this winter, (although New Brunswick did have twice as many siskins as in 
     
     1990-91). The deferences between years were evident in most provinces, not 
     
     just in the east as with Evening Grosbeak. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     L4 PURPLE FINCH EVENING GROSBEAK 
     
     l 2 I2 
     
     LO I0 
     
     0.8 e 
     
     as a 
     
     0.4 4 
     
     Q2 . 2 
     
     \ , . I . . . ._ _/——_ 
     
     \ _ _ _ — — -‘ I I I 
     
     u I u l t x *r I I I 1 
     
     AK BC ‘8 SK “3 ON PG N8 "5 AK BC ‘3 SK “3 ON PG N3 "5 
     
     Film 2. Avenue weekly msnho' of Purl: Finch at film 3- AW ("guy   
     
     mum. Sondmmmwz while m.” “ 5°“ m” 
     
     «newsmauulnom. . ameuuumaulmnsi 
     
    
   
   
    
     Goldfinch is yet another species whose main winter distribution is in 
     
     eastern Canada (Figure 4). It declined generally though the U.s., but 
     
     remained stable in Canada. As usual, the Maritimes had all the big numbers. 
     
    

    
     If participants from the east coast provinces know of special conditions 
     
     that might have caused finches to be so abundant there last winter, we would 
     
     really appreciate hearing of them. Was there a great cone crop in 1991, for 
     
     example? Or a wide spread outbreak of spruce budworm (or gypsy moth)? 
     
    

    
     Another bird more common in western Canada than in the east is Pine 
     
     Grosbeak. Like redpolls, these grosbeaks increased in central Canada and a 
     
     little in the east, while remaining at usual levels in Alberta and Alaska. 
     
     Changes were not nearly as marked as in redpolls however. 
     
    

    
     We recently had cause to estimate the effort put into Project 
     
     FeederWatch by Canadian volunteers. Assuming that each active participant 
     
     spends one hour on the survey each count period (a figure we suspect is 
     
     minimum), more than 3 person-years of effort are put into the project each 
     
     winter in Canada alone (more than 20 years continent wide)! This illustrates 
     
     the power of volunteer surveys to collect vast amounts of data over a broad 
     
     geographical area -- and underscores the debt we owe to you for your dedicated 
     
     observations. Keep up the good work! 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     AMERICAN BOLDFINCH COMMON REDPOLL 
     
     6 
     
     5 
     
     4 
     
     3 
     
     2 
     
     I 
     
     1 1-4;! I . 1 I 1 I v 1 l I I 
     
     AK ac AB SK ND ON PG N8 N5 AK sc AB 3K us on PO NS NS 
     
     Flu-:4. Amewutlymhuumfiolflinchsl Fug-e5. Average vealymwadew-I 
     
     mm SoidlheMIWI-9ZM mm Solidliieflmlfil-Dzwhilc 
     
     dulled Isle Mites: 1990-91. fished I'm: Misses 1990-9]. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Editor's Note: You can participate in Project Feederwatch by sending your 
     
     membership fee of $16 to Project FeederWatch, Long Point Bird Observatory, 
     
     P.o. Box 160, Port Rowan, Ontario L4G 281. 
     
    
   
   
    
     - 4 -