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WINTER BIRDS
By June Hitchcox ( hitchbob@sympatico.ca)
Although many of our birds have
left for the sunny warmth of the south, several species prefer to stay; they
are joined by others that fly down from more northerly areas to spend the
winter with us.
One species that comes to our area for the winter from the far north - late October until April or so - is the American Tree Sparrow. These sparrows breed on the edge of the tundra around Hudson Bay. They are a trim, attractive sparrow, about the size of a House Sparrow with an easy identification mark - a "stickpin" central spot on their greyish-white unstreaked breast. Tree Sparrows also have a rusty-red cap, dark legs, two conspicuous white wing-bars and a bill that is dark above and yellow below. They prefer to eat small seeds sprinkled on the ground and are valuable as a destroyer of weed seeds. A good way to become more knowledgeable about birds and wildlife in Peterborough County is to join the Peterborough Naturalists' Club - single $25.00; family $30.00 yearly. Even if you cannot attend their monthly evening meetings in Peterborough, they have many hikes, children's programmes and a monthly newsletter - "The Orchid" - filled with interesting information. On Tuesday, December 28, Drew Monkman (743-0868) will be leading the Christmas Bird Count at the Petroglyphs, an annual event, where a beginner is paired with experienced birders and their day is spent hiking a designated area in the Petroglyphs Park to tally the birds. The day finishes with all getting together for a hearty meal and a compilation of the results. Last year 11,750 people participated in 344 counts across the country. The total number of individual birds in last year's count dropped slightly to 3.27 million from 3.39 million with 293 species tallied. Data is compared to other years to get a handle on how the birds are doing. The Peterborough Naturalists have many types of events and over the years we have found it very rewarding to be part of their activities. As always, I would be pleased to hear about what you are seeing in the world of birds. 
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North Kawartha Public Library and
Lifelong Learning Centre
By Katie Maitland Jackson
Library Volunteers RecognizedFour library volunteers were recently recognized for their dedication and hard work at the Ontario Volunteer Awards. Congratulations and many thanks to Ruth Wood (10 years of service), Maria Ormonde (5 years of service), Codie Lean (Youth award), and Alison Bailey (5 years of service). Local Veterans Share Their Stories Dangerous Capetown waters and VE Day in Holland were only a few of the many wartime memories brought to life by Ed Simpson and Bill Johnston on the evening of November 11th. Thanks to these two men for sharing their stories, to Amanda Hickey for reading her poem, and to Lori White for reading “In Flanders Fields”. “Nights of Delight” Dinner Series The Lifelong Learning Centre has recently cooked up a new venture—culinary instruction and dinner at the Glen Alda Community Centre. Friday, November 5th saw 23 people prepare (and devour) an East Indian feast under the instruction of Don Mal. Thank you Don! Watch out for posters promoting the next “Night of Delight”. Just for Kids… Make a candy Jack-in-the-box at our Christmas craft night Wednesday December 8th, 6:30 pm at the Library. Phone or drop in to pre-register. There will be a kid’s movie night Wednesday, December 15th, 6:30 at the Library. Pre-registration is not required. Holiday Hours Please call or drop in to find out our holiday hours. 2005 Beginner and intermediate 6-week computer will begin in January. Please call for curriculum information or to register. Kids—reading programs are coming soon! For more information of our resources, programs, or services:
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