Nature Moncton Nature News: Dec 5 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 5, 2022

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**They

just keep on coming!

Daryl Doucette had a female Northern Cardinal comfortably arrive to his deck birdfeeder tray on Sunday and pose for a very pleasant photo.

**Brian Coyle shares more very interesting action he captured on his trail cameras. There is a very large boulder at the edge of a woodlot near Brian’s home that seems to be a magnet for wildlife to visit. Brian has coined it ‘coyote rock’ as Coyote seems to be one species that has a particular fondness for checking it out. A recent video capture of a Coyote visitor shows the variability in pelage of the Coyote. This one shows the striking rufous pelage tones some Coyotes have. Take a look at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gd54fvzfyu7cevb/STC_0127_x264.mp4?dl=0

Brian has another trail camera set up at a River Otter latrine near a beaver pond. The River Otter has the habit of establishing community latrines. In one video capture, a female Coyote intrudes by leaving a scent mark on the River Otter latrine area. Scent marking by wildlife will become a popular activity in the coming days as they start future planning for territories. Check out that activity at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6avuqy7ycwauxha/STC_0007%20%2819%29_x264.mp4?dl=0

A Bobcat checks out the same site at the video link below. (Editor’s note: note the tail tip of the Bobcat with its black top half and white under half. The Lynx would have a totally black tail tip).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2b37owkcj7fz2gd/STC_0029%20%285%29_x264.mp4?dl=0

A River Otter was captured during the ‘poop dance’ at its community latrine as Brian’s video clip captures below:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5v1pkqquwbq2lnp/IMG_0044%20-%20Copy.MP4?dl=0

**The melanistic form of the Grey Squirrel, which is almost entirely black, is becoming more predominant in certain populations and in certain geographic areas especially in southeastern Canada. It is caused by a rogue gene.

The black morph has a variant form of a specific gene that produces more dark pigment; in other words, they have a rogue gene. (Editor’s note: Nelson Poirier was advised the black morph Grey Squirrel is the predominant pelage of the very common Grey Squirrel in the Kitchener Waterloo area of southeastern Ontario).

This morph is not nearly as common in the Maritimes; however, Nelson Poirier spotted one in Fredericton on Sunday that cooperated for a photo.

**Nelson Poirier has 2 winter plumage Chipping Sparrows as patrons to his birdfeeder yard. The two of them cooperated nicely to provide a photo of a side view and a back view to show the grey patch from a rear view.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton