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

Snow on spruce trees is a hallmark of the Canadian winter. While most PEI plants lose their leaves or disappear altogether as temperatures drop, you may not have thought about how and why conifers take a different approach. Today, we take a look!     Broad-leaved trees like Maple, Beech, and Birch produce big leaves with huge surface areas that are very efficient at catching sunlight and turning it into food for the tree. Even if those leaves didn’t freeze, they lose water an

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

Few PEI scenes are more beautiful than frosty winter mornings like the one we had last week. Under certain conditions, ice crystals coat trees, twigs, and fence lines, turning the landscape into something magical. We call this ‘hoar frost’, but there are actually two very different types of ice that cause this phenomenon. Let’s take a look!   ‘Hoar’ is an old word for feathery white, like a beard. It’s an apt description for the delicate, feathery ice crystals that form true

So far this winter, I’ve had more questions about this type of track than all others combined. It seems everyone is curious about Snowshoe Hares!    I get it: Snowshoe Hare tracks look like they were made by Muppets and they’re everywhere . It’s been like this for the past couple of years, and I do think 2022’s Hurricane Fiona played a role. Leaning or downed hardwoods put tasty branches and buds within reach, and fallen conifers provide useful cover from predators.   The dis

The Island’s winter landscape is mostly monochrome, making the occasional burst of colour all that more beautiful. One of my favourite bright spots is the aptly-named Maritime Sunburst Lichen ( Xanthoria parietina ). Lichens are interesting in many ways, including how they survive our coldest months. Most living things go to great lengths to protect themselves from drying out or freezing: two major (and usually lethal) side effects of winter. That’s why PEI’s trees, plants, f

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

There have been some bitterly cold days this winter, with temperatures well into the minus teens and twenties Celsius. Clear, cold days are great times to be in the woods, but you may notice some unusual noises: the snap, crackle and pop of trees! Media have been having fun with sensational ‘exploding tree’ headlines, but let’s look beyond the clickbait. A clear, bitterly cold day in the woods on PEI. Trees do their best to prepare for winter. This includes getting rid of tho

PEI has more than 30 native, wild plants with edible berries, but here’s one of the lesser-known: Bearberry ( Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ).     Bearberry doesn’t compete taste-wise with some of our other wild fruit. Raw, the berries are dry and bland (but that’s probably just as well, because too many raw berries can have a laxative effect). Cooking improves their flavour and texture, and Bearberries make pleasant preserves, interesting additions to soups or stews, and excellent

Fall may be peak mushroom season on PEI, but fungi can be found at all times of year.  One that I’m seeing a lot right now is the...

If it looks like a Mouse and squeaks like a Mouse it. . . might be a Vole! This week, we explore Vole tracks and sign, and look at Voles’...

No matter where I go on PEI this winter – town or country – the most common tracks I see are from Snowshoe Hare. It’s been like this for...

This winter’s frequent bouts of fresh snowfall have made for some ideal tracking conditions. While Red Squirrels are very common, it’s...

My new book, Wild Foods of Prince Edward Island is coming out this spring and now available for pre-order. Published by The Acorn Press,...

One of my favourite things about winter tracking is coming across a wildlife intersection: a spot used by a variety of animals. Often...

It’s hard to find near-perfect examples of tracks from terrestrial mammals, let alone from semi-aquatic ones. That’s why I was thrilled...

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

Reading wildlife tracks and sign has very practical uses. For example, even with the recent cold snaps this winter, the Striped Skunks on...

When you think about wildlife tracks and sign, I bet mammals immediately come to mind. But all sorts of wildlife leave tracks, including...

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