singsong and social hour. Tea and coffee will be provided. All members and
friends are welcome.

Our co-hosts, Jean and Wendell MacKay and Joyce and Lorne Gardiner,
suggest you take along a warm sweater.

CURIOUS COYOTE by Dwayne L. Sabine

On July 3rd, I was at Foxley River doing songbird surveys in a black ~ °—
spruce - jack pine stand. After I completed my survey, I spished to attract the
attention of any birds I could. I was hoping to see them with food, thereby
confirming that they breed, information which is of course useful for the
Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas. Spishing (vocalizing a "spishh-pshh-pshhh-pshhh"
sound), as most birders know, is a very effective way to attract the attention
of many birds and bring them in close.

On this day, spishing brought an immediate response. A Palm Warbler (with
a beakfull of caterpillars) landed on a branch about 10 feet from my head but,
more interestingly, I immediately heard something walking towards me through
the bushes. Curious, I stood still hoping to see what it was. A few seconds
later, a coyote slightly smaller than a fox (this years pup?), walked out of
the brush and stopped beside a small sapling about 15 feet away. Although I was
in the open, I wear camoflage and drab colours when doing surveys so that I'm
not too conspicuous to the birds. This combined with the fact that I was
perfectly still allowed it to look at me but not "see" me. As well, it was
upwind and thus could not smell me.

For about a minute I spished very softly trying not to move more than my
lips. The coyote's eyes looked all around me, trying to locate the source of
the noise. Suddenly, its eyes opened wide with a look of sheer terror (at least
that's what it looked like to me, but who can say for sure), as it perhaps
realized that it was standing "too close for comfort" to a mortal enemy - man.
It practically did a somersault trying to turn around and leap away at the same
time, and didn't stop running while I could still hear it. I suppose it
couldn't know that it had nothing to fear from me.

Anyhow, if you are out birding and you are spishing, I wouldn't expect you
to (or for some people, worry that you will) attract every coyote for miles
around. The only mammals you are likely to attract are non-birding people who
will wonder what you are doing standing in the bushes making funny noises.

NATURALISTS IN ACTION by Dan McAskil]

If you start canvasing conservationists in Canada on who they know who is
real active in conservation issues in Prince Edward Island, a resounding number
of them will invariably indicate "Diane". The rest of the name is, of course,
"Griffin". To do justice to her achievements is difficult but I will attempt to
cover some of the highlights both on and off the Island.

On the Island, Diane's name is normally associated with the activities of
the Island Nature Trust as she has served as the Executive Director of that
organization for five of the past six years. During this time, the Trust has
expanded rapidly, purchased five properties, ran a successful landowner contact
program, fought a major Land Use Appeal Hearing to protect the Greenwich dunes,
and ran a very successful education and outreach program. Largely through her
efforts and organizational skills, the Trust become one of the most active and
respected land conservation organizations in Canada.

SAG c