Despite the weather, we were able to hear both the Northern Saw-whet Owl and 
     
     the Barred Owl near Morell. Souris Causeway was alive with waterfowl, gulls, and a 
     
     few shorebirds and herons. Black Pond brought the first high light of the day with a 
     
     group of Hooded Mergansers being sighted as soon as we stopped. Two of the bird were 
     
     drakes in full plumage and they are spectacular looking birds. East Point brought 
     
     the next rarity with two light brown sea ducks with well marked feather edges drawing 
     
     our scrutiny and making us resort to the field guides that we had brought along. The 
     
     eider profile and shape of the bill combined with a line above the eye and the 
     
     distinct feather edges brought us to the conclusion that we had two first year King 
     
     Eiders riding the swells in the relative calm near the north side of the cliffs. An 
     
     approach to the woods brought a blue grey flash of colour and the upturned tail of 
     
     first one Blue-grey Gnatcatcher and then four others as they responded to our 
     
     spishing, coming as close as 15 feet. 
     
    

    
     Many stops were made for woodland and marsh birds but it was a poor day for 
     
     these groups. Kinglets, chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warblers were every where. 
     
     Black Ducks were very common as were Great Black-backed, Herring, and Ring-billed 
     
     Gulls. Shorebirds were more difficult with a few small groups being found in several 
     
     areas. A wonderful sighting of a Sharp-tailed Grouse in East Cable Head and the 
     
     spectacular colours of a drake Wood Duck added to the days memories. An excursion 
     
     down the Greenwich Peninsula did not yield the Short-eared Owls that had been 
     
     reported but did bring the first good sized group of robins for the day and a 
     
     Mourning Warbler skulking in the lower shrubbery near some blowdowns. 
     
    

    
     Our journey through St. Andrews and Donaldston were unremarkable but John 
     
     Archies yielded an Eared Grebe and our final stop beside Covehead Bridge brought 
     
     Caspian Terns and White-rumped Sandpipers as the setting sun turned the dark clouds 
     
     crimson to draw this new day of birding to a close with 81 species. 
     
    

    
     The species recorded during the day were as follows: Eared Grebe, Pied—billed 
     
     Grebe, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, 
     
     Canada Goose, Mallard, American Black Duck, Gadwell, Northern Pintail, Green-winged 
     
     Teal, Blue—winged Teal, American Widgeon, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Common 
     
     Goldeneye, Oldsquaw, Common Eider, King Eider, White—winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, 
     
     Black Scoter, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Sharp— 
     
     shinned Hawk, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Merlin, American Kestrel, Sharp-tailed 
     
     Grouse, Semipalmated Plover, Lesser Golden Plover, Black—bellied Plover, Common 
     
     Snipe, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped 
     
     Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sanderling, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, 
     
     Ring—billed Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Common Tern, Caspian Tern, Rock Dove, Mourning 
     
     Dove, Barred Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Hairy 
     
     Woodpecker, Horned Lark, Gray Jay, Blue Jay, Common Raven, American Crow, Black- 
     
     capped Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Golden— 
     
     crowned Kinglet, Ruby—crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, European 
     
     Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, House 
     
     Sparrow, Red—winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Savannah Sparrow, 
     
     Northern Junco, Chipping Sparrow, White—throated Sparrow, and Song Sparrow. 
     
    
   
   
    
     NEWS FROM ABOUT: Compiled by J. Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     Since 1978 the Baillie Memorial Fund for Bird Research has provided over 
     
     $300,000 in grants to some 273 projects. These projects contributed to the study and 
     
     preservation of Canadian birds and their habitats. The grants range from $200 to 
     
     $3,000. The next deadline is January 25th. Contact the Secretary, James L. Baillie