What a feeder 
     
    
   
   
    
     Saturday, December 20, 1986. I believe that this is the day when 
     
     local birdwatchers are out counting. Bunch of voyeurs. I am at home in 
     
     New Dominion, assembling the bird feeder that Dan McAskill told me I 
     
     couldn't do without. He also told me that any klutz could put one together, 
     
     and he's right. I finally finish; I have one hinge and quite a few nails 
     
     left over — and I found that you can drive those weird little screws with 
     
     one healthy whack of a hammer. Maybe I'll even paint it, to hide the bent 
     
     nails. 
     
    

    
     I set the feeder up in the back yard and charge it up with sunflower 
     
     seed. O.K. birds, get with it. I stand back against the barn to admire my 
     
     work. 
     
    

    
     At this point something amazing happens. A bald eagle, 
     
     no doubt tired of being counted, lands in one of the big 
     
     elm trees that tower over my house...and eyes the feeder a 
     
     bit critically. If I had known he was coming, I could have 
     
     put a rotten fish on the tray. At this time, Arnie, my big- 
     
     gest cat, is trying the feeder tray out for size, but I 
     
     think that it is the feeder itself that has the eagle's at- 
     
     tention. 
     
    

    
     A couple of crows land in the next tree to the eagle; they are just 
     
     hanging out with him in the way that kids like to hang out with a teen- 
     
     ager...just to see what happens. 
     
    

    
     So the crows watch the eagle. I watch the eagle, who doesn't seem to 
     
     mind. Arnie practices short leaps on and off the feeder. Ah, nature is 
     
     grand. 
     
    

    
     The eagle stays for about 15 minutes; he leaves when a car drives in 
     
     to the yard. He takes his crows with him. Half an hour later I have my first 
     
     actual feathered visitor to the feeder, a sort of blue type bird. Arnie ig- 
     
     nores him, and so do I. Anything is an anticlimax after an eagle. 7 
     
    
   
   
    
     BY IAN MacQUARRIE 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Somdhinfl for every one 
     
    
   
   
    
     The list of CNF conference tours is now available, 
     
     describing the various outings in association with the 
     
     16th annual conference, June 5—8 at the University of 
     
     Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. 
     
    

    
     There are 11 tours, plus a preconference and a post— 
     
     conference tour. The two extra tours are run by Nature 
     
     Travel Service. How do these sound? Footsteps of Louis 
     
     Riel Tour to Batoche National Historic Park, looking 
     
     at turkey vultures, pelicans, hawks, ducks and park— 
     
     land songbirds. Or focus on prairie plants and wild— 
     
     flowers on the Beaver creek Prairie Wildflower Tour. 
     
     Or catch a glimpse of Canada's only colonies of Black— 
     
     tailed Prairie Dogs on the Grasslands National Park 
     
     and Cypress Hills Tour. These are just three examples 
     
     of the types of activities available. The conference itself features 
     
     symposiums, slide shows and discussions, as well as social events such as 
     
     a wine and cheese reception and a banquet featuring wild game. For more 
     
     information, or registration forms, contact Dan McAskill at 569—4351. 
     
    

    
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     yDLI' ‘ 
     
     49 a Q» 
     
    
   
   
    
     19 Gaining Momentum 
     
     Un nouvel essor 
     
    
   
   
    
     A». 
     
    
   
   
    
     AUfi 
     
    
   
   
    
              
     
              
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     87