Nature Moncton Nature News: Dec 6 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, December 06, 2017 (Wednesday)

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Catherine Johnson johnson2@xplornet.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

**Jamie and Karen Burris leave some observations from a walk on Turtle Creek marsh on Monday, noting a highbush cranberry waiting for wild fruit connoisseurs and a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET was travelling with a flock of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES. A large flock of CANADA GEESE was moving up the river towards Salisbury, as a BALD EAGLE landed on the other shore to feed on something on the bank that a few CROWS felt should be shared.

On Tuesday they went towards Hillsborough to note 2 adult BALD EAGLES preening and enjoying the morning light in Stoney Creek area. As they turned into Graves Island Rd. 2 more adult bald eagles were perched in a large oak tree and soon after another bald eagle, to make 5 observed in a relatively short area. The HOODED MERGANSER they saw a few days ago was still present with a MALLARD DUCK. Along the dyke they saw 3 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, a sharply dressed female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and on the way out spotted a RAVEN dive down near the ponds edge and take a small rodent just as skilfully as any raptor would. They found a maple tree loaded with OYSTER MUSHROOMS. It is a bit surprising how fresh mushrooms are popping up in December.

The Petitcodiac River surely does support a lot of bald eagles.

**Brian Coyle also came across oyster mushrooms on Saturday to also add to the fresh December mushroom entry.

Brian also got 2 short videos of a buck white-tailed deer in excellent condition on his trail camera recently. Take a look at the attached links. https://www.dropbox.com/s/9fbguljeb125z3e/STC_0003.AVI? and

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9fbguljeb125z3e/STC_0003.AVI?dl=0. Use Ctrl +left clisk.

**Dave Christie comments on the very high 44.6 ft. tide from high to low in the Bay of Fundy on Monday covered all the local marshes with salt water. At Lars Larson Marsh the salt water was even flowing in there as the level was above the control gates. Dave noted large groups of ducks with BLACK DUCK numbers approximately 2.5 times the number of MALLARDS of the ones that he could see and still large numbers of CANADA GEESE.

Dave is still noting a few snowshoe hares with brown on the head and back area but most adults he has seen have become completely white.

**Gordon Rattray and Brian Stone visited the Tantramar marsh on Tuesday to get several nice birding treats. They saw 1 PEREGRINE FALCON, the SWAINSON'S HAWK continues to be present, a half dozen ROUGH-LEGGED hawks, some of the variant RING-NECKED PHEASANTS that seem common there and 1 NORTHERN HARRIER. Note the owl-like face area of the Northern Harrier in a photo. They warn anyone visiting at the moment to not use the Coles Island Rd as they almost did not get through it in Gordon's 4X4 truck.

**All the CBC's are being assembled and Nature Moncton's CBC coordinator Roger Leblanc has the Moncton zone slated to take place on Saturday, December 16. If anyone would like to participate in pairing up with someone to do a zone or to be a watcher from home at bird feeders contact Roger Leblanc at 852-0863.

**There are so many critters in our rivers and oceans that we seldom get the chance to see in their underwater world. One of them is the fish, the SEA RAVEN. A bottom feeder with a very impressive array of wing-like fins, spines, barbels that they use as sensory organs and one huge mouth on a short body. A sea raven took my hook while fishing near Cape Enrage on Tuesday. It was briefly detained on a rock for a photo. This one was approximately 30 cm long but they can get much, much bigger. It's a member of the Sculpin family.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton