NOMINATIONS CALL!

V The terms of the current Executive Committee expire at the January meeting in 2004. If you would be interested in serving on the Executive or any Society Committees, please contact the Nominating Committee Chairperson, Ben Hoteling (675-2036). Thanks.

FIELD CHECKLIST OF BIRDS OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND:

The latest issue of the Field Checklist of Bird of Prince Edward Island arrived at the Conservation and Management Division of the Department of Environment in September. A copy of the new checklist is enclosed.

PICKEREL FROG DISCOVERED: by Bob Harding

You may have already heard a rumour to this effect, but the Pickerel Frog is alive and well in the bonnies of Kings County! Stumbled upon one a couple of weeks back (in August), and a week or so later Rosemary Curley, Don McAlpine and I re-visited the site. We were lucky enough to find another!

THE 2003 NEIL BENNETT AUTUMN BIRDING CLASSIC: by Dan McAskill, Dave Seeler, Dwaine a") Oakley, and Bill Bowerbank Q\

The morning started cool with 2° Celsius and increased to 15 ° in the afternoon. We commenced birding at 5:30 am and tried tape responses for owls. We were lucky enough to hear a Northern Saw-whet Owl at Red Head and later picked up a Great Horned Owl at St. Peter’s. By dawn, we were picking up crows, nuthatch, Great Blue Heron and others. Travelling east to Souris, we picked up a variety of gulls including Bonaparte’s and Iceland Gulls. The tide was fairly good and shorebirds were present in good numbers with Black—bellied Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper and more. Stops by the Rollo Bay Wildlife Management Area brought Blackburnian and Magnolia Warblers amongst others but Canada Geese were in small numbers and no strange geese were present.

Surprisingly, we picked up a Hermit Thrush at Harmony Junction and White-throath Sparrow. Efforts for creepers or other high forest species at Townshend Woodlot were unsuccessful but a pectoral Sandpiper and Northern Flicker were seen at North Lake and East Lake respectively. East Point was one of the quietest days we’ve spent at this site with no raptors, relatively low species counts for pelagic birds and sea ducks but we did see three Ruddy Tumstones. By early afternoon, Bill and I finished our day with some areas around town while Dave and Dwaine continued birding to the National Park, Souris, and St. Margarets. At day’s end, a total of 77 species were recorded and the group travelled 479 lqn by vehicle and about 2 km by foot.

Dave Seeler, Dwaine Oakley, Bill Bowerbank and I made up the Natural History Society’s 2003 Autumn Birding Classic field team. Thanks to the various contributors, the Trust’s pledge collectors, and the team members $640 was raised in this year’s Neil Bennett Autumn Birding Classic. Since the origin of this event, over $8,460 has been raised.

Pied-billed Grebe American Black Duck Surf Scoter

Northern Gannet Mallard White-winged Scoter Double-crested Cormorant Blue—winged Teal Black Scoter

Great Cormorant Northern Pintail Hooded Merganser Great Blue Heron Green-winged Teal Red-breasted Merganser Canada Geese Ring-necked Duck Osprey

Gadwall Greater Scaup Bald Eagle

American Wigeon Common Eider Northern Harrier