Nature Moncton Nature News: April 7 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

April 7 2024

Nature Moncton members as well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition of Nature News

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

The live feed to the Peregrine Falcon nest box camera can be accessed at https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam

**The solar eclipse happening tomorrow, Monday, is undoubtedly the ‘talk of the town’ and on everyone’s mind. We are very fortunate to have this lifetime event happening in New Brunswick so it will be the leadoff in today’s Nature News edition. It seems almost too hard to believe after the snow, rain, and clouds we have had the last few days, that the weather forecast is indeed calling for Sun tomorrow on Monday, the day of the much-anticipated solar eclipse. Nature Moncton is planning on a group watch of the events unfolding in the yard of Nelson Poirier's camp in Miramichi which happens to be in the path of eclipse totality. The write-up follows. The directions may seem far more descriptive than necessary with the availability of GPS in automobiles and phones; however, the direction description is there for those who may find it helpful.

** Nature Moncton will be going to Miramichi to view the Total Solar eclipse on Monday, April 8^th 2024. There has not been a total Solar eclipse in NB since the year 932. It is so long ago, even I do not remember (Fred Richards words). The eclipse will start at 3:25 with totality at 4:35, and with the last contact at 5:42.

Please dress appropriately for the weather as we will be outside for over 2 hours. Remember to bring your eclipse glasses as a quick look at the sun, even when partially eclipsed, can do permanent damage to your eyes. You can also damage your eyes while looking at the eclipse through your camera. Cameras will benefit from a sun filter as well.

Bring some snacks as it will be after the supper hour when we wrap this up and, depending on how busy Miramichi is, it may take a while to get food.

We will be meeting at Nelson Poirier’s camp (directions below) for the event. It will be about a 2-hour drive time from Moncton (in normal traffic). Because Miramichi is in the center of the path of the eclipse there may be a lot of traffic, so plan your time accordingly. We will try to organize carpooling so keep an eye on the website, Facebook, or Nature News for updates. If you would like to join us, please email fred.j.richards@gmail.com so we can get an idea of how many will be attending. All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

Camp Directions

From Moncton via rte. 126

Go out Mountain Rd. as far as you can go past Magnetic Hill coming around to Lyons Country Store (Ultramar). Mountain Rd. ends here at the intersection. Turn right onto rte. 126 which also goes towards Rogersville. Follow rte. 126 until you come to a rotary at Miramichi, taking approximately 1 ½ hr. Go completely around the rotary and onto the large bridge crossing the Miramichi River signed as route 117/8

Continue on route. 117 until coming to a small traffic rotary after approx. 4.5 km. Go around that rotary and at approximately .8 km. (less than a km), take exit 164 and at the end of the ramp, turn right towards Sunny Corner on route 425, coming to an Irving Mainway after approx. 17.5 km. Go past it and cross the big Redbank Bridge over the river and you will come to a stop sign at route 420 just past a large church. Turn right and go approximately 3.8 km. to the camp driveway.

If you choose to come via rte. 11, travel to Miramichi Cty and take exit # 119 as you approach Miramichi not far past a Tim Hortons location. At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto rte. 117 which bypasses the city. After making that right turn, travel 8 km until you come to the rotary and from there follow the directions in the above paragraph as you continue straight on rte. 117.

If coming from Fredericton via rte 8, start odometer from the Irving Mainway in Blackville. Pass the Renous Penitentiary at 8.1 km. Watch for the sign Redbank-Quarryville. Just past the sign, take a left onto rte. 415 (north) at 15.2 km from the Blackville Irving Mainway. Travel route 415 for 9.1 km to its end. Turn left onto rte. 420 towards Redbank. Travel 5.9 km on rte. 420.

The driveway to the camp is on the right (coming from Moncton) with blue civic signs 2340 and 2342 on a utility pole. This is a shared driveway with the camp just down over the hill. There is parking just past the camp and lots by the house on the left going down the driveway (Nelson’s nephew).

Camp telephone # is 506-866-2752

Brian Stone will be present and will be able to point out the celestial bodies that suddenly appear in total darkness.

**It’s been a busy few days despite the weather which did not seem to deter naturalist participation.

Fred Richards wants to thank everyone who came out Saturday and helped with the Riverfront nest box cleanout. He almost canceled this event because of the weather forecast but was glad he did not. Ten people came out Saturday in less-than-perfect conditions to walk a few kilometers and clean out the nesting boxes Nature Moncton installed last year on the Riverfront trail in Moncton. The group was small but made up for that in energy. Thank you to all who came out, especially the two non-members who found the event on the website and wanted to help out. Hopefully, they will both join us as they have the right stuff to help Nature Moncton take it to the next level. They even went to Mapleton Park after the first 23 boxes and did a little maintenance there that Fred Dube noted was needed when he cleaned the boxes there earlier this week. A great outing with several contributed photos from the day appearing below.

Jessica Boulanger-Mainville reports while they were at Mapleton Park Pond cleaning boxes, they saw 4 Hooded Merganser (3 male, 1 female), a Mallard Duck, and a male Wood Duck (unfortunately no pictures) which led the group to think Wood Duck box erection for next season. Around the pond, they also saw the work of a Pileated Woodpecker which looked pretty fresh.

**The second event simultaneously on Saturday was the Bird Birds Birds event at the Harvey Hall with a very well-organized booth for Nature Moncton thanks to Susan Richards.

Denis Doucet gave 2 presentations, one on damselflies/ dragonflies with a second on shorebirds, both of which were excellent as would be expected from Denis. Denis will be presenting on damselflies/dragonflies for Nature Moncton on April 16th. The Atlantic Wildlife Institute also had representatives present to outline their work on rehabilitating wildlife.

It was great to have elders of Nature Moncton, David Christie and Dale Gaskin, attending and enjoying the event.

**Yet another great event today on Sunday, the Peregrine Falcon is now incubating 3 eggs as reported by Georges Brun.

** On Saturday Gordon Rattray attended the Birds event at Harvey Hall, a great event, and visited with Nature Moncton folks at their display. Afterward, Gordon visited the yard of John Inman, with expected birds in the yard. Gordon next went up to Larsen Marsh and there he observed several Great Blue Herons. Gordon drove up Mary’s Point Road and observed near the road a small tree with nearly all of its bark stripped. The tree looked like a Red Maple and the bark removal was probably done over winter by a foraging Porcupine. Later at home in his Weldon yard, Gordon was able to photograph Purple Finch – male and female, and an American Goldfinch eating with a Purple Finch, both males. The American Goldfinch is showing much of its brilliant topaz change to breeding plumage.

** Norbert Dupuis was taking photos of a male Downy Woodpecker climbing an old post when suddenly a Blue Jay appeared, scaring the woodpecker that you see flying away…a perfect moment to capture. The female Northern Cardinal came onto Norbert’s window box to eat sunflower seeds he had put out for the Chickadees…also a nice moment.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton