NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
January 28, 2025
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
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
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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols
**Judy Cairns was sure in the right place at the right
time to come across two Red-tailed Hawks enjoying roadside roadkill
( Coyote) as she drove from Amherst. Judy took the photos through the car
windshield, but they still turned out very nicely. Judy comments that the birds
did not seem to be troubled by the close approach of vehicles, which may
suggest they were hungry juvenile birds, which is also indicated by the dark
tail that appears in one photo.
Judy was also successful in her main mission to see a Glaucous
Gull that had been reported at the Bank of Nova Scotia parking lot in
Amherst, and she got a nice photo.
(Editor’s note: the Glaucous Gull in Judy’s photo appears
to be a 1st-winter bird as there is no evidence of any yellow in the eye, which
a 2nd-winter bird should show.)
Nelson Poirier had a mission in Sackville on Monday and
was successful in following Judy’s tracks to make a side trip to Amherst
to see the Glaucous Gull. It was there waiting! For folks going to visit it, be
aware that it is considerably smaller than the average Glaucous Gull.
Also, on return, Nelson was able to spot the coyote
roadkill, and the Red-tailed Hawks Judy had photographed were still present
foraging the carcass.
**Grant Ramsey and Magda Kuhn were relaxing at their
cottage Monday evening to be disturbed by late evening scratching at the window
feeder. They looked out to discover a Flying Squirrel enjoying the easy eats; it was not remotely
bothered by them trying to photograph it using a flashlight and iPhone.
(Editor’s note: what a beautiful close-up of this common
but not often seen mammal due to their strict nocturnal lifestyle.)
**Jane LeBlanc was alerted by a neighbour that there was
a Barred Owl about 30 feet from her kitchen door facing away from
the house. She got there in time to get a photo of a sleepy-looking but alert
owl.
Later, on the beach, she spotted an immature Bald
Eagle perched on an evergreen where they commonly sit. She also found part
of a Starfish on the beach.
**It was snowing, and there was poor lighting, but John
Inman was able to get a few quick photos of blackbirds still hanging in for the
winter, including Rusty Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common
Grackle.
The new entry of interest was an American Goshawk.
American Goshawks used to be regular patrons a few years back when John had a
lot of Ring-necked Pheasants.
**Brian Stone took a few photos in Mapleton Park on
Monday afternoon. Lots of Mallard Ducks were in the creek near Gorge Rd.,
and a pair came up to the railing of the bridge to greet him. Many Black-capped
Chickadees and American crows were present, but the only other birds Brian saw were a lone White-throated Sparrow, a few gulls flying high overhead,
and a distant female Pileated Woodpecker.
**Andrew Darcy shares his expertise on the Skate that was
featured in a recent edition of Nature News from a photo Jane LeBlanc had taken.
Andrew works with DFO and part of his mandate is monitoring fish off our coast.
Andrew comments “This is a Winter Skate, which is a threatened species
and one of the less common skate species in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Smooth
and Thorny skate being the more expected species). The Winter skate can be
distinguished from other skate species by the rounded snout and the presence of
pale (eye) spots near the rear of each pectoral fin, which can be seen in the
picture Jane provided. There is currently no directed open fishery for this
species, but they are caught as by-catch in other fisheries.”
More information can be found here:
https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/winterskate-raietachetee-eng.html
Jane’s photo is reinserted today to show Darcy’s
comments.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
