Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 14 2015

**In follow up to the NORTHERN WATER SNAKE report yesterday, Dave Millar comments that he saw 5 at Moosehorn Park, just across the NB border in Maine in September 2013. One of them was approximately 4ft. long and Dave got a few photos of it.

To the best of my knowledge this snake species has not as yet been reported in NB.

**The GULLS are starting to move into their winter plumage. Aldo Dorio shares a photo of a GREAT BLACK BACKED gull going into its first winter plumage. Note the all black bill, dark eye and checkerboard pattern.

**Anna Tucker was in the Beaumont area just past Memramcook recently and shares a photo of the coastline there as well as an excellent photo of a CLOUDED SULPHUR BUTTERFLY, still happily flying and nectaring.

**Dave Christie comments that he has noted BLACK SCOTERS on the bay in the Mary's Point area. In June and early July there were 60-70. These would be non breeding and moulting birds. The numbers dwindled in late summer to be replaced in numbers by EIDER ducks. On Saturday Dave rechecked on SCOTER numbers to note a lower number but more variety with 9 BLACK SCOTERS, 5 SURF SCOTERS and 2 WHITE WINGED SCOTERS.

**After Clarence Cormier's recent CROW comments Dave comments that he noted a flock of approximately 150 CROWS around the Mary's Pt. area in midday on Tuesday, but in his case suspects them to be a migratory flock as he would normally see a normal number of about 4-6. He will be watching over the next days to see which scenario prevails.

**SHREWS are very common in NB but we often don't get to see them due to their very nocturnal lifestyle. However they will be active all winter travelling in tunnels preferring them to be under a blanket of snow. We often see the tunnels of them when snow recedes at our bird feeding area. They are chiefly insectivores but obviously have a taste for birdseed as well in winter. They are an important element in the food chain. Some mammals may find them distasteful, however many raptors don't concern themselves about that. I was able to get some close up photos of one on Monday. We have several shrew species in New Brunswick, the general shape is similar.

**There has been some timing changes to the workshop and field trip on the intertidal workshop on the weekend of October 23-24 to allow for some birding in Fundy National Park on Saturday. Note the 9am timing change on Saturday morning to allow that with the updated announcement attached below.

Intertidal Workshop and Field Trip (part 2) with Alain Clavette

Friday Oct. 23^rd (workshop) and Saturday Oct. 24^th (field trip)

Our geographical position makes us lucky to have lots of coast lines. No matter where you are in New Brunswick, you have two high tides and two low tides each day. AND if you are in southeastern New Brunswick, you have two distinct marine ecosystems to choose from: the Bay of Fundy or the Northumberland Strait.

The naturalist who wants to discover the very rich habitats found between high tide and low tide has a multitude of interesting choices. The animals and plants living in these ever-changing environments have to be adapted to extreme salinity, humidity and temperature variations. Salt marshes, rocky beaches, mudflats or sandy beaches: all these habitats have a biodiversity worth exploring. But WHAT to look for?

Alain Clavette is best known as a birder, but his love and knowledge for the creatures of the coast developed during the four years he worked as a Parks Canada GT1 interpreter. After obtaining his degree in Biology at the Université de Moncton, Alain worked in Fundy National Park and finally Kouchibouguac (for a private tour operator). Since then, he has been featured as a Bay of Fundy “expert” and enthusiast in several documentaries done by production companies in Québec, France, the UK and NB, the latest one entitled La Baie Des Merveilles of which he is the main host.

Come join us for this workshop and 2^nd trip to Fundy Park, meant to follow up on the field trip Alain guided last April, to see how life changes in the intertidal zone as the seasons pass. Those who attended last April are encouraged to come again to compare observations from the spring with what we find in the fall. But even those who were not with us last spring are welcome to come and learn about who lives in our intertidal wonderlands. On Friday evening, Alain will give a 2-hour workshop to prepare for the field trip. On Saturday, we’ll travel to Fundy Park in the morning for a day of birding followed by a walk on the beach at low tide which will be at 4:00.

Friday October 23^rd (workshop), 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Tankville School, 1665 Elmwood Dr. Moncton.

On Saturday, October 24^th, we’ll meet at the Tankville School at 8:30 AM to arrange carpooling and then travel to Fundy Park. We’ll do some birding during the day and then Alain will guide the intertidal tour at 4:00.

Registration with Judi Berry-Steeves at jbsteeve@nbnet.nb.ca or phone Judi at 387-4778. Please specify if you are coming to both the workshop and field trip or only the field trip.

$10 payable at the door to cover costs for workshop and field trip. The field trip alone will be $8. All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

** Be sure to bring extra layers of clothing because it may be cool on the Bay of Fundy in late October.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton