A RECORD NUMBER OF SPECIES 
     
    
   
   
    
     BY ROSEMARY CURLEY 
     
    
   
   
    
     A record number of 45 species was recorded on the December 21, 1985 Prince 
     
     Edward Island Bird Count. Highlighting the line—up was a short-eared owl 
     
     sighted at 12:45 p.nn by'Paul and Elsebeth Olshefsky on the Stanhope Road about 
     
     a mile west of the Dalvay entrance to the park. This is the first record of 
     
    
   
   
    
     this species on any P.E.I. count. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Ifigh Nmflxus oflkflmnuanVEmwimmh.Gray 
     
    
   
   
    
     Pertrhkfin ReidumasuaiNUUEHImes,Iapbmtilongqgns amifihihswdnged 
     
     crossbills were also recorded, while sightings of water birds such as Canada 
     
     Geafiawere huh dme to a:flxxtage of<xxulwater. The chmnnxacfi the smfitary 
     
     landfill filEast Rmfiflty same to manaatfecuaithe nmdxns ofqnfllszhzthe 
     
    
   
   
    
     area,andinmy hmvnmflxmsvmne naamimd. 
     
    
   
   
    
     TEmperatures were cool (-19 to -8 o C), but the stillness of the day 
     
     facilitated identification through both sight and sound. Twenty observers 
     
    
   
   
    
     recorded 45 species and 3839 individual birds. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Great Blue Heron - l 
     
     CundaCknse-—4 
     
     ‘AmerhanlBlaCKImxk - 178 
     
     OhinnaM-12 
     
    

    
     Sui Sxmer-1 
     
     “binsmumfifl,axXBr-l 
     
     CanmxiGohkamwe-166 
     
     EnmowfisGohmamwe-SO 
     
     Camnnbkmgnmer-69 
     
     RalbnfisuaIMagamfix-l 
     
     RutheniGoQEmk-l 
     
     Reddzuledikmm-2 
     
     lkmgh-hxgedikmm.— 1 
     
     Grayimmiridge-96 
     
     :mfifaicnmmei-4 
     
     Harring<afll - 28 
     
     Gnafirtdafl:8ad«¥iGflLL-43 
     
     kaIXNe-118 
     
    

    
     Munnfing Dmne- 10 
     
     fixmtqaued<mfl-l 
     
     Beltedlfingfisher-l 
     
     Dwmylkndgxker-—5 
     
     murkanmx$d«5‘-5 
     
     mnmedlark-58 
     
    

    
     Blue Jay - 187 
     
    

    
     American Crow - 509 
     
    
   
   
    
     The breakdown is as follows: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Common raven - 59 
     
     Black-capped Chickadee - 95 
     
     Boreal Chickadee - 5 
     
     Red-breasted nuthatch - 15 
     
     Golden-crowned kinglet - 7 
     
     Bohemian waxwing - 60 
     
     European starling - 630 
     
     Song sparrow - 2 
     
     White-throated sparrow - 1 
     
     Northern junco — 18 
     
    

    
     Lapland longspur - 135 
     
    

    
     Snow bunting - 477 
     
     Brown-headed cowbird - 1 
     
     Pine grosbeak - 9 
     
    

    
     Purple finch - 11 
     
     White—winged crossbill - 30 
     
     American goldfinch - 1 
     
     Evening grosbeak — 79 
     
    

    
     House sparrow - 662 
     
    
   
   
    
     Following the count, many of the enthusiastic birders repaired to the Synnes 
     
     household in Bonshaw where food and prizes were distributed. The prizes were 
     
     just one feature of the National Parks Centennial Celebration, and a welccne 
     
     addition to the count, which has been held in the park and surrounding areas 
     
     since 1972. P.E.I. National Park Operations Manager, Robert MacNeill, was on 
     
     hand to reward the following crews for their diligence: