BIRD MONOGRAPHS: by Donald Wilkinson

COMIVION (RED) CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Order: PASSERIFORMES Species: 28-56-296 Family: EMBERIZIDAE - Buntings, Sparrows & Allies

Distribution: New England, Maritimes, S. Ontario, N. Illinois, SE Dakota south to Florida and Gulf Coast; also Central Texas, S. Arizona, to S. Mexico. Introduced to SW California, Hawaii, and Bermuda.

Nest: Loosely constructed cup nest of twigs, stems, leaves, fibers, lined with grass, rootlets, or hair. Located 5 to 10 ft above ground in shrubs, thickets, vines. Inhabits gardens and woodlands.

Eggs: 3 or 4; pale green, finely spotted red-brown and lavender.

Diet: Wild seeds, fruits, some insects; takes seed from feeders or tables.

Song: Loud melodius, "cheer-cheer-cheer", followed by a rapid "woight-woight-woight-woight". Calls are soft "tsip" and "pink" notes.

Size: 19 to 23 cm (7.5 to 9 inches).

Note: Also classified as Pyrrhuloxias cardinalis. Know as REDBIRD in Bermuda.

EARLY POLLEN RECORDS: By Kate MacQuarrie

For several years, I have operated a pollen sampling station in Hazelgrove for Aerobiology Research Labs in Ontario. I send daily samples to the lab, which identifies the type of pollen and calculates the number of pollen grains per cubic metre of air. Pollen started appearing very early this year and I thought other members, especially those with a love of plants, might be interested in the findings. The date is the first day pollen of each species was

recorded at my sample station. As pollen can travel quite some distance, there is no guarantee these are from local plants.

Alder: March 25th (first day the station operated, pollen was almost certainly around before this); 1999 was April 01 (first day of sampling).

Ash: March 29 (1999 was April 27)

Birch: March 29 (1999 was May 02)

Cedar/Juniper: March 27 (1999 was April 09) Club Mosses: April 10 (first year for counting these)

Elm: March 30 (did not appear in April or May 1999) Ferns: April 11 (1999 was May 09)

Hazelnut: April 01 (1999 was April 16)

Maple: March 28 (1999 was April 26)

Oak: March 29 (1999 was May 10)

Pine Family (Pine, fir, spruce): April 05 (1999 was May 1 1) Poplar: March 26 (1999 was April 06)

Willow: May 08 (1999 was April 26)

Because of the number of variables, it's hard to draw any conclusions other than there was more pollen around (and around earlier) this year than last.