NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Dec 11, 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 .
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advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and proofreader Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any
errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
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courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**All appreciation to Alain Clavette for his
virtual (despite a head cold) visit to Nature Moncton on Tuesday evening to
provide up-to-date information on the very significant value of wetlands today
that were once considered wastelands to be developed. Alain provided a lot of
fodder for thought, pointing out what the more recent ongoing preservation of
wetlands has accomplished for wildlife.
**Brian Coyle got out on his snowshoes Tuesday
morning and found several spots with Coyote and Bobcat tracks. In one photo
shared, you can see where a Bobcat sat down on its haunches which it
often does. Snow conditions at the moment make track photos difficult, but the
rounded offset feature of the Bobcat paw print with a lack of nail print shows
nicely (arrowed).
**Lisa Morris was surprised to have a Deer Mouse run under her dog’s nose and
between Lisa’s feet across the walking path at Centennial Park Oval at midday
Tuesday, right by the benches near the bridge where the ducks gather. The Deer
Mouse is a very common small mammal in New Brunswick, but it is uncommon to
encounter one traveling over the snow on a cool winter day.
**On Tuesday afternoon, Brian Stone made a
second trip down Norton Shore Rd. just outside Hampton, N.B., to search for the
recently reported Tundra Swans that have been seen in the marshy waters
alongside that road over the last few days. He had made a trip earlier in the
day and had not been able to find the birds, but that afternoon, he met up with
a fellow birder (Gilles Bourque) who had already located them and was able to
get a few distant photos of the three swans as they fed along the water's
shoreline. A Mallard Duck seems to be keeping the swans company and is
seen to be with them in many photos posted on various sites.
A very welcome birthday present for Brian!
(Editor’s note: the Tundra Swan may be a common observation in Western Canada and into Ontario but has been a very rare
visitor to New Brunswick to make this trio very welcome.
Note the yellow lore spot (arrowed) in one of
Brian’s photos that is specific to the Tundra Swan adult, yet the size of this
yellow lore spot is variable and absent on some adults.)
He also got a photo of an adult Bald Eagle
that was standing on the ice near the shore and a photo of a White-tailed
Deer that was foraging beside the parking lot of his sister's place right
in Hampton.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
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