The next field excursion by the Pembroke Field Naturalists' Club is the Bellow's Bay Trip. This event is to be held on Saturday, April 21, at 9 a.m.

This excursion concentrates on spring waterfowl as well as on some of the other spring birds. In the past, this trip has had some interesting sightings including Gadwall Ducks, Redheads, Canvasback Ducks, and Snow Geese. Other notable sightings have included the first ever Garganey Duck, Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, Fox Sparrows, and Rusty Blackbirds.

If you are interested in attending this event, please meet trip organizer, Manson Fleguel, at the Pembroke Marina at the mouth of the Muskrat River. Participants will be encouraged to car pool before heading off to the various stops in the trip. It is also recommended that you bring rubber boots as there are spots where you could encounter mud or cow pies. Spotting scopes are useful and binoculars are essential. For more information, please feel free to contact Manson at 613-732-7703.

A free, one day workshop for landowners and land managers on techniques for conserving forest birds in managed woodlands is to be held on Thursday, May 10. The event will take place at the Petawawa Research Forest at 1000 Clouthier Road, Chalk River. This event is organized by the Forestry Research Partnership in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Petawawa Research Forest.

The workshop will include such topics as the Ecology of Forest Birds, and New Guidelines for Land Managers for Conserving Habitat for Forest Birds. Local examples of managing forestry operations to conserve birds on public and private lands will be provided as well as a field trip into the Petawawa Research Forest to discuss habitat and management techniques.

For more information or to register please contact Nicole Bergevin at (705) 744-1715 Ext. 530, or e-mail her at nbergevin@cif-ifc.org .

Also, just a reminder that the Pembroke Field Naturalists Club's Annual Meeting is tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. with guest speaker, Mike Runtz, in Room 201, Algonquin College.

Elsewhere on the local scene, the spring migration continues but has slowed slightly with the recent cool weather. Yet despite this, a few more new spring species have arrived, and these include many more Geese and waterfowl such as Ring-necked Ducks. Other new recent arrivals include American Kestrel and Great Blue Heron.

We are presently awaiting the arrival of Barn Swallows, Wilson's Snipe, the odd Brown Thrasher, Fox Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and more spring ducks like Green-winged Teal, Pintail Ducks, Northern Shovellers, Pied-billed Grebes, and maybe an early Sandpiper.

On March 27, John Meadows sent me some photos of a Northern Harrier he recently observed. He also had the area's first spring report of American Kestrel.

On March 30, Clarence and Lynn Romhild of B-Line Road sent me a photo of a Pileated Woodpecker that has been frequenting their suet. They have had several woodpeckers this past winter, and more recently, Mourning Doves and a few Dark-eyed Juncos. A couple of weeks ago, they were presently surprised when a Moose walked through their backyard. Now that must have been quite a sight!

Finally, on April 3, John Meadows sent me three pictures of the area's first Great Blue Heron. I have been waiting for these magnificent birds to arrive!

Please call me with your bird sightings at 613-735-4430 or e-mail me at hooles@bell.net . For more information on other nature and bird watching events, I refer you the Pembroke Area Field Naturalists' website at www.pafn.ca .