Comments:

The ability of var to survive in heavy shade make this a good species to develop understory cover. As the primary host of spruce budworm, it is an important food source for many birds. This species tends to collapse out of mixed species stands at about 60 years of age. It forms either case hardened (hard on the outside, soft on the inside) or soft snags (rotting from the outside towards the inside) depending on whether the bark is lost. Balsam fir is easily pruned to form dense protective cover and produces good seed crops at 2 to 4 year intervals after age 30. Consider buying live potted fir for your Christmas tree and then outplant it in spring after the danger of frost has passed. If it exists on a site you wish to plant, you can use it as a site indicator for frost by examining bud whorls (circles of buds) for non-growing buds or missing limbs. If transplanting, check the age of sample seedlings by cutting diagonally across the stem. Wild balsam fir growing in shade can be quite old and still be very short.

SWILLOWTAILS: Papilionidae

The true swallowtails are brightly coloured and have tails. Black swallowtail larvae feed on carrots while tiger swallowtail larvae feed on deciduous trees.

Species: eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes, P. Ajax)

Habitat: open spaces, fields, gardens, and edges

Status: breeding, migratory

Plentings: cow parsnip, parsley, Queen Anne's lace, or carrot plants

Comments: chrysalis overwinters; larvae have an offensive odour when disturbed; found in most areas of Nova Scotia; recorded in New Brunswick and Newfoundland but not in Labrador.

Species: short-tailed swallowtail (P. brevicauda)

Habitat: edges and grasses in coniferous forests, coastal grassy areas, old gardens Status: breeding, resident

Plantings: carrot family plants including scotch lovage, cow parsnip, and angelica for larvae; blueberry, Labrador tea, orchids, honeysuckle, and garden flowers Comments: flies near the ground rather than the normal flight behaviour of black swallowtails; recorded in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Labrador; located primarily in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia .

Species: Canadian tiger swallOwtail (Pterourus glaucus canadensis)

Eastern tiger swallowtail (P.g. glaucus) Habitat: deciduous forests and edges Status: breeding, resident Plantings: birches, cherries, ashes, apple, willow, alder, mountain ash, and poplars for larvae; nectar producing flowers for adults particularly lilac Comments: winters as chrysalis; utilize wide range of nectar flowers; feeds in groups; a black female form mimics the foul tasting pipevine swallowtail; former recorded in both Newfoundland and Labrador but the latter only in Newfoundland.

FIELD CHECKLIST OP BIRDS:

FIELD CHECKLIST OFi Edition 6 of this popular Publication

will soon be released through the efforts of

3 the Island Nature Trust, Department of Environmental Resources, Atlantic Canada > ‘ Opportunities Agency and Enterprise PEI. Dan L McAskill and Ray Cooke combined their field

experience and research skills with comments

Copies of the new checklist will be available hopefully this summer.

1 and recommendations received from Scott

s Makepeace, Les Homans, Barry Martin, Bruce

I IPQQIQ Pigot, Rosemary Curley, Randy Dibblee, Donald 1 Gnu» Wilkinson, Maurice Roy, and Dwayne Sabine.