FIRST P.E.I. - :3" 
     
     RECORD FOR 
     
    

    
     LESSER BLACK- 
     
    

    
     BACKED GULL 
     
    
   
   
    
     by Geoff Hogan, Springvaie 
     
    
   
   
    
     On 2 January 1983 four 
     
     members of the NHS, Joyce Mac 
     
     Leod, Vicki Friesen, Tim Birt 
     
     and Geoff Hogan, observed an 
     
     aduit Lesser Biack-backed Gui] 
     
     (Larus fuscus) on MacLure's Creek, 
     
     an upper reach of Murray River, Kings 
     
     County, thus constituting the first 
     
     known sighting of this Oid Morid 
     
     species on P.E.I. When first seen, 
     
     the guii was standing aione on the 
     
     ice but iater joined a nearby fiock of Herring Guiis. Exceiient viewing was 
     
     possibie from a distance of a few hundred meters for approximateiy 20 minutes 
     
     using binocuiars and a 20x spotting scope. Severai photographs were taken. 
     
    

    
     The Lesser Biack-backed Gui] is native to northern Russia, Iceiand, Britain 
     
     and Europe with many individuais wintering aiong the Mediterranean and North 
     
     Africa. It resembies our own Great Biack-backed Gui] in coioration but is 
     
     siightiy smaiier than a Herring Gui]. A diagnostic characteristic is that the 
     
     iegs of the Lesser Biack-backed Gui] are yeiiow, not fiesh-coiored, as they are 
     
     on the Great Biack-backed and Herring guiis. 
     
    

    
     Nhiie Lesser Biack-backed Guiis have been reported previousiy in North 
     
     America from the Atiantic provinces south to Fiorida, additiona] sightings are 
     
     unusua] and noteworthy. 
     
    
   
   
    
     CHRISTMAS ‘ MAMMAL COUNTS 
     
    
   
   
    
     Once again mammai counts were heid in conjunction with the annua] Christmas 
     
     Bird Counts. Unfortunateiy the iack of snow cover and iess ice than norma], 
     
     especia]iy on the first two counts, made it difficuit to detect anima] tracks and 
     
     other sign. Nevertheiess the foiiowing species were recorded. 
     
    
   
   
    
     P.E.I. Nationa] Park (Dec. 18, 1982) Hiiisborough Count (Dec. 27, 1982) 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     1 Harbour Sea] 1 sea] sp. 
     
     1 sea] sp. 1 Red Fox 
     
     6 Red Squirre] 6 Red Squirre] 
     
     'mouse' sign 1 Muskrat 
     
     1 'mouse‘ 
     
     Montague Count (Jan. 2, 1983) . 
     
     10 Harbour Sea] % caterp111ar ' 
     
     - pussyWiiiow 
     
    
   
   
    
     7 Grey Sea] 
     
    

    
     1 Snowshoe Hare (pius many tracks) 
     
     5 Red Squirrei (pius many tracks) 
     
     1 Muskrat 
     
    

    
     1 Nease] (tracks oniy) 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     |2~~