untouched. Was this a friendIy “thank you" before setting forth on a Tong 
     
     journey south? I wonder! 
     
    
   
   
    
     BUNTING BONANZA by Evern Meader 
     
    
   
   
    
     This morning (Aprii 3) I reaiized our magnificent dispIays of Snow 
     
     Buntings have reaiiy meited away. From mid-January to mid-February we had daily 
     
     baIIet troups from a dozen to eighty of these wintery birds, soaring in 
     
     circuiar patterns around the house from the feeder to the top of our 
     
     matriarchai chestnut tree. When I read in Peter Wheian's Giobe and Maii cqumn 
     
     that the hardy buntings rareiy visit feeders, I thought, "He shouid see the 
     
     Meader seed ciienteie." In December and eariy January we had sparse but reguiar 
     
     bunting visitations. Then came the entertaining Iarge rocks. These graduaiiy 
     
     dwindied tiTT in March we'd sometimes surprise a Toner in the Iane or see a 
     
     fiock working the neighbouring fieid. There were 5 Easter buntings in the 1lane 
     
     March 30 and one On the feeder Aprii 1 and 2. 
     
    

    
     I enjoyed my month of bounteous 
     
     buntings. They created a memorabie image as 
     
     they right-wheeled in miIitary precision 
     
     against a ciear que sky. Even resting in the 
     
     chestnut crown they were never stiii. One 
     
     wouid hop to a new position, then another 
     
     wouid do the same. There was a continuous 
     
     bunting row in air and tree and on the 
     
     ground. '*‘ 
     
    

    
     The first birds to the seeds ate best. They had time to peck up a-good 
     
     beak fuii before the skittish Tate arrivais stimuiated a departure in unison. 
     
     The Iast birds to the tabie must have been on a Iow caI diet. 
     
    

    
     I had pienty of time to study their winter coiours. They a11 had “Rinso 
     
     white” underparts, rusty cheeks and crowns and a rusty necklace which varied 
     
     from compiete circies to partiai crescents. As they swiried over the fieids 
     
     they disappeared and reappeared against the white background, depending on 
     
     which side, Tight or dark, faced the watcher. 
     
    

    
     One day as I watched the fiock giving our tabie feeder a compIete feather 
     
     covering, I noticed a darker bird in the bunch. Behoid! - a LapIand Longspur. 
     
     He joined his bunting buddies reguiariy enough to keep this birder's observing 
     
     a Tittie sharper. 
     
    

    
     Now most of the buntings have headed north to feast on Arctic spring 
     
     offerings and raise new famiiies. Here the partridge and House Sparrows visit 
     
     in pairs whiie the ever present coiourfui Biue Jays zap around them. It's 
     
     “heiio” to the giossy grackies and the fiashy Red—winged Biackbirds. "Neicome 
     
     to the abandoned buntings' buffet." 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     NEWS FROM ABOUT 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Nationai Audubon Society has purchased a 116 acre tract of bid growth 
     
     forest Dougias fir in Oregon in the middie of the Iargest intact stand of 
     
     coastai temperate rain forest in the continentai United States. (Adapted from 
     
     A duhon Magazine. March 1991) 
     
    

    
     The 1990 duck popuiation in Canada and United States 
     
     increased 1% to 31.3 miiiion for aII areas Surveyed. This was 
     
     the third Iowest number on record. As ducks are an indicator 
     
     of wetiands heaith, these Tow numbers are of concern to aII 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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