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NEWSLETTER NO. 28

JANUARY 1978

NEXT MEETING

Time: 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 1978.

Place: Provincial Health Building, 3rd Floor, Room 47

Program: This is the annual meeting. Following the business, David Carins will give his presentation entitled, "Seabird Surrender". The seabird colonies of the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence have been fighting for their lives for 150 years. It looks now as if they just might lose. ’

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nominations

The following people have been nominated for the 1978 NHS executive

President — Winston Johnston Vice President.- T.B.A. Secretary—Treasurer - Margaret Mallett Assis. Secretary-Treasurer — Helen Duffy Directors — Mary Willms Andre Lavoie Newsletter Editor - Kathy Martin

Lorna Knox) Nomination Rosemary Curley) Committee

Membership Dues

Your 1978 membership dues should be paid at the January meeting or as soon as possible.

Fees - Regular — $3.00 Family - $4.00 Student - $1.00

An Uncommon Wealth of Long-Eared Owls

There appears to have been an influx of Long—eared Owls here recently. Keith Burhoe reported on Dec. 20th that one had taken up residence in his yard in Bunbury, and in addition four fatalities were received by the Fish and Wildlife Division between Dec. 11 and Dec. 19, 1977 from North Granville and Charlottetown. The Specimens which were examined were both in extremely poor physical condition. Possibly a food shortage in the northern coniferous forest is forcing the owls further south.

Congregations of Long-eared Owls have also been reported in Nova Scotia. Al Godfrey of Marshfield saw 7 in one alder swale in Canard, Kings Co. on Dec. 2 and George Boyd (N.S. Dept. of Lands and Forests) saw 14 in one tree in the same area about a week earlier.

Long-eared Owls are sighted occasionally (1-9 birds per decade) on P.E.I. and there is only one nesting record (from Rustico Island) included in the Maritime Nest Records Scheme.

For further information on the general biology of Long-eared Owls consult: The Birds of Canada by Earle Godfrey, 1966.

— Rosemary Curley Fish and Wildlife Division