NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
October 21, 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
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 Nature Moncton September meeting is taking place tonight, October 21, in person at the Rotary Lodge with Zoom link available. The details are below:
OCTOBER MONTHLY PRESENTATION
“The Hidden Lives of Bats”
Date: October 21, 2025 at 7:00
PM
Place: Mapleton Rotary Lodge
Presenter: Lucas Greville
Bats are the second largest
group of mammals on Earth, comprising over 1,400 species that exhibit diverse
form, behavior, and ecological roles. Yet their nocturnal nature makes them a
mystery for many naturalists and nature enthusiasts. This talk will uncover the
hidden lives of bats, introducing key aspects of their biology and natural
history. We’ll explore how bats navigate and hunt in the dark, the incredible
range of their diets and adaptations, and their ecological significance.
Special attention will be given to the bats of New Brunswick, highlighting the
species found in our region, their current conservation status, and the
challenges they face from habitat loss, white nose syndrome, and wind turbines.
Participants will leave with a new appreciation for these remarkable mammals,
along with guidance on how to observe, support, and advocate for local bat
populations. Whether you’re a lifelong naturalist or newly curious, this
presentation will shed light on one of the most misunderstood and ecologically
important groups in the animal kingdom.
Lucas Greville is currently
teaching and doing research as part of the Biology Department at Mount Allison
University. He grew up in Etobicoke
(near Toronto) and completed his BSc, MSc, and PhD at McMaster University in
Hamilton followed by a postdoc at the University of Waterloo. He has been studying bats for 13 years.
Don’t miss this fascinating
glimpse into the mysterious lives of bats.
This will be an in-person
presentation which will also be available via Zoom at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86277322945?pwd=3v0QLkbJrPArYtbHPvrnDEl9JM2jxd.1
All are welcome, Nature Moncton
members or not.
**Shannon Inman spotted some
mushrooms starting to poke through. The more mature specimen with the pink
gills is a horse mushroom, and the ones just emerging are very apt to be the same thing, which will be more apparent in a day.
Shannon also spotted a juvenile red-tailed
hawk sitting on a fence post, which may get a rude welcome if it shows up in their yard with the resident red-tailed hawk guarding the area of its meat-placed booty.
**The height of the season to observe caterpillars may be ebbing, but Isaac Aker spotted and photographed a hickory tussock moth caterpillar still seeking a place for its winter cocoon.
Isaac also photographed a rove beetle of which we have several species in New Brunswick. They typically forage on other insects, some of which we may consider pests.
Isaac as well photographed a ground cricket. Again, we have many species in NB that we hear vocalizing, especially in the fall.
**John Inman had three Baltimore Orioles passing through his Harvey yard on Monday, and a paper wasp
gave him a nice photo.
The best of all was a young-of-the-year
northern cardinal. This is the time of year when the juveniles will start
to take on the red bill of the adults. John’s photo appears to show the black receding at the
base of the bill with a blush of red commencing.
**Brian Stone had a big evening on
Monday and got a record (for him) of two comets viewed and photographed
on the same night at the same time. Comet C/2025 R2 (Swan) and the much
brighter Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) were both visible after twilight ended
and Brian did his best to get photos with his limited equipment and
ability. This was an experience that is unlikely to occur again for him for a
thousand years or more. Better get to work on that new health routine.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
