Nature Moncton Nature News: December 2 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 2, 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

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Please 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.

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

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Jane LeBlanc had a busy day at her feeders after just a skiff of snow fell early Saturday morning. Birds included at least a dozen Evening Grosbeaks (male and female), Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, female Northern Cardinal, Dark-Eyed Junco, and all the regulars.

**David Lily shares some photos of the Hairy Woodpecker that show some interesting features. One photo shows the nictitating membrane (third eyelid) covering the eye. Most birds, mammals, and some reptiles indeed have this membrane, but in some, like in woodpeckers, it is very functional, protecting and lubricating the eye on the bird's daily missions. When fully drawn, it makes the eye look very blue, which we don’t very often see in photos as the membrane moves with lightning speed and is employed only when necessary.

David also got photographs of a Short-tailed Shrew. We have several species of shrew in New Brunswick, but this is the species frequently encountered around birdfeeders. They are normally very nocturnal. Therefore, we seldom see them, but their trails aboveground as snow recedes are often very evident. Shrews are mainly insectivores, but the Short-tailed Shrew changes course around birdfeeders. The Short-tailed Shrew is one of our few venomous animals producing a toxin in their saliva used to paralyze and subdue prey. They also possess three scent glands to produce a foul order that is objectionable to many mammalian predators, but not so for raptors, snakes, fish, and some canids and felids, which prey on them frequently.

**Long-tailed Ducks must have had a good breeding season to the north of us, as many seem to be enjoying their winter vacation along the New Brunswick coastline.

Aldo Dorio photographed both genders off the Neguac wharf on Sunday.

(Editor’s note: the genders of this species are easily distinguished as the female does not have the long tail feathers or any trace of pink on the bill.)

** Kathie Carter shares an interesting bird-feeding scenario: “Saturday morning, we made preparations for the removal of a dying maple tree (urban Moncton). Someone brought in an owl-shaped mesh feeder that I had totally forgotten about. Apparently, someone else had been keeping it full. Fast forward to later that day. When the arborist showed up to start his work, I went out to talk to him. Walking back to the house, I heard loud bird chatter coming from the top of a tree that intertwined with the tree that was going to be removed. I saw half a dozen or so chickadees, but I also heard a loud nuthatch. Looking closer, I saw two White-breasted Nuthatches amongst the flittering chickadees. If that wasn't enough a third one flew in to join the protest. I believe they were protesting the removal of their feeder, not the impending tree removal. Mom (Doreen Rossiter) has nuthatches at her feeders, but they only eat from a certain one. If that feeder is empty, no nuthatches come until it's refilled. I had noted an absence of woodpeckers in the yard for the last few months. This morning Sunday, I have a group of five. One female Hairy Woodpecker, two female and one male Downy Woodpeckers and one that I saw only the backside of as it flew. I'm wondering if they had been feeding at the other feeder as well.

**Bob Blake maintains daily weather statistics from his Second North River home to include morning low temperatures, daily high temperatures, and monthly precipitation.

Bob has prepared a table below to compare his statistics for November 2024 with November 2023.

These local stats show we had slightly warmer temperatures in November of 2024 as well as twice the precipitation that included more snowfall.

2023

2024

morning temperatures

daily highs and rainfall

morning temperatures

daily highs and rainfall

+15-1day

+9-1

+7-1

+5-2

+4-2

+3-3

+2-6

+1-3

0-2

-1-4

-2-2

-5-1

-6-1

-8-1

+15-1

+14-1

+13-2

+12-1

+10-2

55mms. rain

2.5cms. snow

+14-2

+9-1

+8-3

+7-5

+6-3

+5-1

+4-4

++3-1

+2-2

+1-3

-1-2

-2-2

-3-3

+17-1

+16-1

+13-1

+10-2

100mms. rain

12cms. snow

**Finn, the editor’s new eight-week-old soulmate would like to apologize for causing sleep deprivation that could potentially lead to errors in the Nature News!!!

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton