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If you wish to become a 1975 contributor, contact Margaret Mallet,
53 Fitzroy Street, Charlottetown. She will supply you with cards and

information on how to record the data. If you are in the habit of finding
nests, your contributions would be much appreciated.

- A Tern Tale -

On July 8, 1974, a friend and I walked across the Hillsborough Bridge
to count the Common Terns nesting on the old bridge piers. On our return,
we watched a little incident unfold:

One of the first-hatched baby terns has made probably its first flight
to the causeway; this being the usual procedure. It was sitting on the
bank, down at the edge of the water.

One of its parents flew by carrying a small fish for the baby tern.
Because of the two people standing watching on the sidewalk up on the
bridge, the parent bird would not deliver the fish. After many flights
past and several returns to home pier and much tern talk, Parent Tern at
last got the message across. Baby Tern finally flew about 50 feet farther

along the embankment. Parent Tern instantly flew to Baby Tern and delivered
the fish.

The show was over. We walked away leaving Baby Tern sitting there
fortified for future flights.

- Margaret Mallet
Charlottetown

Black-Capped Chickadee

The Chickadees are the most common birds in our winter woods. You
no sooner enter the snow-draped thicket than out bobs a tiny black head
to greet you with a merry pee-dee, and you see the little songsters
flitting everywhere in the frozen boughs, perfectly at home as they pounce
on the dormant insects that infest the foliage. Their activity is ceaseless.
Flitting, twirling like acrobats on the naked sprays, heels up, head un,
it makes no difference. Calling from the loftiest tree top, whispering
from the low thicket, they are the very spirits of the winter wood-lands,
without which these would often be destitute of animate life.

The Black-capped Chickadee is distinguished by his clear-ashy coat,
and whitish vest, and conspicuous black crown and throat. Female the
same color. The nest is built in a hole in a stump, which the little
architect excavates for himself. It is well lined with grass and wool,
and contains eight or ten very small whitish eggs. The Chickadee is one
of the boldest of birds. He usually builds in retired woods, but will
approach dwellings if it suits him. He meets the wood-man in his native
home without fear and as a friend; and among his fellows is one of the
deadliest of combatants. Mr. H. D. Minot, of New England, tells us that
the Chickadee sleeps with his head tucked under his wing.

- Francis Bain, 1891
"Birds of Prince Edward Island"

Ed. Note: The above article on the Chickadee, written in 1891, is as
pertinent today as when it was written. We plan to publish
further literature written by early P.E.I. natural historians.
Recognition of their achievements is long overdue!

Astronomical Calendar - Spring 1975

March through late July Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is about
the same size as the third planet, Earth. Venus is named after the
goddess of love; however, space probes have discovered that its
surface is more like hell, with almost red-hot temperatures, winds,
thick clouds, and a crushing poisonous atmosphere. Venus now appears
as a very bright, star-like object in the western sky after sunset.