NEWS AND NOTES

OCTOBER MEETING. The first fall meeting of the P.E.I. Natural History Society
will be held October 6, 1981 at 8:00 p.m. in Room 47 on the third floor of the
Provincial Health Building. The program will feature Edwin Knox who will show a
selection of slides from his travels this past summer. Highlighted will be the
alpine mwadows of the Rockies and beauty spots of P.E.I., including the Greenwich
sand dune system. Come and bring a friend!

GANNET WATCH. This is the time of year when gannets, both adults and immatures,

are flocking in the Northumberland Strait. If you are interested in gannet
watching, meet field trip leader Geoff Hogan at 9:15 a.m., Oct. 10th in front of
the YMCA in Charlottetown to catch the 10:40 ferry at Wood Islands. Cars will

be left at the terminal. Cost per passenger in $1.75 each way ($1.00 for children).
Birders will be returning at 12:15 on the next ferry from Caribou. Bring your

own lunch or purchase a snack on the ferry. Participants also have a chance to
sight seals and porpoises. This promises to be an interesting trip! For further
information contact Geoff Hogan at 892-4121 (ext. 170).

NEST RECORD CARDS. Members are reminded that nest record cards should be
forwarded to Margaret Mallett at 53 Fitzroy St., Charlottetown to be entered
in our competition. The closing date for entries has been extended to Oct. 15.

TYNE VALLEY FIELD TRIP REPORT. On June 13, eleven Natural History Society members
spent a very pleasant day in the Tyne Valley area. Guided by members from West
Prince, we roamed down tree shaded country roads, by bubbling brooks lined with
ostrich ferns, across open meadows alive with the tinkling- song of the bobolink,
and even through the rigours of a salt marsh. At mid day we stopped at Green
Park for a relaxing lunch beneath the birches. The weather was beautiful - plenty
of sun and just enough breeze to keep the bugs in hiding. Everywhere the country-
side was lush and green and growing. Warmest thanks to our hosts for a most
enjoyable day. We hope it will become an annual event.

Birds recorded during the day's outing were: Double-crested Cormorant, Great
Blue Heron, Teal sp.(?), Red-breasted Merganser, Osprey, American Kestrel, Ruffed
Grouse, Killdeer, Willet, Spotted Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Great Black-backed
Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Rock Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Common Flicker,
Eastern Kingbird, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Pewee, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Blue
Jay, American Crow, European Starling, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Black-
throated Green Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, House Sparrow, Bobolink, Red-winged
Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Purple
Finch, American Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow.

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* Folklore signs for cold stormy weather ahead: — *

7 -e-- Tree leaves fall late. ‘.
-..- Corn husks grow tight to the ear.

* --.-.- Thunderstorms occur in the fall. *

«-». Squirrels start to gather nuts in September.
---- Ant hills are built high.