This year 58 participants in 15 teams, 8 competitive, and 7 recreational, competed in the 6th Annual Taverner Cup Birding Competition. This corporate-sponsored event was held in eastern Ontario and western Quebec over a 24 hour period on Saturday May 25th. The temperatures were in the mid teens and the skies were clear. A major migration passed through a few days before our event with some rare birds lingering. Birders found some passerines at migrant traps and many forest and field birds on their breeding territories. The late spring encouraged enough waterfowl to remain behind to help increase the overall totals. Many outstanding birds were recorded on the day including a Snowy Plover at the KFN property on Amherst Island near Kingston, Prairie Falcon, Hudsonian Godwit, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers at Presqu'ile, Willet and Red-necked Phalarope at Alfred Sewage Lagoon and Connecticut Warbler in Algonquin Park. The combined team total was 228 species, a record.

The "Bushnell Nighthawks", captained by Ottawa native, Bruce DiLabio, with fellow birders Chris Traynor from Ottawa and Ross Harris from Toronto, won the Taverner Cup with a total of 193 species., another record.

The winning strategy included 24 hours in the field. Starting in the Ottawa area, they headed west through the Madawaska Highlands to Algonquin Park for dawn, then visited in succession Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Chaffeys Lock, the Ottawa area, and the eastern Ontario sewage lagoons at Alfred and Embrun. Many of the competitive teams visited most of these sites as well.

The "Focus Scientific Merlins", captained by Tony Beck of Ottawa, placed second with 169 species. The "Bohemians" , sponsored by Our Natural World (Ottawa), captained by Mike Runtz of Seeley's Bay, placed third with 164. Other competitors included the Wild Birds Unlimited's (Ottawa) "Great Gray Owls" (Montreal) which placed fourth with 156, Simmering & Associates (Ottawa) "Flying Dodos" (Toronto) with 151, The Outaouais Buteos (Aylmer Saturn) with 144, the Swarovski Harriers (Brockville), with 138, and Outaouais, sponsored by the Societe des Ornithologues de l'Outaouais with 130. Outaouais only birded in Quebec. The Nighthawks total is a remarkable achievement. They recorded almost 85% of all birds recorded on their list.

The "Cardenals", captained by Lindsay Ontario's , Chris Ellingwood, and fellow birders, Terry Bradt and Tim Brophy, won the recreational category, and the Fothergill Trophy, with a total of 146 species. "The Motherflickers", captained by Chris Lewis of Ottawa, and the "Tweachers", captained by Janet Castle, also of Ottawa, tied for second with 135 species each. They will share the Judith Wilks Trophy. For the first time a team of junior birders, aged between 8 and 14, competed. Organized and led by Joe Dafoe of Ottawa, the "Fenomenal Fledglings" recorded a very respectable 121 species. Teams and team members came from as far away as Montreal, Quebec, and Leamington and Toronto, Ontario. A list of all teams competing and their totals will be found below.

About 85 people, including participants, their sponsors, and invited guests, attended the catered Awards Banquet held in Ottawa on Sunday morning May 26th. The event was hosted by the Ottawa Field Naturalists and the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Steve Wendt, Director of the Migratory Birds Conservation Division of the Canadian Wildlife Service, was Master of Ceremonies. Bruce DiLabio and his team were presented with the Taverner Cup by Frank Pope, a past President of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists. The Fothergill Trophy was presented to Chris Ellingwood by Shelagh M'Gonigle, a descendant of Ontario's first resident ornithologist, Charles Fothergill.. Team captain, Joan Molnar of the "Jaywalkers", a close friend of Judith Wilks, presented the Wilks Trophy to Chris Lewis and to Janet Castle. The banquet was a big success this year highlighted by a new format and increased prizes including medallions for the winning teams. A receptive audience was treated by a terrific new rendition of Frank Sinata's "My Way" by the "Jaywalkers".

There were many birding highlights including: Yellow Rail, Sandhill Crane, Saw-whet Owl, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Shrike at Carden; Spruce Grouse, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed Woodpecker, Connecticut Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow and Junco at Algonquin; Least Bittern, Sandhill Crane, Screech, Long-eared and Saw-whet Owls in the Peterborugh area, Red-throated Loon, Long-tailed Duck, Surf Scoter, Prairie Falcon, Hudsonain Godwit, Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Gnatcatcher and Orchard Oriole in the Presqu'ile area; White-winged Scoter, Gnatcatcher, Orange-crowned Warbler and White-crowned Sparrow at Prince Edward Point; Snowy Plover, Solitary Sandpiper, Pheasant and Shrike in the Kingston area; Wild Turkey, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Carolina Wren, Gnatcatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrush in the Canoe Lake-Chaffeys Locks area; Merlin, Peregrine, Pectoral Sandpiper, Lesser Black-backed, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls in the Greater Ottawa-Hull Area; Mockingbird, Palm Warbler and Rusty Blackbird in Quyon-Shawville area of West Quebec, Bairds Sandpiper, one Red-necked and 20 Wilson's Phalaropes at Embrun; Snow Goose, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Rough-legged Hawk, Willet, Pectoral, Red-necked Phalarope and Lincoln's Sparrow in the Alfred area, and Gray Jay, Junco and Rusty Blackbird in Mont Tremblant Park.

Widespread scouting in traditional and new areas, and the sharing of information about uncommon birds, one of the cornerstones of the Taverner Cup competition, is continuing to have a very positive effect on team totals and better route selection. Details of all rare, unusual, and hard-to-get birds recorded this year, and team routes will be posted on the Taverner website. Website details will be found below.