Students to survey nests

BY ROSEMARY CURLEY

The Natural History Society was successful in its applciation to . the PEI Department of Industry to hire four students to survey colonial nesting birds. Accordingly, four persons began work on June 9th, with emphasis on nest counts of Common Terns and Ring-billed Gulls. Also to be surveyed are Greater Black-backed Gulls, Great Blue Herons and Herring Gulls if time permits. The workers will, on a casual basis, collect data on Osprey nest success, and conduct counts of Piping Plovers on known nesting beaches between June 15 and July 10. Finally, the students have already been instrumental in relocating nesting Bald Eagles in the Granville and Brudenell River areas, and will assist Conservation Officer Gerald MacDougall in his an- nual raptor banding program. The results should tie in with ongoing gull and tern surveys organized by Tony Lock of Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) in Halifax, and with a Maritimes Piping Plover survey coordinated by Bruce Johnston of CWS, Sackville.

The experience gained will be useful to students enrolled in the Holland College Wildlife Technology program, and the workers expect to benefit physically from the constant walking involved in such surveys.

Hired on the project are Lorna Creamer, Charlottetown; Peter North- cott, Cornwall; Dave Bernard, Cornwall; and Jeff Dalziel, Clyde River.

They are working under the direction of Gerald MacDougall, PEI Fish and Wildlife Division; Bruce Smith, PEI Conservation Strategy; and Rosemary Curley of the Natural History Society.

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PLEASE NOTE

Readers are asked to report any sighting

of piping plover adults, nests or young

to Rosemary Curley (651-2585) Charlotte-

town RR#1, ClA 7J6.

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Wha’r ‘hlpe of bird are you?

BY MARGARET E. MALLETT, SEC.—TREASURER

First there are the "EARLY BIRDS" (Bless "Em All) who mail in their membership dues in January, or who pay at the first meeting or two.

Second are the "FORGETFUL BIRDS" who intend to pay but "just forgot". By mid—year some of these become "ENDANGERED SPECIES", and have their cards turned wrong-side—out in the membership file. This is the first alert of unpaid dues. , .

Third are the "LATE BIRDS" who do things the hard way. Late in the year, they are invited to pay for the following year's membership as well as for the current year.

Last, we have a couple of "FORESIGHTED BIRDS" - one who paid 20 years in advance, and the other five years in advance.

The "FORESIGHTED BIRDS" and the "EARLY BIRDS" can chuckle smugly at this reminder and say: "That's not for mefl.

Paragraph 2 on page 2 tells you where to send your cheque which you should make out to: The Natural History Society of P.E.I.

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