President presented the Nominating Committee report. Dwaine Oakley (President), Arj a Page (Treasurer), and Eric Marcum (Program Director) re-offered their services to the Society and were re-elected. Sharon Clark who took over for Bonnie McOrmand was elected as Publicity Director after taking over the position late in the last year. Ron Arvidson was elected to the position of Vice-President and Fiep de Bie was elected as Secretary. Fiep deBie will be the Society’s representative on the Island Nature Trust.

The members expressed their thanks to: David Seeler for his two years service as President and his considerable work on bird records development for the Society; to Donna Martin who served as Secretary for the past year; to Bonnie McOrmand who served as Communications Director and volunteered with Leslie MacIssac on fund raising and awareness initiatives, and to Bruce Smith for serving as the Society’s representative on the Island Nature Trust General Council for over a decade. David will be moving to the position of Past President while Bonnie moved to the United States. Members also expressed their heart felt thanks to the new Board

members and to those who agreed to continue for their significant contributions to the Society’s members and the Island public.

FUND RAISER FOR CAMERON’S ISLAND: by Donna Martin

A beautiful home made quilt sewn by Donna Martin was the first prize for a lottery being hosted by the Natural History Society. The money raised by the Society will be contributed to the Cameron’s Island Bird Banding Station which is starting its 3rd year of operation. The quilt features a variety of birds and was on display at the last two meetings. Tickets were sold by members and at a number of Society events. The tickets were $2 each or 3 for $5. The draw was scheduled for after the Society’s lunch and discussion break at our meeting on February 3, 2004. The winner of the quilt was Leigh Lamont of Charlottetown. A total of $1,142 was raised in the lottery.

2003-04 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS: Results compiled by Dan McAskill, Ruth Richman, Scott Sinclair, Gary Schneider & Vern Laux

This year is the 104"I consecutive CBC and this year marks the 335t consecutive year that Island birders have participated in the Audubon Christmas Bird Counts. Their efforts, combined with those of about 50,000 others who participate in some 1,800 registered counts throughout North America, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, form the basis for comparison of this year’s sightings with over a century of other counts. This data base is accessible on line, simply go to www.audubon.org and click your way to the results under birds and science.

Christmas Bird Counts are an annual tradition for most participants in the Island’s counts. It allows them to spend time with both feathered friends and fellow birders, enjoy a days outing, contribute to bird population monitoring, and, for those on the P.E.I. National Park and Hillsborough counts, enjoy the pot-lucks. For the third year, Vernon Laux organized a fourth Island count encompassing the area from off East Point to the outskirts of Souris. Gary Schneider, Scott Sinclair, and Ruth Richman organized the Montague Count while Dan McAskill coordinated the P.E.I. National Park and Hillsborough counts.

During this year’s CBCs on the Island, owl surveys were conducted in the East Point and P.E.I. National Park counts. Most coastal water were open but there were variable levels of ice in fresh water ponds and some bays. Notable sightings during the four counts as well as their respective count periods included a Snow Geese, a Eurasian Wigeon, a high number of Bald Eagles, a Mew Gull, Black-headed Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwake, a