Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 18 2015

** Louise Nichols has been visiting the Sackville Waterfowl Park whenever she can, to keep tabs on what’s happening. The last few days she has made several visits. There definitely are lots and lots of waterfowl in the park. The dominant duck species by far this fall are the AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique] and GADWALL [Canard chipeau]. In addition, she has seen MALLARDS [Canard colvert], BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues], NORTHERN SHOVELERS [Canard souchet], RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier] one BUFFLEHEAD [Petit Garrot], HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné] and PIED-BILLED GREBE [Grèbe à bec bigarré].

The shorebirds come and go. Sometimes the islands were empty, at other times occupied. The HUDSONIAN GODWITS [Barge hudsonienne] are hanging around; she has seen up to 4 at a time on those little grass islands. Otherwise not too much that’s new, mostly GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] and LESSER YELLOWLEGS [Petit Chevalier]. She saw a WILSON'S SNIPE [Bécassine de Wilson] earlier in the month. She has seen the odd dowitcher, one on Friday. She never heard any vocalizations, so is not sure whether they are SHORT-BILLED [Bécassin roux] or LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER [Bécassin à long bec], possibly a Long-billed at this time of year. The PECTORAL SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée] seem to have disappeared from the site.

** Georges Brun got a photo of a RED FOX [Renard roux] across from Chateau Moncton on Saturday. It seems to have a significant enlargement on the underbelly, which suggests some problem. The pelage seems to show some hair loss at the rump, tail base area, which is possibly related.

** There was a WILSON'S PHALAROPE [Phalarope de Wilson] that visited in the Sackville Waterfowl Park for a few days around Aug. 30.It was again photographed at the Amherst Wastewater Treatment ponds a few days later. Anna Tucker got a nice photo of it at the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Aug. 30, but was not able to share it until today due to an e-mail issue. Anna got the bird in a nice observation position.

** Susan Atkinson reports that the field outing to join the Nature ConservancyCanada group at Baie Verte went well on Saturday, a wonderful day to be out birding the area in the cool fall sunshine.

** Brian Stone shares some mushroom photos he got on his last day in Perth, Ontario, that appear to be common ones that would be in New Brunswick as well. Both are growing on trees. One appears to be the SCALY PHOLIOTA [Pholiote écailleuse] (Pholiota squarrosa), not a suggested edible. The other appears to be NORTHERN TOOTH fungus [Hydne septentrional] (Climacodon septentrionale), which has passed its best-before date, but which is a good edible when found fresh. They grow on Sugar Maple and have a “wobbly-lipped” look and can get quite large.

Brian was also at Mapleton Park on Saturday and photographed a juvenile CEDAR WAXWING [Jaseur d’Amérique], which is a late-nesting species [Transcriber’s note: young can be in nest into mid-September]. He also got some of the beautiful fall colours in the park.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton