WEATHER:

Snow banks were still present in many shaded areas in the second week of May. Conditions changed quickly after that with the snow being replaced by a long drought. This summer was the driest since 1961. It finally broke with a good steady rain on August 18th but the dry conditions returned and only 12 mm of precipitation occurred in the first three weeks of September. This compares to a normal precipitation level of 92 mm in September (JDM).

ANIMAL AND PLANT SIGHTINGS: Compiled by J. Dan McAskill

PLANTS: Dandelions in flower at Portage on May 8 and willow, trembling aspen, and red maple in flower at Kildare on May 8 (JDM, RPh). Blueberry, strawberry, red elderberry, choke cherry, Iupins, and mountain maple all in flower while dock, red maple, and marsh marigold were in seed in the Port Hill Stn to Foxley River area on Jun. 13 (JDM). Snow load damage very noticeable last spring as many open grown pines show branch stripping and many trees in forest clearings show crushing or breakage of the main stem (JDM).

INSECTS: Large swarms of mosquitos at Johnson's River on May 3 (JDM). Small numbers of mosquitos at St. Felix on May 8 (JDM). Media reports of army worms eating certain crops in July on the Island. Pine sawfly were seen defoliating red pine at Enmore on Jun. 27 (HI, BG). Larch sawfly and bark beetle attacks were continuing to kill eastern larch in Donagh for the second year while mortality was slowing in western PEI (JDM). HI reported millions of tent caterpillar at Portage in Jun. 27.

AMPHIBIANS: Calling at Marshfield on Apr. 30 (GK) and in Donagh on May 2 (JDM). Spring peepers calling (code 2) at Donagh. American toad, wood frogs, and spring peepers in full chorus (code 3) at various locations on Martinvale owl route on May 6 (JDM, RC). Wood frogs calling at St. Felix on May 8 (JDM). In the midst of the summer's long drought, there were dozens of small Leopard Frogs (about 50 to 75 mm long) nestled amidst the green grass areas of a Donagh lawn in late August and early September (JDM).

REPTILES: Smooth Green Snake seen at Canavoy on May 26 (JDM, RC, RP, LT, EMa). Garter snakes at Donagh in July through to September.

MAMMALS: GB reported a red squirrel carrying a young squirrel in its mouth on April 30 at Montague and provided an old sighting of a huge cat with square face on top of her feeder during the Jan. 1 CBC in Montague. Pilot Whale seen by RPh off Savage Harbour on Aug. 9.

BIRDS: Pied-billed Grebe - 2 at North Lake on Aug. 11 (EMa); Wilson's Storm Petrel - 1 seen just over water off Savage Harbour on Aug. 9 (WFB, JDM); Northern Gannet - 25 in Hillsborough Bay on Apr. 20 (EMa). 40 to 50 feeding vigorously on a school of fish off Kildare on May 8 with about 100 being seen in a 2 hour period (JDM, RPh), small numbers (20 to 30) of immature and mature gannet seen off Savage Harbour on Aug. 9 (JDM, RPh, WFB, EM), 1 on the beach at Damley on Aug. 26 (via SCI); Great Cormorant - 5 at East Point on Apr. 9 (EMa); Double-crested Cormorant - 4 off Kildare on May 8 (JDM, RPh), >15 at East Pt. on Sept. 3 (D89, EMa). 15 to 20 fishing and flying off Feehan's Shore on Sept. 8 & 9 (JDM, RPh), 5 feeding off Savage Harbour on Sept. 8 (JDM, RPh); Great Blue Heron - sightings of from 1 to 30 or more feeding along the Hillsborough River this spring and summer (JDM), 63 at Covehead on Aug. 15 (DSe); Snowy Egret - photographed at Stanley Bridge on May 27 & 29 (EMu); Glossy Ibis - 1 at Little Harbour on May 26 (GM, P&AM, JWa); Greater White-fronted Goose - 1 on Sept. 3 at Moore's Sanctuary (DSe, EMa); Brant - 4 at Nine Mile Creek on Apr. 20 (EMa); Canada Geese - approx. 25 feeding at small pond in Mount Albion on Aug. 15 (JDM, RPh), numerous on Sept. 3 at Moore‘s Sanctuary (DSe, EMa). approx. 200 at Lake Verde on Sept. 10 (JDM); Green-winged Teal - 3 at Alexandra on Jul. 6, 15 at Rice Point on Jul. 8 (EMa). 2 on Sept. 3 at Souris (DSe, EMa); American Black Duck - 25 off sewage lagoon in Stratford on Sept. 3 and 40 off Belvedere Pond on Sept. 10 (JDM), numerous on Sept. 3 at Souris (DSe, EMa). numerous on Sept. 3 at Moore's Sanctuary (DSe, EMa); Mallard - 13 at Alberton on Jul. 23 (DSe);