Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 15 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 15, 2018 ( Thursday )

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Susan Atkinson comments that she saw the trail of a RED FOX [Renard roux] in her Moncton yard leading to her birdfeeder area recently and Kat Atkinson saw a Red Fox roaming in the area late in the evening. There are very likely more foxes within the city than we realize as this animal does well around urban environments.

** Brian Stone and I made a run to Memramcook on Wednesday for an audience with the CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS [Bruant des plaines] there. We missed the one at Yolande Leblanc's 251 Central St. ( Rue Centrale ) location by just a few minutes as it had been seen near continuously in the earlier morning. A drop by Jules Cormier's got the one there, but it took a wait for it to put in an appearance at its favourite Hydrangea bush.

Earlier we had dropped by the Chateau Moncton parking lot to check the marsh. A NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] was seen hunting. A pair of adult BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] were on the ground near the river bank. The COYOTE [Coyote] was hunting very far out on the marsh. On our return we walked the marsh from the Riverview side to the river's edge near the Trans Aqua enclosure. A distant RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] was spotted but no Short-eared Owls were seen. Tracks of Coyote, Mink and Shrew/Vole were seen. Note the equidistant stride of the Mink in comparison to the unequal length stride of the Weasel. Vole/Shrew trails were obvious but not considered abundant.

Five raptors have been seen on the marsh over the past few weeks ... Short-eared Owls, a Snowy Owl, Bald Eagles, Northern Harrier and a Red-tailed Hawk. The Coyote seems to be fairing well. I would wonder if it may be catching Muskrats or Rats. The prey in its mouth in the picture that Georges Brun got recently seems large for a Vole.

The large colourful Wood Turtle at the rear of the Rogers building, a creation of the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance, was a colourful addition to the riverbank vista of the City as seen from the Riverview Marsh

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton