had cleared in sunny areas by late afternoon. Scattered ice cakes remained along the shore at Stanhope on April 
     
     23rd. (JDM). 
     
    
   
   
    
     ANIMAL AND PLANT SIGHTINGS: Compiled by J. Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     PLANTS: The first crocus of Donagh’s spring appeared from the snow bank on Apr. 2 this year and in flower at 
     
     South Melville on Apr. 9 (AR). Snowdrops in flower at South Melville on Apr. 9 (RA). Bt April 23", the 
     
     receding snow receded on the south faces of woodland opening allowed new crocus blooms to appear (JDM). 
     
     Lilac buds flushing in Donagh on Apr. 24 and poplar catkins in staminate flower on Apr. 28 at Beach Grove. The 
     
    
   
   
    
     first white violets were seen at Donagh on May 1 and the leaves started flushing on Red-berried Elder on May 2 
     
     and the daffodil flowers opened on May 3 (JDM). 
     
    
   
   
    
     INSECTS: 2 mourning cloaks mating at Sherwood on Apr. 17 (DF, SMa, ML). 
     
    
   
   
    
     FISH: 12 smelt shacks located on the ice at St. Peter’s near the bridge. On April 18"“, the American smelt run had 
     
     commenced at Ellen’s Creek and it was underway on April 21“ on the Johnston’s River system (JDM). 
     
    
   
   
    
     AMPHIBIANS/REPTILES: GK reported wood frogs on April 10m at the ponds at Marshfield & DK reported 
     
     them singing on Apr. 14 at Vernon River. DCS & DO reported them from Union Comer to Egmont Bay on Apr. 
     
     16. Full chorus of spring peepers on Apr. 22 (JDM). 
     
    
   
   
    
     MAMMALS: In Feb. in Donagh, Eastern Chipmunks were active at our feeders (JDM, RHP) as one was at Argyle 
     
     Shore (BC). 2 at St. Charles feeders on Apr. 8 (L&JH, W&SF) & 1 was seen crossing the road on Apr. 11 at 
     
     Dunstaffnage (DO). On a 12 km return trip on Mar. 30 on the Hillsborough watershed, 2 striped skunks, l 
     
     raccoon, and 1 fox were seen while a northern flying squirrel was seen at a Crossroads feeder (JDM, DO) on the 
     
     same day. 1 Northern Flying Squirrel was present at a Rocky Point feeder station on Mar. 15 (LD). A red squirrel 
     
     was seen at Crossroad’s feeding on maple sap from sapsucker holes on Apr. 16 (DO). There was a coyote at 
     
     Desable on Feb. 20 (BPe). A striped skunk was seen wandering roadside at Albion on Feb. 11 (DB). The usual 
     
     zig zap flight of a little brown bat was seen while driving through Murray Harbour North on Feb. 11 (DB). 
     
    
   
   
    
     BIRDS: Note: The birds are presented in the 2003 Field Checklist of Bird of Prince Edward Island order. The 
     
     sightings excerpted from recorders are for the period up to May 2, 2005. Red-throated Loon - 1 off Dalvay on 
     
     May 1 (DCS); Common Loon - 2 at East Point on Feb. 13 (DO) & Feb. 14 (DCS); Pied-billed Grebe - 1 at 
     
     Stratford on Apr. 17 (DO), 1 at Allisary Creek on Apr. 17 & 22 (DC&ES); Northern Gannet - 2 off Robinson’s 
     
     Island on Apr. 10 (SSi) & Apr. 26 (LT); Double-crested Cormorant - 7 at Hillsborough Bridge on Apr. 5 (DO), 
     
     at Stanley Bridge on Apr. 2 (L&JH), ~100 on and some flying and fishing nearby the rocks at Hillsborough River 
     
     bridge on Apr. 21 (JDM); Great Cormorant - 2 during trip from South Melville to Cavendish (RA, FdB, BMcO, 
     
     JB), 1 at Souris on Apr. 1 (DO), 4 at East Point on Apr. 2 (DO, DC&ES); American Bittern - l at Avondale on 
     
     Apr. 22 (DO); Unknown Egret - at Lily Pond in Stratford on Apr. 12 (via JW); Great Egret - 1 at Brooklyn on 
     
     May 2 (KMacN); Great Blue Heron - straggler at Parson’s Creek on Dec. 8 (F&JC), 7 flying at Locke Shore 
     
     Rd. on Apr. 5 (DMA), 1 at Eglington Bay on Apr. 6 (SSi), at Cape Turner on Apr. 7 (RH), l at Ellen’s Creek on 
     
     Apr. 10 (J DM), at Charlottetown on Apr. 16 (88c); Turkey Vulture - 1 soaring overhead at North Royalty Road 
     
     near Georgetown on May 2 (SSi); Snow Geese - at Tryon on Mar. 22 (BH), 2 at Locke Shore Rd. on Apr. 14 
     
     (LH); Pink-footed Geese - 3 at Nine Mile reek on Jan. 30 (DD), 3 were seen and identified in Pictou County on 
     
     Feb. 15 (UPEI Bird List Server), at CMohkMar. 22 (LD, DCS), 23rd (EMa), on 24'h (DO); 25‘h (DK, EMa), 
     
     on 26, 27, & 29 (DCS), on Mar. 27 & 31 (EMa); Canada Geese — unusually small goose at Montague with 
     
     shorter, thicker neck and small check patch, sootier breast on Feb. 2 (KMacN), 12 at Murray River on Mar. 11 
     
     (DCS), at Souris Causeway on Mar. 12 (BMacI), several at Westmoreland River on Mar. 17 (BH), 3 at Ellen’s 
     
     Creek on Mar. 20 (DCS), 18 at Vernon River on Mar. 21 and at Orwell Bay (DK), ~300 over Vernon River woods