1976 HILLSBOROUGH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 
     
    
   
   
    
     It was pouring rain near the time some counters should have been getting 
     
     on the road on December 27th. The count was postponed until December 28th 
     
     which was sunny all day but fairly cold. Travelling was excellent — 
     
    

    
     but no skiing or snowshoeing this time. The count area was a lS-mile— 
     
     diameter circle centered just east of Governor's Island and passing 
     
     through Bunbury, Mt. Herbert, Mt. Albion, Vernon, Eldon, Fairview and 
     
     including the Prim Point Peninsula, Earnscliffe Peninsula, Rocky Pt. 
     
     Peninsula, St. Peter's Island and Charlottetown wharf area. 
     
    
   
   
    
     There were 12 observers-—9 in 5 parties and 3 at feeders. The following 
     
     counters spent an eight-hour day in the open: Anna Cairns, David K. 
     
     Cairns (Compiler), Winnifred L. Cairns, Roy Horton, Margaret Mallett, 
     
     Dave Smith, Paul Smith, Mary Willms, John Wright. 
     
    
   
   
    
     COUNT 
     
     Cormorant 2 Downy Woodpecker 6 
     
     Great Blue Heron 1 Blue Jay 51 
     
     Black Duck 171 Common Raven 11 
     
     Common Goldeneye 895 Common Crow 432 
     
     Barrow's Goldeneye ' 35 Black-capped Chickadee 76 
     
     Oldsquaw 65 Boreal (Brown-capped) Chickadee 35 
     
     White-winged Scoter 1 Robin 1 
     
     Common Merganser 182 Golden—crowned Kinglet 2 
     
     Red—breasted Merganser 14 Common Starling _ 197 
     
     Bald Eagle (adult) 1 Yellow—rumped (Myrtle) Warbler 3 
     
     Ruffed Grouse (Partridge) 2 House (English) Sparrow 433 
     
     Ring-necked Pheasant 2 Evening Grosbeak 15 
     
     Gray Partridge 14 Common Redpoll 4 
     
     Iceland Gull 1 American Goldfinch 12 
     
     Great Black-backed Gull 506 Darkeyed (Slate—colored) Junco l4 
     
     Herring Gull 509 Tree Sparrow 1 
     
     Rock Dove (Pigeon) 90 White—throated Sparrow 8 
     
     Mourning Dove 2 Song Sparrow l 
     
     Hairy Woodpecker 1 Snow Bunting 110 
     
    
   
   
    
     Total Species 38; total individuals 3906 
     
    
   
   
    
     1977 Christmas Bird Counts in P.E.I. National Park Area and Hillsborough 
     
     Area will both be planned together to minimize long distance telephone 
     
     calls. Counters should get their names in as soon as it appears that 
     
     they will be available. It remains to be verified, but December 17, 1977 
     
     to January 2, 1978 would appear to be the logical count period, with 
     
     December 17th or 19th the likely date for the National Park area count. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     INTERPRETING THE 1976 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT 
     
    
   
   
    
     In the Guardian January 4, 1977, a report appeared of the Christmas 
     
    

    
     Bird Count conducted by the P.E.I. Natural History Society. This report 
     
     must have been of great interest to nature lovers all over the pro- 
     
     vince, especially to the growing number of citizens who maintain bird 
     
     ‘feeding stations. 
     
    
   
   
    
     It is possible that some people were a bit confused by some of the 
     
    

    
     names used. These names are approved by the "American Orithological 
     
     Union" but for many of us other names are more familiar. For example, 
     
     "Gray Partridge" are much better known as "Hungarian Partridge". Other 
     
     examples include "Dark—eyed Junco" usually referred to as "Slate—colored 
     
     Junco", "House Sparrow" is more commonly known as "English Sparrow". 
     
    

    
     How many of us would recognize "Rock Dove" as our common "Pigeon"? 
     
    

    
     "Pink Grosbeak", of course, was a printing error and obviously referred 
     
     to "Pine Grosbeak".