NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
February 17, 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
at www.naturemoncton.com.
Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols
**The February Nature Moncton meeting will
be taking place tomorrow night Tuesday, February 18, at the Mapleton Rotary Lodge
with the always special guest Jim Wilson. The write-up is at the end of this
edition and will be upfront Tuesday morning.
Nature Moncton birdfeeders will be available.
**Bev and Mark Schneider had some special guests on
Sunday in their Fredericton yard when two eastern bluebirds arrived at
their feeders. They were first seen Saturday and appeared again for a
short while Sunday. They seemed interested in suet chips collecting below the
suet dispensers. Bev comments, “A great treat before the storm Thursday.”
(Editor's note: the eastern bluebird does not migrate far
from us for the winter to make for pleasant winter birdfeeder surprises. They
also can arrive in very early spring for the same reason.)
**Norbert Dupuis shares more of his special moment bird
portraits showing a hairy woodpecker, evening grosbeak, and northern
cardinal.
**Brian Stone visited Jean and Kevin Renton's place on
Saturday to check out their feeder yard for a possible Lapland longspur
reported to be hanging out with a large flock of snow buntings that has been
frequenting their yard. It seems that Brian picked the wrong day to visit as
only five snow buntings showed up and no special visitor came with them.
Brian shares some of Kevin Renton's photos of the larger group of snow
buntings to show what he missed, and also a couple of photos of some mallard
ducks that stopped by their place in the weeks past.
While he was at the Renton's, Brian photographed some of
the other birds coming to their yard, such as a pair of egg-eating common
ravens, a blue jay stuffed with peanuts, black-capped chickadees
at interestingly different peanut butter feeders, a dark-eyed junco, an American
goldfinch, and an unusually large suet feeder.
After leaving the Renton's, Brian drove out on Scott Rd.
to a large farm at the corner of the Wheaton Settlement Rd. and found a small
group of horned larks with a single Lapland longspur included
that were foraging near the road. This was possibly the same little group reported
earlier at the other large farm on the Wheaton Settlement Rd. that might be
checking out alternate locations.
**Nelson Poirier had a pair of American robins
arrive at his Moncton feeder yard to enjoy mountain ash berries stored in the
freezer from the fall. The female ate her fill as did the male, but the male was
more intent on protecting the booty from starlings (he’s not for hire!) He also felt the mourning doves were a threat, chasing them away as well. He did take time out to visit the water source which is one of the most popular “feeders”
in the yard.
**FEBRUARY MONTHLY MEETING PRESENTATION
Sixty-plus Years
of Birding in New Brunswick
Tuesday, February 18,
2025, at 7 PM
Mapleton Rotary Park
Lodge
Presenter: Jim
Wilson
This presentation will provide a retrospective look at
the many changes in New Brunswick bird populations since Jim began birding and
keeping a regular journal about New Brunswick birds and nature in 1963. At
least one bird species has been extirpated in the province and many other
populations have declined. Some have declined but later rebounded to their
former numbers; others have expanded their breeding ranges into the province,
and one entirely new bird has been recognized by scientists. This presentation
will provide some insight into why and how these shifts happened and what we
might expect next.
Jim Wilson, who many of us have met in the field, has
been an active naturalist and birder throughout most of his life. He
has contributed to the natural world in numerous ways including serving on the
board for Nature NB and establishing the Point Lepreau Bird Observatory, an
important spot for recording seabird migration along the Fundy
coast. Jim was awarded the Roland Michener Conservation Award from
the Canadian Wildlife Federation in 2018, and he received the Order of New Brunswick
in 2019.
Come join us for what will be an enlightening and
entertaining evening. This will be an in-person presentation at the
lodge, but anyone can join via Zoom at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89179802982?pwd=3W1zwXJKMh4eGsizqfvAF3NbnyAfz5.1
All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
