Nature Moncton Nature News

Wednesday, 14 October 2026

October 14 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

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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.

If you would like to share observations/photos with Nature News, contact the editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com, as well as proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca, if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Mother Nature has been putting on a spectacular show this autumn. Barbara Smith submits a few images of some of the flashiest trees in Riverview and beyond, knowing they won't stay this way for long.

FALL FOLIAGE. OCT 2026. BARBARA SMITH

**Jane LeBlanc had monarch butterfly number 19 hatch on Tuesday, and it was another female. Jane still has two more chrysalises left.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY (FRESHLY EMERGED). OCT 13, 2026. JANE LeBLANC

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Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

Monday, 12 October 2026

October 13 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

If you would like to share observations/photos with Nature News, contact the editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com, as well as proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca, if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**John Inman reports that over the last week a number of flocks of pine siskins were going through; one flock had over 50.

On the same day as last year, the red-tailed hawk returned for its Thanksgiving dinner, which it took and enjoyed. John is surprised it's back since it first visited for meat handouts in February 2009, meaning it's getting up in years assuming it's the same hawk. John feels quite confident that it is, based on its behavior and plumage over the years.

(Editor’s note: The literature suggests that the red-tailed hawk usually lives 10-20 years in the wild once it reaches adulthood but can live 29-30 years in captivity.)

RED-TAILED HAWK. OCT 12, 2026. JOHN INMAN

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Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

October 12 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

If you would like to share observations/photos with Nature News, contact the editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com, as well as proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca, if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**On Saturday, October 11, Brian Coyle spent a cool fall morning hiking out to his trail cameras. When he got back home to review the SD cards, he was delighted to see three river otters wrestling and playing, as only river otters do. This went on for nearly a half hour, resulting in many videos, some of which include their vocalizations.

Brian was astonished when he saw the next series of videos, showing a bobcat stalking the river otters and then attempting to attack them. The bobcat tries again and again, even entering the water. At one point, one of the otters actually left the beaver pond to approach the bobcat. The bobcat appears unsuccessful in its attempt at a meal. Brian surmises that this may have been a young bobcat that didn't quite know how to handle such a feisty, agile potential prey.

(Editor’s note: These are short but very interesting videos. The vocalizations heard are those of the river otter, which they often use, if you're lucky enough to be able to watch them. The literature says each of their four vocalizations means something special if you happen to be a river otter.)

Because they are short videos, video link editor Brian Stone combined some that went well together. So six videos are combined to make three videos. The first two go together, the next two go together, and the last two go together. There is a slight lag after clicking on the links. The videos surely show what goes on in the depths of the night that we never see.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/r1joz0c5b2usdzki9nky8/OTTERS-AND-BOBCAT.-OCT.-10-2026.-BRIAN-COYLE-1-and-2.mp4?rlkey=sp17mslpxhrg4q9i3azvu5j4q&st=19xc5alr&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yvv6x91wwn09mzdodpwoj/OTTERS-AND-BOBCAT.-OCT.-10-2026.-BRIAN-COYLE-3-and-4.mp4?rlkey=txde1j14jbcbzzn3czm088i1o&st=5y1g12w7&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1j84enwr9nz5jejarlllu/OTTERS-AND-BOBCAT.-OCT.-10-2026.-BRIAN-COYLE-5-and-6.mp4?rlkey=0i7ixx9eovh1qahp1ubgyp27n&st=f1l20wjl&dl=0

**David Cannon captured a photo of a gallium sphinx caterpillar, the larval stage of the beautiful bedstraw hawk-moth, on Saturday, October 10th, at the Maplewood Golf Course in Irishtown.

These caterpillars are really on the move right now, seeking out winter hibernation sites to pupate. They vary somewhat in appearance, but the red ‘horn’ is a clue.

GALLIUM SPHINX MOTH CATERPILLAR. OCTOBER 10, 2026. DAVID CANNON

**Jane LeBlanc got a chance to go whale watching from St. Andrews for work again, and she sends some photos. They saw gray seals, harbour porpoise, and a humpback whale named "Super Nova".

When she arrived home, Jane found an eastern phoebe in her yard.

HARBOUR PORPOISE. OCT. 11, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

GRAY SEAL. OCT. 11, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

HUMPBACK WHALE "SUPER NOVA" .OCT. 11, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

EASTERN PHOEBE. OCT. 11, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

**Fred and Susan Richards have been amazed by the action on their annual flower bed this late in the season. By Thanksgiving, they usually have had a frost, so no flowers. Sue spotted a moth around 5:30 on Sunday. The photo is blurry because of the low light and the fact that the moth was vibrating a lot, potentially trying to stay warm.

(Editor’s note: Fred’s comment about the annual flowers still blooming and being visited by moths and butterflies may suggest the reality of a warming climate.)

MOTH TO STILL-BLOOMING ANNUAL PLANTS. OCT 11, 2026. FRED RICHARDS

**The abundant crop of mountain ash berries must be reaching the stage to attract fruit-connoisseur birds.

Bob Blake comments that their heavily laden mountain ash berry shrubs are now attracting hordes of American robins.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

Sunday, 11 October 2026

October 11 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

If you would like to share observations/photos with Nature News, contact the editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com, as well as proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca, if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**After a month-long hiatus, the peregrine falcons were back atop the Assumption building logo. First the male showed up, and the female followed a few days later. Georges Brun was able to get a few photographs with an injured camera.

PEREGRINE FALCONS. OCT. 10, 2026. GEORGES BRUN

In the Riverview Marsh, Georges photographed an adult female northern harrier and her juvenile while they were hunting and practicing their acrobatic flight. They, along with a male northern harrier partner, have been in the area all summer and fall.

NORTHERN HARRIERS. OCT. 10, 2026. GEORGES BRUN

Although the tidal bores are currently ranked 2 out of 4, they appeared to be 5 feet high in some areas of the Petitcodiac River. Georges Brun was able to get nice documentary photos, despite his camera in need of medical attention!

TIDAL BORE. OCT. 10, 2026. GEORGES BRUN

**A few days ago, we wondered whether monarch butterflies had ceased activity, except in warm places like St. Martins.

Not the case, as Yolande LeBlanc in Memramcook also saw a monarch chrysalis last week, and on Friday, the emerged adult was flying around the flower beds. Yolande comments, “Hope it aligned southwest.”

**Jane LeBlanc had hatchling number 18 on Saturday...another female monarch butterfly.

Jane comments, “I just saw on the weather network that, because of climate change, the window for butterflies to migrate is longer in the fall than 10-20 years ago.")

MONARCH BUTTERFLY (FRESH ADULT). OCT. 10, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

**Jane LeBlanc was enjoying a rare day off in her St. Martins yard and found both a common grackle and a white-throated sparrow spending the day. She also found an autumn meadowhawk dragonfly and a bee species, as well as a wasp mimic hoverfly enjoying her late flowers.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. OCT. 10, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

HOVER FLY. OCT. 10, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

COMMON GRACKLE. OCT. 10, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

BEE ON MEXICAN SUNFLOWER. OCT. 10, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

AUTUMN MEADOWHAWK DRAGONFLY. OCT. 10, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

**Brian Stone shares a few more recent photos that finally managed to get processed on Saturday. A lake darner dragonfly and a suspected female lance-tipped Darner dragonfly were possibly his last good dragonfly photos of the season. Both were found for him by his sister Carol Shea, as well as a small, dark, spiky caterpillar that was about 2 cm in length. Not much to offer, but photo outings have been scarce over the last few days.

(The caterpillar is suspected to be the larva of the saltmarsh tiger moth, which is not necessarily found on salt marshes. The caterpillars vary considerably in colour from yellow to black.)