December 4: Scott Makepeace will speak on the Use of Prince Edward Island 
     
     ForeStzfiébfitats by Birds at the Natural History Society's monthly meeting. 
     
     The meeting will start at 7:30 P.M. at the Farm Centre on University 
     
     Avenue;¥ Members and guests are welcome. 
     
    

    
     December TGEL The‘Natural History Society will sponsor the National Park 
     
     Christmas Bird Count. (refer to the article in the newsletter). 
     
    

    
     December 26: The Hillsborough Christmas Bird Count will be sponsored by the 
     
     Society. (refer to the article in this newsletter). 
     
    

    
     December 29: The Montague Fun count will be hosted by the Society. For further 
     
     infbrmation refer to the enclosed article. 
     
    

    
     January 8: Louise Nootton will be the guest speaker at the Annual Meeting of 
     
     the-Natural History Society. She will show slides and speak on "The 
     
     Exploration of Hydrothermal Vents and Other British Columbia Undersea 
     
     Adventures“. Ann Nootton described these vents in terms of tiny underwater 
     
     volcanoes. 
     
    
   
   
    
     PROJECT'FEEDERNATCH Erica H. Dunn, Coordinator 
     
    
   
   
    
     ~For folks who feed birds, hordes of hungry finches certainly put a dent in 
     
     pocketbooks last winter. According to Project Feederwatch, a continent wide 
     
     survey of birds at backyard feeders, one of the biggest seed guzzlers was the 
     
     Pine Siskin. This "boom-or-bust" species periodically leaves the boreal forests 
     
     of Canada to”invade the southern United States in spectacular numbers, and the 
     
     winter of 1989-90 was definitely one of the boom years. Siskins were reported 
     
     at 64% of feeders across the continent, compared with only 30% of feeders the 
     
     winter before.“ Red-breasted Nuthatches joined the invading finches; 
     
     Feederwatchers reported twice as many as the previous winter. Pine Grosbeaks 
     
     and Commeanedpolls also visited feeders in large numbers, mainly in northern 
     
     regions, while Purple Finches were abundant in the south. 
     
    

    
     _ What causes the periodic, dramatic increases in feeder visits from finches 
     
     and nuthatches? The answer in a nutshell: they're searching for food. In the 
     
     wild, these birds eat seeds —— not garden-variety sunflower or niger, but the 
     
     seeds of trees, especially conifers such as spruce and fir. Conifers produce a 
     
     bumper seed crop every few years and a paltry supply in the intervening ones. 
     
     Scientists speculate that this pattern represents a clever reproductive 
     
     strategy for the trees —- in the "off" years, pickings are slim for seed-eating 
     
     animals. ~They‘haVe few offspring and their numbers remain low. Then, in a good 
     
     year, the seed eaters are overwhelmed. They can't possibly gobble up all the 
     
     seeds produced, and as a result, the seeds are left lying around to germinate 
     
     and grow. 
     
    

    
     ’ The significance to bird watchers? During a year of plenty, more birds 
     
     have babies and more babies survive. The following year, when seeds are scarce, 
     
     may young birds head south and end up perched on well-stocked feeders. 
     
    

    
     The 1990-91 season begins soon. From November through April, Feederwatch 
     
     participants will observe their feeders on one or two days every two weeks. 
     
     They'll record their sightings on computer-readable forms, so that the results 
     
     can be compiled and analysed quickly at the Lab of Ornithology. After sending 
     
     their data to the lab they'll read about results in Feederwatch News, a 
     
     twice-yearly newsletter that provides midseason and annual summaries and 
     
     population analyses. Feederwatch News also includes tips on feeding birds, 
     
     reports of unusual and amusing sightings, and information on the behavior and 
     
     ecology of common feeder species. 
     
    

    
     If you can accurately identify the birds at your feeders, you're invited 
     
     to join Project Feederwatch for the 1990-91 season. A $12 subscription fee 
     
    
   
   
    
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