With their tiny size, fearless personalities, and amazing agility, Hummingbirds capture our imaginations in a way few other birds can. PEI has only one species – the Ruby-throated Hummingbird – and their time with us is as short as an Island summer: from roughly Mother’s Day to Labour Day. Hummingbirds are creatures of extremes. They’re our smallest birds by far, weighing just a few grams (or about as much as a Canadian nickel); it would take more than 1,000 Ruby-throats to

They’re baaaack! Here in Central PEI, the first Hummingbird and the first June Bug arrived within a couple of days of each other last week. Most people look forward to seeing the tiny birds far more than they do the shiny insects, but what exactly are June Bugs anyway? Let’s take a look! “June Bug” is a general term used to refer to many different species in the Scarab Beetle Family (Scarabaeidae). The ones found most often on PEI are the native Phyllophaga anxia, although at

One of PEI’s first botanical signs of spring are Pussy Willows ( Salix spp.). We have more than a dozen different Willows on the Island, but only one – Salix discolor – officially has the common name ‘Pussy Willow’. Willows are notoriously difficult to tell apart, but don’t worry: all our species are commonly called Pussy Willows this time of year so, right now, you can’t go wrong! Those soft, fuzzy balls are the male flower buds, called catkins. (Female catkins are sim

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

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

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

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

PEI has showy wild plants that outshine any domestic blooms I can think of. One flowering now is the lovely Blue-flag Iris ( Iris...

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...

This spring, I’ve been introducing you to some of PEI’s early-season fungi. Today’s example hits the trifecta: it’s common, easy to...

Here on PEI, we’re in that brief but magical part of spring when the days are long, it’s pleasantly warm, and the onslaught of blackflies...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI! Today’s topic comes from my own...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. Winter is great time to spot...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist, your own personal Google for information on all things natural on PEI. I’ve had a few questions about...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. Judging by the more than 50...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. Summer is peak season for...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. I’ve been getting lots of...

Welcome back to Ask a Naturalist: your own personal “Google” for information on all things natural on PEI. I’ve been getting quite a few...

June is peak wildflower season on PEI. Over the next month, I’ll show you some of my favourites ranging from showy to subtle to...