Nature Moncton Nature News: August 22 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

August 22, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**This week’s Wednesday night Nature Moncton walk (tomorrow night) is written up at the end of this edition.

**John Inman was able to capture a nice photo of a Blue-grey Gnatcatcher through the window and in the rain on Monday morning as it dropped by his Harvey, Albert County yard.

The breeding range of this species covers a large portion of the US but it is an uncommon to rare visitor to New Brunswick.

**It’s that time of year when we can see Spring Peepers using their sucker footpads to cling to surfaces in surprise areas

Rosanna Armstrong photographed one doing just that on the siding of a building and in one photo, she placed a large thumbtack beside it to show just how small this frog can be.

Spring peepers head for water in early spring for breeding and after a short month, they are back on land. At that point, they are sometimes heard vocalizing as a lone individual, which is very different from the loud chorus of communal males in vernal ponds in the spring. That lone vocalization can be birdlike!

**Duck plumage at this time of year can be confusing.

Aldo Dorio photographed a duck at Hay Island on Sunday which was a good example of that. Aldo indicated it was a small duck leading to suspicion that this may be a Blue-winged Teal.

It could be a young-of-the-year bird, an adult female, or an eclipse male. Other opinions are welcomed!

**There would seem to be an abundance of Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillars this year. Barbara Smith photographed one On the LeBlanc trail that backs onto the golf course in Memramcook. Barbara leaves an interesting comment that may help us all with identification recall of this caterpillar. Barbara comments, “To my eyes, the black markings on its back look like the faces of baby birds with their beaks wide open!”

Barbara also photographed Pennsylvania Smartweed blooms close up on the Riverview marsh trail.

**Many of the blackbird clan are moving through the area in migration flocks at the moment and stopping to fuel up at birdfeeder yards, sometimes in mass, with European Starlings joining them, acting like blackbirds as well.

Sterling Marsh sends some photos of a very busy feeder yard on Sunday, with these species joining his regular Downy Woodpeckers and Mourning Doves.

Sterling comments that a hawk is constantly vocalizing in a neighbour's yard. Sounds like a Merlin scenario!

** Nature Moncton Wednesday summer walk on August 23 is at Trevor and Elaine Clancy’s in the Havelock area.

The meeting time at the site will be 6:30 PM

Trevor and Elaine’s 60+ acres of woods, mostly old growth, is peppered with easy-to-enjoy mowed walking trails.

We will enjoy seeing a couple of Butternut trees, some planted English Oak, White Oak, and Red Oak, as well some pines and Norway Maple. But their woods are mainly made up of wild common species of Spruce, Fir, Birch, and Poplar.

For birds, they are hosting the regulars, as well as Black-throated Blue and Black-throated Green Warblers, Red-Eyed Vireo, and a few other birds Trevor has spotted around the Loop.

Trevor and Elaine live in a log home built in Steeves Settlement, # 356, Steeves Settlement Road N.B. E4Z2Y5.

Trevor enjoys having folks visit and walk his trails and looks forward to our visit.

Steeves Settlement is behind Killams Mills between Petiticodiac and Salisbury.

Their phone # if lost or if help is needed getting there, is 506-756-8267.

Traveling the TCH, take the Havelock exit (#414). You get off to the right at the Havelock exit, turn right again, then another right at Beckwith Rd (Kinnear Sett Church is at that corner). Travel up the Beckwith Rd. approximately 5 km to the 3rd road on the right, which is the Steeves Settlement Rd. They are the first driveway on the right at 356 Steeves Settlement Rd.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton