Bet ween You and Me BY RUTH COLES What can a man do who doesn't know what to do? Milton Mayer. As I sit in the warm comfort of our home, the cold wlnds chili the sprlng flowers and the grey skies cast a pail over al of us. AUl we can do is suifer tbrough it and maybe the less said the better. How do the birds fare in this cold air? To survive, they must eat to keep, their body temperature up and this helps them to stay warm a nd ward off death through exposure. How many hummingbirds do you have in your garden? It's liard to tell. Their rate of speed is so great that it is impossible to turn your head and see their location at any given time. Here one second, gone the next. Their favorite flowers are the pink and red blooms, the beauty bush, honeysuckle, trumpet vine,"foxglove, snapdragon and weigela. Someliow I don't fée], they would like the marigold 1 Is it true that these birds ride back to the north on the backs of larger birds as they fly across the seas? The heartbeat of this bird is extremely rapid up to more than 1,200 times per minute under stress and when reduced may drop to 500. Hummingbirds hover and can stay suspended in the air as they beat their wings 50 to 60 per second whule they hover over a flower. The diet of nectar, sugar, reduces the size of the bird and a larger bird would flot survive on this food at ail. Because they burn up energy so quickly, tliey must lower their heartbeat at niglit to conserve fuel and avoid starving to death or freezing. When the nights are cold these birds feed as early and late i the day as tliey can to maintain a higli temperature during the niglit.' Hummingbirds lay two eggs called a clutch but sometimes different varieties can raise several clutches a year. This family of birds includes 320 specles i varlous parts of the world one of which is fourni in eastern North America and 20 in western Northi America. The one seen i our ares is gener- aily the ruby 'tliroated variety, the maie, but the female doos flot have the ruby throat. Nature protects ail baby birds by giving them a coat of down which is the most efficient protection against cold ever developed. Tie hummlngblrd Is one of nature's magic crea- tures, truly a work of art. These tiny perfect birds seem te like Whitby so let'a plant suitableiflowers to encourage themn Now te something much less desirable - a bird I would like te disappear fromn these parts. Shrikesl Even the sight of one turns me off and I think they should be shot. Is there another answer? My husband saw one last week and I have heard of slghtings I the town. Shrikes impale insects, repties, smail birds and mammals on tliorn trees and barbed wire. They stash them away to est when needed. The'impalement of their own species TAPAR Spring Special COMPLETE PAINT JOB $1250'00 3 conts Includes &IH materlaîs. You prepar. (sand & mask>. LOCKWOOD AUTO BODY 234 McKenzle, Unit 8 Ajax 683«6787 I. is horrible and sometlilng we don't want around our garden. Cruelty ln nature occurs often. This yesr we have not put out as much seed as usual because of the squirrels. So consequently we have a constant visitor at the windows or the glass storm door. We are amused not terrifled as I was about that dresdful robin wlio haunted me for mon- ths a few yesrs ago and about which I wrote. Because tlie chickadee is so smail, he is able to sit on the narrow window siil as he taps on the glass with great vigor. Then to the door and lie begins again. At close range birds scare me so I talk to him, teil him to go away, fly somewhere else and get lbat. These birds are very tame and sociable, they like people and wiil fly to your shoulder or hands to feed. At one time I had a good book on how to handie tame birds; for what resson I wll neyer fathom. As so of- ten happens I loaned it out and it hasn't been return- ed. If anyone out there lias it wii you plesse return it. So I am afraid of birds and I guess I pamper the ides along as my fesrs are few. Last yesr I bought a rather smail black plastic snake with a red tongue to put on the patio to ward off animais who like to est plants, namely bunnies. The first niglit it was out something grabbed it and puled it around, tore its tongue out and tried to do it ini. This only liap- pened once s0 we glued the tongue back and the tliing is none the worse for wesr. Many people have a natural fear of anakes and I understand but I was rather upset when an old friend dropped in soon after we got it. She was upset and demanded that I get rid of it and didn't I know how she hated them and liow could I have done this. Now when she's coming I remove it. I know I'd feel that way if it was a plastic bird instead of a snake. May the warm days of spring corne to our land for ail to enjoy and benefit by. Whitby wil corne alive with our symbol, the marigold, fromn one end of town to the other. THE PROJECT The Honourable'James Snow, Minister of Transportation and Communications an- nounced that extensions ta the existing GO Transit Com- muter Rail Service along the Oshawa-Hamilton Lakeshore Corridor would be the f irst stage of an overall inter-regional transit strategy. The extensions, Pickering to Oshawa and Oakville ta Hamilton, will be located on exclusive rights-of-way and use Advanced Light Rail Tran- sit (ALRT) technology with transfer ta existing GO Transit rail service at Pickering and Oakville. PRELIMINARY DESIGN STUDIES Preliminary design studies have been undertaken ta identify and evaluate relevant social, natural environmental, and Skating Club election The Whitby Figure Skating Club held its annual meeting recently and elected the foilow- ing: president, Brenda Lily; first vice presi- dent, Judy Wright; second vice president, Barry Cooper; secre- tary, Maxie Neweil; treasurer, Ron Taylor; test chairinan,' Lori Baldwin; membership cliairman, Carole Spen- cer; Junior A ice chair- man, Sharon Scavuzzo; Junior B ice chairman, Diane Korach; Interme- diate A ice chairman, Anita Wing; -Interme- diate B ice cliairman, Clieryle Jensen; Senior A ice cliairman, Arlene Yeo; Senior B ice chair- man, Joyce Brown; publicity, Penny Mar- tin; hospitality, Linda Fairbrother; ways and means, Dick Stacy; off season scliools, Leslie Tackney; technical ser- vices, John Page. ?FORMS REGISTER, CONTINUOUS, CARBONIZED & MUSC. A COMPLETE PRINTING SERVICE 218 Harwood Ave, S.. Ajax Shopping Plaza, Ajax Tolephone 416-683-1968 and 416-683-1970 PEACOCK LUMBER LTD. IN-STOCK Over 1,000,000 feet- Hardwoods Softwoode. Dry Kilns Dressing Facilities WHOLESALE - RETAIL 328 Ritson Rd. N. Oshawa 725-4744 _________________________________ i engineering factors related ta the construction and, im- plementation of the GO-ALRT system. STUDY PROCESS AND SCHEDULE The Go- ALRT Project Team has been working closely with Regional and Municipal governments on the collection of data and development of route alternatives. These will be displayed at Public Information Centres where GO-ALRT representatives will be available ta discuss the alter- natives, and receive comments from the public. The alter- natives, wiIl then be studied in greater detail ta include the concerns and comments of the public and a recomn- mended alignment will be presented at asecond series of Public Information Centres in September. GO-ALRT PICKERING TO OSHAWA PROJEOT The above map illustrates the study area of the project. The consultants responsible for preîiminary design studies are, Tatten Sims Hubicki for the Pickering to Whitby section and M.M. Dillon for the Whitby (Henry Street) to Oshawa section. Cale Sherman and Associates wilI be responsible for the maintenance facility. PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRES1 As part of the groups ta receive comments and GO-ALRT planning process we are vitally interested in learn more about this innovative tre meeting with the public and representatives of interest formation Centre isted below. PICKERING JUNE6,91983 AJAX Pickering Municipal Office St. Andrew's Cammunity Centre Brock Road and Kingston Road Exeter Street, Ajax From 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fram 2:00 o.m. to 8:00 n m. WHITBY Whitby Municipal Office 575 Rossîand Raad East, Whitby Fram 2:00 p.m. ta 8:00 p.m. JUNE8,91983 If yau have any questions or comments relating to the Eastern Exten- sion of the GO-ALAT Inter-regional Transit Pragram, please contact: Cliff Lumley, Project Manager GO-ALRT Program, 3625 Dufferin Street, Downsview, Ontaria M3K QZ2 Tel: (416) 630-7990 OSHAWA Holiday Inn - Guild Room West Bloor Street East, Oshawa From 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 py m. opinions. Carne and ransit praject at an In- JUNE791983 JUNE 991983 INTER-REGIONAL TRANSIT PROGRAM WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 1, 1983, PAGE 9 à 725-4744