The Hilliardton Marsh – M. MacPherson

The Hilliardton Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area is the location of a migration monitoring bird banding station that I have been volunteering with since sometime around the year 2000. Located near my hometown of New Liskeard in Northeastern Ontario (180 kms north of North Bay, 15 kms southeast of Englehart) it is a provincially significant wetland. With over 600 species of waterfowl, songbirds, amphibians, mammals, fish and plant life, this field site is an important location at the southern edge of the Boreal forest for migrating birds moving between breeding grounds at the James Bay and Hudson Bay lowlands and non-breeding areas outside of the Boreal forest. This field site sees impressive annual numbers of irruptive migrants from the far north including large numbers of owls (Northern Saw-whet, Long-eared, Boreal and near-annual sightings of Great Gray and Northern Hawk Owls). I am working with Dr. Alex Jahn of Indiana University in a collaborative study of disease dynamics in the American Robin (Turdus migratorius).

HMREC Presentations

HMREC AGM (Nov. 5th, 2015) This is a 50 minute presentation that highlights Canadian research and researchers in the study of migratory birds. It was meant for a general audience with moderate technical understanding of scientific research, particularly tools used to study birds.

HMREC AGM (Nov. 7th, 2014) This is a 15 minute presentation meant for a personal audience familiar with birds and interested in my research at this point in 2014.

HMREC Annual General Meeting (2013) This is a 50 minute presentation meant for an audience with a familiarity with bird banding. I highlight the importance of HMREC locally, regionally, and internationally in promoting the study of migratory birds.