Bird feeding seminar coming to town Bird feeders and evidence of a sunflower cult are popping up everywhere in the Prince Edward County area these days. After all, bird feeding is North "a America's second most popular hobby. But are we doing it right? Which is the best feeder? Where should I install it? Should I leave the hummingbird feeder up in the fall? Is bird feeding wrong? All of these questions, and more, will be answered in a special bird feeding seminar coming to Picton on Sunday, November 10th. Taking place in the Prince Ed- ward Room at the Tip of the Bay Hotel and Marina, the event gets under way at 2:00 p.m. The event is being sponsored jointly by Quinte Conservation, Picton Farm Supply and the Tip of the Bay Hotel & Marina. Quinte Conservation's Naturalist and Special Events Coordinator Terry Sprague says the seminar is geared to the beginner as well as the experienced. The conservation authority staff member is author of three books and a rec- ognized authority on the subject of birds and bird feed- ing. He has been responsible for a number of guided hikes, workshops, canoe/kayak trips, and other outdoor interpretive presentations around the Quinte area as part of an ongoing program of special events initiated seven years ago by Quinte Conservation. "It's basically a fun event and the Picton seminar will be an opportunity for us to get together once again and discuss our successes and our failures. There is a lot of misinformation out there about bird feeding, and the purpose of these workshops is to put people's minds at ease about any concerns they may have", stresses Spra- gue. The workshop will include an informal discussion Continued on page 9 Fabulous Fall Bird Ball Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory (PEPtBO), lo- cated at the southeastern tip of Prince Edward County, is hosting a dinner and dance at Waring House Banquet Hall on November 16th. "The 'Fabulous Fall Bird Ball' is a fundraising event for the Observatory," says Administrator and Resource Developer Rob Kellough. "We've planned a formal roast beef dinner, followed by dancing to the music of popular local band "Six Feet Under". We're hoping everyone will dress up in their fin- est and come out for a truly gala evening." The Prince Edward Point birding area is on the flight path of a major migration route, attracting birds that fly along the Atlantic coastline, a different route than that taken by the birds at Point Pelee. "There have been 300 species sighted at Prince Ed- ward Point," Kellough says. "There are only about 500 species of birds in all of North America, so that represents a pretty extensive cross-section." The Observatory nets and bands birds during the spring and fall migrations, noting species, sex, age and condition. This allows the birds to be "tracked" as they fly along their routes and offers insight into migration habits and the health of individual species. Continued on page 2 Hickory, Dickory, Dunk 5 ® ® A Learning Experience 7 ® Computer Tips 9 ® Druella Acantha Malvina 11 ® Scary Times, Gifted Times 13 ® Library Notes 16