. Mountain while other data suggests stable 
     
    
   
   
    
     populations. 
     
    

    
     Merlin Most data suggests they are increasing 
     
     significantly. 
     
    

    
     Peregrine Falcon Significant increases since the 19705. 
     
    

    
     Owls: Few owl species are effectively monitored. 
     
    

    
     Great Horned Owls The Mixed Wood BBS showed no significant trend 
     
     but the CBC data showed significant increases. 
     
    

    
     Barred Owls Long term increase in the BBS Mixed Woods 
     
     surveys but show a short term decline. CBC 
     
     data suggests stable population. 
     
    

    
     Short-eared Owl The Prairie BBS shows a significant long-term 
     
     decline and CBC shows a continental decline 
     
    

    
     Screech Owls CBCs showed significant increases 
     
    

    
     Long-eared Owl CBCs showed a significant decline 
     
    
   
   
    
     (adapted from D.A Kirk, D. Hussell, and E. Dunn, Raptor population status and 
     
     trends in Canada in Birds Trends) 
     
    
   
   
    
     GUARDIAN ANGELS REQUIRED: Jackie Waddell 
     
    
   
   
    
     Piping Plovers are in decline in the Maritimes and increasing elsewhere 
     
     in their range. The Maritime population represents 10% of the world's 
     
     population which breeds entirely in North America. This species cannot 
     
     afford to lose any of its breeding birds. We have to protect what we have. 
     
    

    
     he Guardian program is the only support program available to these birds on 
     
     drince Edward Island outside the National Park. 
     
    

    
     This species is particularly 
     
     sensitive to disturbance during egg 
     
     laying and chick rearing. We must work 
     
     hard at reducing disturbance to these 
     
     birds, particularly at critical times. 
     
     Heavy disturbance times are the May and 
     
     July lst long weekends. We need more 
     
     guardians to help prevent disturbance on 
     
     beaches occupied by Piping Plover at 
     
     these times in particular as well as the 
     
     weekend following hatching when the 
     
     chicks are very young and must feed 
     
     almost constantly. Please mark the long 
     
     weekend dates in your calendar and 
     
     volunteer to make a guardian visit during 
     
     this time. 
     
    

    
     So, can you help? Will you ask a friend or friends to help? We need to 
     
     know in May where the birds are. Hence, we need people to check key breeding 
     
     areas on the Island. Once these beaches are identified, they must be posted 
     
     with signs and symbolic fencing to encourage beach goers to stay out of the 
     
     breeding area. Ben Hoteling has kindly offered to help Fish and Wildlife 
     
     staff get the signs out early this year. After that is accomplished, we need 
     
     volunteer guardians to visit the beach and ask people who approach a Piping 
     
     Plover breeding area to avoid entry. We provide training materials and a few 
     
     .iardians have volunteered to introduce new guardians to the beach access 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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