- 6 _ ‘I’

THE BIRDS RETURN - 1976

Bird migration is early this year - keeping on schedule with our early spring. At our April meeting several members contributed early arrival dated at the request of John Wright. The earliest dates of arrival are given below:

Observor Place

Species Date first seen Canada Goose (l3) 3 March Earle Hickey West River Causeway Robin 2i March U.P.E.I. students - Common Grackle I7 March Lorna, Grace Wonna- Sherwood Red-winged Blackbird 2h March EPEEesnaETéa Milton Brown-headed Cowbird 26 March Bruce MacLean Milton Song Sparrow 3l March Bruce MacLean Milton Belted Kingfisher 6 April John Wright Orwell Horned Lark 25 March John Wright Mt. Mellick Killdeer 3l March John Wright Head of Montague Fox Sparrow 2] April Bruce MacLean Milton (Mrs. West, West Royalty, reports fox sparrows at her feeder all winter)

Ruby Crowned Kinglet 2l April Bruce MacLean Milton Common Flicker 2I April Bruce MacLean 8 Milton

Earle Hickey Mt. Stewart Wilson's Snipe l8 April Bruce MacLean Milton Sparrow Hawk I8 April Bruce MacLean Milton

ENVIRONMENT WEEK - 1976

Environment Week on Prince Edward Island is slated for May lhth to May 22nd, starting with Arbor Day and ending with Clean-up Day. The Natural History Society is sponsoring a number of activities including a series of natural history walks for the general public. The schedule has been finalized as follows:

Date Friday, May Ih

Saturday, May I5 lO:OO A.M.

Monday, May l7 7:00 P.M.

Tuesday, May l8 2:00 P.M.

Wednesday, Mayl9 7:00 A.M.

6:30 P.M.

Thursday, May 20 10:00 A.M.

Friday, May 2I 7:30 A.M.

Title Leader

Arbor Day - no scheduled walk Sand Dune Nature Trail (Elizabeth MacArthur) Meet: Basin Head Fisheries Museum, Kingsboro

Evening Walk - DeRoche Point (Ian MacQuarrie) Meet: at 6:30 P.M., U.P.E.l. Visitors Parking Lot

Old Princetown Road Meet: Devil's Punchbowl Provincial Park

(Margaret Mallett)

Morning Bird Walk (Simon Lunn) Meet: Rustico Island Day Use Area, National Park

Evening Walk - Bonshaw Hills Trail (Bob Perry)

Meet: West River Bridge

(John Hughes 8 Leslie Taylor)

Warren Grove Woodlot and Pond

Meet: old Warren Grove School

Morning Bird Walk (John Wright) Meet: parking lot, Moores Sanctuary, Milltown Cross

RESULTS OF NATURE SLIDE COMPETITION

The entries in the Society's nature slide competition were shown at the April meeting by Mr. Wendell MacKay. Mr. Roland Taylor, who had acted as the judge, was present to comment on each slide. Later several members said that they had learned some good ideas from Mr. Taylor's remarks. Next year's competition should

be better still.

Here are the results: (I) Mary Beth Harris - “Change and Decay”; (2) Diane Griffin - “In Search of Nectar”; (3) Helen Duffy - “One out and Two to go“; (A) Mary Beth Harris - “Touch of Autumn”. Honourable Mentions also went to Mary Beth

Harris, Helen Duffy, Diane Griffin and Margaret Mallett.