PIPING PLOVER NEWS: by Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     If you’re after a great review on the 
     
     status of the Piping Plover in Atlantic 
     
     Canada you should obtain a copy of the 
     
     latest Piping Plover Guardian Newsletter 
     
     Issue 2, Winter 1997/98 from the Island 
     
     Nature Trust. It has lots of information 
     
     on breeding success as well as the 
     
     situation across the region. Its a great 
     
     read. Congratulations Jackie! 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     HAZELBROOK.SIGHTINGS: by Janet Fraser 
     
    
   
   
    
     Birds sightings at our farm here in Hazelbrook are getting more 
     
     interesting each year as the trees and shrubbery mature. Nothing too 
     
     rare yet, but some very thrilling - the Sharp-shinned Hawk which sat 
     
     for 15 minutes in our crab apple tree by the feeder, just outside the 
     
     back window - visitations by flocks of young partridge each winter - a 
     
     single curlew in the stubble field at dusk — the fox who watches us cut 
     
     hay and disturb its mousy meals. 
     
    

    
     This winter I wrote things down. Jan. 1 - a flock of 80 to 100 
     
     redpolls; Jan. 3 — 9 Evening Grosbeaks; Jan. 11 — 5 Evening Grosbeaks; 
     
     Dec. ? - pair of White-winged Crossbills in a cedar outside the sunroom 
     
     - 3 ft awayl; Feb. 1 - 8 Black Ducks; Feb. 5 - 1 Bald Eagle; Feb. 9, 11 
     
     - 1 robin, eating barberry berries. 
     
    

    
     I shall leave unmentioned the more common bird feeder visitors. 
     
    

    
     We had ponds dug out by the DU people in 1996 autumn and are 
     
     looking forward to more water creatures this year. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Editors Note: This letter came in just in time to encourage plantings 
     
     for spring wildlife enhancement projects. The Forestry Division's J. 
     
     Frank Gaudet Nursery will again be cooperating with local nurseries to 
     
     make a wide variety of local tree seedlings available. Have you 
     
     considered some wildlife plantings? Contact your local nursery to see 
     
     what’s available. 
     
    
   
   
    
     NEWS FROM ABOUT: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Congratulations to the many volunteers and committed government 
     
     employees whose combined work achieved the completion of the 232nd km 
     
     of the Confederation Trail on the Island. The trail is now 2/3 
     
     complete and another 4 km are under construction! (excerpted from The 
     
     Trailing Edge #18) 
     
    

    
     Congratulations as well to Daryl Guignion and Bill Prescott who 
     
     were presented with Merit Awards for their work on behalf of wildlife 
     
     from the Atlantic Society of Fish and Wildlife Biologists at the annual 
     
     meeting in October (source K. MacQuarrie). 
     
    

    
     The Natural History Society was represented at the September 
     
     meeting of the Maritime Important Bird Areas program in Sackville. 
     
     This august group used a national rating system to evaluate the status 
     
    
   
   
    
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