NEWSLETTER NO. 21 February 1977

NEXT MEETINGS

Dates: Tuesday, February 1; Tuesday, March 1, 1977 Time: 7:30 P.M. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF TIME Place: Provincial Health Building, 3rd Floor, Room 47. Enter through garage at west side of Prov. Admin. Bldg. Program: February 1 - Two films will be shown: "The New Alchemists"

and "Innovation in Design in Canadian Settlements". ANNOUNCEMENTS

MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE DUE AGAIN. 1977 Membership rates: Individual, $3.00; Family, $4.00; Student, $1.00. Please make cheques payable to the Natural History Society of P.E.I., c/o Miss Margaret Mallett, 53 Fitzroy Street, Charlottetown, P.E.I. ClA 1R4.

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION for 1976 slides taken on P.E.I. There are three categories: Plant slides, Animal slides (including birds), and 'Slide series of 3 to 5 slides that tell a nature story. For Junior Naturalists, there is a competition for the best slide or print. All entries must be submitted by March 1, 1977. IMPORTANT: Be sure all 'slides are spotted in the lower left corner.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. People interested in taking the "Plants and Wild- life on P.E.I." course offered by the Natural History Society may enroll at the Cornwall Community School on Wednesday night or at Belfast on Thursday. Two or three nature talks will be given in the "Irish Stew" program offered by the Charlottetown Rural on Wednesday.

EARLE HICKEY JR. is our society's representative on the Environmental Advisory Council, replacing Betsy McArthur who has left P.E.I.

NOTES

BIRD SIGHTINGS. Harry Morris, Lewis Point, reported Red-win ed Black— birds-—two male and two female—-at his feeder on January 3 and also 20 Common Grackles. They were not enjoying the cold weather. The congregation of 15 Robins seen there December 21 did not return. Richard Davies, West Covehead, reported one pair of Red polls at his feeder from January 15-17.

THE MOUNT HERBERT KINGFISHER came up missing on the Hillsborough Christ- mas Bird Count. Three times the counters came by and stopped, looked, and listened, but there was only disappointing silence. In 1974 and 1975 he had checked in for an unusual sighting.

RED RIBBON ON BIRD FEEDER ATTRACTS BIRDS. A lady phoned that she put up a bird feeder, but the first three days, nary a bird. Then, acting on a tip, she tied a red ribbon to the feeder. Presto! Birds the first day, including Evening Grosbeaks.

AT THE JANUARY 1977 MEETING members were asking how to attract robins

to their feeders. Wylie Barrett of New Dominion fed grapes to a robin by placing them on nails at a feeder. The robin is an opportunist

and when it forages, it will choose the most plentiful source of food (insects, worms, fruit or seeds). So if a robin is ignoring your feeder, its probably because it has a well stacked larder elsewhere.