white ash, black walnut, and some other species suggests that factors other than 
     
     genetics are probable causes. Whatever the cause, we the viewers can enjoy the 
     
     spectacle in the forest by closely viewing the bark for the telltale "eyes". 
     
     [adapted from Research Paper 117: Field Identification of Birdseye in 
     
     Sugar Maple by D.C. Bragg and D.D. Stokke of the USDA North Central 
     
     Forest Experiment Station]. 
     
    
   
   
    
     TEE ERIN BIRDA????: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Life in the field of birding and environmental conservation took another one of 
     
     the "corporate induced" twists recently. While researching the News from About 
     
     column for issue 140 of the Island Naturalist, I noticed an article in the Long Point 
     
     Bird Observatory Annual Report. LPBO applied for and, in 1994, received legal 
     
     trademark to the term "Birdathon". 
     
    

    
     The LPBO article indicated that they were the first group to use the term in 
     
     Canada with the development of the Baillie BIRDATHON in 1976. The Natural History 
     
     Society of Prince Edward Island has been conducting its Bain Birdathon since May, 
     
     1978. The quandary that we are now faced with is potentially renaming our event! 
     
     Suggestions are welcome, contact the editor (see inner cover). 
     
    
   
   
    
     A DARX AND STORM! DAY: by Sean Curley 
     
     A dark and stormy day 
     
     Late one day in May. 
     
     Lightning crashed 
     
     As trees thrashed. 
     
     claps of thunder, clouds of gray 
     
     All came in late that day. 
     
     Thunder and lightning all gave us a fright 
     
     Then another bolt of lightning cut off the power light.‘ 
     
     But we weren't scared when the wind blew 
     
     Cause we are safe when we’re with you. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ARGYLB SHORE FIRSTS: by Barbara Curley 
     
    
   
   
    
     Argyle shore, 8:45 a.m., March 26, 1996 
     
    
   
   
    
     The telltale ‘Whrrra Whrrr' or 'Pzzt Pzzt' song alerted me that there were 
     
     waxwings close by. I turned in my chair to look at the apple tree 20' outside my 
     
     window. It was full of fat grey apples, but these apples had PEI red clay coloured 
     
     linings on their tails and around their eyes. The brilliant yellow tail tips and 
     
     wing bars with a little red and white thrown in reminded me of Indian bead work. I 
     
     had been raking old apples from under the tree the day before and the waxwings were 
     
     devouring the remains. 
     
    

    
     In my past experience waxwings have come in small numbers 6—20 and only stayed 
     
     for a short period. These stayed for at least 13 minutes and I was able to count 75 
     
     as they sat plumped up facing into the southeast breeze. A passing truck startled 
     
     them and sadly they rushed off like a flock of snow buntings wheeling and dipping. 
     
     However, what a treat on a dull spring day. 
     
    

    
     9:15. They're back!, although this time they snuck up on me. No warning 
     
     'Whrrr Whrr' just right to the food and little time to waste perching in the tree. 
     
    

    
     Later: they returned several times that day. At times the ground looked alive 
     
     with birds. They’d lift and drop if startled 'as leaves that before the wind 
     
     hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky” (Night Before 
     
     Christmas), then return back to their meal. 
     
    

    
     Either they realized they had an appreciative audience or it was the best meal 
     
     they'd had in a long time or perhaps they were drunk on the fermented juice of the 
     
     apples.