Nature Moncton Nature
News
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**The
Nature Moncton January meeting is coming up tomorrow night, Tuesday, January
20, at 7 o’clock and will be totally virtual so everyone anywhere can join from
their homes. Details are below:
Nature
Moncton January meeting
Tuesday,
January 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM
The
Canadian Beaver
Guest
speaker: Andrew Hebda
Biologist
Andrew Hebda, retired curator of zoology at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural
History, will present this talk on the Canadian Beaver (Castor canadensis),
which is in its 51st year (March 24, 1975) as Canada’s national animal. The
Beaver has been very influential in Canada’s national development, especially
in the early fur trade of the 1600s. Andrew will cover all three species of the
Canadian Beaver, including their prehistory, history, natural history, and lots
more. He will examine our intimate and natural relationship with this member of
the Rodentia, and where the European Beaver fits in. As in any presentation
Andrew Hebda gives, this promises to be a fascinating look at our national
animal.
This
presentation will be 100% virtual, allowing participants to enjoy excellent
audio and visuals and be able to participate freely.
Interested
participants are welcome to join in using the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87000900556?pwd=4YZObmYuX0NVBP6LXPfxRatauoSY4O.1
**Brian
Tozer travels the backwoods and trails in the area of the Little Southwest
Miramichi River with his camera to get some interesting wildlife photos.
Brian
shares a photo of a pair of bull moose in a pushing match with antlers
still intact. They should be falling off very shortly. There are a few lesion
areas from winter ticks, but they do not seem as extensive as they will come
spring.
Forest
fires in the Miramichi area have left many burned-over sites. They appear to
have already attracted black-backed woodpeckers and Brian got a
photo of a male.
Brian
also shares a photo of a cow moose and its calf taken in the spring as
well as an uncommon leucistic ruby-throated hummingbird taken during the
summer of 2025.
Brian also got a photo of a porcupine swimming earlier in the year which we don't see very often.
(Editor’s
note: It is an excellent time for using trail cameras with animals like the
coyote, bobcat, and red fox as examples of species with breeding season coming
on which makes them much more apt to be seen during the day.
We
will be able to learn much more about the effective use of trail cameras at
this coming Saturday's workshop with Brian Coyle and Brian Donovan. Registrations are still available at outandabout4nm@gmail.com
)
**Jane
LeBlanc's neighbour in St. Martins informed her that the eastern towhee was back, but
despite several attempts, Jane didn't see it. As consolation, she did get
distant views of a white-breasted nuthatch and red-bellied woodpecker.
**Just
before the snow started to fall, Pat Gibbs went to the Shoppers Drug location
on Champlain Street and saw a cock ring-necked pheasant. There was not a single
duck in sight anywhere, which seemed unusual as they are normally there even
when there is a lot of snow and ice.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
