of the areas in which the presence of the Stemless Lady’s Slipper has been 
     
     recorded. 
     
    
   
   
    
     PIPING PLOVBR MONITORING PROGRAM by P.E.I. National Park & 
     
     Parks and Peoples Association Inc. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The purpose of the 1993 Piping Plover 
     
     Monitoring Program was to monitor, protect 
     
     and document all Piping Plover (Charadrius 
     
     melodus) activities in Prince Edward Island 
     
     National Park (PEINP), commencing with the 
     
     arrival of the birds through to the 
     
     fledging of the young. Management measures 
     
     include closing and patrolling areas, 
     
     erecting nest exclosures, and performing 
     
     flood and sand rescues. 
     
    

    
     The five main study areas were Cavendish Sandspit, Rustico Island 
     
     Sandspit, Rustico Island Causeway, Covehead, and Blooming Point. All Piping 
     
     Plover breeding areas in PEINP were monitored daily. 
     
    

    
     In 1993 there were 56 nesting attempts by 21 nesting pair. Six nests 
     
     (10.7 %) were successful and 12 chicks fledged, for a fledging success rate of 
     
     0.6 chicks per nesting pair. This was the lowest fledging rate ever recorded 
     
     in PEINP (1981 — 1993). Fifty nests were unsuccessful. The causes of nest 
     
     loss included flooding (21 nests), predation (8 nests), drifting sand (9 
     
     nests), eggs abandoned due to unknown causes (7 nests), eggs missing due to 
     
     unknown causes (3 nests), multiple disturbances (1 nest), and avian 
     
     disturbances (1 nest). 
     
    

    
     It is suggested that this monitoring program be continued with the 
     
     recommendations implemented. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Editor's Note — The Piping Plover protection program of the P.E.I. National 
     
     Park has been one of the primary reasons for the survival of this plover 
     
     on the Island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     BBTHING OSPREY by D.G. Stewart 
     
    
   
   
    
     Yesterday (August 8th), a lovely day when all sensible souls were at the 
     
     beach, I decided to take a walk through the Valleyfield Demonstration Woodlot. 
     
     Except for a couple of Wood Peewees, the ubiquitous chickadees, and a cock 
     
     Gray Partridge who was quite indignant about my being around his chicks, the 
     
     walk was unrewarding as far as birding was concerned. 
     
    

    
     Later, however, as I crossed the Valleyfield River, I looked about 200 
     
     meters upstream and saw an Osprey having a bath. The process was being 
     
     watched with some interest by a pair of Black Ducks with a few almost fully 
     
     grown young ones. The Osprey was up to its belly in the water and was 
     
     splashing away with its wings and appeared to be having a very pleasant time. 
     
     Finally one of the young ducks, perhaps thinking that public bathing by a 
     
     raptor was unsuitable conduct, swam over closer, and gave a few indignant 
     
     squawks. Whereupon, the Osprey took wing, circled the area a few times, then 
     
     landed in water almost up to its neck to continue its ablations. The ducks 
     
     turned their backs and swam slowly away in apparent disgust. After having 
     
     completed what was necessary, the Osprey once again took off, shook the water 
     
     off in a great shower near the vicinity of the ducks, and flew off in a 
     
     leisurely fashion. 
     
    

    
     The remainder of the day was uneventful.