1999 Taverner Cup Event Results

This year 75 participants in 18 teams, 9 competitive, and 9 recreational, competed in the 3rd Annual Taverner Cup Birding Competition. This corporate-sponsored birding competition was held in eastern Ontario and western Quebec over a 24 hour period on Saturday May 29th. Birding conditions were excellent with weather in the high 20s, sunny with light winds. Despite the lack of strong landbird migration a record total of 212 species were seen.

The "Bushnell Nighthawks", captained by Ottawa native, Bruce DiLabio, with fellow birders Chris Traynor and Ross Harris, and driver Andre Charron, won the Taverner Cup with a total of 183 species. Last year's winner, the "Lee Valley Sawbills", captained by Mike Runtz, was second with 176 species. "Focus Scientific Merlins", captained by Tony Beck, placed third with 164 species. The Nighthawks had a remarkable 87% of all birds recorded on their list.

Colin Gaskell, captain of "The Full Monty", and his team of Monty Brigham, Gordon McLean and Bev Scott won the recreational category, and the Fothergill Trophy, with a total of 126 species. "The Birdbrains", captained by Tim Brophy came second with 121 species, followed by the all-women's team, "The Motherflickers", captained by Chris Lewis, third with 120 species. Competitive and recreational teams came from as far away as Fredericton, N.B., Leamington, Chatham, Barrie and Toronto.

The winning team's strategy included a full 24 hours in the field starting at the Richmond Fen near Ottawa, then in sequence, Algonquin Provincial Park, Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Chaffey's Locks, north of Kingston, the Ottawa area and the sewage lagoons in far eastern Ontario. They logged in about 1,200 kms.

About 100 people attended the Awards Banquet held in Ottawa on Sunday morning May 30th. The event was hosted by the Ottawa Field Naturalists and the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Dr. David Bird, author, Gazette columnist, and Professor of Wildlife Biology at MacDonald College, McGill University, was Master of Ceremonies. The event was catered by Dave Smith of "The Place Next Door". DiLabio and his team were presented with the Taverner Cup by Peter Hall, co-author of Butterflies of Canada and National Director of the Canadian Environmental Network. Peter was a member of the Great Gray Owls team which finished fifth.

The Fothergill Trophy was presented to Colin Gaskell by Jeff Harrison founder and co-ordinator of the Taverner Cup competition.

Birding highlights included: Least Bittern and Sedge Wren (various locations), Snow Goose, Great Egret, Whimbrel, Forster's Tern, (Presqu'ile), Brant, Black and White-winged Scoters, and a flock of 14 Arctic Terns (Lac Deschenes, Ottawa River), Yellow Rail (Richmond Fen), Loggerhead Shrike (various locations), Spruce Grouse, Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, Black- backed Woodpecker, Red and White-winged Crossbill and Pine Siskin (Algonquin Park, in particular the Wolf Howl Trail), Wild Turkey (near Belleville), American Pipit (various locations), Yellow-throated Verio, Golden-winged and Cerulean Warbler, Gnatcatcher and Louisiana Waterthrush (Chaffey's Locks area), Merlin, Peregrine Falcon and Blue-winged Warbler (Ottawa), Brewer's Blackbird (Carden Plain) and Rusty Blackbird (Osborne Depot, north of Otter Lake, Quebec). Sandhill Cranes are now nesting at a number of locations in eastern Ontario. Carnes were heard at the Carden Plain and two were seen flying over Highway 401 near Napanee!

The full team results are as follows:

1999 TAVERNER CUP COMPETETIVE CATEGORY RESULTS
Team Name Team Captain Sponsor No. of Species	Nighthawks Bruce Dilabio, Ottawa Bushnell Sports Optics 183	Lee Valley Sawbills Mike Runtz, Arnprior Lee Valley Tools, Ottawa 176
Team Name Team Captain Sponsor No. of Species	Merlins Tony Beck, Ottawa Focus Scientific, Ottawa 164	The Barrie Mighty Ducks Judy Randall, Barrie Nottswasaga Valley Conservation Authority 157
Team Name Team Captain Sponsor No. of Species	Great Gray Owls Jeff Harrison, Montreal Wild Birds Unlimited, Ottawa 152	Goatsuckers Chris Michener, Golden Lake Ont. Our Natural World, Ottawa 150
Team Name Team Captain Sponsor No. of Species	Fringe of Point Pelee Alan Wormington, Leamington Friends of Point Pelee, Leamington 146	Outaouais Daniel St.-Hilaire, Hull, Quebec City of Aylmer (Que) 144 (birded only in Quebec)
Team Name Team Captain Sponsor No. of Species	Nikon Nightjars Gord Gallant, Scarborough Nikon Canada Inc., Mississauga 139

1999 TAVERNER CUP RECREATIONAL CATEGORY RESULTS
Team Name Team Captain No. of Species	The Full Monty Colin Gaskell, Ottawa 126	Birdbrains Tim Brophy, Ottawa 121
Team Name Team Captain No. of Species	The Motherflickers Chris Lewis, Ottawa 120	Tweachers Janet Castle, Ottawa 113
Team Name Team Captain No. of Species	Harlequins Christine Cornell, Frederickton, N.B. 107	The Roadrunners Brett Groves, Chatham, Ont. 94
Team Name Team Captain No. of Species	Jaywalkers Joan Molnar, Ottawa 72	The Counting Crows Stephane Guillot, Hull, Quebec 62
Team Name Team Captain No. of Species	Pileated Flycatchers Phill Atwood, Embrum, Ont 60

The purpose of the Taverner Cup is to raise money for environmental projects and to raise awareness of the great diversity of wildlife habitats in eastern Ontario. Plans are afoot to create a eco-tourism-related Birding Trail which would run through eastern Ontario. The Trail is intended to build on the growing awareness of the premier birding potential of eastern Ontario through the Taverner Cup competition, and on the explosion of birding and wildlife festivals in the area.

The co-ordinator offers a special thanks to all our sponsors whose support has made the Taverner a success. A big thanks also to the 75 birders who participated this year. Thanks are also extended to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for providing the space for the banquet, Ken Allison who designed the shrike artwork for our T-shirt, Lifer Bird Gear of Golden Lake, Sony Music of Toronto and the Ottawa Field-Naturalists for providing prizes at the banquet, and finally to Christine Hanrahan, Greg Kelley and Eve Ticknor who helped out with the species collation and the banquet.

Additional details can be obtained from Jeff Harrison
the Co-ordinator of the Taverner Cup Birding Competition

Tel: (514) 486-4943
Email: dha@videotron.ca