Nature Moncton Information Line

Monday, 5 December 2022

Dec 5 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 5, 2022

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**They

just keep on coming!

Daryl Doucette had a female Northern Cardinal comfortably arrive to his deck birdfeeder tray on Sunday and pose for a very pleasant photo.

**Brian Coyle shares more very interesting action he captured on his trail cameras. There is a very large boulder at the edge of a woodlot near Brian’s home that seems to be a magnet for wildlife to visit. Brian has coined it ‘coyote rock’ as Coyote seems to be one species that has a particular fondness for checking it out. A recent video capture of a Coyote visitor shows the variability in pelage of the Coyote. This one shows the striking rufous pelage tones some Coyotes have. Take a look at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gd54fvzfyu7cevb/STC_0127_x264.mp4?dl=0

Brian has another trail camera set up at a River Otter latrine near a beaver pond. The River Otter has the habit of establishing community latrines. In one video capture, a female Coyote intrudes by leaving a scent mark on the River Otter latrine area. Scent marking by wildlife will become a popular activity in the coming days as they start future planning for territories. Check out that activity at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6avuqy7ycwauxha/STC_0007%20%2819%29_x264.mp4?dl=0

A Bobcat checks out the same site at the video link below. (Editor’s note: note the tail tip of the Bobcat with its black top half and white under half. The Lynx would have a totally black tail tip).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2b37owkcj7fz2gd/STC_0029%20%285%29_x264.mp4?dl=0

A River Otter was captured during the ‘poop dance’ at its community latrine as Brian’s video clip captures below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5v1pkqquwbq2lnp/IMG_0044%20-%20Copy.MP4?dl=0

**The melanistic form of the Grey Squirrel, which is almost entirely black, is becoming more predominant in certain populations and in certain geographic areas especially in southeastern Canada. It is caused by a rogue gene.

The black morph has a variant form of a specific gene that produces more dark pigment; in other words, they have a rogue gene. (Editor’s note: Nelson Poirier was advised the black morph Grey Squirrel is the predominant pelage of the very common Grey Squirrel in the Kitchener Waterloo area of southeastern Ontario).

This morph is not nearly as common in the Maritimes; however, Nelson Poirier spotted one in Fredericton on Sunday that cooperated for a photo.

**Nelson Poirier has 2 winter plumage Chipping Sparrows as patrons to his birdfeeder yard. The two of them cooperated nicely to provide a photo of a side view and a back view to show the grey patch from a rear view.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

NORTHERN CARDINAL (FEMALE). DEC 4, 2022. DARYL DOUCETTE

CHIPPING SPARROWS. DEC 4, 2022. NELSON POIRIER

GREY SQUIRREL. (BLACK MORPH). DEC 4, 2022. NELSON POIRIER

Sunday, 4 December 2022

Dec 4 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 4, 2022

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**On Wednesday, November 30, 2022, Brian Coyle went out to a couple of his trail cameras that are close to his home.

Imagine Brian’s excitement to have a mother Bobcat and her two kittens show up at an overgrown rock pile, not 500 meters from his home! The kittens in Brian’s video would be young-of-the-year born in early spring that will stay with their mother until late January or into February when the female will come into estrus and very abruptly advise her teenage kittens to head out and fend for themselves.

Take a look at the action in this special video at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cpa5itucu8wqsbn/DSCF0003%20-%20Copy%20%284%29.AVI?dl=0

If this wasn't exciting enough, on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at around 2:00 p.m. Brian was sitting on a bench in his backyard, watching a YouTube video on his phone, when a lone crow began to caw incessantly from the top of a large spruce tree at the treeline along the northern edge of his property.

He paused the video and looked in that direction to see the mother Bobcat and her two kittens making their way through his backyard along the tree line! Brian was quite certain that it was the same trio that was on the video. Because of the wind direction and Brian sitting still, they never were aware of his presence and casually trotted off into the woods behind his house. No photos, unfortunately.

**Gordon Rattray had a regular visit on Saturday from a Brown Creeper that has made many visits this fall. On Saturday it stayed in place long enough for an excellent photo of this very special little bird.

**Aldo Dorio has been enjoying a pleasant diversity of coastal birds off the Neguac wharf recently.

Aldo photographed a Common Loon in winter plumage, a Black Guillemot in winter plumage, Red-throated Loon in winter plumage, and Long-tailed Ducks in winter plumage.

(Editor’s note: It is not often we get to see Black Guillemot along the Northumberland shoreline. Aldo was lucky to get an extended wing photo). Gilles Belliveau comments:

Not sure how regularly in the northern part of the province, but he has seen them a few times over the years in spring and fall migration in southeastern NB. Gilles has also seen them at Cap Lumiere a few times in winter and many years ago there were … one or two that were seen among the ice flows in Cap Pele in two different winters.

**Jane LeBlanc had a small flock of Pine Siskins arrive on Saturday with a small flock of American Goldfinches. She comments it has been several years since she's had this species in her St. Martins yard.

**On Friday Brian Stone once again visited the wharves and viewing spots along the coast from Cap Lumiere to Shediac. At Cap Lumiere, the resident Harlequin Ducks were grouped in two pairs of male and female and were still present in the enclosed breakwater area. Outside the breakwater and down along the coast a short distance was more than a dozen Red-throated Loons that were just a bit too distant to encourage photography.

Along the highway on the way to Cap Lumiere a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a pole long enough for Brian to get a photo and then a few flight photos.

At Bouctouche, a Bald Eagle scanned the water from a high vantage point in its favourite tree near the Visitor Center but flew when it realized it was being photographed. Also flying in the area was a large group of Common Eiders that flew in a recognizably different pattern than geese.

In the Cocagne area a Double-crested Cormorant, a male Long-tailed Duck, and a male Common Eider finished off the photo album for the day.

**Bob Blake maintains daily weather statistics from his Second North River home including morning temperature, daily high temperature, and monthly precipitation. Bob has prepared a table comparing November 2022 with November 2021.

Bob’s table reflects the beautiful temperatures we enjoyed in November 2022 and the lesser amount of precipitation.

It is attached below:

2021

2022

morning temperatures

daily highs and rainfall

morning temperatures

daily highs and rainfall

+11-1 day

+10-2

+7-1

+6-2

+5-1

+4-2

+3-1

+1-3

0-4

-1-5

-2-2

-3-4

-4-1

-5-1

+15-1

+14-3

+11-2

+10-2

+9-1

161 mms. rain

15 cms. snow

+19-1

+17-1

+16-1

+11-1

+10-1

+9-2

+8-1

+7-1

+4-3

+1-3

0-1

-2-3

-3-2

-5-1

-7-2

-8-2

-10-1

+21-1

+20-2

+18-2

+17-1

+15-1

+12-1

+11-1

+10-1

123 mms.rain

4 cms. snow

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

BLACK GUILLEMOT (WINTER PLUMAGE). DEC 2, 2022. ALDO DORIO

BROWN CREEPER. DEC 3, 2022. GORDON RATTRAY

COMMON LOON (WINTER PLUMAGE). DEC 2, 2022. ALDO DORIO

HARLEQUIN DUCK (FEMALE). DEC. 02, 2022.. BRIAN STONE

HARLEQUIN DUCKS. DEC. 02, 2022.. BRIAN STONE

HARLEQUIN DUCKS (MALE). DEC. 02, 2022.. BRIAN STONE

LONG-TAILED DUCK (MALE). DEC. 02, 2022., BRIAN STONE

LONG-TAILED DUCK (MALE). DEC 2, 2022. ALDO DORIO

COMMON GOLDENEYE DUCKS. DEC. 02, 2022. BRIAN STONE

COMMON EIDER (ADULT MALE). DEC. 02, 2022. BRIAN STONE

COMMON EIDER. DEC. 02, 2022. BRIAN STONE

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. DEC. 02, 2022. BRIAN STONE

RED-THROATED LOON. DEC 2, 2022. ALDO DORIO

RED-TAILED HAWK. DEC. 02, 2022. BRIAN STONE

PINE SISKIN. DEC. 3, 2022. JANE LEBLANC

BALD EAGLE. DEC. 02, 2022. BRIAN STONE

Thursday, 1 December 2022

Dec 2 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 2, 2022

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**More Northern Cardinals -- come on down!

Cathie Smith reports she has now a pair of Northern Cardinals visiting her Wendell Street feeder yard in Riverview. They are coming to safflower seed.

**On Wednesday afternoon Gordon Rattray observed a male Pileated Woodpecker; by the fuzzy breast feathers, it was probably a juvenile, enjoying the peanut butter feeding station. The woodpecker was really aggressive in pecking and pounding on the board and stayed for nearly an hour. Gordon noted that even as he moved about the yard coming and going about 25 meters away the woodpecker ignored him. Gordon has noted in the last few days that the feeder was appearing to get damaged and blamed the squirrels but now is convinced that the Pileated Woodpecker has been making other visits.

**The number of Red-throated Loons being spotted this year is very numerous if not unprecedented.

Aldo Dorio photographed a Red-throated Loon off Hay Island on Thursday.

**It’s Friday and time to check in on what next week’s night sky may have in store for us. It’s looking like Mother Nature’s forecast may not be in our favour but let’s be ready for that good night. All courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2022 December 3 – December 10
With the Great Square of Pegasus at its peak in the early evening it is a good time to visit the autumn constellations with binoculars. The flying horse soars upside down, and if you regard the two lines of stars in Andromeda as its hind legs it looks like a rocking horse. Well, to me it does. The horse’s neck stretches off the southwest corner of the square, and then it angles off to the snout. Extending a line from the head to the snout by about half that distance brings you to the globular cluster M15, looking like a fat star in binoculars or something snorted from the horse.

The opposite star of the square is Alpheratz at the head of Andromeda. The second star from there, along the brighter line of her body, is Mirach, which looks orange in binoculars. Moving to the star above it in the second line of Andromeda, and beyond to another star, puts you near M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. In a dark sky you can see it as a faint smudge with the naked eye and it is spectacular in binoculars. Going the opposite direction from Mirach, about halfway to the tip of Triangulum and a tad to the left, is M33. This face-on spiral galaxy is much tougher to see; you will need a transparent sky.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:43 am and sunset will occur at 4:34 pm, giving 8 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (7:45 am and 4:42 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:50 am and set at 4:33 pm, giving 8 hours, 43 minutes of daylight (7:52 am and 4:41 pm in Saint John). We are into a two-week period, centered on December 10, when the sunset time varies by less than a minute, although daylight time decreases slowly until the solstice. The latest sunrise occurs during the first week of January.

The Moon is full just after midnight on the night of Wednesday/Thursday, around which time it passes in front of (occults) Mars for about 28 minutes. Less than two hours later, Mars is at opposition. Mars disappears at the lower left of the Moon and reappears at the bottom. This event is worth staying up to watch, especially with a scope or binoculars. Saturn is setting mid-evening so observe it early, while Jupiter is at its highest between 7 and 8 pm. On Friday evening binocular and telescope users can watch Jupiter’s moons Io and Europa disappear behind the planet at 8:29 and 11:43, respectively; and since you are up for the second one you can wait 20 minutes for Io to reappear from the planet’s shadow.

On Sunday evening at 8 pm, tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show via the Facebook page or YouTube channel of Astronomy by the Bay.

Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

EVENING GROSBEAKS, NOV 38, 2022, WAYNE CORCORAN

PILEATED WOODPECKER. DEC 1, 2022. GORDON RATTRAY

RED-THROATED LOON. DEC 1, 2022. ALDO DORIO

Pegasus high

Dec 1 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 1, 2022

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Doreen Rossiter in Alma had a male Indigo Bunting arrive to her feeder yard on Tuesday. A few days after a Red-bellied Woodpecker had succumbed to a window strike, another turned up in the yard, also a female. Two female Evening Grosbeaks paid a visit one-day last week followed up by a large flock of them the next day; they haven’t been back since.

Kathie Carter (Doreen’s daughter) still has a Pine Warbler visiting a suet feeder. Its visits are quick, so one has to be in the right place at the right time to catch it.

**Wayne Corcoran in Chelmsford normally has large flocks of Evening Grosbeaks as yearly regulars to his feeder yard. Wayne was getting large flocks of Evening Grosbeaks even in the years few of us were getting any. They were late in arriving to Wayne’s yard this year but started to do so on Wednesday with 75+ arriving.

Wayne is also enjoying the antics of Flying Squirrels flying from tree to tree in his yard at dusk and after.

**The New Brunswick Environmental Network puts out a calendar of events taking place each month that they have been advised of. Click on any event you may be interested in and all details will open up including links for Zoom meetings. The list for December is attached below:

Upcoming Events for the Month of December

December 1st:

December 4th:

NatureBUS Sackville Stop - Sackville Waterfowl Park

December 5th:

December 6th:

December 7th:

A webinar and case study on why wind energy projects fail and the enduring effects of process and distributional unfairness by the CCNB - Online

December 12th:

Press conference by the Common Front and NB Coalition of Persons with Disabilities - Online

December 13th:

Nature Moncton December Meeting - Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge

December 14th:

December 15th:

ECO - CONFLUENCE: NBEN Annual General Assembly - Online

December 16th:

DEADLINE: 2023-24 Call for proposals for the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) for Aquatic Species at Risk

December 17th:

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

EVENING GROSBEAKS, NOV 38, 2022, WAYNE CORCORAN