Nature Moncton Nature News: April 16 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 16, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Notice of tonight’s, Tuesday April 16^th, Nature Moncton meeting is back up front with the complete write up attached below. Things will get started at 7:00 pm sharp at the Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge.

Nature Moncton April Meeting

Spring Flowers

Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge, April 16, 2019 at 7:00 pm

Presenter: David Mazerolle

The warming weather and longer days bring rapid change in our forests, fields and wetlands, as perennial plant life re-awakens from its winter slumber. For annual wildflowers, life begins anew as sprouting seeds bring on the new generation. For some animals, the springtime blooms offer sustenance; for others, they are an enticing preview of the bountiful fruit harvest to come. Attentive naturalists know that even as early as mid-April we are surrounded by blooms of various kinds. Some are quite showy and easy to spot, while many more require a trained eye.

This talk will briefly cover some basics on flowers (evolution, structure, function, diversity, etc.) and will touch on various reproductive strategies used by our native plant species. With this little bit of theory out of the way, we’ll take some time to go through a parade of photos that will showcase some of our region’s most characteristic springtime flowers as well a number of inconspicuous ones and intriguing rarities. This will be a good opportunity to learn a few things about our diverse native flora and will serve as a good primer for “budding” botanists.

** The spring fresh water ducks are starting to come in nicely as ice in ponds recedes. Catherine Hamilton found COMMON GOLDENEYES [Garrot à oeil d'or], RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier], GREEN-WINGED TEALS [Sarcelle d'hiver] and CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du Canada] at the Fundy Park exit area on Sunday, along with NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet], AMERICAN BLACK DUCK [Canard noir] and COMMON GOLDENEYES [Garrot à oeil d'or] at the McCully ponds near Sussex.

Catherine also came across a perched, adult BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] that she felt was just soiled at first but after reviewing the photos it was obviously a lot more than that. It appears to have experienced a trauma of some unknown cause. It would be interesting to see the plumage of this bird after a molt.

** Jane Leblanc comments that she has not had an EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] to her St. Martins yard since mid February; however one lone male visited in the driving rain of Monday morning. Jane’s photo seems to suggest that it was not particularly amused with the weather.

** Brian Stone had the opportunity to join a group of photographers to watch falconer John Allen give a demonstration near the Glen Arbour golf course in Hammonds Plains outside Halifax, N.S. on Sunday using some of his trained raptors. Mr. Allen operates a service but is just starting to give the occasional public showing. He had a trained male and female HARRIS’S HAWK [Buse de Harris] and one RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] that he showed the group. Brian got several photos of the raptors in action and leaves the attached link that shows many more photos of the day’s action.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6q1cc1kuuku31xy/AAD_22n3mXOKHSESKbVx7wZRa?dl=0

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton