Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 5, 2015

**Leon Gagnon has been monitoring the SNOWY OWL [Harfang des neiges] activity from Miscou Island that has taken place this past summer. He saw one individual many times in July and August starting July 6^th within a 2 km radius of his house at Wilson’s Point. Several photos of that bird and the dates of the photos are attached. On August 30^th he made a hike on the long dune south of Wilson’s Point and observed three Snowy Owls standing in the same spot, being two adults and one subadult. Attached are four photos of those birds, photographed on August 30^th. He saw the subadult by itself without the adult birds on September 1^st.

Leon leaves some other interesting observations from Miscou: he saw his first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] there on May 15^th and the last one on August 28^th. The last TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] he saw were ten circling high on August 1^st. Five nest boxes in his area successfully fledged young. The last BANK SWALLOWS [Hirondelle de rivage] he saw were on August 17^th. He spotted two groups of Raptors [Rapace] of more than twenty individuals soaring in circles in the northern part of the island on August 17^th. He spotted five PIPING PLOVERS [Pluvier siffleur], being two adults and three young at the Malbaie Sud on July 11^th. Some very interesting observations, especially the Snowy Owl scenario.

**Jean-Paul Bourque walks the Petitcodiac River trail in the Moncton-Dieppe area frequently and is starting to take note of the different birds. On Thursday and Friday he spotted what he suspects to be a GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] in the ponds that have developed at the end of Louis Street in Dieppe, that is beside the trail. By parking at the end of Louis Street and going to the right, this was the pond where he noted the Egret along with many GREAT BLUE HERONS [Grand Héron] at the moment. These ponds at the end of Louis Street have become noticeably productive for birdlife.

Jean-Paul reported today this bird was still there Saturday afternoon.

**Bob Blake maintains daily morning temperatures and daily highs at his Second North River home. We will not make the usual comparisons this month, as Bob happened to be away a portion of August 2014 and 2015. However, rainfall figures do apply. Bob recorded 133 mm of precipitation for August of 2014 and 127 mm for August of 2015, a quite similar rainfall scenario.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton