CHANGES TO SOCIETY'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND CALL FOR 2002 NOMINATIONS:

Ben Hoteling has announced his resignation as President of the Society to allow him to take the Presidency of the Island Nature Trust. Jim Jenkins has agreed to accept the position of President. Ben now becomes Past President and Ray Cooke has agreed to serve as \fice President until year's end.

The Executive Committee of the Society has established a Nominations Committee to bring fonivard a slate of officers to the January Annual General Meeting of the Society. The Committee members are Ben Hoteling and Eric Marcum. If you would be interested in sewing on the Executive or as a volunteer for one of the programs, please contact either Ben or Eric (See page 2 for telephone numbers and the mailing or E-mail addresses to forward your nominations).

THE BAIN BIRD COUNT 2001: J. Dan McAskilI

Two birding teams provided reports on this year's Bain Bird Count held on May 26th. Gerald MacDonald. Jean Watts, and Paul and Arlene McGuigan made up the first team and spent their birding time in northeastern Prince Edward Island. The second team included Ray Cooke, Linda Thomas, Roberta Palmer, Eric Marcum, and Dan McAskill. They birded a variety of places scattered from Charlottetown to East Point to Rustico Island.

It was a great counting day from the weather perspective. It was already 14 degrees Celsius at 3 am with a light north west wind. It was even warmer by the following afternoon. Each team seen some real birding highlights that will evoke pleasant memories for years.

Jean called in the evening to excitedly describe their absolute highlight, a Glossy Ibis in the marsh at Little Harbour Beach. The first Island sighting in many years! She also described two wonderful sightings of American Bittern at Little Harbour and then at Selkirk. One of these bittem was only feet away from them in the ditch. By their birding day's end. Jean, Gerald, Paul and Arlene recorded 65 bird species, 5 snowshoe hare, 1 muskrat, and 2 red squirrels.

Ray, Linda, Roberta, Eric, and Dan also had some great sightings. Glossy During their owl calling period between 3 am and 430 am, they recorded a this Long-eared Owl at Mount Albion. In early afternoon at Greenwich, a woodpecker flew across the road and started flicking the bark off a tree. It was a Black-backed Woodpecker. They too had a wonderful American Bittern sighting. This one was at the marsh north of Deroche Pond where it responded to taped vocalizations and walked out of the marsh right up to the front of the vehicle. In late evening, a stop at the back side of the Charlottetown Airport brought the day's last highlight. It yielded first one and then several Upland Sandpipers. In total this team recorded 117 species during 16 hours of birding all habitats.

The two teams in total seen 122 species of birds. A good day's birding as shorebirds were relatively scarce, few seabirds were seen, and the warbler flight had only started to arrive on the Island in the few days before the count. The sightings list was as follows:

I .P/

Red-throated Loon Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe

Northern Gannet Great Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant' American Bittern Great Blue Heron Glossy Ibis

Canada Goose Wood Duck Green-winged Teal American Black Duck Mallard Northern Pintail Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Gadwall

American Wigeon Ring-necked Duck Oldsquaw

Black Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye