its rare status. It is a tall, somewhat hairy plant, with three wide lance-shaped leaflets and small white flowers.

Unfortunately, the three new provincial records are not native to PEI. This is not really surprising, as it is known that of all the plant species present on the Island (more than 1,000 of them), about 34% are not native.

Both Pink Honeysuckle and European Fly Honeysuckle (pictured below) are stout, erect shrubs that usually grow 8-10 feet in height. Their leaves are simple and opposite, and the flowers (seen in May) are generally white. The dark red berries ripen in August. The most easily observed difference between the two is the amount of fine hair covering the leaves of the European variety. Both of these plants were imported and both were found next to the Green Gables golf course in Cavendish. It will be the Trust’s recommendation that Parks Canada initiate control measures for these two species, as they can spread rapidly and interfere with natural vegetation and habitats.

Oak Leaved Mountain Ash is a cross between European White Beam (S. aria) and the more familiar European Mountain Ash (S. Aucuparia), or Rowan. The leaves are usually lobed and they narrow to a distinctive point at the tip. (Imagine a cross between a red oak and an apple.) The fruits are smaller and a darker red than the Mountain Ash, and its form appears more rounded.

The project will continue through the summer of 2002, and will include different habitats not yet studied, such as primary, secondary and tertiary dune structures (extreme care will be taken not to disturb the dunes themselves) as well as other coastal vegetation communities. This combined survey data will provide a definitive list for the area, and enable comparisons to be made among other Trust studies (e.g. Greenwich) in addition to providing a solid base for further research at Cavendish.

LUKE“ mosrrm

2001 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS: Compiled by Dan McAskill and Gary Schneider

Much has changed in North America since omithologist Frank Chapman and 27 friends first started the Christmas Birds Counts in 1900. A few years later, Islanders conducted a count in the Charlottetown area. This year marks the 3lst consecutive year that Island birders participated in the Audubon Christmas Bird Counts. Their efforts are combined with those of about 50,000 others who participate in some 1,800 registered counts throughout North America, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Their combined efforts over the past 101 years have created one of the longest running records in North America of the overall health of our environment. This data base is now accessible on line, simply go to www.birdsource.org and click your way to the results.

For many participants, Christmas Bird Counts are an annual tradition. It allows them to spend time with both feathered friends and fellow birders while enjoying a days outing and contributing to the monitoring of North American winter bird populations. This year, Vernon Laux organized a fourth Island count encompassing the area from East Point to the outskirts of Souris.

During the Island’s 2001 CBCs, owl surveys were conducted in the East Point andPEI. National Park counts. The unseasonably warm weather meant most water was open for the first three counts with the balmy conditions making clay roads almost impassable with mud during the East Point count. Notable sightings during the four

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