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ISS!' 07 1 0-48~7

NEWFOUNDLA ND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY QUARTERLY

THE

OSPREY Vol. 1 3 l"o . 1 ~arch 1982

Contents

Anc i en t Pond Worts ••...•••••..•. • .•... • .. •• •••.. • • 1 ~'otes on I dentify1ng Tufted Duck ..... . .......... . . 6 Eutterfli e s and Moths of Sa i nt- Pierre and

rri lquel on ..•.. • ....•.••....•. . . • •...•.•. •• •. • . 9 A Day on Klngurut l k i':ountain , Labrador 1970 .•. • . • 14 The Hedge Nettle •••• • •• • ••••••••• • •••• • •• • ••• • •• • 16 The Bi rd Report

Notic e s ... . ................................ . 20 Checklist and Summary of All-t ime High

Counts f or ~:ewf oundland Chr i s t mas B1rd Count s .. • .•..• • • • ..•..•...•.• . .•. • •.••.•... 21

The Chr i stmas B1rd Counts I 1981. •. •• .....•.. 23

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THE NEWFOUNDLAND NA11JRAL HISTORY SOCIETY

P. O. Box 1013

ST JOHNS, NEWFOUNDlAND Ale 5M3

The Osprey is a journa' of natural history for Newfoundland and labrador and adjacent regions. It"s published quarterly by the Newfoundland Natural History Society.

Editorial Information: All items for publication should be addressed to the editor with the exception of bird record items which shoul d be sen t to the bird editor.

As well as major articles, notes and annecdotal items on i nteresting observations will be accepted. letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows.

Items, should be typed if possible. single spaced on 8Js x 11" s heets leaving 1 inch margi ns on top, sides and bottom. Black and wh ite li ne drawings are also acceptable but due to our reproduction process , photographs and pencil drawings are not suitable

Edi tor of the Osprey Margaret Larson. Box 606, R.R. , 1 Portu9a 1 Cove, AOA 3KO 895-2657

Bi rd Editor John Maunder, Box 5849. St, John's, Ale 5X3 335-2462

Execut1ve Members 1981 - 1982

President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Past PreSident: Members at Large:

Todd Howell, 753-9803 Don S t eele , 579-9653 James Br1dgl and, 753- 0226 Gerry Ye t ma n , 7378590 Der ek Kea ts . 753-0226 Guy rr.a rtel , 722-2667 Cheryl Gullason. 753- 0226 V1v1an Clar k . 753-2927 John I'aunder , 335- 2462 John Wells . 579-4509 John G1bson, 726-2498 Clarence Bur!'y, 722 - BJl.i.6

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ANCIENT POND (HORTS

Deep back into the mists of time, long before the first dinosaur walked the face of the earth, there appeared a curious group of little plants known as Stoneworts. Geologists tell us this accu=red about 400 million years ago near the end of a period known as the Silurian when the climate was mild and exten­sive areas of shallow water existed on the continents. About this same time the fossil record shows that the first vascular plants made their debut.

Stoneworts are still with us today on a worldwide basis,growing in freshwater ponds, lakes and streams and sometimes in brackish waters. If one studies the fossil record, it appears that as a group these plants have changed relatively little over the eons . When ducks had not yet claimed a place on the drawing board of the universe , Stoneworts already flourished in forms much like the present.

Botanists love to find relationships among groups of plants and so attempt to arrange them in some sort of evolutionary sequence. Stoneworts are a perplexing group in this regard because they show no direct relationship to any other living or fossil group. They have been traditionally grouped with the green algae to whom they bear some resemblance , but they also show some features of higher plants. Perhaps this is why few botanists and few botanical texts pay much atten­tion to them even though they are common constituents of aquatic communities .

Newfoundland Stoneworts usually vary in length from 5 to 30 centimeters. They consist of long thin string-like "stems" from which whorls of smaller branchlets arise at regular intervals. Creeping stems and rhizoids hold them anchored in the bottom sedi­ments . In some instances, growth may be so dense to cover the pond bottom with a thick matt of entangled vegetation .

On the whorled branch lets are found the repro­ductive organs which, when mature, look like tiny bright orange specks with the unaided eye . The use of a hand lens or a microscope allows one to clearly see details of the female structure or oogonium. Around the large central orange egg are wound clear cells in a spiral arrangement. The whole structure is tipped with a crown of smaller cells (coronula) . After fertilization by a sperm, the egg develops a tough coat and turns dark brown or

Chara 9lobularis Thuill. Above plant ac t ua l size

eranchlet with male and female reproductive structures - g reatly enla r ged .

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black. The clear spiral cells disintegrate leaving a spirally _ ridged ripe spore (oospore) which can be distributed by currents to begin a new Stonewort elsewhere . The walls of these spores are so tough that they are commonly found as fossils in prehistoric sediments .

The ma l e reproductive structure is spherical as opposed to the oval shape of the female structure. Hhen mature, it bursts releasing the sperm which actively swim in search of eggs to fertilize. Both male and female structures may be found on the same plant CoIr in some species,separate male and female plants

Two types of Stoneworts are known to occur in Newfoundland, Chara and Nitella. The easiest way to tell these two genera apart is by look~ng at their stems with a hand lens or micros ­cope. The Chara stem is corticated; that is, it appears ribbed because of the many long thin cells running parallel to one another along the axis. The Ni tella stem is smooth and not ribbed. At least three species of Chara and one of Nitella occur on the island, probably more. -orFie best guide for the identification of these by the serious naturalist is one by the late Dr. R.D. Wood , entitled Charophytes of North America (1967, University of Rhode Island, K1ngston , R. I . ). It 1S well illustrated and includes all twenty-two species occurring on this continent. However, a number o f technical terms are used in the descriptions and these are not well explained in the text. Though, with a little patience and effort, the local species can be readily identified.

A portion of a ribbed ~ s t em

A po r t i on of a smoo t h Nitell a s tem

Stoneworts can be found growing in ponds and streams,

~~~~:r~~ ~~~~; tt~n~i;~~y f:~~~a~~~ ~~~rI!~~t~~or T~~~ ~~n~~~ but e where the pH is above 5.0 and a sandy or mucky substrate exists, they will flourish. The plants are eaten by water fowl and it has been shown that injested spores can pass through the digestive system of a duck and still retain the ability to germinate into new plants . The tiny spores may also stick to feathers and muddy feet and so be transported from one body of water to another.

The term "wortn is an old Anglo-Saxon word for "plant". Stone refers to the ability some species have of depositing layers of limestone on their surfaces to produce a hard brittle encrustation. Two of the most common Newf"nundl!inti species of Chara have this ability when growing in calcium rich waters. One place where heavily lime- encrusted Stoneworts can be found is in the "blue ponds" or marl ponds of the west coast of the island. A number of these ponds can be seen along the Trans­Canada Highway south of Corner Brook. Here the pale marl or limestone deposits produced by Stoneworts and other organisms cover much of the pond bottom and reflect a dazzling beautiful turquoise blue color.

Stoneworts form aquatic communities which harbour many types of organisms such as dragonfly nymphs, caddisfly lar.vae,

:~lm:~y f~;~~r f!~~e~~e~~:;:sinv~~~~~r:~~s o;~~r d~~~:r m!~W!is~S e feed on the plants themselves. It has been suggested that some Chara species produce substances which tend to inhibit the creveIopment of certain insect larva such as mosquitoes, although good evidence of this is lacking. However, some species do emit a strong skunky odour when removed from the water. It is possible tha t the substances that produce this odour might have repellent or growth inhibiting properties for some organisms.

Economi cally, the Stoneworts have been of little conse­quence although there is some indication that they have been used on a small scale as water purification agents, as fertilizers , in sugar clarification and in insect control . They do make interesting aquarium plants and once established tend to remain hardy and vigorous for considerable periods . Perhaps aquarium enthusiasts might try some of our local species.

In basic cell science, this obscure little group has become a leader. Because the huge cells of Nitella are so accessible and easy to manipulate, it is a favour1te organism for the stlrly of how life operates at the cellular level. Dozens of research papers appear in journals each year explaining some new physio­logical insights derived from the study of Nitella. Who knows how many secrets of life Stoneworts will yiercr-rnthe future? •

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I have for some years been collecting Stoneworts to determine the kinds and their distribution on the island of Newfoundland . To date, the accessib l e western portion of the island has undergone sampling, roughly west of a line joining Springdal e on the north shore and Burgeo on the south shore, and inc l uding the Great Northern Peninsula. Specimens are col lected from shallow water with an ordinary garden rake and from deeper water with a grappling sampler pulled along the bottom by a rope. I would be pleased to hear from any readers who discover Stoneworts in the eastern portion of the island, especially the Avalon Peninsula . A brief note as to the exact location would be greatly appreciated. Better stil l , place a fresh moist sample i n a small plastic bag, place it in an envelope, include the exact location and type of water body collected from , and mail it to me at the following address: Henry Mann , Bi ology Depa rtment , Grenfell college, Corner Brook . NF , A2H 6P9 . If specimens with tiny orange rep r oductive organs or t he b l ack ma t u r e spores are available , all the better , as these st r uctures assist in identification . Damp specimens in a plasti c bag will usually not deteoriate appreciably during their time in the mail , assuming reasonable postal dispatch . Anyone so sending specimens will receive a brief acknowledgement and postal costs by return mail.

As p l ants go , Stoneworts certainly are not among the most conspicuous members of the aquatic f l ora . Like all living things, however, they have a place and a role to play in the continuation of l ife on our planet. Because of an impressive history and potential secrets lying locked up in their cellular chemistry , these ancien t survivors may not yet have played their most important role in man ' s understanding of life and his place in the great scheme of things .

Henry Mann Corner Brook

Notes on Identifying Tufted Duck

The !irst sighting of Tufted Duck (AythYB fuliS'ula) for

Newfoundland was recorded this winter at Quidi Vidi Lake i~

St . John' 8. A female or immature male was present from at least

January 2 to January 26 .

As a result of cold weather during the month, the only open

water on the lake was a small ar ea at the Rennies River run- in,

where observations .... ere made at very close range . On Januar y 13-15,

I had the opportunity, along with several other birders, to

examine the duck using 15- 60 power telescopes as • .tll as 7 pOTIer

binoculars at a range of 70- 100 metres . I also successfull y

photogr aphed the bird sever al days later.

The adult male of this species is usually easy to identify

because of the distinct droopi ng tutt on the back of the head .

Unfortunately, immatures and females (the bir ds most likely t o

occur bere) are not illustrated in most North Ame r ican field guides .

A few identification tips may be helpful ..

This compact diving duck r esembles the Ring- necked Duck

(AythYa ~) 1II0st closely in profile. However, female a nd

immature Tufted Ducks have a uni fo r m, very dark brown to almost

black-looking head a nd neck , and a very dark brown 'back , 'lith a

distinctly lighter fawn or tan- colored chest that is shar ply

seper ated f rom the neck . The sides are also fawn to tan- colored,

but lighter than the chest. The tuft on the back of the head lIIay

not be distinguishable , or may consist only of a gr oup of short,

ragged- looking feathers st1cking out from the back of the head .

This field mar k, if pr esent , is diagnostic .

The bill colors are the same as in the Ring- necked Duck ,

with the black nail and tip s e parated from the main blue- gr ay

part by a narr ow dull white band that may be difficult to see .

Usually there is no white pre sent at the base of the bill , even

t hough a very small circular patch of dull white cheek !aather s

may be presen t ~ to the base of the bill. The patch is

difficult to pick out . Some winter !aClues have been found to have

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).,j,.;. 'tJJ. , ;",1-......;-

~J­(UNo(:R,)iVE: )

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~~<1)~ (,J 4- 7) q~ VJ.-<.. Lf4} §I.-SO~;r

""3"<>.--.19 &1 ~J,",G.

M~.~ .. (r;~U..J~)

more extensive patches of white at the bitse of the bill, but

never as m.uch as is found in fem.ale scaup, and never as washed

out over the cheek and face as in Ring- necked Duck . The eye color

in both sexes and all plumages is yellow. The belly is white ,

and the under- tail coverts are usually dark, but may be white .

The white wing stripe , which immediately seperates tbe Tufted

Duck from the Ring-necked Duck, is frequently not evident when a

bird is on the water unless t he wings are lightly folded . The out­

stretched wing shows a dis tinct br oad wbite band running along

the base of the secondaries , fanning into the primaries as in the

Gr eater Scaup (,A . o.arila) . Wben diving , the Tufted Duck makes a

distinct jump or hop .

The species br eeds across the upper-mid latitudes of Europe

and Asia, from Iceland , Nor way , Britain and Ireland , and France,

east through RUBsia to Kamchatka, and north to the tree-line.

It is generally migrator y through its range, though much of the

European population may be resident. During the past centur y, the

species has expanded its r ange in much of north and wes t er n Eur ope,

including Iceland . Sever al sightings of this duck in the north­

east U. S. over the pas t 20 years indicate that a small number of

birds may winter in t hat area on a regular basis . Undoubtedly ,

many of these birds pass through the Newfoundland area during the

early winter , and birders should be careful to look closely at

those late Ring- necked Duck and scaup sightings .

Paul Linegar

Bird Editor 's Note: The diagram of Tufted Duck that accompanies

this article is a photocopy of a field sketch of the Quidi

Vidi bird, made by John Maunder on January 14, 1982 . The

Tufted Duck is qui te a variable species, and thus a few

minor differences between the sketch a nd the text may be

noted.

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BUTTERnIES AND MOTHS IN SAINT-PIERRE & MIQUELON

Daniel Abraham and Roger Etcheberry

St . Pierre

Our Archipelago is very small, 240 kilometres2 , that is to say 460 times smaller than insular Newfoundland. Nevertheless , its natural history is quite interesting. Botany, lichenology. bryology seems to have been the favorite past time of our predecessors; about 600 species of vascular plants , roughly 200 species of Sphagnum, mosses and liverworts and 170 species of lichens have been recorded so far . Geology was studied for several years in the thirties and early forties by a trained (professional) geologist . Ornithology started in the early sixties , 248 species of birds have been recorded so far .

As ama teur naturalists we have tried to contribute to the above cited fields of activity . Another sector has also attracted our attention, that has almost not been studied in the past, ENTOMOLOGY , an extremely difficult task as everyone knows. We have started like many beginners with the Lepidopte r a.

The observations published here conce r n butterflies observed on our islands since 1977 and moths found since 1980 . Identifications were made with the help of the book "Butterflies and Hoths of Newfoundland and Labrador" (Morris 1980).

We hope that t his information (coming from the southern part of our area) will be useful to the lepidopterists in Newfoundland. We certainly expect to hear from them for comments, suggestions or criticisms .

LIST OF SPECIES

Family : PAPILIONIDAE

SHORT-TAILED SWALLOWTAIL (Papilio brevicauda):

Occurs as adults usually from mid-June to mid-July in fairly low numbers every year . Extreme dates: June 2 , 1979 and July 21 , 1981. Last July one adult was observed in Langlade visiting several flowers of blue flag <lr.!!. versicolor) .

CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL (Pap ilia glaucus canadensis):

First reported July 15 . 1978 in company with P. brevicauda on the cape of Miquelon. A few observations in 1979 between-Ju~une 21. Not seen in 1980, and only one 1981 sighting, July 4, in Langlade.

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Fu.ily : PIERIDAE

PELION! SULFUR (Coliss pel1dne):

The only Colias recorded so far. Common in July. identified in 1980 from one ~d one female captured July 19 in Saint-Pierre.

IMPORTED CABBAGE WORM (Pieris .!.!p.!!.):

Common to very common mostly around settlement. Extreme dates Hay 20, 1981 and August 9, 1980.

Family : DANADIE

MONARCH BUTTERFLY ~ plexippus):

Noted every year, IOOstly in late July and in August (about 20 August 17. 1979 in Hiquelon). but also in September to late October. Observed occasionally in spring, 1 in Mlque!on May 3D, 1979, 1 in unglade May 29, 1981. Often seen feeding on black knapweed (Centaurea n!.S!!).

Family : SATYRIDAE

JUTl'A ARCTIC (Cenets ~):

Abundant in bogs on 000 YEARS . Extreme dates June 8. 1979 and July 2. 1981. In Newfoundlarurth'iSbutterfly occurs on EVEN YEARS (B. Jackson personal communication). This opens up an interesting field of investi­gation. Jackson (1976) says : "It makes me wonder if the species requires ewo full years to complete its life cycle". Could it mean that the species colonized Newfoundland once or only on even years and that II different stock populated our islands? This seems hard to believe and more field work may reveal its presence every year.

Family : NYMPHALIDAE

ATLANTIS FRITILLARY <Spere!:'ia atlantis):

Abundant mostly on the meadows of the isthmus where the violets are common. According to our notes, it occurs here on a shorter span of time than in Ne..,foundland. Extreme dates: July 23. 1978 and August 22, 1981.

MILBERT'S TORTOISE SHELL (Nymphalis mllberti):

Common but mostly In Saint-Pierre because of the abundance of its host plant. The adults appear clearly ewice a year, from late April (earliest date April 22) to mid June and from mid to late August .

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RED ADMIRAL (~ atalanta):

Our mos t common butterfly. observed from late May to mid October in the thr ee islands al t hough its host plant grows mainly in Saint- Pierr e .

KJURNING CLOAK (Nymphalis antiapa):

Rar e , a few observa tions in spr ing since 1979 . Extr eme dates June 8 and 26 . It. p r obably does no t b r eed in ou r i slands .

AMERICAN PAI NTED LADY (Vanessa virginiensis) :

No t r ecorded with ce r t ainty before 1981. It may have occurred mixed with the Pain ted Lady and not noticed due to our inexperience. On Augus t 9 , 1981, 2 l arvae \ler e found near Miquelon vil lage on dusty mi l l e r (Ar temisia stellarla na Besse r ) a plan t int r oduced her e less t han 30 year s ago and spreading . These larvae were br ought i ndoors. photo­gr aphed a nd fed the host plant . One of them pupated on August 12 and the o t he r August 17. The first adult emerged Augus t 23 and the second August 30 . Photogr aphs were taken and one but terfly was mounted . This is the fi rst known b r eeding r eco r d fo r our a r ea (B . Jackson personal

, communicat i on 1981).

PAINTED LADY (Vanessa car dui ) :

In 1979, an adul t was obtained from a caterpillar found in Miquelon on Artemisia stellar iana (no date) . That year adults were commonly seen in Miquelon from June to Sep t ember . There were no sightings for 1980 . Last year it was seen from J uly 18 to Oc t ober 14 (some of these indi­viduals might have been y. virginiensis) . Now that we are aware of the occur rence of the two species we will make more accurate observations.

Family : LYCAENIDAE

BROWN ELFIN (Calloph r ys . augustinus):

Fir st reco r ded f r om 1 specimen cap t ured in Langlade May 31, 1981 . Observed once more in Langlade June 13 .

BOG COPPER (Lycaena epixanthe):

One specimen captured August 9, 1980 in Saint- Pierre proved to be this species . Not seen in 1981.

NORTHERN BLUE (Lycaeides argyrosnomon):

First identified August 3, 1980 in Langlade where it was abundant . It seemed less common 1n 1981.

SPRING AZURE (Celastdna argiolus):

Observed from May 12 (1979) to June 26 (1981) in the three i s lands .

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MOTHS

Family : SPHINGlDAE

PINK SPOTTED HAWKMOTH (Agrius cingulatus):

On September 22, 1981, two days after a strong south gale, a specimen v •• found dead on a Saint- Pierre street. Another was found September 23 in the same area. It has been recorded four times in Newfoundland (Morris 1980).

HUMMINGBIRD MOTH (Hemads thysbe):

One observed in Klquelon June 8 , 1979, another seen In Saint- Pierre July 15. 1980. It seems rather rare.

Family : LYMANTRIIDAE

RUSTY TUSSOCK MOTH (.Q!..gy! antigua) :

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These beautiful larvae were first collected August 24, 1980 on a Rumex species in Saint-Pierre. They pupated August 27; 1 male and 1 wingless female emerged September 13. Larvae were noticed September 1 on Mountain alder (Alnus crispa) In Saint-Pierre also In 1980. The next year some larvae were also collected on the isthmus of Langlade where e no trees or shrubs grow.

SATIN KJTH (Leucoma salicis):

Hundreds of caterpillars defoliated introduced willows (Salix sp) and poplars (Populus alba) in the town of Saint-Pierre in 19~July 25 we collected larvae which pupated August I, adults appeared August 7; adults were also on the wing in the town the first week of August . They were also present this year (1981).

Family : OREPANIOAE

One adult captured in Langlade on June 24, 1981.

Family : GEOMETRIDAE

This green moth seems to be one of the most abundant geometers in our islands. Observed in 1981 from June 2 to June 13 mostly on the slopes of hills where ericaceous shrubs grow. •

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WHITE-STRIPED SLACK (Tdchodezia albov1ttata):

Recorded so far in only a small area in northern Langlade 1n alder thickets (~ cdspa). Observed from June 13 to June 26 . 1981 .

SPEAR- MARKED BLACK (Rheumaptera~) :

Common in M!que!on and Langlade 1n bogs and around d .... arf balsam fir <!kill balsamea) seen from June 17 to June 28 , 1981.

Istur gia truncataria :

Very common 1n the Archipelago, 1n the same habitat as ~~. noted from May 12 to June 5, 1981.

LICHT EMERALD (Cameaea perlata) :

On May 6 , 1981 a caterpillar was found 1n Miquelon but its food plant was unknown. It was raised on Balsam fir (Abies ba!samea) and ate mostly the mal e flowe r buds; pupation occurr ed May"""'25."""" ~mago emerged on June 19 a nd was easily identified. One mo r e caterpillar was seen in Saint- Pierre June 21 and one adult in the summer.

GRAY SPRUCE LOOPER (Caripeta divinta) :

One pupa found under dead leaves in the wooded valley of Langlade in ear ly March was kept in the cool until May 22. The adult appeared on June 22 and was mounted.

The following Geometrids were identified with some doubt and need con­firmation by a specialist .

~ discopilata:

Very common in the three islands, observed from June 13 to June 28. 1981.

BARRED UMBER (Anagoga ocdduaria):

Only one adult captured in Langlade July 4, 1981.

2 specimens captured in Langlade July 4, 1981.

Metarrhanthis duaria:

One adult captured in Saint-Pierre June 5 seems to be this species.

Family : PYRALIDAE

Seems to be common in the islands; captured July 27 , 1980 and June 26, 1981 in Langlade. Also seen in Miquelon and Saint-Pierre in summer .

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Py r austa 8p :

Common 1n Saint-Pierr e in t he same habitat as Mesothea i ncer t ata and tacurg!a t runestaria, t he genus is 80 large that it was impossib l e to identify it as species .

JACKSON, B.S. 1976 . But terflies of Oxen Pond Botanic Park, Memorial Unive r sity of Newfoundland. 40 pp.

MORRIS. R. F. 1980 . Butter flies and moths of Newfoundland and Labrador . Agriculture Canada. Publication 1691. 407 pp.

A DAY ON KI NGURUTIK MOUNTAIN , LABRADOR 1970

Bernard S. Jackson

Lying at latitude 56°50' Nort h and )0 miles inland from the Atlantic, Klngurutik Mountain rises approximately 3000 feet and overlooks the fret full waters of Kingu r u t ik Lake and Tlkkoatokak Bay.

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Ducks (Old Squaw, Goldeneye , Red Breasted and Common Merganzer ) and e geese (Canada) splash 1n the water and loaf on the sandbars and beach, often leaving their tracks or feathers at the edge of the ripp l e. The occasional old bearded seal b l ows water from its whiskers and stares at one through big, solumn eyes. Loons laugh at the moon and red- backed voles rustle last years grass s t alks as they nibble the fresh gr een of spring . It is a good place to be when the wind has died away and t he sun warms the earth.

To climb the mountain one must first push through the alders a nd willows dividing it from the wate r s edge. It is here that Wil l ow Ptarmigan and Wilsons Warbler feed bu t it is beyond this band of moisture loving shrubs that innumerable White crolroed sparrows sing or, when disturbed, flit around and "tu t " in protest . It is hard to imagine a sparrow more beautiful than an adult male White crolmed. Though I was unable to photograph these birds I was fortunate I!:nough to find two nests. carefully concealed beneath grass tussocks. These spar rows were utilizing a number of habita t s up to a height of approximately 2000 feet .

Wherever possible we climbed the mountain on caribou trails fo r theal!: animals will find a suitable line of accent much better than an office bound suburbanite . Caribou are not infallable however for we found the remains of one that had stepped over a cliff. Of cou r se it could have been "helped" over f or a pair of wolves pushed one over the edge of nearby Ht. Lister last winter. I was hoping to see wolves but

~~:~:h m::n~;~c:~t ~l~l~~!iv:n~r!:~~~e~r:~~s \i:n~e:~at not a glimpse of e

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Alpine and arctic. flowers have held a fascination for me longer than I can remember and here on the slopes of Kingurutik were species I've wanted to see and photograph for years . Moss- campisn (Silene acaulis) Dlapensia (Dlapensia lapponica). Mountain Avens (Dryas integrHolia). Purple Saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifol1a) , Fernweed (Pedicularis sp .) snd some of the alpine Vetch I S were common . Arabia (Arab 15 slpina). Anemone (Anemone parviflora) and some of the " snow patch" plants such as Moss Heather (Cassiepe hypnoides) and Purple Heather (Phyllodoce caerulea) were less plentiful. I did not see the Arc t ic White-Heather (Cassiepe tetragons) blooming here but photographed it later at latitude 59"20 ' North In Kangalaksiorvik fiord. I feel perhaps that of all the flowers I saw and photographed the one to give me the greatest pleasure was the beautiful, sulphur coloured Arctic Poppy (Papaver radicatum) found clinging to a rock scree, barely passable except to a mountain goat !

At the top of the mountain we saw few birds apart from Horned Larks and American Pipits. I did however disturb one Rock Ptarmigan and managed to take a couple of passable photographs .

The climax of the day came whilst we were in a large boulder field just below the brow of the hill. I was walking along the edge of a snowbank when a slight movement t o my right and slightly higher up the moun tain caught my attention. Putting down my bag and grasping camera a nd lens mo r e tightly, I approached the spot. Two long ears appeared above a rock and a large unblinking eye watched my stealthy approach with a look close to mock surprise . The Arctic Hare left its shelte r and took off down the hill but stopped at the base of a small rock cliff , settling down in the shade to watch me come down the slope not too unlike the proverb i al rolling stone . As the area between myself and the hare was very nearly as flat and bare as a well kept lawn I guessed the nonnal app r oach would not ge t me the desired photographs but would, in all likelihood, send the quary disappearing amongst the nearest boulder pile . This being the case I decided to try my rather poor though sometimes successful (I ' ve had it work on Merganzers and Goldeneye ducks) imitation of a feeding caribou. To pull this stunt one simply crawls around on ones hands and knees, jerking the head as if tearing sedges and giving the occasional grunt . Brown coloured clothing helps and it ' s a definite advantage if you don t t mind looking a bit of a damn foo l! It m glad to say my efforts were rewarded and though I ' ve seen better "shots" of Arctic Hare, I ' m well pleased with my own .

To spend a clear. sunny day on a mountain is an experience that lasts in one ' s mind for many years. If one of your interest is photog­raphy so much the better. for a decent coloured slide can bring memories of the day flooding back . As the scene glows in the darkness of home, one can once again "see" the Rough Legged Hawkes slowly Circling high in a blue sky as they watch the valley below. "See" the alpine butterflies warming t hemselves on sunwashed rocks, or an arctic hare scurrying across a melting snowbank.

The winter months are long and the next field season seems far away; it may be some time before I enjoy another mountain as much as Kingurutik .

16

THE HEDGE NEtTLE

Stachys palustds Linnaeua:

- a colourful v1ldflOW'er nth an edible t uber

INTRODUCTION

Several species o f St achys are found across Canada but onl y one,

;!Ui:!: ~j;;S)r~:n:~:;s i~tN~:f~::!:~~r ~!~:i:: ~~~o~~c~~~D:IO~:; plants in the St. John's area Pt'obably came from Eur opean a t ock. S . palustria is veedy in nature, usually found in dist urbed habitata ,-almost never within native vegetation . Although its common name is He dge Nettle,

~!:~~~; :~e~h:o~:::;~;p~~t~~:..,:~e:;ik:t(~~~:s!~ ~~~;~ !~~ ;~~;~~: ' ~:~ "of the marshes" (Pernald 1950). True to its name, this pl~ually found on moist ground, but all of Newfoundland is moist so you may find tbis plant almost anywhere!

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MY curiosity about this plan t began when I unearthed some of its SV'01- e len rhizomes (undet'ground stems) vhila weeding the vegetable garden (Figure 1). I decided to plant the rhizomes and record thei r development during a number of graving seasons.

PLANT DEVELOPMENT

Aboveground shoots die back to ground level vith the arrival of cold autua:n weather. The rhizomes remain dormant during the winte r months and then . as the soil warms in spring, the preformed rhizome buds s p rou t and elongate. This e.arly elongation from a dormant bud is the po i n t of Origin of a new rhizome; thin region 1 of Figure 1. Region 2 is swollen wi th starch and has an air chamber in each internodal segment. These starch depoaita and other food materials provide energy for the developmen t of rhizomes of the next year. The air chambers probably speed diffusion of gas.s through the rhizomes which often groW' in waterlogged, low oxygen soUs. This tuberous t'egion is bland but edible and S. palustris could be developed as a vetland crop.

The rhizomes become arched upward dudng elongation of region 3 and they grow vertically toward the surface, Nume rous fibrous roots are pro­duced at the nodes of regions 2 and 3. They do not penetrate very deeply, beins found predominantly in the upper 15 cm of the loil.

New rhizomes usually branch off from the vertical part of the old

~~:;~~ s~~g~~~g~r:r 2)h:e~:;~ ~:~~i~! :~g;:~ !!~!:e~e~~~~e.~~~~/o~~:to e initial downward growth is probably an adaptation assuring deep planting of the over..lintering rhiZOme.

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1~ Figure 1, Shoo t . roo t s and rhizome of Stachys pa!u8tris (life size) •

August 9 . 1978.

gr ound l evel P.O . - - - r hizome point of origin C.P .--- construc t ion point y .b. - -- yellow bract R,B.-- rhizOme bud

p , b. - - purple bract S,B , -- sub- aerial bud 1 - - - region of rhizome

elongation 2 --- swollen storage region 3 - --- arched shoot SUpport

regi on

T 3

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Figure 2. Stac:hys oalustris - new rh1zo=e develop~nt.. P.O. - point. of origin vb-ere a bud on the old rhizome produced the new' r hizotae.

Palll yellow, undllrground, reduced lilaves, c:alled bracts a~ t o r.:se.d at. tach at the nodes alol1g t.he drl.zome. !hue are larger ~d dark purple clos. to the. ground surface of region 3.

Once above ground, the shoot prodUC:&3 • square. hairy, green sta-=: and notched, opposito!, deeply veiul!d, i1&..1ry, dull green leaves vith a. prond.nent midrib. Under good graving condition.. lIlOSt shoots produce a terminal spike at tlovers. The flavers are bil.aterlly symmetric and typ­ieal of the tam:Uy Labiateae (-IAmiace.ae) . Figure 3. The lover flower buds open first, and spikes make a bright and showy, lasting centrepiece for cut.flower arrangements.

Stachys palustds makes a trouble free, reliable and a ttractive addi­don t.o t.he flover garden. I rec01mll.end it.

Figure 3 . Life-size portion of

;:~u!!~:~ s~~e o!r~~~~~lh. Hovers have 4 st.a.:::ens and 1 style vit.h a bilobed s:.iS""-&. The corolla has an upper hood and a lover 3-lcbed lip vit.h whi t.e and purpla mottling act.ing as honey guides for pol- ",-~-,-..r­linat.ors. (Complete detail of lip is not: sncW'l1.)

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Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's !-fanual of Botany . 8th Ed •• D. Van Nostrand Co •• New York, " ~lQ'2. t'P.

Gleason, H. A, 1952. The New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora of the Northeas t ern United States and Adjacent Canada, Published by Hafner Pr eas, N,Y •• for The New York Bo t an ical Garden . 3 Vols.

Rouleau, E. 1978. List of the vascul ar Plants of the Province of New­found l and (Canada). Oxen Pond Botanic Park. St. John ' s. Newfound­land . Canada, 132 pp.

ACN'fOWLEDGEMENTS

Robin Day Biology Department University of Winnipeg 515 Portage Avenue Winnipeg . Manitoba alB 2E9

1 thank Michele Quaglia and Richard StanHareh for proofreading t he article.

20

The New Bird Checklist

The IIField Checklist (1982) of the Birds of Insular New­

foundland" is now finished , and headed for the printer s . Produced

by John Maunder and Bill Montevecchi to replace the 1975

Checklist, the new checkli st includes 311 species, plus 2 Eur opean

subspecies . An added featur e is a list of speci es that occur

hypothetical l y . All status designations have been revised and

upgraded to r eflect the la t est knowledge available . All definitions

of symbols used to descri be status have been refined a nd tigh t ened

up . Versions of the checkl i st have been r eviewed by R. G. B. Brown,

R. Burrows , A. J . Erskine , R. Etcheber ry, W. E. Godfr ey, R. I . Goudie,

B. Mactavish , H. Ouellet , M. Parmenter, J . Piatt , J. Pr att , and

John Wells , and valuable input has been received from many additional

people . The checklist should be available in ample time f or the spring

season . Keep an eye out fo r it .

BIRD EDITOR ' S NOTE:

Because of limited space in this "Bird Count Issue" the wi nter

bird report has not been included. It will appear as par t of a

cOl:lprehens1ve Winter Bird Report in the next OSPREY .

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21

Checklist and Summar y of All -time High Counts for Newfoundland

Christmas Bir d Coun ts

The cbecklist for Chri stmas Bird Count speci es in the pr ovince

(and S t - Pierre at Mlquelon) now stands at 128 species (plus 2

hypo thet1cals) t and an additional 7 count period species.

In this total , there are 11 i nterna tional high counts (double

underlining), 6 add! tional national high counts (single underlining ) ,

plus 2 count period birds that have occurred only on Newfoundland

counts .

The checklist format is as follo ws: BIRD NAMEI HIGHEST NUMBER

ON A PROV I NCIAL COUNT (UP" means count period bir d)/ NAME OF

COUNT/ YEAR OF COUNT .

C8 - Corner Brook

C~ - Cape Race

CS - Cabot Str ait

CSM - Cape st. Mary ' s

G8 - Gr and Banks

GM - Gras Mo r ne National Park

LAM - L' Anse- aux- Meadows

Common Loon Arctic Loon (?) Red- t hr oa ted Loon Red- necked Gr ebe Horned Gr ebe Pied-bll~ed Gre be

Northe rn Fulmer Leach ' s S t orm- Pe trel Grea t Cormorant Canada Go ose Mallard Black Duck Pintail Gr een-winged Teal Wood Duck Ring- necked Duck Gr eater Scaup Common Goldeneye Barrow ' s Goldeneye Bufflehead Olds~ua\1'

26 "78 1 CSM 79 4 CSI1 80

52 M 78 1 STP 81 1 SJ 66

69 77

q ~ ~~ 31l CSM 81

138 M 79 1 TN 79

205 TN 69 1 SJ 66

18 SJ 81 1 SJ 76 P SJ 66

12 TN 71 155 TN 74

3 STP 81 2 2 TN 79

49 4 CR 81

H - Miquelon ( vs "SPM")

N'HR - No r th West R1 ver

SA - St . Anthony

SJ - st. John' s

SPM - St- Pierre et Hiquelon

STP - St. Paul' s - Cow Head

TN - Terra Nova Nati onal Park

Har lequin Duck Common Eider King Ei der Whi te-winged Scoter Surf Scoter Black Scoter Ruddy Duck Common Me r ganser Red - breasted

1-1er ganser Goshawk Sharp- shinned Hu:k

Ro ugh- legged Hawk Bald Eagle Nor ther n Harri er Osprey Gyr falcon Per egr ine Falcon ;·J erlin Ameri can Kestrel Ruffer! Grous e

143 CSH 80 ll§2 CSM 79

9 SA 76 17 SPM 75 4 CR 77

731 CSI1 79 1 SJ 69

85 TN 69

175 TN 81 3 SJ 72 7 SJ 77

78 79

2 TN 69 23 TN 8 1

P SJ 68 1 TN 69

1 ~~ ~~ 3 SJ 59 3 C~ 8 1

32 TN 78

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Willow Ptarmigan !±2 CR 78 Northern Three- toed • Rock Ptarmigan 5 GM 76 .'Ioodpecker 1 SJ 64 Ring- necked Pheasan t 3 SJ 73 SA 76 Sora 1 SJ 74 TN 80

79 Hor ned Lark 31 M 79 American Coot P SJ 81 Tree Swallow 1 SJ 71 Lapwing P SJ 70 Grey Jay 14 NWR 75 Killdeer '1 SJ 81 Blue Jay 57 CB 75 Black- bellied Plover 1 CR 77 COOlman Raven 384 GM 77 Ruddy Turnstone 2 CR 77 COIDMon Crow 892 SJ 75 Common Snipe 4 SJ 81 Black-capped Purple Sandpiper 88 CR 79 Chickadee 163 SJ77 Dunlin P CR 81 :~~~~;e;:~~~a~~~hat ch ~ TN 73 Sander ling 8 SPM 75 S' 43 Glaucous Gull "ID SA 81 Brown Creeper 15 SJ 56 Iceland Gul l SJ 81 Winter Wren 8 SJ 69 Great Black- Mockingbird 1 SJ 65

backed Gull 935 SJ 81 70 Herring Gull 3151 SJ 79 71 Ring-billed Gull 4 SJ 81 76 Hew Gull 1 SJ 69 79

71 American Rob i n 3808 SJ 68 73 Fieldlare P SJ 72

Black-headed Gull ~ SJ 69 Wheatear ! SA 74 Bonaparte's Gull (?) SJ 67 Golden- crowned

SA 39 Kinglet 100 SJ 52 • Ivory Gull .l.!2 LAM 76 ,vater Pipit 10 SJ 76 B18ck-legged Bohemian ',vaxwlng 38 SJ 78

Kl ttiwake 2312 GS 58 Cedar .'Jaxwing 21 SJ 81 Ra:z.orbill 2 GB 58 Northern Shr ike 3 CSM 81 Common Murre 8 CS 77 star ling 4482 SJ 70 Thick- billed M.urre 1590 SA 77 Yellow- rumped Dovekie J..§2§ SA 76 Warbler SJ 57 Black Guillemot 380 LA.' 81 76 Common Pu !tin 8 CS 77 SA 75 Rock Dove 944 SJ 80 TN 81 Mourning Dove 25 SJ 73 Jot 79 Gr ea t Horned Owl 1 TN 70 CR 79

78 Blackpoll ',','arbler ~ SJ 67 Snowy Owl 4 LAM 78 Palm \'/arbler SJ 67 Hawk Owl P SJ 68 Common Yellowthroat SJ 75 Boreal Owl 2 SJ 62 Yellow- breastod Chat SJ 52 Bel ted Kingfisher "2 GM 80 64 Common Flicker 14 SJ 54 73 Yellow-bellied House SparrolV 680 SJ 78

Sapsucker 1 SJ 71 (Eastern) i-ieadowlark 1 CR 78 Hairy '.'Ioodpecker 7 CB 81 Yellow- heo.ded Downy woodpecker 17 GM 76 Blackbird 1 SJ 80 Black- backed Three- Red-winged Blackbird 16 SJ 80

toed :,oodpeck~r GM 76 r:o rthe r n Oriole 1 SJ 81

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• Rusty Bl ackbir d SJ 80 CB 81

Common Gr a ckle 150 SJ 62 Br own- headed Cowbird 25 SJ 79 Rose- br eas t ed

Gr osbeak 1 SJ 71 Di ckci ssel 2 SJ 73 Ev eni ng Gr osbeak 664 SJ 79 Pur pl e Finc h 138 SJ 54 Pine Gr osbeak ~ SA 76 Hoary Recipoll 1 SA 76 Commo n Redpoll 2.§§.2 SA 76 Pine Si skin 449 SJ 68 American Goldfin ch 20 SJ 65 Had Cr ossbill 288 CSM 79

2)

Whi te - winged Cr ossbi ll

Savannah Sparr o'''' Dar k - eyed Junco Tr ee Sparrow

~ SA 76 -. SJ 81

Wh1 te- c r owned Sparrow Whit e- thr oa t ed Sparrow Fox Sparrow Song Sparr ow Lapland Longspur

Snow Bun ting

570 SJ 78 9 CB 75 1 SJ 75 8 SJ 76 4 SJ 75 2 SJ 75 1 GM 72

CR 78 190 CR 78

The Christmas Bi r d Coun ts - 1981

This yea r , ther e were nine offi c i al counts in the province .

Many speCi es like eider s and the fin ches wer e r ather scar ce, '.hile

gulls , dovekie and black gu111emots wer e u.nusually plentiful in

some areR.S. The mos t exc i ting aspec t of the counts was the ver itable e in nux of Amer ican Kestr el (2 coun ts , 5 bi r ds) , Killdeer <3 counts ,

9 bi r ds) , and Nor the r n Shrike (6 coun ts , a bi r ds) . Thr ee all - time

i n ter nati onal count highs wer e registered , and three species wer e

added to the pr ovincial count list .

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The under lin ed sections of the counts listed below are

explain ed in the following key :

- a single underlining of a speCies name means that the bi r d

1s new fo r that coun t

- a single underlining of a numbe r means the number equals or

excedes the previous highest count of that species on that count

- a double underlining of a species name means that the bird

15 new for Newfo undland counts

- a double unde r lining of a number means that the number equals

or excedes the pr evious highest count of that species on a

NeWfoundland count

- a quadruple underlining of a number means tha t the number

equals or excedes the previous highest count of tha t species

on any No r th American count

St . John ' s Christmas Bird Count - 1981

St . John 's, Newfoundland. 47033 f N 52042'W, center on

Confederation Building, as described 1972; elevation 0 to 850 ft. ,

habitat coverage: 86 described 1976. - Dec . 26; 7:45 a.m . to 4:30 p.m.

A. M. : 1I10stly clear. P. M. : partly cloudy, intermittent light s now.

Temp. 190 to 21 0 F (_70 to _60 C). Wind VlNW- NW, 18- 21 with gusts

to 38 lI1.p.h. (29-34 with gusts to 61 k.p . h.). Snow cover 0 to 1 In.

(0 to 2 .5 cm . ). Fresh water mostly open . Saltwater open. Wild food

crop fair-poor . Twenty-!our observers in 9 parties . Total party-hours

46 04 on root , 12 by car; total partY-llIiles 197 (39 on root, 158

by car) .

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Common Loon I , Black Duck 1.§, Gr een- winged Teal ~ , Old squaw

6 , Common Eider 45, Killdeer Z., Comt!l.on Snipe~ , Glaucous Gull 42,

Iceland Gull 2,!J., Great Black-backed Gull ill, Herring Gull 1751,

Ring-billed GUII ,1, Black- headed Gull 46 , Black-legged Kittiwake "

Thick-billed Murre 1, murre sp . 8 , Dovekie..!.2.!., Black Guil lemot 94,

Common Puffin 1, Rock Dove 547, Common Flicke r 6 , Downy \'Joodpecker 2 , e Blue Jay 16 , Common Raven 71, Commo n Crow 879 , Bl a ck- capped

Chickadee 32 , Boreal Chickadee 64, Brown Creeper I, Golden- crowneoi

Kingle t 41, Cedar Waxwing~ , Northern Shrike 1, Starling 3655 ,

HOUGe Sparrow 17, Northern Or iole .,!, Evening Grosbeak 369 , Pur ple

Finch 15, Pine Grosbeak 29 , Common Redpoll 3, Red Crossbill 6 ,

Whit e- winged Crossbil l I, Savannah Sparrow ~, Dar k- eyed Junco 21"

Fox Sparrow 1.

Total, 43 species; about 10 , 047 individuals . (In count a rea

count week but not se en count day: Bald Eagle , America n Coot,

Pine Siskin . )

Don Barton, Chris Brown , Clarence Burry, Andrew , IUcheal a nd

Honar d Clase , David Gr aham , Bernard Jackson, David Larson, John

Naunder, Ru th Maunder, David Hoo r es , Hike Parmen ter , Jenni fer Perry,

Pierre Ryan , Eddie and 1-10ya Sharpe , Hobin Sou th, Don Steele, Jane

and -,'I1111a.l:l Threl!all (compller- 67 La r khall Street, St . John ' 5,

r;fld. , AlB 2C5) , John ','!ells , Val ','linter, Gerald Yetman. •

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Gr as Morne National Park Christmas Bird Count - 1981

Gr os Mo r ne National Park , Newfoundland . 490

31'N 57°5YW,

center Gadd i s Point Light , as desc r ibed 1972 under "Bonne Bay" .

Habi tat coverage : mixed boreal fo r est 35%, sea and ba y 30%,

village and dump 27%, rocky shor e 4% , coas t al krumholz 2%, barrens

and scr ee 2%. - December 29 ; 8:00 a . m. to 5 : 00 p. m. A. M. : Most ly

over cast . P . M. : over cas t. Temp . 0 . 50 to 23°F ( - 17 . 5° to _5°C).

';/ind E- SE 0- 10 m. p . h . (0- 16 k . p . h . ) . Snow cover I to 12 in . (2 . 5 to

30 . 5 cm. Fr esh water mostly f r ozen . Salt water mostly open. \'/ild

food crop poor . Sixteen obser ver s ; 13 in 8 par ties plus 3 at feede r s .

Total par ty- hour s 44 . 25 (29 . 25 on foot , 12 . 25 by ca r , 2 by boat ,

0 . 75 by fe rry) plus 9 . 5 hour s at feede r s ; total party-miles 193 . 5

(31 . 25 on foo t , 156 . 25 by car, 2 by boat , 4 by (erry) .

Red- necked Gr ebe 1, Black Duck 18 , ComMon Merganser 2 , Pur ple

Sandpiper 7 , Glaucous Gull 6 , Iceland Gull 68 , Gr eat Black- backed

Gull 21 , He r ring Gull 71 , Ring- billed Gull 1, Black- headed Gull 1 , Black- legged Kittiwake 1, our re sp . 2 , Dovekie 44 , Black Guillemot

25 , Hairy Woodpecker 1, Downy Woodpecker 2 , Gr ay Jay ..!.S , Blue

Jay .!1 , Common Raven 83 , Common Cr ow 104 , Black- c apped Chickadee 29 ,

Boreal Chickadee 28 , Golden- cr owned Kinglet 10 , Norther n Shrike I ,

Starling 52 , House Spar row 16 , Pine Grosbeak 1, Common Redpoll 22 ,

White - winged Cr ossbill 1, Dark- eyed JUDCO 2 .

Total , 30 species , about 647 individuals . (In count area count

week but not seen count day : Canada Goose, Red - br easted Merganser ,

Bald Eagle, Wh1 te- crowned Sparr ow ) .

Roger Burr ows , Peter Deering, Mac Estabr ooks , Mora Estabrooks ,

Dave Huddlestone (compile r - Gr as Mor ne National Park, Rocky

Harbour, Nfld . , AOK 4NO), Susan Huddlestone , Don Learmonth ,

Isabel Learmonth , Ella Manuel , Pat McLeod , Ga r y Pittman , Karole

Pittman , Bruce Roberts Sr. , Eel Tapper , Rob '.'o'alker, Gisela

Westphalen •

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Cape St . Mary ' s Christmas Bird Count - 1981

Cape St . Hary's, Newfoundland. 46052'N 54°05 ' '11, center ca.

4 miles due N of Point Lance , as described 1979 . Elevation 0 to

550 ft. Habitat coverage : as described 1980 . - Dec , 20 . 7 : 30

a . m. to 4:40 p . m. A. M. par tly cloudy, intermittent light r a in.

P. M. overcast , intermittent freezing rain. Te mp . 34° to 41°F

(1° to 5°C) . Wind SW 5- 40 m. p . h . (8-64 k.p . h.) . Snow cover nil.

Fresh water open . Salt water open. (The above may diffe r i n slight

de t ail from report to be published in American Bird s - J . E.M..)

Five observers in 3 parties. Total party-hours 27 (22 on foot ,

by car); total party- miles 115 (19 on foot, 96 by ca r ) .

Common Loon 3 , Great Cor morant ~, Old squaw 142, Harlequin

Duc k 101, Common Eider 2678, White-winged Scoter 1, Black Scoter

569 , Red-breasted Me r ganser 28, ~ 1 , Sharn- shinned Hawk 1, Rough-legged Hawk 1, American Kestrel ~, WUlow Ptarmigan 3 ,

~,l, Glaucous Gull 2 , Iceland Gulli , Great Black- ba cked

Gull ~, He r ring Gull 215 , Ring-billed Gull 1, Bl a ck- legged

Kittiwake 9 , murre s p. 1, Dovekie £, Black Guillemot 46, }lourning

.Q.2!!.§:, Hai ry \'/oodllecker 1, Horned Lark I , Gr a y JaY,g, Common

Raven 12, Common Crow !i2, BlaCk- capped Chickadee 2 , Bor eal

Chi ckadee 15 , Golden- crowned Kinglet l2, Northern Shr ike ~,

Starling E2Q, House Sparrow 17 , Br own- headerl Cowbird 2, Pi ne

Grosbeak 6 , Common Redpoll 4, Dark-eyed Junco .§:, Snow Bunting 8.

Total , 40 species ; about Lf637 individuals .

Chris Br own, Paul Linegar, John Maunder , Pier r e Ryan , John

,'Iells (compiler - Dept . of Psychology , M,emorial University, St .

John's , AlB 3X9) .

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St . Anthony Christmas Bir d Count - 1981

St . Anthony , Newfoundland . 5,o24 ' N 55°33 ' 17 , center junction of

Rou t e 430 with side road to St . Anthony Bight , as described in 1974 .

Habi t a t cover age : salt water 48%, barrens 20%, coniferous wood l ands

15%, town 5%, ponds and bogs 10%, dump ~. - Jan . 2, 1982; 7:30 a . m.

to 4:45 p . m. A. M. : overcast . P. M. mostly cloud y . Temp . 30° to

34°F ( _ 10 t o 1°C) . \'/ind E- NE , 15- 20 m. p . h . (24-32 k . p . h . ). Snow

c over 3 to 30 in . ( 8 to 76 em . ). Fr esh water mostly f r ozen . Salt

wa t er mostly open . Wild fo od cr op very poor. Eleven obser vers in

7 par t ies . Total par ty- hour s 31 . 5 (15 . 75 on foot , 10 . 75 by car ,

5 by s nowmobile); total par t y- miles 103 . 5 (16 . 5 on foo t, 64 by

car , 23 by snowmobile) .

Oldsqua w.!12 , Comoon Ei der 1241, GyrfalcOn~ , Willow Ptarmigan

13 ( 12 by tracks) , Glaucous Gull l?§2 , Iceland Gull 327 , Great

Black- backed Gull 220 , Herring Gull 1.2 , Black- headed Gull ,2,

Black - legged Kittiwake .l.i§.2 , Thick- billed Murre 74 , Dovekie 56,

Black Gui llemot 66 , Gray Jay ,2 , Blue Jay 2 , Common Raven 97 ,

CornlDon Crow 23 , Black- capped Chickadee 11 , Boreal Chickadee 11 ,

Red - br easted Nuthatch 6 , Dar k- eyed Junco 3 , song Scarr ow 1 ·

Total , 23 species; about 4868 individuals . (In count a rea

coun t week , but not seen count day : Common Redpoll , Ivor y Gull,

sparrow sp . )

Br uc e Br adbur y , Peter Glennon, J a ni ce Grebneff, Bruce

Hactavish , Helvin HcNeill , Eveline Pi r ie , Rob 'Nalk er , Gerar d

Ward , Doror ty a nd Jim 1'lilliams ( cot:lpiler- 3 Starig,;m Hill , S t .

Anthony , Nfld . AOK 4S0) , Paul and Jane l'Ii lliams •

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L'Anse-aux- Headows Christmas Bird Count - \981

L I Anse- aux-Headows, Newfoundland . 51 036 IN 55030 1 VI ,

center at summit ad Round Head (Cape Ardoise) in L'Anse- aux- Meadows,

as desc r ibed in 1978. Elevation 0 to 400 ft. Habitat coverage :

seacoast and barren headlands 70%, forest 10%, coastal villages

15%, dumps 5%. - Dec . 28 ; 7:30 a.lII. to 4:45 p . m. Clear .

Telllp. _60 to lOaF ( _21 0 to _ 120C) . Wind NE-NW, 15- 20 m. p . h .

(24- 32 k.p . h . ) . Sno .... cover 2 to 20 in. (5 to 50 cm.). Fresh water

frozen . Salt water open . Wild food crop very poor. Three ob.servers;

2 in 2 parties , plus 1 at feeder . Total partY-bours 12 . 5 (10 on

foot , 2 . 5 by car), plus 7 hours at feeder; total party-miles

46 (6 on foo t, 40 by car) .

Oldsguaw!t2Q, Common Eider 3000, King Eider 1, Gyrfalcon .§' Glaucous Gull 289, Iceland Gull 41, Great Black-backed Gull .§.l ,

Herring Gull ~, Ivory Gull 6, Black-legged Kittiwake 2 , Dovekie

52, Black Guillelllot 2§.Q, Snowy Owl 2, Gray Jay ,2 , Common Raven 60 ,

Common Crow 9 , Black-capped Chickadee I, Boreal Chickadee 11, Golden- crowned Kindet 2, Northern Shrike 1 , Starling i t Common

Redpoll 1, Snow Bunting 4.

Total, 23 speciesj ahout 4430 individuals . (In count

count week but not seen count day: Common Loon, Harlequin Duck ,

Purple Sandpi per, Thick- billed Murre . )

Delena Anderson , Paul Linegar, Bruce Mactavish (compiler -

Box 274, L ' Anse - nux-Meadows, Nfld. AOK 2XO) .

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Cape Race Ch r is t mas Bird Coun t - 1981

Cape Ra ce, Newf oundland. 46044'N 53009 ' W, center 6 mi. NW by

N of Cape Race Lighthouse, as described 1978 ; elevation 0 to 611

ft . t habitat cover age: as described 1979 . - De c. 28 ; 7:35 a . m.

to 4:30 p . m. A. M. : overcast . P.M. mostly cloudy . Temp . aO to

28° F . ( _1 30 to _2° C. ) . Wi nd NW- NE , 5- 30 m. p . h . (8- 48 k . p . h . ) .

SnoW' cover 0 to 0 . 5 in . (0 t o 1 . 3 em . ) . Fresh wate r mostly f r ozen .

Sal t 'Mater open . Wild food crop very poor. Eight observers , in 3

par ties . Total party- hours 23 (20 . 5 on foot, 2 . 5 by car) i total

party- miles 70 (13 on foot, 57 by car ) .

Common Loon EE: , Hed- necked Gr ebe £, Black Duck 8 , Gr eater

Scaup E" Common Goldeneye 9 , Oldsquaw ill, Common Eider 1761,

White- winged Seater .l!i, Surf Seater 3 , Black Scoter 3 , Red - breas ted

Me r ganse r 34 , Bald Eagle £ (la, 11), Amer ican Kes trel 1, Willow

Ptarmi gan 1, ~.1, Purple Sandpipe r 35 , Icela nd Gull 21 ,

Gr eat Black- backed Gull 11) Herring Gull 39 , Thick-billed Murre 1, e Dovekie J.Ql., Black Guillemot 14 , Common Raven 15 , Common Crow 28 ,

Black- capped Chickadee 1 , Boreal Chickadee 6 , Golden- crowned

Kingle t .!£ , S t arling 7 , Common Redpoll .J..2l, Dar k- eyed Junco I ,

Snow Bunting 30 .

Total , 3 1 species ; about 2842 individuals . (In count a r ea

count week but not seen count day: Common Snipe , Dunlin . )

Nick Avis , Don Barton, Chris Brown, John Maunde r (compile r -

Box 5849 , St . John ' s , Newfoundland , Ale 5X3) , Ru th Maunde r,

Pi err e Ryan , Jytte Selnc , J ohn Wells .

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St . Paul's - Cow Head Christmas Bird Count - 1981

St. Paul ' s - Cow Head , Newfoundland. 49052'N 57°49'W,

center on bridge at St. Paul's , as desc r ibed 1980; elevation 0 to

2485 ft . Habitat coverage: sea and bay 34% , boreal forest 30%,

rocky shore and islands 10%, bogs 9% , coastal krumholz 8%,

strealll.s and ponds 4% , sand dunes 3%, villages 2%. - Dec . 28;

8:00 a . lII. . to 5: 00 p .m. Clear. Temp . _,0 to 11 0F (_18 . 50 to

-11.50C) . Wi nd calm . Snow cover 0 to 8 in . (0 to 20 em.) . Fresh

water partly open . Sal t water mostly open. INild food crop poor.

Five observer s in 5 parties . Total party- hoUrs 26 . 5 (21 on toot ,

4 . 75 by car, 0 . 75 by boat); total party-miles 78 . 5 (25 on toot,

52 . 5 by car , 3 by boat).

Common Loon §" Hor ned Grebe:1' Canada Goose .2!t, Black. Duck. 22, Common Goldeneye J..§.§., Barrow ' s Goldeneye J, Common Ei der £, White-winged Scoter .1. Common Merganser 47, Red-breasted l-iergllnser

§.I, Willow Pt aroigan.!i, Purple Sandpiper ~, Glaucous Gull 3,

Iceland Gul l 22, Great Black- backed Gull 22 , Herring Gull 45 ,

Black-headed Gull .s, Thick- billed Murre 1, Dovekie ,2 , Black

Guillemot 22, Horned Lark i, Common Raven.§j , Common Cr ow .§!±,

Black-capped Chickadee .lQ, Boreal Chickadee ~, Golden-crowned

Kinglet ,2, Starling ~, Pine Grosbeak 4 , White-winged Crossbill 12,

Snow Bunting 12.

Total, ,,30 speciesj about 884 individuals .

Roger Burrows, Dave Huddlestone (compiler - Gr os t-A:orne

t!at10nal Park, Rocky Harbour, Nfld. , AOK 4NO), Don Learmonth,

Isobel Learconth, Rob Walker.

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31

Corner Brook Christmas Bird Count - 1981

Corner Brook, Newfoundland. 49 0 03'N 5?o50 ''N, canter

intersection Routes 1 and 440 (BaHam Bridge) ; count ar ea

covers Lower Humber River , Bay of Islands COlist from Summer s1de

to Corner Brookj woodland for 8 miles along the Tr ans- Canada

Highway going west to Twelve Mile Road and 2 miles into the woods .

- Dec . 27 . Twenty- three participants . Total party- miles 148

(53 on foot, 87 by car , 8 by boat) . (Other information not

available at press time) .

Black Duck.2, Common Goldeneye ~ J Common Merganser li, Merlin 1, Ruffed Grouse ,§, Willow Ptarmigan 1, Glaucous Gull ,§ ,

Iceland Gull ill, Great Black-backed Gull ID, Herr ing Gull £2,2,

Rock Dove 2, Hairy Woodpecker ,2 , Downy 'Woodpecker ,2 , ~ £, Blue Jay 41, Common Raven ill, Common Crow..22..§;, Black- capped

Chickadee .§Z , Boreal Chickadee 21 , Golden- crowned Kinglet .§., Northern Shrike 1, Starling ill, Houae Sparrow ill, Rusty

~ 2,. , Evening Grosbeak ill , Purple Finch 2, Pine Grosbeak

22 , Comrnon Redpoll2§., Pine Siskin ll , I,Vhite- winged Crossbill ..!..i , Dark- eyed Junco .§ .

Total, 3 1 species; about 3034 individuals .

Compiler - Wally Skinner , -c/o Pr ovincial Wildl ife DiVision ,

Pasadena, N fld .

Terra Nova National Park Chrlstmaf> Birn. Count - 1981

Terr a Nova National Park , Newfoundland. 4So34'N 530 52 'W

center 0 . 1 m1. NW of Minchin Head , as described 1972 , elevation

o to 706 ft. Habitat coverage : marine wate r s 30%, coniferouR

forest 25% , shor eline 20%, ur ban 10%, mixed woods and second

growth 5%, freshwater ponds anri streams 4%, bogland 4%, f a rmlann. 2%.

- Dec . 21 ; 6 : 00 a . lI1. to 5 : 15 p.m . A. M. mostly cloudy , moderate

snow . P . M. mo s tly clear, intermittent light snow. Temp . 280 to

390r ( _20 to 4oC) . '.'find variable SII- N, 7- 12 m. p . h . (11 - 19 k . p . h . )

Snow cover 2 to 12 in . (5 to 30 cm.) . Fresh water partl y o pen .

)2

Salt water mostly open . Wild food cr op fair - poor. Twenty- five

observers, 23 1n 9 parties plus 2 at feede r s . Total party- hours

59 . 5 (41 . 5 on foot, 9 by car, 9 by boat) plus 2 at feede r s and

1 ow11ng. Total party- miles 200 03 on toot , 56 by car, 11 1 by

boat) plus 1 owling .

Black Duck 37, Como.o n Goldeneye 140 , Barrow' s Goldeneye 1,

Bufflehead 17, Oldsquaw 1, Harlequin Duck 1;, Red- br easted He r ganF.;er

..!1.2, Goshawk ,£ , Shar p- shinned Hawk 1, Bald Eagle ~ (12a , 11 i ),

Rufted Grouse 3, Glaucous Gull I , Iceland GullI , Gr ea t Black­

backed Gull 56, Herring Gull 136 , Ring-billed GullI , Black-l egged

Ki ttiwake 1, Dovekie 54 , Black Guillemot 18, Rock Dove 3 , Hairy

i"ioodpecker 3, Downy Woodpecker 5, Black- backed Three- toed I,'Jood­

pecker ~, Gr ay Jay 6, Blue Jay,2 , Common Raven 42, Common Cro 'R .2.2, Black-capped Chickadee 45, Boreal Chickadee 82 , Golden- crowned

Kinglet .2.,2 , Northern Shrike 1, Starling 100 , Yellow-rumlled

Warble r :J:, House Sparrow 32, Evening Gr osbeak 38 , Pine Gr osbeak 14,

Common Redpoll 6, Pine Siskin 3, Red Cr ossbill 51, White- winged

Crossbill 15 , Dark-eyed Junco 36, Snow Bunting 25 .

Total , 42 species ; about 1418 individuals. (In count area

count week but not seen count day : Willow Ptarmi gan , Black- header!

Gull)

Roger Baird , Chris Br own , Roger Burrows (compiler - Box 73,

Glove r town, NIld . AOG 2LO), Gerald Carr , Hector Chaulk , Hein r ik

Deichm3D, Joanne Deieh.man , Jenny Feick, John Fulton , Therese

Fulton , Ralph Genge , Nan Hennessey, Chris Junek , Paul Linegar,

Brent Marsh , Gaileen Marsh , George l1ereer , Mel Parsons , Paul

Pike, Bill Rogers, Pierre Ryan, Rob Saunders, Audrey Stewar t , Bob

Thexton, Jobn 'NeIls .

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THE NEWFOUNDLA.'1D NATURAL lllSTORY SOCIETY

Date and Place: Speaker: Topic :

Date and place : Speaker: Topic :

P. O. Bas 1013

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

NanCE OF HAY HEETING .

Thursday 20 May 1982 at. 8 :)0 P.M. at OXen Pond Botanic Park. Rex Porter of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. MYsrERIES OF THE ARCTIC Ca,R IN lJ,BRADOR .

NOTICE OF JUlIE MEETING.

Thursday 17 June at 8:)0 P,M . at Oxen Pond Botanic Park. John Pratt. A TOUR OF SAINONIER NATURE PARK.

1982 EXlX:UTIVE .

The executive for 1982- 83 is as follows:

President: Don St ee1e(579- 965) Secretary &: Treasurer: James Br idgland (726- 8554) Past President: Todd Howell (75)-980» Members at Large: Guy Martel (722,-2667), John Gibson (726- 2498),

John Wells (579-4509). Allan Stein (722- 5078) Pierre Ryan (75)-88)4) . Paul Linegar (75)- 5881).

CALL FOR ARTICLES.

The editor advises us that the OSPREY could use more articles for coming issues . They need not be long: and involved , rut interpretive and descriptive articles would probably be of greater interest to the general membership. than long lists of species records . nlustrations are especially welcome .