COLOUR MARKED SHOREBIRDS. During 
     
     the summer of 1980 the Canadian 
     
     Wildlife Service has been con- 
     
     tinuing its largescale program 
     
    

    
     of banding and colour—marking 
     
     shorebirds in James Bay. The 
     
     objective of the program is 
     
    

    
     to define migration routes 
     
    

    
     used by shorebirds on their 
     
     journeys between the Arctic 
     
     .breeding grounds and wintering 
     
     areas. Since 1974, over 45,700 
     
     shorebirds have been captured 
     
    

    
     in Southern James Bay and have 
     
     resulted in more than 2,000 'bird 
     
     days' of sightings of dyed birds, 
     
     in areas ranging from eastern 
     
     Canada to South America. Much 
     
     new information is being obtained 
     
     on migration routes and strategies 
     
     thanks to assistance from the many 
     
     birders who report sightings 
     
    

    
     of the colour—marked birds. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Feather dyes (yellow-orange) 
     
     and coloured leg bands (yellow 
     
     or light blue are used to mark 
     
     the birds according to age and 
     
     date and place of capture. If 
     
     You.see a marked shorebird, 
     
     please record details of: 
     
     species, place, date, 
     
     colour-marks and, if possible, 
     
     numbers of that species 
     
    
   
   
    
     present . For colour-dyed . 
     
     birds please record the colour 
     
     and area of the bird that was 
     
     dyed (e.g. entire breast, 
     
     upper breast only, belly from 
     
     legs to tail only, etc.). For 
     
     colour bands and standard 
     
     metal bands please record 
     
     which leg the bands were on, 
     
     the colours involved, and the 
     
     relative position of the 
     
    

    
     hands if more than one was 
     
    

    
     on a leg (e.g. lower right 
     
     leg, blue over metal, etc.). 
     
    

    
     A note should also be made 
     
     whether the bands were 
     
    

    
     below or above the "knee" 
     
    

    
     of the bird. 
     
    
   
   
    
     If you see a colour- 
     
     marked shorebird but are 
     
     unable to obtain all of the 
     
     above details, a record of 
     
     whatever information you are 
     
     able to observe would still 
     
     be much appreciated. All . 
     
     reports should be sent to: 
     
     Dr. R.I.G. Morrison, 
     
     Canadian Wildlife Service, 
     
     1725 Woodward Drive, 
     
    

    
     Ottawa, Ontario K1G 327. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A WORD FROM YOUR EDITOR 
     
     I have assumed editorship of 
     
    

    
     the newsletter for the 1980 - 
     
     1981 year. I hope the newsletter 
     
     will enjoy as much success this 
     
     year as it has under previous editors. 
     
     I am looking forward to receiving 
     
     articles, news and notes from 
     
     all members. Also, if you have 
     
     any suggestions or comments 
     
     concerning the newsletter, 
     
     please do not hesitate to 
     
     contact me. 
     
    

    
     Clare Martin 
     
    

    
     Editor, N.H.S. Newsletter