Nature Moncton Nature News: 2016-09-25

Saturday, 1 October 2016

We may have a very interesting season coming up on the Tantramar Marsh. Roger LeBlanc visited the Tantramar Marsh on Thursday to note dozens of NORTHERN HARRIERS [Busard Saint-Martin] in all three plumages of male, female, and juvenile. They stayed until well after sunset and encountered no SHORT-EARED OWLS [Hibou des marais], at least in the section of the marsh they covered. The big surprise was seeing at least three ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS [Buse pattue]. They did see Rough-legged Hawks four or five places, but could say at least three by different plumages. September 29th seems early for Rough-legged Hawks to be arriving in New Brunswick in any number, so it could mean a great winter of Raptor [Rapace] observations on the Tantramar. They saw RED-TAILED HAWKS [Buse à queue rousse] and BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] as well. A real Raptor bonanza day, and there must be an excellent food supply of MEADOW VOLES [Campagnol des champs] on the marsh this past year.

Gordon Rattray, Brian Stone, and I paid a visit to the relatively new and nearby Ducks Unlimited impoundment at the end of Tucker Street in Upper Coverdale, and were all surprised to see the scope of it, and will be making return visits for certain, as the visit had to be short. There were many Ducks [Canard] in various plumages, and Shorebirds [Oiseau de rivage]. A few SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés] cooperated nicely for photos, and some BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS [Pluvier argenté] got some studying looks for the possibility of an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER [Pluvier bronzé] among them. Only Black-bellied Plovers were identified from photographs; that difference which is closer at this time of year with basic and juvenile plumages. Gilles Belliveau makes excellent comments with a few things to help. The black, white, and grey colouration immediately rules out American Golden-Plover, which should have some brown or yellow tones. The birds in today’s photos lack the dark cap and auriculars which would contrast much more with the white supercilium to create a bolder pattern, and the bill size is bigger and bolder in the Black-bellied Plover than the American Golden-Plover.The primary extension (folded wing tips over the tail in the sitting bird) is longer in the American Golden Plover than the Black-bellied Plover.

Gordon Rattray also got a photo of a Black-bellied Plover at Waterside Beach on Friday morning.

Aldo Dorio submits a photo of a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis] which is a nice clear photo in nice positioning for this usually quick-moving small bird. Aldo also got photos of a HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] on Thursday from a few different angles, another hard bird to get out in the open to cooperate for a photo.

Brian Stone and I spent part of Friday with Edmund Redfield, Trystan Knockwood , and Matthew Valpuk as they tended the live trap nets in the Petitcodiac River in Salisbury as part of the monitoring effort of the Petitcodiac River Fish Recovery program. It was very revealing to see firsthand how they do this, and see the set of records kept on each fish taken from the trap before release. It’s always amazing to see what’s travelling and living under the water surface we just don’t get to see. The extensive records they are keeping will form a very significant record of what is happening each year. This is changing dramatically since they started records in 2010. Several photos of the visit are attached. Edmund Redfield will be one of the presenters at the December 13th Nature Moncton meeting, to share the records obtained and what they mean.

**I’m attaching a photo of one of several HEN OF THE WOODS Mushrooms [Polypore en touffe] growing under an OAK [Chêne] tree in downtown Moncton. I did not find the cache myself but was given the location after an oath not to reveal the location. Note the Oak Acorn [Gland de Chêne] beside. The Hen of the Woods is found associated always with Oak. Victoria Park has Oak trees and I have had reports of Hen of the Woods growing there in other years. I’m also attaching a photo of a juvenile WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] still showing breast stripes, that came by the feeder area on Friday.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 02. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, (WATERSIDE). SEPTEMBER 30, 2016. GORDON RATTRAY

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. SEPTEMBER 30, 2016. GORDON RATTRAY

DUCKS UNLIMITED TUCKER ST. IMPOUNDMENT SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

TOMCOD. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

GASPEREAU (JUVENILE) SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

GEM-STUDDED PUFFBALL MUSHROOMS. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE

HEN-OF-THE-WOODS MUSHROOM.OCT 1, 2016.NELSON POIRIER

LIVE FISH TRAP SET. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

MUSKRAT TO BE RELEASED ELSEWHERE. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.OCT 1, 2016.ALDO DORIO

SAFFRON-WINGED MEADOWHAWK DRAGONFLY 01. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE

SAVANNAH SPARROW. SEPTEMBER 30, 2016. GORDON RATTRAY

SPOTTED SPREADWING DAMSELFLY. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE

STRIPED BASS (JUVENILE) SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

HERMIT THRUSH.SEPT 30, 2016.ALDO DORIO.

HERMIT THRUSH.SEPT 30, 2016.ALDO DORIO.

PETITCODIAC RIVER FISH MONITERING TEAM. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

EEL (PIT TAG BEING INSERTED) SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (JUVENILE).OCT 1, 2016.NELSON POIRIER (2)

Friday, 30 September 2016

** Ina Freeman reports having a visiting AMERICAN CROW [Corneille d'Amérique] that happens to like crackers she throws out for it that has fringes of white on the wings. David Sibley's guide illustrates this as rare but regular. Ina lives across from Trites Rd. in Riverview at 18 Maple Trail Lane and has been seeing it in a small field outside her back door.

** Aldo Dorio submits a second photo of a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis] from a different angle from yesterday's submission. Aldo also got a few photos of a sub-adult BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] appearing to be a possible 3rd-year bird, showing a notable amount of yellow on the bill and white on the tail. From the look in its eye, it is not terribly impressed with the photographer!

** Brian Stone had a mouse trap set in a back room for mice. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a trap that went wrong when a BUMBLEBEE [Abeille] made the mistake of going near it to get caught. This is unfortunate as we need every one of these safe as it could be a queen that would overwinter to start a new colony next spring. Hopefully, it was not a potential queen as all others in the colony will pass on and freeze up anyway.

** There was a mushroom workshop at Nature Sussex on Monday night. Brian Stone took many photos of the huge selection of mushrooms folks brought in for show and tell. A sample is attached today, showing the BERKELEY'S POLYPHORE, MEADOW MUSHROOMS (note the pink gills and partial veil), PIGSKIN POISON PUFFBALL (note the dark centre when fresh and the thick skin compared to our other puffballs which are homogenous white in cross section when fresh), a CRESTED CORAL which is one of our many coral mushrooms, and especially note the COMMON LEPIOTA. The Common Lepiota is a common lawn mushroom which is not toxic, but is to be avoided due to its similarity to the deadly DESTROYING ANGEL. The Common Lepiota has a bulbous base, but not surrounded by a sack-like structure, and it has partial veil that has a rolled-up stocking look compared to the hanging apron type partial veil of the Destroying Angel.

** This week's Sky-at-a-Glance is attached, courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, October 1 – October 8
You can tell it is baseball playoff season with the Great Square of
Pegasus forming a diamond in the eastern sky. At home plate is Algenib,
the third brightest star of the constellation. Who’s on first? Yes, that
is Markab, the brightest star of Pegasus. On second base we have its
second brightest luminary, Sheat, which is probably what he mutters when
he makes an error. On third is a star brighter than the other three,
Alpheratz, who was traded to Andromeda but still likes to whip the ball
around the horn with his former teammates.

Trailing off toward the dugout from third is a string of stars that
forms the left side of Princess Andromeda. The second in the string is
no second string player. Mirach is as bright as Alpheratz and shows a
distinct orange colour in binoculars. Raising your binos above the
string from Mirach will bring M31, the Andromeda galaxy, into your view,
and from a dark sky that is a view you don’t want to miss.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:18 am and sunset will occur at
6:58 pm, giving 11 hours, 40 minutes of daylight (7:23 am and 7:04 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:27 am and set at 6:45
pm, giving 11 hours, 18 minutes of daylight (7:32 am and 6:51 pm in
Saint John).

The Moon is new on Friday, September 30, and at first quarter after
midnight on Saturday night, October 8. It passes near Venus this Monday
and Saturn on Wednesday. Mercury continues its best morning viewing for
the year, rising about 90 minutes before the Sun and appearing higher
than usual. Venus remains low in the west in twilight, setting soon
after 8 pm. Mars is zipping through Sagittarius these evenings, passing
within a binocular field below the globular cluster M28 on Thursday. If
you are away from urban skyglow an hour before sunrise look for the
subtle glow of zodiacal light in the east. The International Space
Station (ISS) will be making a pass or two every evening this week, with
the best two being this weekend. Check the Heavens-Above Web site for
times and locations in your area, which you can set from Configuration
on the home page.

RASC NB members will have telescopes set up at the Kouchibouguac Park
Fall Festival this weekend. The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre this Saturday, October 1 at 7 pm.
All are welcome and it is free. There will be public observing at the
Irving Nature Park in Saint John on Friday, October 7, from 7:00 to 9:30
pm, with a cloud date of October 8.

Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

BALD EAGLE SUBADULT.SEPT 29, 2016..ALDO DORIO

BERKELEY'S POLYPORE.SEPT 26, 2016,.BRIAN STONE,.

BUMBLEBEE IN MOUSETRAP. SEPT. 29, 2016. BRIAN STONE

COMMON LEPIOTA..SEPT 26, 2016,.BRIAN STONE.

CREASTED CORAL MUSHROOM.SEPT 26, 2016,.BRIAN STONE.

MEADOW MUSHROOMS.SEPT 26, 2016,.BRIAN STONE.

Pegasus

PIGSKIN POISON PUFFBALL.SEPT 26, 2016,.BRIAN STONE.

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.SEPT 29, 2016.ALDO DORIO

Thursday, 29 September 2016

Sept 29, 2016

Alyre Chiasson will be doing a talk and walk at the Irishtown Nature Park this Saturday. The talk is called "How Nature Prepares for Winter in Irishtown Nature Park". It will begin at the Tankville School at 1:30 on Saturday Oct. 1st. After the short talk, there will be a 30 minute guided walk through the park, beginning at 2:15.

** Mike Britton was on Grand Manan last week and captured a photo of a GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] on a successful fishing mission, and also got a photo of an AMERICAN PIPIT [Pipit d'Amérique]. It's a great time window to watch for American Pipits as they migrate south from their northerly nesting grounds. Coastlines are an ideal place to find them at the moment.

** Louise Richard got photos of a few Cortinaeius) species of mushrooms at their Acadieville cabin recently. You can note the remnants of the cobwebby partial veil, which is typical of the Cortinarius species, on what would appear to be a PUNGENT CORT and a BRACELET CORT. These are not considered edible mushrooms as are most Cortinarias.

** Aldo Dorio got some photos of a PALM WARBLER [Paruline a couronne rousse] at Hay Island on Wednesday that nicely show the undertail markings to help identify this warbler when it is seen from this angle. He also got a close up of a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet a couronne rubis] to nicely show the broadened eye ring.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

AMERICAN PIPIT. 26 SEPT. 2016. MICHAEL BRITTON

BRACELET CORT.SEPT 28, 2016.LOUISE RICHARD

GREATER YELLOWLEGS (FISHING). SEPT.19, 2016. MICHAEL BRITTON..

GREATER YELLOWLEGS.b. (CAUGHT).. SEPT.19, 2016. MICHAEL BRITTON

PALM WARBLER.SEPT 28, 2016..ALDO DORIO

PUNGENT CORT.SEPT 28, 2016.LOUISE RICHARD..

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.SEPT 28, 2016.ALDO DORIO

Sept 28 2016

**Gabriel Gallant has recently been noting small 3-5mm caterpillars in significant numbers on the foliage of a cultivar SOUR CHERRY TREE at his Sainte Marie de Kent home. With the help of Bug Guide it has been identified as the PEAR SLUG, aka CHERRY SLUG. They get the name "slug" due to its appearance but is actually the larval caterpillar of a SAWFLY [Caliroa cerasi]

Gabriel got some nice photos of these small caterpillars.

**Georges Brun checked the drained down area of Jones Lake, east of Milner Rd fire station on September 26 again to observe HOODED MERGANSERS, WOOD DUCK and DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT assembled there.

**Brian Stone got 2 photos showing very different plumage stages of the EASTERN PHOEBE. One bird is an adult appearing to be in pre basic molt while the second is a juvenile that appears to have already completed molt into basic plumage. Brian also got a fall photo of a YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER.

Thanks to Dave Christie and Gilles Belliveau for confirming the eastern phoebe.

*Aldo Dorio also for a photo of a fall YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER. Note the delineated white throat and the white split eye crescents in Aldo's photo. Aldo also got a White-throated Sparrow in a Winterberry Holly shrub.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton