Natural HISTORY SOCIETY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND LTD. P.O. BOX 2346, CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. ClA 8C1

MEETINGS are held of the first Tuesday of the month (except July, August, and September) at 7:30 pm. at the Farm Centre, 420 University Avenue, Charlottetown. Members and non-members are welcome. Please bring your coffee cup so that we will contribute as little as possible to the waste stream.

Membership is open to anyone interested in the natural history of Prince Edward Island. Membership is available at any meeting or by contacting the Treasurer at PO. Box 2346, Charlottetown C1A 8C1 (phone 629-1393). Annual

membership is $16 and renewals are due in January. Membership expiry dates are shown in the top right hand comer of the mailing label. '

The Society is directed by a volunteer Executive elected from its members.

2001 Executive: President .............................. ..Ben Hoteling, Tryon 658-2036 Vice-President .................. ..Jim Jenkins, Sherwood 566—1289 Past President .............. ..Ray Cooke, Charlottetown 894-9695 Secretary ......................... ..Lois Doan, Rocky Point 675-2070

Treasurer & Publicity ..... ..Michelle Johnston, York 629-1393 Directors - Program.....Meike Keunecke, Red Head 961-2737 - Assistant Program. ..Eric Marcum, East Royalty 675-3056

NEWSLETTERS are normally published quarterly on recycled paper. Articles, notes, reports, drawings, bird sightings, plant records, etc. are welcomed from members and non-members. If you have seen anything unusual,

please share it with us. It is important to have your observations recorded so that others may learn from them. All contributions should be sent to:

Dan McAskill, Newsletter Editor, NHSPEI Charlottetown RR # 5, Donagh, P.E.I. ClA 7J8 E-mail: nhspei@isn.net The next deadline for articles, sightings, or other newsletter information is September 15, 2001.

Illustrations: The Society extends a special thanks to the Donald Wilkinson, the late Hal Hinds, and Dover Colouring Books for their illustrations.

The Natural History Society gratefully acknowledges support from the Department of Education and Human Resources which enables distribution of newsletters to schools and libraries desiring it. The Natural History Society is an affiliate of the Canadian Nature Federation and has representation on the board of the Island Nature Trust. The Society is a registered, non-profit organization (Part 2, Companies Act). Tax receipts are issued for donations to the Society and these funds are used to further the work of the Society.

Reprinting: Editors of other newsletters and teachers wishing to copy classroom materials are welcome to reprint

articles from the Island Naturalist (except when copyrighted). Due acknowledgment must be provided to the Island Naturalist, the author and illustrator.

Cover Illustration:

The winter of 2000-01 was a great winter for American Robins due to a healthy abundance of berries. These robins from more northern regions appear to stop here when they encounter large crops of berries. This past winter there was an abundance of mountain ash, wild rose, apple, and crab apple. Over- wintering robins can be fed fruit such as apples (particularly crab apples) and berries (blueberries, wild cherries, cranberries, raisins, and other small fruits).