Fort Erie’s Birds Need Your Help!

Christine Whelan FEO, April 27, 2023, VOL. 4 ISSUE 18

Every year, nature organizations around the world celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. 

World Migratory Bird Day is a global awareness-raising campaign that celebrates the amazing journeys of migratory birds.

According to Lynda Goodridge, chairperson of a local committee focused on preserving birdlife in Fort Erie, some of these birds travel great distances to their breeding grounds in the north and then back in the fall to their wintering grounds as far south as Chile and Argentina. 

“Everybody celebrates it on the second Saturday of May, promoting the conservation of these migratory species that travel through our area.” This year, that Saturday falls on May 13.

“We have asked the Town Council to declare May 13, 2023, Migratory Bird Day in Fort Erie. It’s on the agenda for the April 24th Council Meeting.” Lynda added, “They declared it last year for us.”

The Wonders of Water

This year’s theme highlights the importance of water for migratory birds and the need to protect our water resources and aquatic ecosystems. 

Water is fundamental to life on our planet, and the vast majority of migratory birds rely on these resources during their life cycles. Inland and coastal wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, marshes, and ponds are all vital for feeding, drinking, or nesting, as well as a place to rest and refuel during their long journeys.

Lynda shared this year’s participation in Fort Erie. “We are organizing a birding walk on that day at the Centralia Road public path.” The entrance is on Thunder Bay Road, at the parking lot on the south side of the road, just east of the Six Mile Creek crossing.

“We chose that area because it is a wetland area.” Part of their goal is to share the importance of these areas. “Not only for birds but for providing clean water and flood control, to mention a couple of others.”

Lynda will have packets of handouts to give out during the walks. “There’s a bird ID sheet, information about planting native plants that are recommended for a bird-friendly backyard garden, and information about the Bert Miller Nature Club, as they are our sponsor.”

Goodridge commented that the pandemic made a big difference. “People have realized how important it is to have these places where we can go walking in the trees.” Post-pandemic, it has really been recognized that nature is essential to our mental wellness.

“We invite all to join us in celebrating this special day by promoting the conservation of our valuable water resources.”

What Can You Do? How can you “promote conservation”?

When asked how community members can participate, beyond attending the birding walk, Lynda replied, “By communicating to our Town Council how important these spaces are and that we need to conserve them.

“We need to conserve the green space in our own backyards as much as we can. Everybody’s yard can be a welcoming area by planting native plants and providing places where the birds will feel comfortable — bushes and trees. Some people may not want to hang feeders but having green space in their yards where birds can scrounge around is helpful.”

Lynda added, “Another thing is keeping cats from roaming. People are making these catios, outdoor areas for their cats.”

It is hoped that this event will inspire worldwide conservation of both these incredible species and their habitats, many of which are in decline.

To participate in the birding walk, Lynda has asked that everyone register first. “It is a small parking lot. If we have more people attending than can fit their cars in the parking lot, I’ll try to arrange more than one walk at different times so we can accommodate more people.” She asked people to register no later than May 6 by emailing bertmillernatureclub@gmail.com.

Make Fort Erie a Bird-Friendly City

Goodridge has taken a leading role with the Bird-Friendly City team for this initiative, which is under the umbrella of the Bert Miller Nature Club, through Nature Canada.

She explained, “A couple of years ago, we made a presentation to the Town Council asking to join us in participation. They agreed to pursue what was involved. We haven’t submitted anything as far as certification yet. We’ve been working on it. Our team has done what we can on our own. The Town has been helpful in providing the information we needed but there are still some policy issues that need to be looked at before we can go for certification. Mostly, it involves climate change mitigation and biodiversity. And the Town has been working on this, or at least has it on its agenda for the coming year.

“We need to be able to show that the Town has policies for this. Once we can get those things documented then we can apply for certification.”

Nature Canada recently posted a petition specifically for the Greater Fort Erie area for the month of March, giving community members, local and beyond, an opportunity to participate in this initiative. Its content on the petition’s webpage stated that over the last 50 years, North American bird populations have dropped by over 25 percent.

A Bird Friendly City is a community where:

• Key threats to birds are reduced
• Bird habitat is restored so native bird populations can thrive
• Residents are actively engaged in monitoring local bird populations
• Organizations host events to protect and celebrate birds, such as World Migratory Bird Day
• Municipal policies are created to protect bird populations
• A group of passionate community members — your Bird Team — has been created to oversee and lead these initiatives

All over Canada, cities and towns are protecting wild birds through Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly City certification. Being bird-friendly means Fort Erie helps protect birds from threats like cats, traffic, and window collisions while restoring nature and teaching our citizens about the benefits of having birds in our communities.

Photo provided by Lynda Goodridge, taken by Ron Goodridge