and uninhabited, Akimiski Island
is the largest island in
James Bay. It is the summer home of the most southerly Polar Bears
in the world, and its vast tidal mudflats are of international
importance to migrating Arctic shorebirds. In spring and summer 2008, I joined a Ministry of
Natural Resources crew counting, aging and studying
shorebirds on Akimiski Island, including an isolated population
of Marbled Godwits. In this digital presentation you will see Akimiski's birds, mammals and wildflowers, and experience its
subarctic wilderness. |
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5.
Carden Alvar |
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The Carden
Alvar lies just east of Lake Simcoe along the southern edge of
the Canadian Shield. The alvar is a globally rare habitat with
an abundance of special birds and plants. This early summer tour
explores Carden’s scenic back roads through vast ranchlands
where grassland birds, wildflowers and butterflies are abundant.
You’ll want to visit the famed Carden Alvar after seeing this
informative and entertaining digital presentation which features
Prairie Smoke, Indian Paintbrush, Horned Larks, Bobolinks,
Eastern Bluebirds, Sedge Wrens and endangered species such as
the Loggerhead Shrike which impales its prey. |
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6. Southbound Shorebirds |
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From the end of June to freeze-up, southbound migrant shorebirds
from the Canadian Arctic stop over in southern Ontario. This
digital presentation gives tips to identify and age southbound
shorebirds, including how to distinguish Long-billed and
Short-billed Dowitchers. Also, the extensive mudflats of
Ontario's James Bay coast are of hemispheric importance to
staging and migrating shorebirds. While working with a Ministry
of Natural Resources crew studying climate change on Ontario's
James Bay coast, my job was to count, age and study the habitat
use of shorebirds.
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7. The Northwest Passage,
High Arctic expedition voyage from Greenland to Nunavut |
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On an eleven day expedition from Greenland to Nunavut in Canada
we touched icebergs and glaciers, crossed the Baffin Bay pack
ice, saw Polar Bears and found record numbers of Ivory Gulls.
Walks on the tundra revealed exquisite arctic wildflowers. My
story is about the birds, mammals and wildflowers that make the
arctic waters and tundra their home. Digital presentation.
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8.
Svalbard (Spitsbergen) High Arctic expedition voyage 78° to 81°
North |
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Svalbard is a group of
remote islands, including the largest island of Spitsbergen, in this
Norwegian High Arctic archipelago far north of mainland Europe.
About 60% of Svalbard is nature reserve where wildlife is protected.
Highlights of our 11 day cruise: Polar Bears, Svalbard Reindeer,
Arctic Foxes, Walruses, Beluga, Fin and Minke Whales, Ivory
Gulls, Atlantic Puffins, 100s of thousands Thick-billed Murres (Brunnich's
Guillemots), 100,000 Dovekies (Little Auks), Great Skua, Arctic
Terns, and a profusion of Arctic wildflowers. Beautiful photos from
the Arctic Circle depict adaptations to the toughest climate on
earth. Digital presentation. |
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About me |
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Twenty two years ago I became fascinated
by birds and joined the Ontario Field Ornithologists
(OFO). From 1995 to 2004, I was OFO president, and edited OFO News
from 1994 to 2007. Digiscoping is my passion.
Special interests are bird
identification, shorebirds, gulls, geese and grassland birds of the Carden
Alvar. I lead adventure tours for Quest Nature Tours
to French Polynesia, Svalbard - Spitsbergen High Arctic, Belize and Guatemala, and
Galapagos.
I love the
Hudson Bay Lowlands of northern Ontario and spend my summers as a
volunteer surveying shorebirds and waterfowl around James and Hudson
Bays for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Royal
Ontario Museum. My home is in Toronto. |
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