5. It was able to wade in water slightly deeper than that which the Greater Yellowlegs were in ( at all times it stayed within 5 feet of the Greater Yellowlegs). Considerations: The dark legs and bill shape and size appeared to rule out Ruff, Redshank or Greenshank despite the belief (Ray Cooke — personal communication) that one of these birds may have been sighted in the same location just days before. Bill shape, size and colouration would rule out most other shorebirds with the exception of the Godwit Species. A white rump and black tail band would rule out Bar-tailed Godwit leaving 2 species to be considered. Hudsonian Godwits have a dark under-wing thus eliminating this species from consideration. This leaves Black-tailed Godwit as a consideration. To my knowledge this species has only reported once before on PEI — at Cymbria. Black-tailed Godwits range in size from 12 to 15 inches which indicates that this some members of this species can be just slightly larger than a Greater Yellowlegs. The bill size, shape and colouration taken into consideration along with the white rump, black tail and white under- wings are entirely consistent with Black-tailed Godwit. The fact that a few alternate plumage feathers were still on this bird and other feathers had a “worn” appearance to them further suggests that this was an adult Black- tailed Godwit. I am attempting to determine if the sub~species can ultimately be identified. Vocalizations/Photos: None Heard/Taken Conclusion: Basic Plumaged adult Black-tailed Godwit of undetermined sex. IDENTIFICATION RESOURCES USED The Sibley Guide to Birds. 1“ edition, second printing. D. Sibley. 2001; National'Geographic Guide to the Birds of North America. 3'‘1 Edition; Shorebirds — An Identification Guide. P. Hayman; J. Marchant; T. Prater.l986; Audubon Society Master Guide to Birds. Volume 1 — Loons to Sandpipers. J. Farrand. 1983; Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest. D. Paulson. 1993; Photographic Guide to the Shorebirds of the World. D. Rosair; D. Cottridge. 1995; Wading Birds of the World. E. Soothill; R. Soothill. 1982; The Birds of Canada. Revised Edition. W.E. Godfrey. 1986; Birds of Eastern and Central North America. 5‘h Edition. 2002; Lives of North American

Birds. K. Kaufman. 1996; Birds of Ontario. .1, Hughes. 2001; http://www.oceanwanderers.com/NYBlacktailedGodwithtml;

http://www.oceanwanderers.com/AsiaticBTGodwit.html; http://www.hawfinches.freeserve.co.uk/Godwitldentification.pdf, http://vnvw.oceanwanderers.com/NYBarTailGodwit.html;

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/Idtips/h2520id.html

Editor’s Note: This article represents a less technical description of this bird record the original version was filed with the Society’s bird records.

WEATHER EVENTS:

A northeaster with winds hitting 80 to 90 km per hours and gusts of 115 to 145 km per hour dropped 55 cm of snow in Charlottetown on Dec. 27‘h causing the postponement of the Hillsborough Christmas Bird Count. Significant flooding was caused by a tidal surge at Savage Harbour and a number of wharfs and structure were either inundated or damaged by the ice and storm surge waves at Basin Head, Crowbush (Lakeside), Panrnure Island, Tracadie, Lew London. Heavy rains and temperatures of 8 to 13 degrees centigrade led to a winter thaw on Jan. 12‘“. This was followed by unprecedented snows falls, 3 sequential nor’easters with winds of up

to 100+ km dropped 111 cm of snow in the eight days between Jan. 17th and Jan. 25‘“ leaving snow banks of 300+ cm and almost center bare fields. ‘

ANIMAL AND PLANT SIGHTINGS: Compiled by J. Dan McAskill

PLANTS:

The white spruce cone crop was abundant this past autumn creating good foraging conditions for cone feeding birds and mammals. There were good crops of false holly, mountain

ash, and wild rose in some areas while low amounts in others (JDM).

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