NEWSLETTER NO. 21 February 1977 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     NEXT MEETINGS 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Dates: Tuesday, February 1; Tuesday, March 1, 1977 
     
     Time: 7:30 P.M. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF TIME 
     
     Place: Provincial Health Building, 3rd Floor, Room 47. 
     
     Enter through garage at west side of Prov. Admin. Bldg. 
     
     Program: February 1 - Two films will be shown: "The New Alchemists" 
     
    
   
   
    
     and "Innovation in Design in Canadian Settlements". 
     
     ANNOUNCEMENTS 
     
    
   
   
    
     MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE DUE AGAIN. 1977 Membership rates: Individual, 
     
     $3.00; Family, $4.00; Student, $1.00. Please make cheques payable 
     
     to the Natural History Society of P.E.I., c/o Miss Margaret Mallett, 
     
     53 Fitzroy Street, Charlottetown, P.E.I. ClA 1R4. 
     
    
   
   
    
     PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION for 1976 slides taken on P.E.I. There are 
     
     three categories: Plant slides, Animal slides (including birds), and 
     
     'Slide series of 3 to 5 slides that tell a nature story. For Junior 
     
     Naturalists, there is a competition for the best slide or print. All 
     
     entries must be submitted by March 1, 1977. IMPORTANT: Be sure all 
     
     'slides are spotted in the lower left corner. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. People interested in taking the "Plants and Wild- 
     
     life on P.E.I." course offered by the Natural History Society may 
     
     enroll at the Cornwall Community School on Wednesday night or at 
     
     Belfast on Thursday. Two or three nature talks will be given in the 
     
     "Irish Stew" program offered by the Charlottetown Rural on Wednesday. 
     
    
   
   
    
     EARLE HICKEY JR. is our society's representative on the Environmental 
     
     Advisory Council, replacing Betsy McArthur who has left P.E.I. 
     
    
   
   
    
     NOTES 
     
    
   
   
    
     BIRD SIGHTINGS. Harry Morris, Lewis Point, reported Red-win ed Black— 
     
     birds-—two male and two female—-at his feeder on January 3 and also 20 
     
     Common Grackles. They were not enjoying the cold weather. The 
     
     congregation of 15 Robins seen there December 21 did not return. 
     
     Richard Davies, West Covehead, reported one pair of Red polls at his 
     
     feeder from January 15-17. 
     
    
   
   
    
     THE MOUNT HERBERT KINGFISHER came up missing on the Hillsborough Christ- 
     
     mas Bird Count. Three times the counters came by and stopped, looked, 
     
     and listened, but there was only disappointing silence. In 1974 and 
     
     1975 he had checked in for an unusual sighting. 
     
    
   
   
    
     RED RIBBON ON BIRD FEEDER ATTRACTS BIRDS. A lady phoned that she put 
     
     up a bird feeder, but the first three days, nary a bird. Then, acting 
     
     on a tip, she tied a red ribbon to the feeder. Presto! Birds the 
     
     first day, including Evening Grosbeaks. 
     
    
   
   
    
     AT THE JANUARY 1977 MEETING members were asking how to attract robins 
     
    

    
     to their feeders. Wylie Barrett of New Dominion fed grapes to a robin 
     
     by placing them on nails at a feeder. The robin is an opportunist 
     
    

    
     and when it forages, it will choose the most plentiful source of food 
     
     (insects, worms, fruit or seeds). So if a robin is ignoring your feeder, 
     
     its probably because it has a well stacked larder elsewhere.