1995 WEATHER IN REVIEW Atmospheric Environment

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ANIMAL AND PLANT SIGHTINGS: compiled by Dan McAskill

Weather conditions often affect winter sightings and the weather this winter has been'

strange in a number of ways. Ice in Northumberland Strait and the Gulf has been relatively light despite one large ridge which formed on shore in Rice Point. In late January and much of February there was little of no ice off the Brackley to Dalvay shore. In mid-March, pack ice extended about 1 kilometer out from shore. January and February seen extensive thaws and several individuals reported Song Sparrows and American Robins singing in late February on very warm days. Reports via CBC indicated that some frogs had been killed in Nova Scotia due to thawing and freezing. No reports of such events were received from P.E.I.

PLANTS: rose in flower on Nov. 7 at Argyle Shore (JR).

BIRDS: Red-throated Loon — 1 injured at Village Green on Jan. Cormorant - 4 immature at Launching Harbour on Jan. 20 (DB); Double-created Cormorant - approx. 800 at Darnley Basin on Sept. 24 (DB); Great Blue Heron - 114 on Jul. 16, 29 on Jul, 24, 91 on Jul. 31 at MacCallum's Point/Holman’s Island (SE, GMa), 1 at Strickland’s on Jan. 24 (AM); Cattle Egret - 1 with drooping wings seen on Dec. 6 in South Kildare and found dead on Dec. 18 (CE,RB); Canada Geese - 40 to 50 at Waterside Road on Feb. 25 (HJ); Mallard - 39 & 26 on Dec. 30 in Charlottetown (BB); Eurasian Green-winged Teal - 1 at Cavendish Sewage Lagoon on Mar. (BM, SWo); Greater Scaup - 4 at Oyster bed Bridge on Jan. 14 (DB); Scaup spp. - 3 pair at Oyster Bed Bridge on Feb. 4 (BD); Barrow'a Goldeneye - at Wheatley River (Oyster Bed Bridge) and North River on Jan. 14 (DB); Bufflehead - 1 at Oyster Bed Bridge on Jan. 14 (DB), 6 & 9 at Oyster Bed Bridge on Feb. 4 (BD); Oldsquaw - 300+ on Jan. 20 (DB) and 250 at East Point on Feb. 29 (RC); Common Eider - 2 at Stanhope on Dec. 20 (FC), 1 pair at East Point and 7 at Orby Head on Jan. 20 & 21 (DB); Red-breasted Merganser — 2 at Oyster bed Bridge on Jan. 14 (DB), 1 at Strickland's on Jan. 31 (AM), 1 at East Point on Feb. 29 (RC); Northern Goshawk - 1 at Oyster Bed Bridge on Jan. 16 (MR); Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 in Dec. at East Royalty feeder (C&MW) Red-tailed Hawk - immature moving among trees lining back of marsh at Brackley on Feb. 12 (DW), 1 adult being mobbed by crows in tree in West Royalty on Feb. 12 (JDM); Rough-legged Hawk - 1 on Dec. 30 at Cherry Valley (JH); Bald Eagle - 1 at Tyne Valley from Nov. to Feb. (GR), 1 adult in Green Bay on Jan. 19 (KL), immature at Marie and adult at Souris on

5 (631); Great

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