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 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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