Surprises in the frees . 
     
    
   
   
    
     BY ROSEMARY CURLEY 
     
    
   
   
    
     We're so used to looking for birds in trees that we sometimes forget 
     
     our nearer relatives, the mammals. Several years ago, while leading a 
     
     group of school children on a "woods walk", I spied a tree cavity and 
     
     demonstrated the tapping procedure that sometimes works to reveal active 
     
     woodpecker nests. No bird emerged. Instead, we were startled to see a 
     
     flying squirrel erupt a foot above my head and scrabble upwards. The 
     
     squirrel reoccupied the cavity within the hour, and was probably nursing 
     
     young on that mid-June day. 
     
    

    
     This summer, as people search for active woodpecker nests in con— 
     
     junction with the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas, more mammals are turning 
     
     up in the trees. On June 22, I rechecked an apparently vacant natural 
     
    

    
     «A ‘ cavity in Waterside and 
     
     V\\v found active young red 
     
    

    
     - squirrels peering out 
     
     3 from inside a live hard- 
     
     [ -’5 wood. However, the most 
     
     '~“Wm\§ a fabulous non-woodpecker 
     
    

    
     g nest was discovered on 
     
    

    
     1 June 15 by Howard Norton 
     
     a 1 at Howe Bay. In a 15" 
     
    

    
     a ; diameter dead stump nea 
     
     I §% : a small marsh, a "wood- 
     
    

    
     3% X pecker cavity" was in- 
     
    

    
     _ “ ‘5? spected with no result. 
     
     .rg‘ai‘afig But lower down on the 
     
     g.”#fi, k x: opposite side of the 
     
    

    
     l/n~ “" -~; stump, Howard found a 
     
     “dig . ; larger cavity housing a 
     
     if » 2 _ 'raccoon and at least 2 
     
    

    
     ' 4 - tiny raccoons! The young 
     
     gr :, fl; 7 ' p -Q ;:fn::were helpless with un— 
     
     # W :3 , ;a} '7~ fsww-opened eyes and resembled 
     
     V, w , g 5 v' baby kittens. 
     
     ';‘4\z , i ; gr ' i ' ‘ On June 21, Howard led 
     
     ’ ' ’ - ‘ ' ’ the Howe Pt. Atlas Day 
     
     Crew to see the tree den 
     
     1 , _ i 5, and we were pleased to 
     
     gfif_. 1 'Ha ‘ j v I see the female still in 
     
     ""‘ . ‘ residence, although she 
     
     itbfitj conCealed her progeny 
     
    

    
     ' from us. 
     
    

    
     Raccoons have become common on P.E.I. since their introduction in 1912 
     
     but denning sites are rarely found. Therefore, the moral of this story is 
     
     clearly seen. "Inspect those tree cavities, or find a friend who does." 
     
     Thanks to Howard and the raccoons for making our "Atlas Day" expedition 
     
     a memorable one. 
     
    
   
   
    
     .....\