Nature Moncton Nature News

Wednesday, 20 November 2024

November 20 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 20, 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

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 at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**A very sincere thank you to Jill Marvin for sharing her adventures in her lifelong pursuit of animal welfare with Nature Moncton on Tuesday evening. Jill kept a large in-house and virtual audience at the edge of their seats, illustrating her presentation with outstanding photography and pointing out the diversity of animals she has dealt with in such a hands-on manner.

We are very fortunate to have Jill Marvin as a good friend of Nature Moncton!

**Mac Wilmot reports their pair of Carolina Wrens are still present on their Lower Coverdale property. As hard as they try, they still don't have a good photograph as they are very quick to the suet and away.

The Wilmots also have a particular piece of ground that American Crows have been tilling for two years. They assume that particular site must have an abundance of underground grubs. Whatever it is, it seems worth the effort!

**Gordon Rattray had two new visitors to his Weldon yard this week. On Monday, a female Red-winged blackbird dropped in for some corn, looking like she was traveling alone.

On Tuesday, Gordon had a male Ring-necked Pheasant make a return visit; this time, it allowed a photo. Gordon reports that the regulars are coming every day which includes a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches.

**Aldo Dorio continues to see a duo of Sanderling enjoying their stay at Hay Island.

**Brian Stone drove through the Upper Coverdale area near Turtle Creek Rd. on Tuesday in the light rain and heavy mist plus dim light. At a good distance off in a field beside the road, he found the frequently reported Cattle Egret hanging out with a small gang of Canada Geese that also included one Snow Goose. The distance and light were poor for photography, but Brian pushed his camera to its limits and sends the images that resulted.

Brian also sends his last photos from the Hampton area taken on Monday, showing a White-tailed Deer grazing on the lawn outside his sister's place and a male and female Hooded Merganser paddling around the second lagoon pond.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

CAROLINA WREN. NOV 19, 2024. MAC WILMOT

CANADA GEESE AND CATTLE EGRET. NOV. 18, 2024. BRIAN STONE

CATTLE EGRET. NOV. 18, 2024. BRIAN STONE

SNOW GOOSE (IMMATURE). NOV. 18, 2024. BRIAN STONE

SNOW GOOSE (IMMATURE) AND CANADA GOOSE. NOV. 18, 2024. BRIAN STONE

HOODED MERGANSER (FEMALE). NOV. 18, 2024. BRIAN STONE

HOODED MERGANSERS (MALE AND FEMALE). NOV. 18, 2024. BRIAN STONE

SANDERLING. NOV 19, 2024. ALDO DORIO

AMERICAN CROWS FORAGING. NOV 19, 2024. MAC WILMOT

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (FEMALE). NOV 19, 2024, GORDON RATTRAY

RING-NECKED PHEASANT. NOV 19, 2024, GORDON RATTRAY

WHITE-TAILED DEER. NOV. 18, 2024. BRIAN STONE

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

November 19 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 19, 2024

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 at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

** The Nature Moncton November meeting is coming up tonight, Tuesday night, November 19. The write-up is below:

**Nature Moncton November Meeting

November 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM

Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge

Presenter: Jill Marvin

Jill Marvin is the Director of Magnetic Hill Zoo and Park in Moncton, New Brunswick. She has been blessed with the opportunity to work directly with animals throughout her entire life. From her first pets and 'exotic' animals to the Peregrine Falcon family of Moncton, each one of these has inspired and fueled her passion and connection with animals. In this presentation, Jill will share stories about the animals and experiences she has had.

Prior to working at the Magnetic Hill Zoo, Jill spent over 15 years at the Jardin Zoologique and l’Aquarium du Quebec. She began her zoo career at African Lion Safari while completing her Zoology studies at the University of Guelph. Jill has demonstrated a deep commitment to animal welfare and a passion for conservation action and wildlife research. From her work with Platypus in Australia, Dolphins in Florida, Polar Bears and Walrus in the north, bird of prey rehabilitation in the mid-west, and the Lemurs of Madagascar, she is driven to finish her vocation with the great apes.

This presentation will be delivered live as well as available virtually for anyone anywhere to enjoy and participate in.

The link to attend virtually is below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84725196337?pwd=UBSyYOdRa9kXOEOeQbPlozKfPcL4K0.1

As always, everyone is welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

A not-to-miss presentation!

JILL MARVIN AND FRIENDS

** Frank Branch got a photo Tuesday morning on the Little Tracadie River of the rare-to-New-Brunswick Tundra Swan that was visiting. Many birders saw the bird. Thanks to Jolande St-Pierre who made the call.

TUNDRA SWAN.. NOV 18, 2024. FRANK BRANCH

**Shannon Inman got an excellent photograph of a Barred owl in their Harvey neighborhood on Monday. They had been seeing it perched on a birdfeeder in the morning but it was too dark to photograph.

John was able to photograph a very colourful Pine warbler visiting their yard.

PINE WARBLER. NOV 18, 2024. JOHN INMAN

BARRED OWL. NOV 18, 2024. SHANNON INMAN

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

Monday, 18 November 2024

November 18 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 18, 2024

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 at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

** The Nature Moncton November meeting is coming up tomorrow night Tuesday night, November 19. The write-up is below:

**Nature Moncton November Meeting

November 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM

Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge

Presenter: Jill Marvin

This presentation will be delivered live as well as available virtually for anyone anywhere to enjoy and participate in.

The link to attend virtually is below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84725196337?pwd=UBSyYOdRa9kXOEOeQbPlozKfPcL4K0.1

As always, everyone is welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

A not-to-miss presentation!

JILL MARVIN AND FRIENDS

**Rheal Vienneau sends a photo of the typical tailings of a Star-nosed Mole left on his lawn as it prepared to head underground for the winter.

(Editor’s note: at this time of year, the seldom-seen nocturnal Star-nosed Mole uses its very effective claws to excavate tunnels to get below frost level for the winter. It does not hibernate but will search for insect prey with its tentacles. It especially likes to make these excavations near a pond where it will swim to forage for delicious insects under the ice.)

**Shannon Inman photographed a colony of Woolly Alder Aphids still intact. The larvae within the colony will develop wings and fly off to their intermediate host to pass the winter. As they do that, their small waxy fluff-laden bodies will look like miniature snowflakes.

**Aldo Dorio photographed a lingering duo of Sanderlings at Hay Island on Sunday. This shorebird species tends to stay with us quite late as their migration destination is not distant. It is not unusual to see some well into winter before a firm freeze-up.

Aldo also photographed a male Black Scoter off the shoreline.

**Brian Stone revisited the Hampton lagoons on Sunday morning but did not find much new swimming in the ponds; there was just a pair of Hooded Mergansers that weren't there the day before. The Northern Shoveler ducks were still swimming in their circular feeding pattern and the large numbers of Bufflehead ducks, Gadwall Ducks and the Barrow's Goldeneyes were still present.

**Last season, Jamie Burris had a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that stayed late in the season constantly coming to a Dollarama-purchased seed bell, suggesting Nelson Poirier give it a try.

Nelson has made the seed bell a part of the menu at his bird feeding station and is surprised at how attractive this seed bell is to Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, even though it is surrounded by everything woodpeckers would normally choose.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton