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Maitland Goldwin Gould fonds
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Maitland Goldwin Gould fonds

  • CA ON00408 F031
  • Fonds
  • 1941-1979

Fonds reflects Gould's bird watching activities in the North Bay area over the course of nearly forty years. The fonds consists of records documenting his daily birding observations from 1941 to 1979, with some interruptions in 1954-1957. Records include monthly reports of sightings, annual statistics, bird and mammal species occurrence records, and lists of species sighted. The majority of Gould's observations were made in "a rectangle which extends roughly thirty miles east and west and twelve miles north and south of North Bay." Some of his usual observation places within this area included his home on McIntyre Street, Peninsula Road on Trout Lake, the shore of Lake Nipissing west of the Government Wharf, and Eloy's Farm. He also frequently carried out observations while on walks, drives, and boat rides in and around North Bay.

Gould, Maitland Goldwin

Monthly birding reports

File contains monthly reports of bird observations. Each monthly report contains a summary of the month's weather (with comments about temperature, wind, and precipitation) and a table containing the total number of each species observed by Gould. Monthly reports often include additional special notes describing unusual sightings, with comments about nesting, plumage, calls, size, and behaviour, and some observations made outside of Gould's usual birding area around North Bay.

Occurrence record of birds of the North Bay region

File contains occurrence records of birds and mammals observed in the North Bay area from 1941 to 1965. Records are arranged by species, and each record contains a list of the total number of sightings of that species by year, with a record of which months the sightings occurred in, as well as a table showing the average occurrence of sightings throughout the course of a year.

File also contains an explanatory essay about the occurrence records that includes: an explanation of the methodology by which Gould took his observations and compiled the occurrence records; a description of his observation area; a statement of the project's purpose ("to provide a record of any conspicuous population changes among birds"); some findings and conjectures based on the observations; and an explanation of acronyms used and the structure of the records. The file also includes a map of northeastern Ontario and western Quebec with an observation area marked.

Occurrence of species in North Bay Region

File contains a list of observed bird species including what appears to be the total number of sightings for the periods 1950-1953 and 1960-1963. The list also contains summary notes on each species including the rarity of its occurrence in the North Bay area, its preferred habitat, migration habits, and some brief descriptions of sightings with dates.

Monthly and annual birding reports

File contains monthly reports of bird observations (1941-1961), and tables containing annual statistics of observations arranged by species (1941-1967). Each monthly report contains a summary of the month's weather (with comments about temperature, wind, and precipitation) and a table containing the total number of each species observed by Gould. Monthly reports often include additional special notes describing unusual sightings (with comments about nesting, plumage, calls, size, and behaviour) and observations made outside of Gould's usual birding area around North Bay under the subheading "Observations elsewhere." Special notes occasionally describe sightings of mammals as well.