"92nd CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS ‘ ~ ‘by Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     ‘For the past 20 years-the members of the Natural History Society of‘ 
     
     Prince Edward_Island and their friends have participated in the P.E.I.. ‘ 
     
     National Park and the Hillsborough Christmas Bird Counts which are registered 
     
     with American Birds. In 1983, a third unregistered count'area was established 
     
     around Montague and Murray Barbour. These counts cover a circle 24 kilometers 
     
     in diameter and thus encompass a large area of land and water. The National 
     
     Park count stretches from Wheatley River to Blooming Point and from‘ _ ' . 
     
     Hillsborough River to the Gulf of St.-Lawrence while the Hillsborough count 
     
     ranges firom Cumberland to Point Prim and from Bethel to Charlottetown Harbour “ 
     
     entrance. The Montague count runs from, Poole's Corner to Murray.River'and 
     
     from Valleyfield and Caledonia to the waters off Graham's Point. To tell if 
     
     you're in the census circles consult the maps diSplayed at the Society's . 
     
     meeting or contact Dan McAskill at 569-4351 or Gary Schneider at 838-2678. 
     
    

    
     Birders are arranged in groups to cover Specific areas outlined on maps- 
     
     ' Normally, there is an attempt made to combine novice birders with experienced 
     
     birders so that the novices haVe an opportunity to meet a fellow birder and 
     
     learn from him or her. Those participating in the count keep track of the 
     
     number of birds of each species seen, the number of kilometers driven and 
     
     walked, and the amount of time spent driving, walking, or listening.v With the 
     
     exception of feeder watchers, those participating in a registered count must 
     
     pay a registration fee of $5 to assist in covering the costs of publishing the 
     
     results of the over 1,500 registered counts in Bdrth America. 
     
    

    
     The National Audubon Society and American Birds have set the dates for. 
     
     this year's the Christmas Bird Counts. They must be held between December 14, 
     
     ' 1991 and January 2, 1992. To meet this objectiVe, the P.E.I. Christmas Bird 
     
     “Counts have been scheduled as follows: . v ' , ‘ ' 
     
     P.E.I. National Park Count Sunday, December 15' 
     
     Montague Count " v Sunday, December 22 _ 
     
     Hillsborough Count ' 'Saturday, December 28.- 
     
    
   
   
    
     rIf you wish to participate in either or both the P.E.I. National Park 
     
     and the Hillsborough counts, contact Dan McAskill at 569-4351. 'If you are 
     
     "interested in the Montague Count contact Gary Schneider at 838-2678. For 
     
     those participating in the counts, a pot luck supper will follow the December 
     
     28th count at 6:30 p.m. at Dan McAskill‘s in Donagh; Count fees will be 
     
     collected the evening of the pot-luck 1 ' 
     
    
   
   
    
     BIRD BIOLOGY HOME COURSE . “ - v 
     
     The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, a world’renowned center for bird 
     
     study offers a home-study course in bird biology. They will send you a free 
     
     _information package on the course if you contact them at Heme Study Course, 
     
     -Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Dept. DFW, 159 SapSucker Woods Road, 
     
     IthaCa, New York 14850 or telephone 607-254-2444. 
     
    
   
   
    
     NEW BOOK IN PRESS. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Island photographer Wayne Barrett has combined his superb photographic 
     
    

    
     ' skills with the prose and knowledge of Stuart Tingley to produce his latest 
     
     book, Wings over Water, Coastal Birds and Waterfowl of the Atlantic. It will 
     
     go on sale about the time you receive this newsletter. The book features 
     
     Istunning photographs of 120 species from our region. 
     
    
   
   
    
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