BIRD MONOGRAPHS: by Donald Wilkinson 
     
    
   
   
    
     PINE GROSBEAK (Pinicola enucleator) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Order: PASSIFORMES SPECIES: 28-67-107 
     
     Family: FRINGILLIADAE — Canaries, Siskins, Finches 
     
     Distribution: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Northern latitudes of Europe and Asia, mainly Russia; also Northern 
     
     Canada and U.S.A., from Alaska and Yukon east to Newfoundland and the 
     
     Maritimes, south to the northern edge of Great Lakes; western mountains 
     
     from Washington to New Mexico. Winters to New Mexico, Kentucky and 
     
     Virginia. 
     
    

    
     Nest: A bulky, loose, open structure of twigs and roots, lined with grasses, 
     
     lichens, rabbit’s fur, in the crotch or on the branch of a spruce or fir 
     
     or shrub. Inhabits coniferous forests up to 3,300 m (10,000 ft), usually 
     
     near streams or ponds; edges of hay fields or pastures. Winters around 
     
     gardens, berry trees and fruit shrubs. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Eggs: 2 to 6; usually 4; blue-green or gray-green, spotted, speckled with 
     
     browns and greys. 
     
     Diet: Seeds of pine, larch, spruce and other conifers and deciduous trees; 
     
    
   
   
    
     various tree fruit; sunflower seeds, tree nuts; also grasshoppers, 
     
     beetles, flies and caterpillars. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Song: Short, clear, musical warbling "tee-tetew". The call notes a mellow, two 
     
     or three whistled song. Also has a flight song. 
     
    

    
     Size: 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 inches). 
     
    

    
     Note: This species is relatively uncommon at most Island feeders, even those 
     
    
   
   
    
     close to its forest haunts. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Hagar The Horrible 
     
    
   
   
    
     LOOK AT WT 5/27! 
     
     fia’aigfimga 5 
     
     MMHWJP/ 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     5:20 WATcHssé 
     
     TFNPTbLNE 
     
     IN1HEZOWH 
     
     HTTLEWosLa 
     
    
   
   
    
         
     
         
     
       
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
             
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     'ofi.’-.‘..;..........~‘ 
     
    
   
   
    
     '1 h i 
     
     . ml 
     
     THIRD ANNUAL AUTUMN BIRDING CLASSIC: J. Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     The early morning rising was greeted by silence as I left the house to 
     
     starlight skies, warmth, and no wind! An auspicious start to the Third Annual Autumn 
     
     Birding Classic to raise funds for the Island Nature Trust’s land management program. 
     
    

    
     By 04:30 hrs, the team of Linda Thomas, Roberta Palmer, and I was assembled and 
     
     sipping coffee while enroute to the Red Head Road near Morell for owl calls along the 
     
     area between Route 2 and the north 
     
     shore, a good area in the past. Our first stop yielded great conditions for playing 
     
     owl calls and obtaining responses. 
     
    

    
     The first bird recorded for the day was a 
     
     Northern Saw-whet Owl that called in response to 
     
     the owl tapes. It was heard by all members of the 
     
     team as it moved closer and was one of three heard 
     
     at that site. By dawn, we were two owling stops 
     
     into the day and, with the addition of a Barred Owl 
     
     and Great Horned Owl, we had obtained responses of 
     
     ‘ the three owls we expected. ‘ 
     
    

    
     This year, St. Peter's Bay failed to yield the tell tail silhouette of the 
     
     Great Blue Heron in the street lamps glare but they were at Souris. We passed by 
     
     Black Pond heading for the excitement elicited by what might be at East Point. 
     
     Birding often brings the unexpected and this day was no different. None of us had 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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