BIRD LIST SERVER ESTABLISHED: by David Seeler

Good day everyone! Happy New Years to those whom I have yet to see or talk to. On the morning of January 8‘“, 2004, the Listserv that has been "in-waiting" in conjunction with the Natural History Society was initiated by UPEI! This means that all future E-Mail regarding sightings will be sent to a new E-Mail address and be immediately forwarded on to birders on the list! Also - it is hoped that a database / cache of old messages will be maintained in addition to other options.

The list server will be an open system so that others should be encouraged to join. However, NO advertising of any item please. UPEI has been very kind to find that these activities on behalf of the NHSPEI and the Province fit very well with its mandate to support society in general. I am very grateful to UPEI in respect to its help in enhancing our Society’s communications process.

To add your bird information name to the server’s list, simply do the following:

To post to this list, send your email to: peibirders@lists.upei.ca General information about the mailing list is at: http://lists.upei.ca/mailman/listinfo/peibirders

If you ever want to unsubscribe or change your options (eg, switch to or from digest mode, change your password, etc.), visit your subscription page at:

http://lists.upei.ca/mailman/options/peibirders/nhspei%40isn.net

Editor’s Note: David has been the innovator in this initiative and has been sending E—mails sightings to everyone on the Society’s bird list for over a year and, thanks to his efforts and those of our contributors, a variety of birders were able to find rare birds and establish better bird records.

NEWS FROM ABOUT: by J. Dan McAskill

Congratulations go out to the Island Nature Trust on the latest two property acquisitions on the Selkirk Road in Culloden. The thanks of this anonymous donors are gratefully acknowledged. This 100 acre acquisition feature a significant area of maples and bitches as well as a stand of white pine.

The Public Forest Council’s launch of the video The Forest is More Than Just a Bunch of Trees was delayed by a late autumn snow storm. This video recognizes the many values of forests, particularly public forests. The revised launch is set for March 24‘h (see the Environmental Calendar for the time and place).

WEATHER EVENTS:

The first of the winter storms commenced on Dec. 3 when white out conditions changed our red and green fields to a white landscape and snow banks along the roads. This was followed by a northeaster on Dec. 8th with winds up to ~80 km/hr on Dec. 6‘‘1 and 38 to 42 cm in the areas around Charlottetown and estimates of 50+cm in the Summerside area. Several days later rain cut the snow pack and left open fields partially bare. Strong winds in January created incredible amounts of soil movement from the many plowed fields and caused some of the worst wind borne soil erosion in many years. (JDM). Two people at the Feb. meeting noted a red fox carrying a mouth full of mice and one fox was seen actively killing and piling mice during the time fox pups were requiring food at their dens.