Nature Moncton Information Line

Thursday, 3 December 2020

Dec 3 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, December 03, 2020 (Thursday)

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

**On Wednesday. Mitch Doucet drove up to Indian Mountain & Stilesville. It was boiling with dozens of EVENING GROSBEAKS, PINE SISKINS, 3 adult male PINE GROSBEAKS and over 100 COMMON REDPOLLS. They ran into a large flock of redpolls on Indian Mountain and this LEUCISTIC really stood out of the crowd! It actually appeared bigger than the other redpolls, but it could just be because he was brighter. Mitch got some nice photos of the leucistic individual next to a normally plumaged redpoll to nicely show the difference. It is great to hear of the numbers of these 4 species we could well enjoy at our feeder yards this coming winter to very much brighten up the present scenario

** Brian Coyle shares more videos from the large rock that has been so good to him in getting interesting trail camera footage. It would be interesting to know how that huge rock ended up there … glacial erratic??

One video shows a large group of immature RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide] seemingly being herded or monitored by an adult male. Another video shows a PORCUPINE [Porc-épic d'Amerique] dropping by to urine mark the rock. Yet another video shows an adult RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] that has landed on the rock with a good sized, unrecognizable rodent prey and is privately having lunch (or at least the hawk thinks so). Take a look at the action at the links below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7iaqje094q7p25v/STC_0002.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/st0rqigvbm4ik22/STC_0003.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wld5t4yvb636osv/STC_0008.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sxlj44y0uatgk5n/STC_0028.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c0bdoqi7w8znstt/STC_0059.AVI?dl=0

** Jamie Burris got a photo of a fish that is common but that we seldom see, the ROCK GUNNEL. It has an eel-like appearance and sometimes gets the name BUTTERFISH. Jamie’s grandkids found this in the Northumberland Strait in September. This one was 3 to 4 inches long but they can get much bigger.

** Eric Wilson was very pleased to be another to have a NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] (male) arrive to his Moncton Yard. Eric hasn’t seen a cardinal since he moved from Ontario 7 years ago. Eric comments “I’m gonna pass out!”

** Aldo Dorio photographed a mature NORTHERN SHRIKE [Pie-grièche grise] at Hay Island on Wednesday from 2 different angles. The hook on the beak shows nicely. A GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] was still at Hay Island, which we can expect to see the occasional one until freeze up covers their food supply.

** It was a pleasant surprise to see a new species arrive to our urban feeder yard on late Wednesday afternoon … a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche]. It would not seem like a normal habitat for a White-breasted Nuthatch but I hope it continues to be a patron.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

COMMON REDPOLL (LEUCISTIC). DEC. 2, 2020. MITCH DOUCET

COMMON REDPOLL (LEUCISTIC AND NORMAL). DEC. 2, 2020. MITCH DOUCET

NORTHERN SHRIKE. DEC 2, 2020. ALDO DORIO

GREAT BLUE HERON. DEC 2, 2020. ALDO DORIO

ROCK GUNNEL. SEPT 26, 2020. JAMIE BURRIS

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

Dec 1 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Dec. 1, 2020 (Tuesday)

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

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

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Susan Richards susan_richards@rogers.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

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

**Paul and Rhonda Langelaan found a CACKLING GOOSE [ Oie caquetant] on Monday with a flock that comes to a private property at 714 McLaughlin Road. The owner is welcoming birders but anyone who wishes to visit is encouraged to ask first if they can look for the rarity.

Mitch Doucet got some great photos and shares them. The Cackling Goose is a smaller Goose, to help pick it out. In Mitch’s photos note the very rounded head, shorter neck and stubbier bill compared to its larger kin. The Cackling Goose tends to stay more in the middle of North America and is notably uncommon to be found in New Brunswick. This finding, again, points out the value of perusing flocks of CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] at the moment for unexpected tag-alongs.

Paul and Rhonda spotted the flock in the back yard of a residence from the Trans Canada Highway and went to check them out to find the Cackling Goose among the flock. The property owner feeds cracked corn and the geese come for it. Paul and Rhonda got some nice photos of the Cackling Goose among the flock that really helps to point it out.

** Yvette Richard headed out along coast on Monday to get a nice variety of waterfowl and plumages. A Black Scoter was photographed at St Thomas wharf. It was very brown in color with beak showing yellow developing to assume this may be a juvenile bird going into its 1^st winter plumage.

A female Common Eider was photographed at the Cap Lumiere wharf.

Two female Harlequin Ducks were at Cap Lumiere wharf. They were unfortunately far out and water was choppy but Yvette was pleased to see them as she has been chasing this species for awhile and it was her first sighting.

A Long-tailed Duck was on the Cap Lumiere wharf.

A male Northern Shoveler, molting into its male finery, was photographed at the Bouctouche Lagoon.

A male Ring-necked Duck was chumming with a Mallard Duck pair at the lagoon as was a Lesser scaup.

**Clarence Cormier reports that he has been seeing small flocks of COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé], approximately 20 in total, at his Grande Digue site foraging on Gray Birch catkins. It is common when we have redpolls overwintering in New Brunswick for them to forage on birch catkins until the supply dwindles then they tend to come to feeder yards. That will vary of course depending upon the birch catkin crop and the number of redpolls that arrive.

**Dave Christie comments that he hasn’t had much diversity coming to his Mary’s Point feeder yard but has been having up to 6 RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] however, a juvenile NORTHERN GOSHAWK [Autour des palombes] has come on the scene with pheasant on mind and making the pheasants very wary, in fact, so much so some days he does not even see a pheasant, only lots of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE [Mésange à tête noire ]. Dave also comments on flocks of Canada Geese in the area seeming to be moving about erratically and not certain why.

** Brian Stone went to Wilson (Bell) Marsh Monday for an outing. Down along the trail a bit he saw 2 large dreys (the correct name we all recently learned for a squirrel’s nest) (at least they looked like the squirrel nests we have been talking about lately) There were 2 nests but one was in behind a bit and hard to see so Brian marked its location with a red arrow. He got one photo of it separately afterwards. They were larger than the one he photographed earlier in the week at Mapleton Park at large soccer ball size.

There was not much variety there, however hundreds of Mallard Ducks and Canada Geese with a photo cooperative American Tree Sparrow. There was a patch of grass with some liquid sounding twittering coming from it and he patiently stood there for an hour but nothing showed itself.

**Bob Blake monitors weather stats from his Second North River home to include morning temperatures, daily high temperatures and precipitation. I am attaching the table as Bob sends it, to compare November of 2019 and November of 2020. It is interesting to note the dramatic difference in snow fall, with significantly more in November 2019, yet rainfall this year significantly more than November 2019.

2019

2020

morning temperatures

daily highs and rainfall

morning temperatures

daily highs and rainfall

+18-1day

+7-1

+3-3

+2-4

+1-6

0-1

-1-4

-2-1

-3-1

-5-2

-6-2

-7-1

-8-3

45 mms. rain

26 cms. snow

+11-1

+8-4

+6-2

+5-2

+4-6

+2-5

+3-4

0-1

+15-2

+14-1

+11-2

+10-1

+8-1

+7-3

+6-2

+5-1

+4-1

+2-2

+1-2

0-2

-1-3

-2-1

-3-1

-4-2

-7-2

107 mms. rain

1 cm. snow

+19-2

+18-1

+16-2

+15-1

+14-3

+12-1

+10-1

+8-2

+7-1

+6-1

+5-2

+4-6

+2-2

+1-1

0-1

**Another reminder about the webinar coming up tomorrow night Wednesday, December 2^nd with Heather Loomer on the effort to increase protected natural areas in New Brunswick. Details to register for it are attached below.

Webinar: Getting Involved in New Brunswick's Nature Legacy
Speaker: Heather Loomer (Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development)
Date: December 2, 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Heather will be speaking about the province’s Pathway to 10% initiative – an initiative aimed at doubling the amount of protected areas in the province – and will also be giving a tutorial on how to use the province’s new public website to nominate potential protected sites.
Click here for more information and to register.

Or https://nben.ca/en/nb-wildlife-webinar-series

** Today, Dec. 1 is the kick-off of the Winter Bird List monitored by Gilles Belliveau.

The Winter List period begins Dec. 1 and goes to the end of Feb. Gilles will be maintaining again this year which you can find at the following address:

http://nbwinter.gbnature.com

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

CACKLING GOOSE. NOV. 30, 2020. RHONDA AND PAUL LANGELAAN

CACKLING GOOSE. NOV. 30, 2020. MITCH DOUCET

HARLEQUIN DUCKS (FEMALE). NOV 30, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD

LESSER SCAUP. NOV 30, 2002. YVETTE RICHARD

COMMON EIDER (FEMALE). NOV 30, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD

BLACK SCOTER (IMMATURE MALE). NOV 30, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD

LONG-TAILED DUCK . NOV 30, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD

NORTHERN SHOVELER (MALE). NOV 30, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD

RING NECK DUCK (MALE) AND MALLARD DUCK (PAIR). NOV 30, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD

CANADA GEESE. NOV.30, 2020. BRIAN STONE

COMMON REDPOLL. N0V. 30, 2020. CLARENCE CORMIER

DREY (SQUIRREL'S NEST) . NOV.30, 2020. BRIAN STONE

WILSON (BELL) MARSH. NOV.30, 2020. BRIAN STONE

Monday, 30 November 2020

Nov 30 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Nov. 30, 2020 (Monday)

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

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

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Susan Richards susan_richards@rogers.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

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

**Gordon Rattray comments things have been quiet at his Weldon feeder yard the last few days except for some RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] arriving. He went down to Edgett’s landing to visit the regularly appearing Juvenile RED-HEADED WOODPECKER [Pic à tête rouge] at Dwayne Biggar’s feeder yard. Gordon got some nice photos of it from different angles as well as a flight photo. He also dropped by John Inman’s Mary’s Point Road feeder yard. A small flock of EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] came in as well as an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] to be photographed.

**Louise Nichols sure had her day start off great when she got up to look out her window to see a BARRED OWL [Chouette rayée] perched on a bird feeder pole. It was very likely surveying the area for possible shrews or voles. Shrews and voles are very common under our bird feeders but we seldom see them as they are so nocturnal. It is great potential prey for a Barred Owl. These mammals may seem like small prey but they are like an all dressed Big Mac to us! Louise’s excellent photos show it very intently surveying the ground area. It must have liked what it found as Louise spotted it again at sunset on Sunday evening scouting the same area from a tree branch. Louise saw it fly up from the ground then another owl-like bird that seemed to be smaller fly up behind it but it all happened so fast she was not able to be certain it was a Barred Owl however with owls like most raptors, the female is significantly bigger than the male.

Louise also photographed what appears to be a squirrel nest on their Aulac property that recently became clearly visible with the leaf fall.

**Brian Coyle got some great video footage with his trail camera on/ about September 20^th that shows some interaction between a sow BLACK BEAR [Ours noir] and her triplets. They were getting quite large by that point but as you can see in the video they are still nursing occasionally from their mother. The interaction between the three cubs and the interaction with their mother is very special to see. Something we would be very unlikely to ever witness unless from the obscurity from a trail camera. Take a look at the activity in the 30 -second video links below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fbiptayfilsdny5/STC_0014.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zr6ninrbyksmcfv/STC_0015.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lm1tsdgcjgx553y/STC_0017%20%281%29.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/09p21jk1sneajt8/STC_0019%20%281%29.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wostkk6749u24cf/STC_0020%20%281%29.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g9ejl4t4z6wxn8x/STC_0021%20%281%29.AVI?dl=0

**We do not see GREAT CORMORANT [Grand Cormoran] near as much as DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT [Cormoran à aigrettes] but they do show up this time of year and spring in migration along the coast.

Verica Leblanc photographed a juvenile GREAT CORMORANT at Pointe-Sapin on November 12^th that shows a section of its secondary feathers that appear heavily worn or twisted especially on the right wing. I photographed a Great Cormorant on Nov. 27 that Elaine Gallant had seen earlier at Pointe-du-Chene wharf. Oddly a section of the secondary feathers are appearing the same as in Verica’s photo. One would have to wonder of the possibility of this being the same bird. Verica’s photos in Pointe-Sapin and mine from Pointe-du-Chene are attached.

**It’s a heads-up to mark on the calendar the Nature Moncton December meeting will take place, virtually, on Tuesday December 8^th at 7 p.m. with David Palmer, author of the popular book ‘Great Trees of New Brunswick’, will give a presentation. The link for anyone to join in will be posted on the blog spot for a few days before the meeting. The write-up is attached below.

NATURE MONCTON DECEMBER MEETING

“The Great Trees of New Brunswick”

Date: Dec. 8^th, 2020

Time: 7:00 PM

Presenter: David Palmer

** This will be a virtual meeting. Check the Nature Moncton Information Line BlogSpot for updates on how to connect.

David Palmer obtained his MSc in Forestry from UNB and is past president of both the Canadian Forestry Association of New Brunswick and the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

He has recently co-authored the book Great Trees of New Brunswick, 2^nd Edition, a wonderful guide to the “more than five billion trees, many native to [New Brunswick’s] forests, some introduced by settlers.” The book acts as both a guide to identifying the trees of the province and a collection of stories connected to the most notable individual trees that New Brunswickers are drawn to.

Join David Palmer for a fascinating journey that will take us across New Brunswick to learn about the many trees that surround us and to appreciate the endurance and grandeur of some of the province’s greatest trees.

** If we were meeting in person, David would have copies of his books for members to purchase. Undoubtedly, he will tell us where best to order them.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton