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NEWFOUNDLAND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

THE

OSPREY Vol. 5 No.2 April 1974

Floeculou8 Snippets ••••••••••••••••••••••• 22 Bug M08 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 Monthly Report •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 25 Birding on the Cape Shore ••••••••••••••••• 27 Letter to tbe Editor •••••••••••••••••••••• 31 Brie!: St. John's Urban Region Stud1 •••••• 32 Nature Sketch ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 35 Organizations ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 36 Bird Notes •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 37

April H •• ting

Oapreys in Labrador 8: 15 p ••• Thursday, 18 Apr1l, Coughlan College

THE NEWFOUNDLAND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

P. O. Bos 1013

President Past- president Vice-president Treasure r Secretary

OrJinary Members

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

The Executive for 19'14 - 72

Peter Scott Joan Scot t Ruth Haunder P.D.P. Smith Claire Neville-StI'ith

Charles Javis /·.arlene Hooper Charles Hon:ood Tom Northcott i)onna rodd

75',-1)2~

7,5-~92J 726-602~ ;79-0912 722-2679

b9~-6q?9 7»-4),4 579-6,~j 5?('-42~~ 726- 0 191

~ditor of thp, Osprey John H.aunder 726-{ d2~ Editorial Addrpss 7 \1aypark Place, St . John's, ,:fld .

Meetings for 1974 - 1975

April 18 - Steve Wetmore - The Osprey in Newfoundland. May 16 - Ray Morris - Newfoundland Butterflies nnd Moth!'!. June 20 - Bernard Jackson - Nature Photography. Ju ly 18 - Pat L..'lta - Survival in the Woods. August 11 - Dennis Minty - Combined talk & field trip to the Salmonier

Wildlife Park September 19 - Guy Brassard - Mosses and Liverworts of Newfoundland. October 17 - speaker not confirmed November 21 - Fred Pollett - Ecomaps (tentative title). December 12 - Ed Ralph - Reminiscence of a Trip (tentative title).

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Notice

of the

liay loleet ing

of' the

The Newfoundland Naturel H.istory Soclet)r

The speaker this month will be I .. r . Ray Morrie

of the &.xperlmental Farm, t..ount Peerl.

He w1 11 be speak1ng on Newfoundland ll. othe

and Butterflies .

Date May 16

Tim. 8 :15PM

in the Audi torlum ot

the Coughlan CO llege

Re:freshmenta will be served

All are welcome

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Subscription t o the Natural History Society of Newfoundland P.O. Box 1013, St. John's

(o r Pr l')f . r . lJ . P. Smith, Physics . I-: . U. N., if more convenient )

Famtly ITIt'lnbers hJp .. Juninr membership (J6 .tnd under) . Studen t tTl('mbershjp •..••.. . . ...•.. CorrespondlnA membershIp (residen t ove r 50 miles from St. John's)

$5 . 00 1.00 2.00 2.00

Name ___ __ _ Telcphone Numbe r _______ _

Address _________________________ _

M.U.N. Address, if applicable

April Heeting

The next lIeeting or the Society will be held on April 18 in the Coughlan College Auditorium, St. John'., at I:S: 15 pm • Mr . Steve 'Netmore or the Provincia.! Wildlife Service will apeak to us about "Ospreys in Labrador".

Steve haa worked allover North America on a variety or wildlife species, and has published articles on lynx, coyote, waterrowl , bal d eagles, osprey, and caribou. He has apent 4t years a8 Regional Provincial Biologiat in Labrador, working on caribou, waterrowl, and osprey ••

All in all , it should prove to be a very intereating even ing . So cOllie a long. Bring a friend. And learn something about a very interesting and noble bird. Arter all, it's the SYlibol of your Society I See you there.

FIELD TRIP 1 FIELD TRIP 1

There will be a tield trip along the Cape Shore on Hay 5 (Sunday) if weather permits. stops will be lIlade along tbe roa d at good seabird lookouts, and the trip w111 hopefully end at Cape St . Mary'S. Botanists and otbers need not despair; there will be lots for everyone to see. A wonderrul time ahould be had by all . It you are interested, please call John Maunder at 726 .. 6821:S . Some spaces in cars will probably be available. Shake out the cobweba. It's Spring I

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Field Trip!'! for 1!)74

(Tentati ve L1at)

M:'ly !j - Cnpc Shore llirds - Cape St. Mary's - John Maunder May 21) - LaManche P:'lrk - Spring Warblers and Plnnts - Peter Scott June 23 - Nature Photography - Bernard Jnckson June 29 - July I - Terra Nova National Park - camping July 21 - Maritimes Shorebirds' Survey - Special Project July 28 - LaManche Park - canoeing August 4 - Mal'itimes Shorebi rds' Survey - Special Project August II - Saimonier Wildlife Park - Dennis Minty August 18 - Maritimes Shorebirds' Survey - Special Project September 1 _ 11

September 15 - " September 22 - Coli not Park - Mosses and Liverworts - Guy Brassard September ~9 - Maritimes Shorebirds' Survey - Special Project (ktoil(>r I :~ -

Flosculous Snippets

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The sunmer is not all that far off, believe it or not, and my e thoughts, of late, have turned to the Low CUdweed. I am not as enthusiastic about weeding the garden as I might be, but when I do I do not find this plant to be obnoxious in any w~. The Low CUdweed is a permanent visitor from Eurasia . Its latin name, Gnaphalium uliqinosum L., is qui te appropriate - Gnaphalium is from the Greek, gnaphallon, which means ' lock of wool' . Uliginosum means 'growing in marshes'.

Low Cudweed is a wooly, branched annual which grows in disturbed areas which are usually moist in Newfoundland - roadsides, parking lots, gravelly areas, and - yes - gardens. The whole plant is rarely ove r 3- 4" high and the green of the leaves is barely discernable as they are covered with dense white ' wool '. The stems seem to be wrapped with cotton wool. 1\s an accent for all this white there are the brown 'centres' of the flowers.

Please look down while on a walk this swrmer and admire my little fnend. I first met him - or it , I should say - by the wharf in Witless Bay. Who knows? You may meet the CUdweed for the first time in an equally lovely spot.

Peter J. Scott •

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• Low Cudweed (Gnaphal1um u11g1n08UIII)

BUXBAUMIA -- THE "BUG MOSS"

Buxbaum ia is one oC the oddities of the moss world. It looks like .... nything but a moss since no leafy green shoots are produced, and the only visible part is the large "bug-like" capsule or spore case. Although Buxbaumia is a rare moss almost everywhere it occurs; here in Newfoundland one species, Buxbaumia ~ (meaning "leafless"), is abWldant and widespread in the southeastern part of the island . In contrast to most mosses,~ ~ has many common names : Bug Moss, Shoe Moss , Torchbearer Moss, Bug - on - a-Stick, and a number of others.

Those interested in Newfoundland plants ought to keep an ey~ out for this unusual moss. It is abundant on the Avalon Peninsula in dry and barren heaths, especially those where Kalmia anqustifolia (Sheep Laurel) dominates the vegetation. One good locality is on the Bauline Line, just across the road from the garbage dump. The ross produces the odd-looking capsules in the autumn, but they overwinter and mature only in the spring. The best time to look for the moss is in late April or early May, when the very shiny, brown capsules are at their largest . It does take some time to find the plants (on your hands and knees!) since they are only about one centimeter (less than half an inch) tall. In the heaths they occur on dark humus. The mature capsules are asymmetrical (lopsided) on top of a narrow roughened stalk (see illustration).

Buxbaumia aphylla is known from the southeast part of the island (shaded area) and west coast (two dots)

stalk~ .

side view

BUXBAUMIA APHYLLA (x8)

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I would be interested in learning of new lac ali ties for this moss in central and western Newfoundland . As you can see from the sketch map there are only two records from the west coast (near the sUImlit of Gros Morne , and about 5 miles northeast of Coal Brook, St. Georges District) and no other records west of Gamba. Amateur botanists in central or western Newfoundland should look for Buxbawnia in heaths or along trails in forests. The moss can be preserved merely by drying in air, and I would be glad to obtain specimens from any localities outside the Avalon. Specimens can be sent to me, c/o Dept. of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's.

Guy R. Brassard

Monthly Report

National Wildlife Week

National Wildlife Week - 1974 is April 8-13 this year. The . theme is preservation of the wetland habitat. Wetlands are low areas

which are covered by shallow water either permanently or temporarily . They would include bogs, marshes, wet meadows. swamps, and deltas . Wetlands are very important in preserving ground water, helping to regulate stream flow , as a water storage area, and so on . They contain a large diversity of plants and animals and they serve as a breeding place for waterfowl and shorebirds. When wetlands have been drained they have caused a lot of damage - the water-table has been lowered, there has been flooding and a large amount of wildlife has been destroyed. Examples of this are provided by the Pas Reclamation Project in Manitoba and the Bennett Dam.

Sloughs and ponds are very important in western Canada. Dr. J . B. Gallop of the Canadian Wildlife Service has calculated that there are nearly 4,000,000 prairie ponds. They only make up 10\ of the waterfowl breeding area of North America, but they produce half of the ducks hatched each year. Closer to home, we see that the bogs of Newfoundland produce large numbers of Snipe each year.

Salt marshes lie close to the beginning of our fish stocks. They make up an important part of the food chain of gulfs and estuaries. It has been estimated that 32\ of the original Spartina marshes of the St. Lawrence has been eliminated or changed dramatically by industrial development and agricultural reclamation projects.

These areas need to be preserved. How are the wetlands of your area?

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MantllllC Shorebird Survey

Dr. R.I.G . Morrison of the Canadian Wildlife Service has replied to a request for more information about the Maritimes Shorebird Survey which is l.ntended for this summer. "Participants. .. would be asked to adopt a • study area' and carry out a thor ough count of the shorebirds there wi thin two hours of high t i de on each census date." The principal survey dates are July 21, August 4 and 18, September 1, 15 and 29, and October 13. High tide occurs a r ound mid-morning for many areas.

If you would like to help in this survey, please write the Society (arldresR on cover) and we will send you a copy of a pamphlet and qucstl.onnaire which we received from Dr. Morrison. He is willing to provl.dc maps of the study ar ea whi ch you are covering. If you have any reports of Purple Sandpipers , he i s particularly interested in receiving these.

It is hoped that as many people as possible will help. espeCl.ally our corresponding member s who may feel left out at times. Here is an opportunity to parti cipate.

Endangered Red Pine Stand - Near Gambo

An alarming situation has come to our attention and the Executl.ve is notifying the proper authorities about our concern.

The' Red Pine, Pinus r esinosa Ait., is the rarer of our two native Pines . There are~orsevensmall stands of this tree reported for the entire island. Only two of these are along the Trans-Canada Highway. The one by Birchy Lake i s gone save for a few last str aggler s. The other stand is what concer ns us now. It is found partly on 'Pine Acres' farm and partly across t he hi ghway. The report of the International Biological Progranvne recommended that this area be protected. Jl.pparently an individual has been given r i ghts to collect sand from the site of t he Red Pine stand .

IS this area protected or not? It is hoped that it is and that there has merely been a slip on someone ' s part. We will continue to search for other endangered p l ants and animals. We will also try to get a list of protected areas and plants and animals and sea-bird islands . etc.

Maybe next nonth I can report of Spring- like happenings!

Peter J. Scott

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Blrdln« on the Cape Shore

For naturalist., photosrapbera, and touriat. alike, the rugged and Beenie 'Capa Shors- on the south ••• tara .argin ot Placent ia Bay SHOULD be • · ... 11 known place ot ll1tere.t. I r onic ally t the are., wbich extends 25 .11 •• b,. crow tro. Placentia in the north to Cape st. Mary's (ita ._ •• ake) 1n the s o uth t 18 rarel,. frequented except by it. bard,. ra.identa. Parhape. the al.oat l.c.ndar,)' hilla and bair-pin tlll' •• ot t he rough and narrow Cap. Shore Road are partly reaponsible. So , perha pa , are the incredibly den •• and •••• lns1,. endl ••• a u_ar t oga charachristic ot the area. But. it ainor obatacle. sucb a 8 the •• are taken in stride t the Cap. Shore will provide t he traveller w1th aan,. re.arding eights and experienc •••

The country along the Cape Shore abound. with contra.t and l'ariet,.. At .ea, it 1s .. treacherous coutline. Countle •• rock. and shoals lurk ortshore. Waves driYen b,. the preYai1in& s out hweaterly winde .urge continuall,. as_laat clltt and beach. Abo'u the tidea, the land riaea aharply, aDd the ateep, gra • • ,. , or a pareely .ooded alope. ,1",e .ay inland to high, barren hilla. To t h e extr •• e south, these hills tara an alaaat prairie-llke plat e a u . Here and there, tbe coa.tal lIa •• ls breached b,. a sh ort , tan-.haped, glacier-carl'ed l'alle,. opening to the a.a. Moat at the "'ill ace. and haal.ta at the Cape Shore n.aUe on t he . t eep aide. and nat roc)q plains at the.e aheltered hal'e n •• Perh . ps the .ost startling thing about the coa.t is tbe rapidl,. c hang in& vegetation toward the .outh. Conifer wood. in the north rapidl y gl"e way to eedge .. bol woodlands, then tuck..-ore .edle-bo,., o pen aedge-bog., and tinall,., near the light at Cape St. Mar y 's, arctic-alpine beath •• It i. a. thoU&h one w .. travelling a conaiderable dietuce toward. the Arctic, or up the side at • a.all .ountain.

In this article I will try to gi"8 the re.der .oae i a p resaioD at t he bi r ding potential at the Cape Shore. It will hope tul l y be foll o.ed up by a aonthly report tro. this are ••

The pa"eaent end., and the Cape Shore Road begins at tbe town of Point Verde, ju.t south of Placentia. Point Verde itself i8 a curiOUS, sloping, grasa,. slab at land which acco.odate. a sllal l ligbthou.e, a ratber unaightly sr."e1 pit, and an unde t erained nwaber of sheep. It is tied to tbe .&inland very tenuously by a e8all bridge and tbe cobble bars at Z. bar ••• ..,. ponds wblcb crowd it se.ward on two tlanks. Horned Larks abound in t be flelda in SWIller, and Snow Buntlnge hustle about there 1n . in t e r. The northernaoat bar ..... ay ia a constant place at intere.t. I n swt.er. it is ho.e to a pair of kingfisher •• Various shore .. b irds rre quent ite wet shoreline. Coale Terns and Ring-billed Gul l s lII.ingle .ith the other gulls whicb fly back. and forth tro. the duap and barbour at Placentia. Other birds III..,. atop art at

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t hl!l pond on lhelr "a:J aomewhere elee; notably this past tall, a flock of uarican 11,eon. Black-headed Gulla .180 turn up one. and a .hUe. The point. beyond the 11ghtbouae 18 • tine spot to .ie •• ".rytblng froa pothead and t1nback whales, to harbour e8al. and seabirds. In the appropriate seasons, Co •• on Loona, Ganneta, {)ouble-cre8ted CorlDorant., Greater and Soot,. Shear •• ter., Red­necked Grebea, Red-breasted Herganser., Old.qua •• , Eider Ducka , Hurrea. Dov.ki •• , Black Guillemota. and. variou8 ,ul1a are eo •• only 8een.

Proce.ding south fro. Point Verde, the road p ••••• rocky baraa • .,.., boga and wooda. The cry of the I twl111ck' and. the floating glide ot the 'whiskey jack' .t •• l the dri.er'. attentlon. Three mil •• south, at the creat of • bill i8 Black Point look-otf. BlaCk Point ia probably the beat aea-bird .antale on the entire ahore. Thi. i_ proven by ita extensive U8e by bird hunter. in .inter. In .ddition to the birds .entioned for Point Verde, auch species .e Harlequin Ducks. and White-.inged Scoter_ are aoaetiaes eoon. It ahould be aentioned that laona, grebe., ducka, and do ... ekiea are .inter birds in this area. while lannet., cor.orants , and .hear •• ters are aeen only in sualler. Another bird of intereat which • ..,. occur at Black Point, and indeod all alonl the Cape Shore is the Bald Eagle. The upward denection of the on.hore winde by the steep ahoreline pro'fid.ea • perfect place for th •• e majestic birds to aoar alott.

Further on, p •• t woods full or chickadee •• junco., pine Iroabeak., and other forest bird., i. the graaay hulet of Little Baraaway. In su_er, thia area aupport. aore than ita ahare of robins t and alao a goodl,. nuber of Sa'fannah Sparrow • • Why there ahould be ao .any robina is not clear. Two aore tine seabird look-ofta can be found jU6t south of Little Baru.ay at Se.l Point and .bove • long cre8cent beach near Big B.ra •• ..,.. Co.mon and Surf Scoters, a8 well as Pu ffin., can ba aeen in this are. once and. wh1le, a8 can 1I0st of tho other bird. lDentioned to d.ta. Uso 'fi8ible just north of Sa.l Point i. a a8all colony of about 50 pair ot Harring Gulla ne.ting on the steep ahore.

South of Big Barasway t at the foot of a d1zzy1nS hill liee the 1'111age of Ship Cove. It might be 1I0re appropriately called 'Sheep Cove' looking at the flat, green •• adow. ly1ne behind the cur1'ins ridge of • pebble beach. Further aouth, and a l.ir si.ter to Ship Cove, ia Gooseberry Cove. Delicate breaker. roll in upon the gently elop1ng beach of brown a .. nd. Sea-rockets and Blue-bella apread their leave. Dong the aeaahella and kelp. And only a couple of au_er cottasea .ar the hilleides. Theae two sheltered covee are the havena of aany type. at aeabird dur1ng rougb aeaa and stor-e. Red-necked Grebee and R.d-breaated Merganaers seem espec1ally .t boae. Occa.ionally, during the sWlIIIer, a Wilson'e stor_-petrel can bo aeen nuttering over the •• 'fea offahore.

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The road eli.b. ate.ply out at Gooa.berry Co.,.. and later through 801118 relatively open Horned Lark Country betore decanding into Angel'e (or locally IAngles l ) Cove. This 18 a rather nondescript little Yl11age, unl.8. you turn down a little lane oppoa1te 'The Hill-top Club'. Proceeding to the apparent end at th18 road, and tbence to the right around 80118 far.er'a fielde, one ende up Donget a juabl. or glacier-depoeited boulders overlooking the COl'. and clitfa ot ADgel 1 8 Co.,. •• Fro. this spot I you lI.ight be inclined to agree with the otUei.l D .... or tb. place. Horned Larks and Pipits ahara tbe ahore ar •• above the ••• with Savannah Sparrow •• In early auaaer, it 1. eo •• tia •• possible to S8. a Po.arina Jaeger harrying a kittiwake or a gull 1n search at ita dinner. Herrins Gulla and Black Guille.ots neat on tbe clitt. to th. north.

Continuing south. the road passes through Patrick'. (locally 'Partridge') Cove, a larse town b,. Cape Shore standards. A tine Yiew at the aea can be had just to the soutb • Alaost any type ot seabird can turn up here, including the Red Phalarope. A 8ma11 group at White-winged Scoters wintered thi. past year. Atter leaving Patrick's Co ... e, the road win de o .... r high barren ground through the delighttul yalley at Cu.lett. and on to St. Bridee. The aetropoli. at the Cape Shore, St. Bride. sprawle .aonget patche. at gnarled and wind-pruned trees in the broad valle,. ot Distress Coye. This i8 the last cOlllllunity on the Cape Shore. Fro. bere tbe road turns inland toward St. Mary's B..,.. The land becOllle8 bleak and torbidding, and trees di.appear cOllpletel,., or are a.rely represented by creeping aate at tuck. Two 11I11e. inland troa St. Brides, an obscure line at power poles 8trike ott acroa. the bogs to the south. An eyen aore obscure gravel track parallels tbe pole line. Thla is the road to the lighthouse at Cape st. Kary's. Detin1tely not built tor 2 lane tratfic, the road careens over the landscape tor another 8 mile •• Frail St. Bride. to the Cap., the uneven hill. of the north nat ten out to tara a slowly ascending plateau. In plac •• the broad expanses at •• dge bogs with the narrow road and thin line at power pole8 striking out across the. are reainlacent at tbe Canadian prairle. In summer, these wet boga and inter­mingled fens are aliYe with Horned Lark •• One would noraally think that larka would &'Yoid this soggy territor,. and seek another area; but thie i8 certainly not the case. As in lIIany places on the Cape Shore. Snow Buntings are seen here all winter. even along the bleakeat stretches. An e'Yer-present feature on this part of the road, and a puzzle.ent to many travellers, i. a fence to the west or the right or wa:y. It 18. ln fact. part or the huge St . Brides sheep corral, though few sheep are ever seen this far from the sea.

With the lighthouse in Sight, the 'Yegetation changee again. The crest or the plateau ls covered with a taaclnating arctic-alpine heath. Among the crowberry and lichens. a variety at interesting plante can be found, including Di.penaia, and the beautiful Moss Cupion (Silene acaulis). Willow Ptarmigan

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abound on theae heaths in sood years, though at pre.ent they are very acarce.

Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse, with its clu.ter of .turdy lUtle red and white houses and hoarse, croaking foghorn huddlea inside a fence betw.en the end of the road and a 400 foot cliff. If the da,y ia at all foggy, this pr.sents a problem for tbe traveller in aearch of Bird Rock. Where 1. it? So.e exaalnation will rev.al a nearly invisibly track leadIns off to tbe lett a hundred feet short of the lighthouse gat •• After a few hundred yards, this aemi-paaaible trail enda at the edge of a steep grusy alope above a .ea-cliff. On a char d&1, the .iew from here ia nothing short of breath-taking. Vertical cliffe skirt the turbulent green watera of a large co",e far below. The cry of thousands ot Kittiwakes and the hooting croaks of COllrlon and Thick-billed MUrres echo up froll the narrow ledges . Hal f a lIile awa,y, acroaa the cove on ita outer cur.e, Bird Rock ahine. in .nowy brilliance. Gannets wheel and soar near ita sloping face . EVen at this distance, their atacatto croak. can uaually be heard. The walk to the Rock ia a pl.a.ant affair. All manner at intereating plants can be s.en along the wa,y. Pipits nit about and call froa rocky hillocks. All around the acenery ta overwhelllling.

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Bird Rock i8 not a true aea-stack, as it ia uaually thought to be. A narrow chasm aeperates it troll the clitt top, but the bottom half i. tirllly attached to the .ainland. The point of land e oppoaite the Rock ottera a tine view ot the gannata, and a180 kittiwakes and lIIurrea on the clifts below.

Winter at Cape St. Mary's is • dreary ti.e in co.parieon with the summer. The Bird Rock i8 brown .nd e.pty, aave perhaps tor a weary gull. No kittiwakes wheel about the clift ledges. No l.urre. slant aeaward in flowing sheet-like dro •••• Eiders, COIII"on Scoters, and an occasional Harlequin Duck are the only real inhabitant8 ot the big COV8.

If time peraita on the way hoae, a tinal treat reaains. Juat north of the lighthouee a narrow track angles ott to the left. It leade to a 8mall building at the edge ot a clitf abo •• the beautiful expanse of Brierly's Cove. The building once held motora to power. tramwa:r which slanted through a ra.in. to the beach tar below. Thi. is how the lighthouse w.e aupplied betore the recent conatruction ot the lighthou.e road. Brierly' 8 Co",e • • part froa ita stunning scenery. it a haven tor winter birds. Grebes, elders , acoters, 100n8, .ergansera, and aany other specie. can u8ually be tound. It also seema to b •• tavorit. haunt tor Bald Eagle. and Harbour Sea18. In the tall, Wh1.brel linger on the heaths above tbe cOYe, and in spring the clitfe are landfall for •• ny .mall birds, like the Yellow-ruped Warbler.

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The Cape Shore 18 indeed a wonderlul place. Ita attributes are gre.ter, and tar aore numerOUB than I have been able to convey. To be appreeiated it has to be experienced many tilles . Why not e8e it tor youraelf1 It's worth the .!tort.

J aho Maunder

Letter to the Editor

Who ' B interested in Butterflies?

Sir :

As you know, it has been sugges t ed that I coordinate a regular monthly report on our members (or anybody's) observations of Butterflies in a somewha t similar manner as is presently being done with bird observations . This suggestion has come at a good time for me, for apart from the app r oach of a new field season, I have been considering the e formation of an informal Butterfly group within the society for sometime.

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From the point of view of my recording observations, the basic information required would be; the species of butterflies; how many seen , the location, the date and the name of the observer. Additional information it would be nice to have would be; t ime of day observed, type of habitat. hehaviour, what plants visited, the state of the creature (fresh or worn) and .:lny other information that mayor may not be relevant. Any observation would be appreciated, even if somebody only sees one butterfly a year! If a person is not too familiar with the different types of butterflies, a careful fie l d description (if possible) would be helpful.

As some of your readers will know , I am particularly interested in the management and conservation of butterflies. Maybe the butterfly group could assist me in this work by reporting the location of butterfly larvae or the flowers adults are seen feeding on. Does anybody want to start a bu tterfly garden of their own?

I would be interested to hear from any member or friend who would like to be included in this project. The more watchers we have allover the island and Labrador, the more useful and i nte r esting our monthly reports will be.

Bernar d S. Jackson

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A brier 8ubalt te d to t he COII.leeion on the St. John 's Urban Region Study

March 1974

The ~eneral aspects of the St. John' s ('rban Re~lon StudY are

first considered and then particular aspects relating to the special

interests of the Newfoundland Natu r al History Society arc discussed.

The society suppo r ts the principle of rp.~ulatlng developmen t.

provided such rcr,ulation is based on sound knowledr,e and 1s not

determined by political influence .

The bastc principle of such regulation should be that the

number of people inhabiting an area is related to the ability of the

land to support them. and provide a high quality of life. Thus it 1s

essential that land use be planned and not based merely on projections into

the future of past and present trends.

In other words, we have to decide where we want to go and then

plan how we can ~et there. Ttl quote from Dr. H.P. Oberlander" Forecasts

don't have to happen . Trends aren' t destiny." Therefore the hasic

assumption of the study , that the population is goin~ to increase

from 150,000 to 215,000 should be subject to debate. Do we really want

this to happen? Can such growth be accomplished without destroyinr, thp

present quality of life for many residents? Po we improve the quality of

life of muggers at the expp.nse of our mothers and Arandmothers who w1 l 1 be

unable to walk around without fear of being attacked? Do we really want

to develop into another Toronto? These Questions need to a"ked and

debated.

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33. SPECIAL ASPF.CTS

• Freshwater Systems and the Ocean

Freshwater streams and panels should be the first line of

defcn~e in maintnininR the !lual1ty of life since [11('Y [lrc usually the

fIrst to be degraded. They should be treated with respect,llIlfl top priority

given to their conservation. Existing systems which are in good shape

should be maintained as clean as possible, otherwise it will be

necessary to travel 50 or 100 miles if you want to go fishing or

swimming. It should be remembered that only 150 years ago they

had to have a regulation in Toronto that prevented salmon,whlch were

caught 1n the local rivers, from being served every day of the week.

Now there are no salmon living within hundreds of miles.

Polluted streams and ponds should be cleaned up so that they

are once again suitable for swimming, hoatinr, and fishing ra.thcr than the • eyesores that so many ~lIch as Burton's. Long and Mundy Ponds and Leary's

Brook have become. You do not have to be ',ery old to rememher when these

were pleasant places.

Such conservation requires adequate sewage collection and treatment.

The aim over the years should be to develop as much treatment as possible

so as to not pollute ~ water body including the ocean. The reclaimed

wastes can be a source of both energy and fertilizer.

Similar treatment is also required for both industrial and

commercial pollution. Not even storm sewers should be emptied into

the streams without preliminary settling to remove the silt, sand

and other wastes.

The vegetation alongSide the water systel'ls should also be

• maint.llined so as to provide a habitat for birds and other Hlldlife. The

result ""ould be that the trails which h3ve been developed in recent vear!'!.

and which should be further developed, would become more interestinp, • places to visit. FUling in of ponds such as at Long Pond and Burton's

Pond and the enclosing of streams in pipes should be prohibited.

The society supports the principle of regulating land use so

to allow maximum benefits for the greatest number of people. In

part i cular the society supports t he res triction on further cottage

deve l opment around lakes and ponds. Othendse the result would be that

public access will be effectively prevented within a short time.

The same also aprites to the coastal areas where.if present trends

cont i nue.the sho r e will be lined with a continuous row of houses.

Again acceSA would be prevented and the scenery marred.

Open space and g reen belts must be conserved and maintained in a __

suitable state. Recreational land needs to be developed for use as

goH courses, playgrounds etc. The city in particular is very low in the

amount of lnnd devoted to such purposes. Hore is neeried and houses and

co ncrete s hould not be allowed to cover every available bit of

open space. In addition land needs to be left in its natural state, not

to be consiflered as waste land, nor to be encroached upon for recreation

and agriculture etc., but purely for its own intrinsic merits. To quote

[rom Thoreau "In wildness is the preservation of the world".

prepared OD behalf of the SOCiety

by DoD Steele

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NATURE SKE TC HES

fRU IT IN G lAmBK IL L, ~ AN GUS TIfQLI A \U ang •

;6 .

Nature and Conservati on Organizations i Their Names and Aims.

This 1e the first in a series of note. on local, national. end international organizaUons having ao.ething in COllaon with our own.

S.P.C.A. ---T-he "Society for the Prevention at Cruelty to Ani.als" ha. a lively local chapter led by Mrs. Ingeborg Steinbr1nk. Their addrea. 1. Box 15}3, St. John's. It 18 the object of the S.P.C.A. to prevent ill-treat.ent and neglect of ani.ala, and to promote and encourage proper treat_ent and care. Becauae they aee these aim8 extending to .ild ani.als u .ell a. peta, the aociety supported our recent ettorts to di8courage the construction ol a golf course in Terra Nova National Park. They are at present well on the way to achieving their aim at properly tilling the need lor ani.al shelters in the most densely populated part at tbe province. Their children's progru is a180 aoat aucce •• tul.

C.N.F. ---The Canadian Nature Federation developed out ot the Canadian Audubon Society in 1971, as "a national, non-profit associ.tion representing pro'fincial naturalist.' tederatioDs, local aocieUes , and individuals across Canada". Prea1dent for this year 18 Dr. Ian McLaren of Halifax. The addreaa 1. 46 Elgin Street, Ottawa , Canada. Many Ilembers of our society are alao Ilellbera at C.N . F. and receive the beaut1tul !lagazins 'Nature Canada'. Th1. aagazins contains articles of natural hiatory and cODservation interest, aa well as news, lettera, revie •• , .tc.

b.!hl:.!h The International Union for the Conaervation of Nature and

Natural Resources, pl83's the role ot internat10nal clearinghouse for an1.al conaerYation. Pu.blicationa 1nclude 'The Red Data Book' . Th1s .ork l1sts the Yery rare and endangered anilllala around the world. Although extinctions occurred before iliaD appeared on the earth, there is a great deal ot eYidence that .an is responsible for .oat of the extinctions that haye happened in the la.t tour hundred ,.ears . Over this period, there i8 close correlation bet . een increaee in human popUlation and increaae in rate at extinctions. The address of this group .hich is concerned with mam.als, bird. , amphib1an., reptiles, and fishes, i. 1110 Morcea, Switzerland.

"orld Wild11fe Fund Th1s organization i. tound at the a_e addre.s a. I.U.C.N.

and can be regarded aa a group which takes the gloomy predictions at I.U.C.N. and works to make Bure that they don't coae to paBs. The aoney that they raiae i8 spent on preservation at habitat tor endangered species, and lor encourage.ent at conser'fation in crit1cal regioDs or countries.

Joan Scott

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Bird Notes

February and March is usually a quiet time 8S far as birds are concerned, and this year haa been no exception.

The Atlantic coast aeemS to have had le8s wintering ducks than us ual, although some Medium-sized flocks of Eiders have been aeen. The lateness of the Dovekiee was commented"""'Oii last tille; one was etill in Logy BayQii""""i"O"Feb. (HJC).

JEM haa been continuing his regular ?ieits to Placentia Bay . The following obeervationa by hi. are of apecial interest; 13 male and 1 tellale COmmon GoldeneYe at Argentia on 8 Feb . , 1 immature male and 2 female King Eider seen at close range the same place on 15 Feb., and 15 Harleguin Duck in the Cape St. Mary's area, also on 15 feb •• Canada Geese were seen se.,eral times later in the period; 4 at Patrick's Cove (CP,HHP,JEH) on 24 March, 4 reported frail Red Island (.,ia JEM) on Harch 27, and 1 1 aleeping on the sea off pt. Verde on 4 April (JEH,AGR). On 24 March, JEH,CP,HMP found 20-30 Gannete had returned to their breeding rock at Cape St. Mary's (tradition haa it that they return on St. Patrick' 8 Day) to join the Kittiwakes and Murres which were already back in full force. Snow Buntings are COmmon winter residents along tbe Cape Shore, but by 4 April their DWllbera were beginning to decline •

Wintering gull a in St. John'a seem to be fewer than usual, although all the norlBal species have been present. The largest number of Black-headed Gulls .8.8 12 at Quidi Vidi Lake on 3 Feb . (HJC). JDt noticed 2 at Argenti. on 27 Feb. Tbe only shorebirds reported were 4 Purple Sandpipers at Logy Bay on 3 Feb . (HMP).

Perhaps the moat interesting group during the period has been the birds of prey. To begin with the biggest, JEH always sees one or two Bald Eagles when he journeys to Placentia Bay , but a group of 12 at Kingwell (including 5 immatures) i8 especially interesting. At the other end of the size scale, Sharp- shinned Hawks have been seen often. At Oxen Pond, BSJ has had a pair in residence throughout, and once noted 3 together. On 2 Feb . the pair were seen d1eplaying to each otherj pe r hape they will remain to nest. One Goshawk was eeen at Oxen Pond 3 Feb. (BSJ). But the moat exc1t1ng report come8 from OIlcRCM who several ti_es saw a crow-sized, alate-back.ed falcon in mid-March. Finally, as it sat in a tree near their hOlle in St. John's East on 19 March, they got a good .,1ew ot the mouatache stripes which confirlled it as the very rare Peregrine Falcon I Peregrines seem to have suffered most from pesticide residues, and are almost extinct 1n eastern North America, although there are 1 or 2 pair still nesting in Labr ador. Still no definite Snowy Owls this year •

3~.

The largeat bird to be found at reeders 1. undoubtably the fh!..!!.!!!!. and •• '1eral people on the edge of the city have reported thalli troll Logy Bay Road (OJR) to Hagle·s Hl11, where SM Say8 • hen with. 11.11.p haa viaited th •• for three winters, and th1. year haa brought a friend.

The only reports of a Mockingbird this year co •• troa the eaat end of St. John's, wbere ReM e •• one 1n hi. garden O D. 25 Feb.

On 1? Feb. DB, while walking around the north ahore ot Long Pond J cue acroes • group of teeding tinch •• , whicb i ncluded .11 but two of the kinde that have been ••• n in the ar •• this winter: Juncos, White-winged Croea-bills, Pine S1skina, Evening; Grosbeak., pur~l. Flnches, and a sparrow (prObably a White-throated Sparrow. Thoee not eeen were tbe Pine Grosbeak . which ia rarely found in mixed flocks, and the Fox Sparrow. However, one Fox Sparrow did overwinter at Oxen Pond(BSJ) and other. haYe been reported frOIll Long Pond on 2 " 3 Feb. (MMP &r DB), and Logy Bay on 9 Feb. (OJH).

About 20-30 ~ have alao overwintered in the c ity t bia year; eOllle in the Churchill Square area, and 8011. i n tbe Waterford Valley-Bowring Park area. So, no one can r.ally claia to have •• en the firat Robin of spring th i a year.

Probably the only genuine apring arrival. I have heard o f are 3 te.ale Horned Larks reeding on Se . Rocket (Cuile) ... d. on • beach at Argenti. on 4 April (JEH,AOR); ho;;m this species ia known to overwinter aOlle yeare.

But never fear. Spring i. nearly with U8. By the tille you read thie, there should be genuine spring Hobin and Fox Sparrow 80ng in tb. woods (tbe Juncoa haye already been trying their Yoices).

The bird group will be out looking for le88 well-known harbingers such &8 Ring-billed Gulle and Teal. Why not Join us ? I f you are not already on the list, then phone lie at 753-46ts9 (regulare please note change of nWlber). W. usually lIeet at ~ &.III. on a Sunday at the Art. and Culture Centre parking lot, and wander around until noon. Waterproof footwear and entbu8ia •• are eesential.

Ob.ervers: Don Barton, Howard Clase, Bernard J.cgon, SYlVi.~ John Maunder, Olive and Caraan Me •• , Caroline and Mike Parmenter, Oeret Rellinsky, and Glen R,yan.

Howard Cl.se

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