Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 20 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 20, 2019 (Sunday)

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Edited by Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Transcript by David Christie, <maryspt@mac.com>

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

** Doreen Rossiter reports that there has not been much fall activity around her Alma feeders, but late on Saturday, she noted an unusual looking bird in a cranberry bush that had a feeder in it. A description first to build up towards its suspected identity: a chunky bird with warm brown colour all over, with dark bars on the wings, a heavy bill, Cedar Waxwing size but plumper, and tail seemingly constantly twitching from side to side. A thorough guide study led Doreen to decide it was a female BLUE GROSBEAK [Guiraca bleu], a bird species she has never had visit her Alma feeder yard before. She didn’t see it again, after a good study of it, but it was late in the day. Doreen will check for it very promptly come daylight on Sunday. No update as of 8:00 AM Sunday morning.

Deana and Peter Gadd visited Escuminac Point on Saturday and where rewarded with a good observation of 4 PURPLE SANDPIPERS. Peter was able to get an awesome photo of 2 of them. They could be called “rockpipers”. They also saw approximately 50 Common Eider, about 200 Black Scoters with two Surf Scoters, 5 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Northern Gannets and 5 American Pipits as well as usual gulls and cormorants. There was a significant change to the shoreline in terms of sand/seaweed between Dorian and Thursday’s storm surge, all looking quite normal now, but the road in surely has a few “ponds” to navigate. A very rewarding visit to a special part of New Brunswick.

** Amanda Howe and Régine Robichaud had a very interesting EASTERN BLUEBIRD [Merlebleu de l’Est] scenario the past two weeks. They have had them around, paying a visit at the same time every morning for two weeks. Saturday, Oct. 19^th was the first day that they have not seen them, so they wonder if they may not have decided to move southward. It’s great to hear of a fall Bluebird aggregation in New Brunswick.

** Linda Leclerc sends a photo of the top side of a FLY AGARIC MUSHROOM (Amanita muscaria) that her niece got a photo of at Beaumont Cemetery. She thought it was an apple until she went to move it. An interesting comment, as a quip sometimes made is that this mushroom looks like a candy apple with dandruff! This is a very common mushroom in public landscaped areas. It’s not an edible as it gives unexpected and sometimes unpleasant hallucinations and visions, yet it has been used for that purpose in some cultures in the past.

** The Nature Moncton -Nature New Brunswick visit to the Caledonia Gorge Protected Natural Area on Saturday turned out to be an awesome day hiking in the fall woods, with 20 pairs of eyes missing little, to involve many group stops to study the many things that Mother Nature has to offer in fall.

The presence of Mark Connell, seeming to know what every rock was made of and how it got there was an amazing eye-opener to what most of us would consider as just another rock.

Gart Bishop provided his usual knowledge of plants and trees, to make sleuthing each new find so interesting.

Adam Cheeseman and new Nature NB employee Becca kept tally for the records of flora and fauna present in the Protected Natural Area.

Another great day of appreciating Mother Nature, and plenty of comradeship!

Photos will follow over the next few days, as we get everything photographed properly identified with a few random photos included today of the pleasant Fall woods.

Nelson Poirier <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Nature Moncton