Nature Moncton Nature
News
Clicking
on the photos enlarges them for closer observation. Please note that clicking
on any photo enlarges it full screen and then clicking on the black area on
either side of the photo brings one right back to the main page.
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
**A big thank you to
Rhonda and Paul Langelaan for leading Nature Moncton’s Wednesday evening walk
to Highland Park in Salisbury with lots of eyes and ears missing little of the
nonstop action of the many patrons of this excellent habitat the town of
Salisbury has created. Some early photos tell the story!
Lois Budd’s delivery of
traditional strawberry shortcake at the end was a bonus!
Jim Brown photographed two white-tailed deer fawns checking out the group as well as the mystery bird that
turned out to be a European starling fledgling.
Brian Stone sends a few
photos from Nature Moncton's Wednesday Night Walk at Highland Park in
Salisbury. It was warm, but pleasant, and the participants had an enjoyable
outing with many bird species seen and heard. Photographed were a female wood
duck, a male yellow-bellied sapsucker, a bald eagle crowning a distant treetop,
and two eastern kingbird nests with hatchlings begging for food. A gray
squirrel was seen poking out of a hole in a tree to make a comical photo.
The one bird that created
lots of ID frustration among the group turned out to be a European starling
fledgling that was confirmed by Gilles Belliveau from the many photos.
(Editor’s note: fledglings
of the year present their identification challenges!)
**Peter and Deana Gadd
paid a visit to Escuminac Point Wednesday afternoon. They were not certain they
would see much at this point in the early summer, mid-nesting season and
between north and south bird migration. They were quite pleasantly surprised.
Stopping at Horton's Creek
in the community of Miramichi Bay, they spotted six lesser yellowlegs feeding
on the mud/stone delta at the mouth of the brook. As they approached Escuminac
wharf five male black scoters were bobbing about in the gentle waves
and a little further out were four Bonaparte’s gulls, one still with a
fully black head, part of its breeding plumage. As they drove out the Escuminac
Point road, some of the usual woodland birds were seen and heard. At the point
they saw out at sea a flotilla of 25 more black scoters, seemingly mostly
female. Also though there were five surf scoters, again further out to sea and
very difficult to photograph. Eight common eiders were resting on the
rocky shore, in various stages of losing their breeding plumage. Walking along
the shore to the west they passed the usual shoal where perhaps 400 double-crested
cormorants were gathered along with a few gulls. Passing eagles a little
later caused some anxiety amongst the cormorants who soon scattered into the
air and onto the sea.
Travelling further along,
they came to the expected colony of bank swallows. They counted about 60
nest holes in the bank of the peat moss cliff but saw only a dozen or so
swallows.
As they returned along the Escuminac Point Rd., they quickly discovered the
reason for the swallow scarcity. The swallows had gone to where the bugs were,
in the woods! Bank swallows were lined up on a power line, facing inland, and
making their food forays from there. There were at least 25 at one point,
busily looking about.
Climbing up on the peat
cliff where there was a slump, Deana was able to photograph sheep laurel and
bog Labrador tea; also in the area were song sparrows and
savannah sparrows.
Their exit back onto the
paved road became blocked by a stationary Peat Bog Monster, which they
overcame with caution and patience.
**Jane LeBlanc in St.
Martins has several birds enjoying berries in her yard, including American
robins, cedar waxwings, and a very cheeky gray catbird. She says either
the catbird is following her around, or vice versa. She shows one photo of the
bird with a mouthful of elderberries, and another showing the signature chestnut-coloured
undertail covert.
**Georges
Brun photographed a school of fish among the tidal bore wave on Tuesday.
It appears they are among a predator who might just be a seal. Georges
suggests it could possibly be a river otter as well, so just a documentary
photo for that moment.
(Editor’s
note: Any comments as to what species of fish with moving up the river at this
time of year will be appreciated.)
The eagle
must be off the nest at the moment, or they see the return of newly arrived
gulls from the island to the south in Shepody Bay.
Georges is
noticing male common eider in their eclipse plumage in the Petitcodiac River
at the moment.
**On Tuesday
afternoon, Brian Stone was downtown on the Moncton side of the Petitcodiac Riverfront
Trail at the Irish Families Memorial site when he heard the familiar sound of
a Nelson's sparrow calling. He was surprised because his hearing in that
higher range isn't great anymore, and the sparrow's call was quite loud, so he
knew it must be quite close. A brief search led him to a close encounter with
the singing bird just at the edge of the mowed section behind the monument. Not
hard to find with the call being so loud and clear! People passing by were
hearing it also and were wondering what was making that weird sound, and Brian
did a few nature tutorials with them, explaining the bird and its odd-sounding
call to their delight.
(Editor’s
note: this is unusual activity for the secretive Nelson’s sparrow to express
and expose itself to allow the photographer --even with failing hearing!-- such
close-up photographs. Possibly this dude was a bit annoyed at lawn mowing near
his territory.
The right
place at the right time with a camera!)
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
