To: All members

From: Your President,

As we wind down our activities for the 2004-2005 club year, we still have some significant events in store. At our May meeting, which is our Annual General Meeting, you, our members, will be asked to ratify changes to our Constitution and By-Laws. The Board has approved these changes which clarify and more precisely represent our current situation, and as required, they will have been on display in the library for 30 days before our AGM on May 10.

As well, our slate of Board members will be presented for your approval. This means we will be saying thank you and au revoir to three of our current Board: Paul Echle, Elizabeth Titherington and myself. One change to the By-Laws defines more specifically the role of the immediate Past President who becomes an Advisor. This will be valuable in providing continuity and insight for the newly constituted Board.

So many people have contributed in so many ways to the successful year we have had. Everyone involved in Outings, Wolf Howl (writing, printing and distribution), Coffee, Goodies, Program (equipment and presenters), Membership, Phoning, Nominations, Constitution and By-Law revision, Marketing and Sales, Saturday Sanctuary Strolls, nesting box cleaning and monitoring, winter feeder maintenance, bird seed donations, has my own grateful appreciation, and I’m sure I represent all of us when I say your involvement is what makes PHFN such a great club.

Although we have no meetings in June, July and August, we do have a summer event to look forward to: we plan to have one of our spectacular pot-lucks on August 6 at Westview Park. We have the covered table area booked from 3PM on that day, and hope everyone who’s within hailing distance will be there. We’ve invited Friends of Algoma East to join us, and look forward to good friends, incredible food, and perhaps a game of bocce afterwards.

As I come to the end of my tenure, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the Board, and to all those members who - by word and action - have been encouraging and instrumental in moving PHFN forward. Have a wonderful summer!

Sincerely, Elizabeth

UPCOMING OUTINGS

The “WOODCOCKS IN SPRING” outing was upstaged by the balmy early spring weather - Jim thinks the birds have already mated and so - no show! He will, however, phone the people on his sign-up sheet when an opportunity arises for another interesting subject outing. Stay tuned!

WILDFLOWERS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS

Leaders-------Naomi Maggs, Marg Reckahn

Date---------1st June Alternative Date for weather 8 June

Time---------9:30 A.M.

Place---------Brunswick Walk Parking Lot

Visit Old Hydro Road

BOTANY AND BIRDS MANITOULIN ISLAND

Leader-----Erwin Meissner

Date-----This outing was originally billed for two days in the third week of June but now has been put back a week, the date dependant on availability of accommodation.More information at the May meeting. Orchids, wild flowers, birds.

VISIT TO FISH HATCHERY

Depending on interest. Sign up sheet at the May meeting. Arrive at Sault Ste Marie 1:30 P.M.

                                                BLUEBIRDS

Join Marretta in May or June for 2 morning outings to see if the PHFN are guardians of any bluebirds at

1. The Equestrian and Stable sites and

2. The Quirk 1 and Panel Mine Road sites.

A bluebird has already been sighted at the Equestrian Site Panel Mine is usually a swallow domain and they are a delight to watch, but Terry Carr did spot a bluebird perching a couple of years ago. Swallows are in as well.

Sign up sheet will be downstairs at the May PHFN meeting

BIRDATHON

Named after an ornithologist, this is Bird Studies Canada’s spring migration bird count. Volunteers choose a day (or part of one) in May and count and record species.

This is a fund-raising activity for BSC (research and conservation) and our club, PHFN. Volunteers canvass generous souls for sponsorships, do their count, collect and submit the pledge money, and can designate that a portion of the funds they raise will go to their home club.

Tax receipts are sent by BSC for pledges of $10 or more. Obviously it’s a win-win situation! To simplify the process, we ask for flat-rate pledges ($10, $15, $25 etc.).

If you’d like to support BSC and PHFN, then please sponsor Joyce McKenzie 848-1063 or Elizabeth Matheson c/o 848-5834. If you, yourself, would like to be a Birdathon counter, speak to the above or go to www.bsc-eoc/organization/birdathon.html

 NATURALISTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Ontario Nature (previously known as the Federation of Ontario Naturalists) is holding its 74^th Annual Conference on June 3, 4, and 5, 2005. Hosted bythe Nipissing Naturalists Club at Nipissing U. in North Bay, the program is full of interesting and informative sessions, exhibits and field trips. Our very own Jim Johnston, President of the Friends of Algoma East, will be giving a Saturday morning presentation on Co-existing with Black Bears in Urban Areas. Brochures with complete conference information will be available at the May 10 PHFN meeting for those who may wish to attend. It sounds like a winner of a conference, and you don’t have to drive to southern Ontario to get there!

RECENT SIGHTINGS AROUND SHERRIFF CREEK

Two common loons, northern flickers, pileated woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, harrier hawk, grackles, tree sparrow, song sparrow, white throated sparrow, common merganser, tree swallow (two nests occupied), painted turtles, muskrat.

And - on the Saturday morning stroll - cow bird, male and female northern harrier, hooded and common mergansers, song sparrow, the first painted turtles. Sandhill cranes were heard.

submitted by Ray Cormier