From Bcnature the Magazine of BC Nature Vol 49 No

From the Magazine of BC Nature Vol 49 No.2 ISSN 0228-8824 pg 19

Book Review

Bird Songs of the Central

Boreal Forest- Ontario and

Manitoba including Churchill
By John Neville

download version also available)

Reviewed by Anne Murray

Not too many BC birders have the opportunity to visit the vast boreal forests that circle northern Canada in a thousand kilometer wide swathe from Newfoundland and Labrador to the yukon-Alaska border. These coniferous forests reach in to BC in the northeastern part of the province. The short, cool summers and rich insect life provide the perfect breeding environment for numerous neotrpical migrants, including wood warblers,flycatchers, vireos and gulls. John Neville's new CD set, Bird Songs of the Central Boreal Forest, covers 159 bird species, as well as three frog species and four mammals. The recordings which include some by guest recordists, are not confined to the forest, as they encompass shorebirds and sea ducks heard along the Hudson Bay shoreline as well as freshwater wetland and tundra birds.

Recognition of bird songs and calls greatly enhances one's observation skills. This CD set provides a wonderful diversity of sounds, from the drumming of a Ruffed Grouse to the low hoots of a Great Horned Owl being mobbed by smaller birds. Most of us are familiar with shorebirds in migration or winter habitat, so it is lovely to hear them calling on their breeding grounds. I was fascinated to hear the crackling calls of Ruddy Turnstones and the wheezy squeaks of Red-necked Phalarope. The mournful whistles of Black Scoters remind me of dusk in spring time at Bamfield on a BC Nature camp. In contrast, the feeding calls of thye Snow Geese seem less evocative of the north country than the far-carrying cries given in flight over the Fraser delta. The boreal forest has dozens of warbler species ranging from the familiar Wilson's Warbler to the exotic Northern Parula, Golden-winged Warbler, and Canada Warbler. Knowing these songs will be helpful if you take a trip to the eastern seaboard during spring migration, when trees come alive with these brightly-coloured jewels.

The recordings will allow naturalists contemplating a trip to northeast BC to prepare adequately and not waste valuable field time. The sound quality is excellent. An absence of background noise in the clear northern air makes the bird calls clear and fresh. Neville's pleasantly-spoken descriptions have progressed from earlier tapes. The commentary is nicely timed, with good cadence and delivery, and varied language. It is helpful yet non-intrusive when listening on portable devices(such as ipods) or at a distance(I sometimes listen to bird song recordings when doing mundane chores!) The track names are listed in both English and French on the CD sleeve, but do not unfortuneately show up automatically on electronic screens, which require name entry into the CDDB database.

This CD set has been produced in good time for birders heading north to complete the BC Breeding Bird Atlas, and will be an enjoyable and valuable source of reference for all those who love birding in the great Canadian wilderness~

Anne Murray is a past-President of BC Nature, past Conservation Chair, and the author of books on Boundary Bay wildlife and ecology(see www.natureguidesbc.com).