P.S. It was March Blst and they have been back every day though usually fewer at a 
     
     time. If I was only good with a video camera. 
     
    
   
   
    
     P.P.S. Earlier that day, March 26th, I was serenaded by a northern shrike, another 
     
     first and on March 4th, I witnessed a goshawk taking a squirrel 20’ outside the 
     
     window. I’ve had more than my share of birding thrills this winter. 
     
    
   
   
    
     GUIDED WALKS: by Katherine clough 
     
    

    
     Friends of the Farm invite to you join 
     
     them on a guided walking tour of the 
     
     Experimental Farm property in Charlottetown 
     
     this summer. We will walk through the Royal 
     
     Grove, visit the Lily Pond, view the site of 
     
     a 19th century pottery and find the 
     
     mysterious Gingko tree. As many of you 
     
     already know the future of the site is 
     
     uncertain. Friends of the Farm believes that 
     
     it could be developed into a significant 
     
     resource for public education and recreation. 
     
     Let us share with you our vision for a 
     
     permanent cultural and ecological landscape 
     
     which will delight and serve the needs of 
     
     citizens and visitors in the 21st century. 
     
    

    
     Walks will be held on the second Wednesday of the month, June to September, 
     
     that is June 12, July 10, August 14, and September 11. Meet in front of Ravenwood at 
     
     7 PM. Duration 1 hour. No charge. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     For more information call Friends of the Farm at the Island Nature Trust office, 892— 
     
     7513. 
     
    
   
   
    
     T33 WILDLIFE CORNER: 0 J. Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     Questions about the values of different plants to animals and the needs of 
     
     certain groups of animals always seem to be hot topics for workshops. This new 
     
     feature will focus on providing some basic information on certain plants and animals. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Balsam fir, Var (Abies balsamea) 
     
    
   
   
    
     This native species grows up to 25 meters in height on the Island. In 
     
     woodlands conditions, its total branch width tends to be less than 8 metres. This a 
     
     relatively hardy tree though somewhat susceptible to frost. It is coded with a 
     
     hardiness scale of 2 and it grows on a wide variety of soils. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Wildlife Benefits: 
     
    

    
     Balsam fir provides both food and cover. It is the preferred larval plant for 
     
     spruce budworm caterpillars and some other moths. Its seed is produced in vertical 
     
     cones that decompose when they mature. The seed is eaten by a variety of birds, 
     
     squirrels, and other small mammals. In provinces outside the Island, this species is 
     
     browsed by moose and other hoofed animals while on the Island its primary mammalian 
     
     browser is the snowshoe hare. This species is prone to top damage and stem rot. 
     
     Thus, older stands or individual fir trees tend to have many cavities. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Seasonal Considerations: 
     
    

    
     This species provides cover year-round while its cones provide seed from mid- 
     
     August to September. In mid—autumn, the cone scales and seeds fall off the upright 
     
     centre core of the cone. The tree serves as foraging habitat for foliage gleaners 
     
     (chickadees, Evening Grosbeaks) and bark gleaners (chickadees, nuthatches, 
     
     woodpeckers, creepers).