Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 26 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 26, 2022

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

** The nomadic Steller’s Sea Eagle that has toured all 4 Atlantic provinces, Quebec, and Maine the last several months surely created some intense excitement when it was spotted and shared at the Cormierville Marsh by a very lucky Pierrette Bourque on Friday morning and then relocated at the Bouctouche Dune in early afternoon by Marc LeBlanc. Many folks had a very pleasant audience with the bird at the Bouctouche Dune although it was very distant, but scopes and Zoom cameras still made it a great sighting. It lifted off while the group was watching it and flew in a northwesterly direction inland over Bouctouche to allow for some fast flight photos. (Editor’s note: the editor’s camera was not on par with others present but did get a rewarding documentary photo which he has to show off!)
Peter Gadd was in Dieppe on Friday and alerted about the Steller’s Sea Eagle and got to the Bouctouche Dune site by 2:20 p.m. and was fortunate it was still there. About twenty minutes later it flew across the bay just north of the group over a forested section of the mainland. (Editor’s note: by pure chance, the editor saw the bird flying over Bouctouche in a northwesterly direction with crows in hot pursuit after having seen it at the Dune) Peter comments that even at about a mile’s distance the ID was simple! Peter was able to get a few flight photos as it departed.

**Brian Stone shares some of the photos he took of the Steller's Sea Eagle on Friday afternoon near Bouctouche at the busy birding convention that congregated at the viewing location. (Editor’s note: the audience with this bird was a special one, but especially for Brian. Brian had stalked this bird very patiently several times over the past months. He was visiting family in Dartmouth and when he heard the news immediately headed home to be instantly rewarded on arrival!)

**Gordon Rattray made a visit to Point-du-Chene Saturday to check the waterfowl presence and found several birds of interest, especially the 1st-Winter Harlequin Duck which is a lifer for Gordon. Also active near the wharf were Red-breasted Mergansers, male and female. Gordon got a photo of the female doing a take-off run on the water. He also got the same type of picture from a juvenile Double-crested Cormorant. Gordon found many Red-throated Loons around the wharf and a single Common Eider. Gordon got pictures of two gulls -- an adult winter Ring-billed Gull and an adult winter Great Black-backed Gull.
Gordon also got a photo of a Common Loon in winter plumage.

**The Memramcook-Hillsborough Christmas Bird Count will be held Monday, December 19. .

Yolande LeBlanc is the coordinator and anyone who would like to join the count, contact Yolande via email at yolandeleblanc834@gmail.com or telephone her at 758-9583. Everyone is welcome with some very interesting areas to cover.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton