PIPING PLOVER NEWS: by Dan McAskill

If you’re after a great review on the status of the Piping Plover in Atlantic Canada you should obtain a copy of the latest Piping Plover Guardian Newsletter Issue 2, Winter 1997/98 from the Island Nature Trust. It has lots of information on breeding success as well as the situation across the region. Its a great read. Congratulations Jackie!

HAZELBROOK.SIGHTINGS: by Janet Fraser

Birds sightings at our farm here in Hazelbrook are getting more interesting each year as the trees and shrubbery mature. Nothing too rare yet, but some very thrilling - the Sharp-shinned Hawk which sat for 15 minutes in our crab apple tree by the feeder, just outside the back window - visitations by flocks of young partridge each winter - a single curlew in the stubble field at dusk — the fox who watches us cut hay and disturb its mousy meals.

This winter I wrote things down. Jan. 1 - a flock of 80 to 100 redpolls; Jan. 3 — 9 Evening Grosbeaks; Jan. 11 — 5 Evening Grosbeaks; Dec. ? - pair of White-winged Crossbills in a cedar outside the sunroom - 3 ft awayl; Feb. 1 - 8 Black Ducks; Feb. 5 - 1 Bald Eagle; Feb. 9, 11 - 1 robin, eating barberry berries.

I shall leave unmentioned the more common bird feeder visitors.

We had ponds dug out by the DU people in 1996 autumn and are looking forward to more water creatures this year.

Editors Note: This letter came in just in time to encourage plantings for spring wildlife enhancement projects. The Forestry Division's J. Frank Gaudet Nursery will again be cooperating with local nurseries to make a wide variety of local tree seedlings available. Have you considered some wildlife plantings? Contact your local nursery to see what’s available.

NEWS FROM ABOUT:

Congratulations to the many volunteers and committed government employees whose combined work achieved the completion of the 232nd km of the Confederation Trail on the Island. The trail is now 2/3 complete and another 4 km are under construction! (excerpted from The Trailing Edge #18)

Congratulations as well to Daryl Guignion and Bill Prescott who were presented with Merit Awards for their work on behalf of wildlife from the Atlantic Society of Fish and Wildlife Biologists at the annual meeting in October (source K. MacQuarrie).

The Natural History Society was represented at the September meeting of the Maritime Important Bird Areas program in Sackville. This august group used a national rating system to evaluate the status

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