NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Sep. 24, 2017 (Sunday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Just before giving the regular report, an early update is just in.
Dave Christie found the CRESTED CARACARA [Caracara huppé] sunning itself in a
leafless tree approximately 100-125 yards north of Route 114 at civic number
5216. Coming from Moncton it is about half a kilometre before you get to the top
of the hill at Hopewell Hill, where the church is. Dave could see the church
from where he was parked roadside, watching the caracara. [Note: After I
notified Nelson, the Caracara flew across the road and disappeared to the east.
After I left Peter and Sybil Wentzell relocated it on the ground among some
cattle on the dykelands, and then it disappeared again.] Later report: It
reappeared around the back of #5216 at approximately 3:30 p.m.
** Now to the older reports. Dave Christie reports that Charles Gaudet
discovered an adult LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE [Pie-grièche migratrice] along Route 114
between Riverside-Albert and Germantown on Saturday. There were no houses in the
area so he does not have a pinpointed location.
Also Dave reported on the CRESTED CARACARA [Caracara huppé] that was
reported by Paulette Melanson in the Hopewell Hill area on Sep. 10. Dave did not
hear about it until a day and a half later when he and others scoured the area
but did not locate it. However on Sept. 21, Royce Steeves saw a bird that he did
not recognize and later identified it from his bird guide as a caracara. He saw
it cruising over fields and shrubbery in the general Hopewell Hill area and gave
the GPS location as 45.77° N, 64.67° W, which would fall in the Shepody area,
east of Hopewell Hill. Dave plans to search the area again on Sunday morning,
which he did and found it and advises everyone to be alert for this bird, as
well as the Loggerhead Shrike, and to get landmark locations.
** Elaine Gallant observed two GREAT EGRETS [Grande Aigrette] at the
Cap-Brulé marsh on Saturday afternoon. Julie Pellerin had reported one there,
approximately a week ago, and it now has been joined by a second.
** Aldo Dorio was able to photograph 3 HUDSONIAN GODWITS [Barge
hudsonienne] at Hay Island on Friday and on Saturday was able to find 4 of them
in the same area. When we see this species in New Brunswick, they are often
single birds in a flock of other shorebirds, so four in one place is an
interesting sighting. A WILSON’S SNIPE [Bécassine de Wilson] is in the
background of one of the photos. He saw them in the pond adjacent to the
lighthouse at Hay Island.
Another late report, I believe some have seen as many as 6
there on Sunday!
** Brian Stone recently photographed a SAWFLY [tenthrède] in its larval
stage. These are described in David Wagner’s caterpillar guide as "not quite
caterpillars.” True caterpillars have four pairs of abdominal legs or less,
sawfly larvae have 5 or more pairs, as Brian’s photo shows.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
HUDSONIAN GODWIT WITH WILSON'S SNIPE AND YELLOWLEGS.SEPT 22, 2017.ALDO DORIO
HUDSONIAN GODWIT WITH YELLOWLEGS.SEPT 22, 2017.ALDO DORIO
HUDSONIAN GODWITS WITH YELLOWLEGS.SEPT 23, 2017.ALDO DORIO
HUDSONIAN GODWITS. SEPT 22, 2017.ALDO DORIO
SAWFLY LARVAL CATERPILLAR. SEPT. 21, 2017. BRIAN STONE
