One of my favourite PEI animals is seldom seen despite being fairly common: the Northern Flying Squirrel ( Glaucomys sabrinus ), shown here in a photo by Ron Serres (used with permission).    Flying Squirrels are beautiful, large-eyed, soft-furred animals, with a flap of skin (called a ‘patagium’) running from wrists to ankles on each side. That flap allows them to glide 50 metres or more between trees in the forest and has been copied by the wingsuits used by some BASE jumpe

Some PEI wildlife signs are subtle, while others are hard to miss! These are the unmistakable holes of a Pileated Woodpecker.    Pileated Woodpeckers are roughly crow-sized birds, with black bodies, white stripes down their necks, white patches on their wings (visible in flight), and a dramatic red crest on their heads. If you can imagine Woody Woodpecker, you’ll be in the ballpark: the Pileated Woodpecker is said to have been the inspiration for that cartoon character.    Th

We’ve looked at needle-leaved and broadleaved trees this winter but standing and fallen dead trees make enormous contributions to PEI’s forests, too!     Trees die naturally from a variety of causes: old age, disease, insects, fire, weather damage, or environmental stress, among others. The death of a tree is part of the life of a forest and is necessary for the survival of everything from plants, lichens, and fungi to insects, birds, and mammals.    Insects such as Bark Beet

PEI’s bird tracks come in five different forms. So far this winter we’ve looked at two: game bird (featuring Ruffed Grouse and Ring-necked Pheasant) and classic (aka ‘anisodactyl’, illustrated by a Bald Eagle). Today we look at the third type: webbed (aka ‘palmate’), with ducks as our example.   The basic structure of webbed tracks resembles that of game birds, with three long toes pointing forward and one short toe pointing back. However, in this case, the three front toes a

If you think the best thing about a PEI winter is the absence of insects, I have bad news for you: this is peak season for some of our invertebrates! Carla McKie recently sent me this photo of one the creepie-crawlies on the snow in Rock Barra, wondering what they might be. They are Winter Stoneflies, also known as Willowflies ( Taeniopterygidae Family).   At first glance, you might think this is an Earwig out for a mid-winter stroll. Like Earwigs, Winter Stoneflies have six

Tracks and scat may be the most common signs of PEI wildlife, but they are not the only ones. Other examples include dens, nests, cavities, caches, browse, and this very cool adaptation: eyeshine.   Not all animals have eyeshine, but those that do have a special membrane called the tapetum lucidum (Latin for bright tapestry) behind the retina – the light-sensitive part of the eye. Light passes through the retina and is reflected off the tapetum lucidum back to the light sourc

Pop quiz: what’s the largest winter wildlife track you’ll find on PEI?  Coyote is our largest animal, so that would be a reasonable – but wrong – guess. Snowshoe Hare’s hind feet are pretty big, but not the largest. The honour goes to an animal you may not have thought of: the Bald Eagle.   When identifying bird tracks, toe arrangement is a helpful starting clue. Here we see three long toes pointing forward and one long toe pointing back, in what’s called the classic (aka ani

Birds may not be the first animals that come to mind when you think winter wildlife tracks, but some of our avian neighbours spend more time walking than flying. Two good examples are Ruffed Grouse and Ring-necked Pheasant.   When identifying bird tracks, toe arrangement is a helpful place to start. Here we see three long toes pointing forward and one short toe pointing back in what’s called the Game Bird arrangement. Only four PEI bird species sport feet like these, and so r

Whether it’s the potential for Bobcats here on PEI or reports of Eastern Cougar on the mainland, wild cats have a mystique that makes many of us want a track to be Feline. This, coupled with how feline some canine tracks look, means Dog tracks are sometimes mistaken for Cat even by experienced trackers. Let’s look at the differences.   As we saw earlier this month, canine tracks have an X-shaped negative space – that area between the pads of the foot; I’ve included my earlie

It’s breeding season for PEI’s wild canines, meaning foxes and coyotes are more active right now. Even if you haven’t seen (or heard) any in your neighbourhood, tracks will tell you who’s been around. Here’s my annual refresher on identifying fox, coyote, and dog tracks. You can check the Wildlife Tracks & Sign section of this blog for previous posts and additional photos of the features I look for.   Too often, I see one-word answers to track ID questions online that are rea

It’s been a busy year: more than 100 educational posts on the plants, fungi, and wildlife of PEI; 79 in-person events at 25 locations across the province; and one popular new book! I sincerely thank the more than 2,000 people who attended my public walks and talks, the 17,500 who follow me on Facebook and Instagram, everyone who visits this website, and all those who took the time to like, comment, or share my posts. I’m truly grateful to each of you for supporting this work.

Earlier this year, my youngest (and largest) dog was cornered on the deck by something that was clearly very scary. I rushed to rescue him and immediately saw the fearsome creature: this lovely Northern Parula Warbler ( Setophaga americana ). ( No birds were harmed in the taking of this photo ). The Northern Parula is one of about 20 species of migratory warblers that breed on PEI. I’m no birder, but the Parula Warbler’s distinctive call is one of the few I recognize: a fast

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Today we have an insect that people often mistake for a fungus. Meet Woolly Alder Aphids ( Prociphilus tessellatus ).   From a distance, Woolly Aphids do look like some sort of fluffy, fungal mould on the branch of a tree. But take a closer look and you’ll see that those fuzzy clusters are actually dozens – sometimes hundreds – of individual insects crowded together.   The

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI.  I recently received this...

Today’s PEI animal is a good example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. This ominous-looking insect is the harmless and...

Many of PEI’s wild animals are more often heard than seen – none more so than Cicadas. Most of us immediately recognize their...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Apologies to my fellow...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI! I was thrilled to get this photo...

Let’s start the day with a quiz: which PEI animals can be found in saltwater, freshwater, and on land? If you guessed snails, give...

Finding snakes is one of my favourite springtime activities. Cooler weather means they spend more time sunning themselves in the open,...