MK); Rusty Blackbird - 1 at Long Pond on Oct. 27 (DO); Common Grackle - 24 at Crossroads feeder on Nov. 5 (DO); Blackbirds - ~300 at Middleton & Borden Carleton on Oct. 15 (JDM); Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 male at Crossroads feeder on Nov. 4 & 4 males on Nov. 13 (DO); Winter Finches - lots staging at East Point on Nov. 7 030, DCS); Pine Grosbeak - 4 at Goose River on Nov. 17 (DO), 2 at Goose River on Nov. 20 (DO, DCS), 5 at Goose River on Nov. 21 (DC&ES); Purple Finch - 50 at East Point on Oct. 24 (DCS, DO), female at Crossroads on Nov. 17 (DO); White-winged Crossbill - 35 at East Point on Oct. 7-8 (DK, DO, VL), 20 at Traveller’s Rest hay field on Oct. 12 (JDM), at East Point on Oct. 24 (DCS, DO), 4 at Mooney’s Rd. on Morel], 20 at MacKinnon’s Bog, & 16 at Selkirk on Oct. 24 (DCS, DO); Common Redpoll - first of the season ~50 at East Point on Nov. 7 (DO, DCS), l at Basin Head on Nov. 17 (DO); Pine Siskin - at Brudenell Park on Oct. 23 (SSI), 1,000 at East Point on Oct. 7-8 (DK, DO, VL), 200 at East Point on Oct. 24 (DCS, DO), 20 at Selkirk on Oct. 24 (DCS, DO); American Goldfinch - ~20 at Crossroads feeder on Nov. 13 (DO); Evening Grosbeak - pair at St. Charles on Nov. 16 (SFo).

Old Sightings: First wood frogs and spring peepers at Monticello on Apr. 20 (GM); Merlin - pair at Monticello on Apr. 21 (GM); American Woodcock - calling at Monticello on Apr. 6 (GM); Wilson’s Snipe calling at Monticello on Apr. 20 (GM); American Tree Sparrows - 2 at Charlottetown feeder on Apr. 25 (JBl); Fox Sparrow - singing at Monticello on Mar. 26 (GM); White-throated Sparrow - at Charlottetown feeder on Apr. 25 (B1); Northern Cardinal - 1 on ~Apr. 6 at Rollo Bay (DR via GM); Pine Grosbeak - 7 taking grit at Goose River on ~Mar. 26 (GM).

Thanks to the following contributors who provided records for this listing, namely: RA - Ron Arvidson; JBl - Jean Blanchard; WFB - Bill Bowerbank; DC - Donna Chappell; FRC - Rosemary Curley; RC- Ray Cooke; SCl - Sharon Clark; FdB - Fiep de Bie; LD - Lois Doan; DF - Delbert Francis; DFr - Dave Fram; W&SFo - Warren & Sharon Foulkes; EG - Edwin Gillis; HG - Hilda Gossi; B&RH - Ben & Rosalie Hoteling; BHo — Beth Hoar; LH - Les Homans; DJ - Dave Johnston; MJ - Michelle Johnston; DK - Dan Kennedy; MK - Meike Keunecke; VL - Vernon Laux; GM - Gerald MacDonald; BMA - Barry Martin; DMa - Donna Martin; EMA - Eric Marcum; GMa - Gisele Martin; SMa — Sonya Martin; MM - Maxima Moreno; BMcO - Bonnie McOrmand; JDM - Dan McAskill; LM - Leslie McIsaac; DO - Dwaine Oakley; AP - Arja Page; JEP - Joy Phillips; RPh - Robin Phillips; JtR - John te Raa; DC&ES - David Seeler; GS - Gary Schneider; SSI - Scott Sinclair; SSt - Spud Stewart via FRC; LT - Linda Thomas; DW - Derek Woodside; JW - Jackie Waddell; JW a - Jean Watts, LY - Lorne Yeo.

MERMAID’S PURSE:

For those who brave the elements, the storm days of late autumn bring many treasures ashore from the north shore of the Island. One of these treasures is the egg case of the Common Skate (Raia batis) which is pictured below. The strands around the corners anchor the egg case which contains a single egg. This egg develops into a young skate. Look for the small tear in the case which marks the escape point. The P.E.I. National Park’s publication Beachfinds is a great resource for beach walkers wishing to know about some of the animals and plants that wash up on our shores. I

11