Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 11 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 11, 2017 (Wednesday)

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: Catherine Johnson johnson2@xplornet.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
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**Dave Christie reports the CRESTED CARACARA was still present on Tuesday. Connie and Pearl Colpitts and friends saw it down the old mill road foraging and than preening in a tree.

Dave comments he did a walk to Mary's Pt. to find a minimal shorebird observation of several SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS, 1 SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER, a few DUNLIN and 1 SANDERLING.

A PEREGRINE FALCON cruised the area, a bird that he has not seen in that area for a few weeks and noted groups of BLUE JAYS on the move.

**Leon Gagnon shares some photos from Wilson Point and elsewhere in Miscou. The SWAINSON'S hawk was still present and active around houses near Lac Frye on Monday. Leon points out this is the second observation of this species he has had on Miscou as he had one himself 3 years ago at Wilson Pt. From September 25 to October 2nd of 2014 a Swainson's hawk spent several days foraging around his Wilson Pt. cottage. 2 photos he got of that bird in 2014 are attached today.

Some other photos Leon sends are a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK diving on a NORTHERN FLICKER as well a NORTHERN SHRIKE he spotted near his Wilson Point cottage on Tuesday. Nice to see some of this northern species starting to arrive to join us for the winter. This would be among early yearly arrival dates but note a surprise for northern NB.

**Catherine Hamilton shares some recent photos, one where she caught the hard elytra outer wing of a lady beetle lifting off in flight. Catherine is noting approximately 30 WOOD DUCKS along the Petitcodiac Waterfowl trail at the moment, more than she has ever seen at that site. Some of the males appear to be back in breeding plumage. A COYOTE photo shows the variability in pelage of our eastern coyote and some photos of a GREAT BLUE HERON with prey and lift off.

**John Filliter had 2 NORTHERN FLICKERS that appear to be male and female performing what appeared to be some sort of courting ritual at his Cape Brûlé home on Tuesday. One would fly up in the air a few feet, then the other would follow then both would land again, then one would fly over the others head and land farther down the roof and the other would follow. They kept up the performance but John was only able to get a quick documentary photo as they kept up the activity so quickly.

**Brian Stone paid his Mapleton Park visit on Tuesday to find a GREAT BLUE HERON foraging to the backdrop of fall splendour, a female WOOD DUCK is continuing her stay there, a lone GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a lone MOURNING DOVE.

**Aldo Dorio had a successful EASTERN BLUEBIRD pair nest in his Neguac yard this past summer. Several returned to his yard for a fall checkout of territory on Tuesday. This scenario seems to happen each fall where a flock of eastern bluebirds will arrive at an area and often check out birdhouses going in and out.

Aldo also got a nice photo of an AMERICAN PIPIT at Hay Island on Tuesday.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton