Nature Moncton Nature News: April 18 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 18, 2018 (Wednesday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca

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

**Catherine Hamilton shares a series of photos of spring wildlife coming alive around Petitcodiac. Catherine comments it is amazing to see all the animals coming out and by the looks of the mammals and birds in her photos, the winter has treated them well. As well, the Petitcodiac Waterfowl Trail is coming alive with the season.

**Richard Blacquiere was at Cape Spencer on Tuesday, which is a main headland east of Saint John, when he noted hundreds of LOONS passing by, the majority of them RED-THROATED LOONS and some COMMON LOONS. He contacted Dave Christie to see if he could check Cape Enrage to see if this migration was passing there as well. Dave was not able to check in the severe weather system in that area but did ask Barb Curlew who lives near that area to check from her home when she could. Neither Dave nor Barb were able to see much with the conditions but chances are a loon migration occurred at Cape Enrage after Richard's observation at Cape Spencer.

Dave also comments on his way home on Tuesday evening he slowed up for 3 WHITE-TAILED DEER crossing the road at the southern end of Hillsborough but as he waited for the 3 to cross they were promptly followed 2 more, then 1 more than 2 more to complete the entourage of 8 deer.

**A very special thank you to Gart Bishop for coming to Nature Moncton meeting in not great driving conditions to deliver an excellent presentation on his knowledge of that unique place in NB, Grand Lake Meadows to a packed house. I suspect no one will ever drive through this area again not thinking of Gart's interpretation of the area. We will be very fortunate on Saturday, July 28th to be guided by Gart to several of the areas he described and absorb the experience for ourselves. Summer is a busy time but slot off this July 28th date on your calendars now if you can to see some of what Gart had everyone at attention with.

**In the second half of the meeting all thanks to Adam Cheeseman from Nature NB, to come to explain some Nature NB activities on adapting to the climate change front that made for lots of thoughtful reflection. Adam also briefly described the Important Bird Areas program that will be very interesting to birders where these designated areas are in NB and why they are classed as IBA areas.

Following Adam, member Shirley Xue gave a slide presentation of many birds she had photographed on her recent trip to China to describe some very different birds in that part of the world yet see some of the similarities to our own birds that would appear very likely have distant or not so distant DNA connections. A very revealing look at bird life on another continent.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton