HNC Birding Awards

Bird of the Year Award Ross Thompson Trophy

Bird of the Year Award

The "Bird of the Year" Award is given annually by the Bird Study Group. A rare or unusual bird is chosen, and the award is given to the first person to see that bird.

Winners receive a certificate with a digital photo of the bird on it and also has his or her name engraved on a brass plate mounted on a special plaque of all the winners.

Kevin McLaughlin holding the HNC Bird Study Group Bird of the Year Plaque after having received the 2008 award from Dennis Lewington.

The winner of the 2008 Bird of the Year Award was Kevin McLaughlin for his sighting of a Northern Hawk Owl on the 10th Concession in Saltfleet in December 2008. People from as far away as New Jersey and Florida came to see the bird.

Dave Donn holding the HNC Bird Study Group Bird of the Year Plaque after having received the 2007 award from Dave Don (Photo: Jim Heslop)

The winner of the 2007 Bird of the Year Award was Dave Donn. It was awarded to Dave for finding the first ever White-faced Ibis in the Hamilton Study Area in the Dundas Hydro Pond on October 19, 2007. This was the 387th species recorded in the HSA.

Previous winners

2008 - Kevin McLaughlin - Northern Hawk Owl
2007 - Dave Donn - White-faced Ibis
2006 - Barry Cherriere - Manx Shearwater
2005 - Cheryl Edgecombe and Dave Don - Black-backed Woodpecker
2004 - Angie and Ken Williams - Wilson 's Plover
2003 - John Harvey, Jeff Skevington and Richard Skevington - Gray Flycatcher
2002 - Maris Apse, Gavin Edmonstone and John Miles - Smith's Longspur
2001 - Jim Cram, Jim Dowall and Bill Smith - Ivory Gull
2000 - Linda Nuttall - Heermann's Gull