Bird reports

Over the past year we have been fumbling around trying to develop a . policy regarding the printing of bird sightings in the Island Naturalist. Most people seem to think the newsletter has too many bird-related stories and often the sightings themselves have been 5 or 6 pages, and that doesn't leave too much left for other items. The members at the December meeting A discussed the problem and it was decided that only the sightings that were uncommon would be printed. The reports will be checked against the revised Field Check List of Birds, and the very common, common and fairly common sightings will not be printed (please remember that these go by the seasons — a common sighting in the summer could be a rare occurrence in the winter).

But again I would like to stress the value of sending in your bird sightings. Even though they may not all get printed, all sightings are kept on file and will be used to update future editions of the Field Check List. Your comments and suggestions are welcome on this and all topics.

Double-crested cormorant - 1 at Point Prim, Dec. 27 (TM) Great blue heron — 1 in stream near 48 Road, Jan. 14 (BP) Hawk (red-tailed or rough-legged) - over CBC in Bonshaw, Dec. 16 (J8) Bald eagle — over river in Bonshaw, Dec. 28,31 (JS) Merlin - 1 f.in feeder area, Bonshaw, Dec. 30 (J8) Mourning dove - 2 at Pt. Prim, Nov. 30 (TM) - 3 for 3 weeks around feeder in Pt. Prim, Dec. 19 (TM) Northern shrike - 1 at feeder in Bonshaw, Dec. 5 (JS) - 1 at Mitchell River, Jan. 5 (MM) Purple finch - 1 m on window sill, f on sunflower feeder in Pt. Prim, Oct. 18 (TM) - pr. at Pt. Prim feeder, Nov. 18 (TM) Pine grosbeak - f at Rustico Bay, Nov. 15 (MW) Pine siskin - 15+ at feeder in St. Eleanor's, Jan. 8 (OM) — f at Pt. Prim feeder, Dec. 22 (TM) American goldfinch — 5 in winter phase, 1 summer phase in barnyard, Pt. Prim, Oct. 5 (TM) — m in winter phase, Pt. Prim, Nov. 30 (TM) American tree sparrow — 5 at Pt. Prim, Dec. 30 (TM) Snow bunting - approx. 18 at Rustico Bay, Nov. 13 (MW)

THIS MONTH'S CONTRIBUTORS: Owen MacGougan (OM); Marian MacGregor (MM);

Thelma Murchison (TM); Bruno Peripoli (BP);'Jane Symmes (JS); Marguerite ~ Wheatley (MW). Thanks to you all.

some sightings just flew in: 2 pine grosbeaks at the DeRoche Pond Natural Area by Dan McAskill and Diane Griffin, Oct. 21; and two bald eagles were seen in Milton Jan. 23 by Ruby Bakker.

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Congratulations to Natural History Society vice-president Dan McAskill on winning the sportsman-conservationist award for Queen's Country for 1986, sponsored by the Central Queen's Wildlife branch.

The award recognizes those who play a major role in promoting the con— cepts of better wildlife management, protection and conservation practices, training or educational programs. Dan certainly fits the bill as being ac— tive in all these categories. .