Nature Moncton Nature News

Sunday, 8 February 2026

February 8 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

Clicking on the photos enlarges them for closer observation.

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 email, please address your message to the information line 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

**Larry Sherrard visited a bird feeder maintained at a backwoods site in the Miramichi area on Sunday. A duo of Canada Jays welcomed the addition of some fresh bread (whole-wheat, of course!) that he had taken along for the occasion.

**Georges Brun was able to photograph a coyote on the Riverview Marsh on Sunday afternoon. Two ravens were harassing it, but it did not seem particularly concerned.

Further downriver, a northern harrier was cruising, checking out the snow-covered menu.

On February 6, approximately 30+ snow buntings were flying east of the bend of the Petitcodiac River.

**John Inman had a brief visit from a juvenile red-tailed hawk, nicely showing its gray-brown tail with many dark bands compared to the solid rufous tail of the adult. John’s photo also shows the yellow eye of the immature bird versus the dark red eye of the adult. It stayed just long enough for a good photo op as the resident adult red-tailed hawk was guarding its territory in no uncertain terms!

A striking adult male pine grosbeak landed briefly, but there were too many blue jays to contend with for it to stay long.

**Aldo Dorio also got a photo of a bright adult male pine grosbeak on Saturday.

We have been very fortunate to have this pleasant species with us in good numbers this winter.

Cathy Simon sends the updated notice below of the winter tree ID session coming up. Note that the free availability of snowshoes will not apply, as she had originally advised.

Good news — we’re half full, so there’s still time to join us! ❄️🌲

If you’ve been thinking about coming out for Nature Moncton’s winter tree ID outing at Centennial Park, now’s the moment to register. We’ll be snowshoeing if there’s snow (or walking if not), learning how to identify trees in winter, and enjoying a relaxed time outdoors together.

📅 Saturday, March 7 (March 8 weather backup)
🕐 1–2:30 PM
👥 Ages 12+ | Limit 20 participants
📧 Register: outandabout4nm@gmail.com

Need snowshoes? 1-hour rentals are available at your own cost from Camp Centennial — you can book ahead here:
👉 https://www.campcentennial.ca/book-online

Hope to see you out there!

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

CANADA JAYS. FEB 7, 2026. LARRY SHERRARD

CANADA JAY. FEB 7, 2026. LARRY SHERRARD

RED-TAILED HAWK (IMMATURE). FEB 7, 2026. JOHN INMAN

NORTHERN HARRIER (MALE). FEB. 7, 2026. GEORGES BRUN

PINE GROSBEAK (ADULT MALE). FEB 7, 2026. JOHN INMAN

PINE GROSBEAK (ADULT MALE). FEB 7, 2026. ALDO DORIO.

PINE GROSBEAK (ADULT MALE). FEB 7, 2026. JOHN INMAN

COYOTE. FEB. 7, 2026. GEORGES BRUN

Saturday, 7 February 2026

February 7 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

Clicking on the photos enlarges them for closer observation.

To respond by email, please address your message to the information line 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

**Fred Richards reports the second Nature Moncton Movie Night of this winter was shared by about 20 people on Thursday evening. The Roger Leblanc film MIGRATIONS was the video chosen. Much of it was in French, but the subtitles were easy to read, and the birds and scenery were spectacular. Alain Clavette and Zachery Richard were featured in the film which talked about birds that were found at two locations: New Brunswick and Louisiana. Filming was done at both locations with emphasis on the birds that migrated between them. Alain spoke about the making of the film and was available for questions. There is one more movie night planned, so check Nature News, Facebook, or the website for information as it becomes available.

**Jane LeBlanc caught two of three American robins in her yard this week enjoying mountain ash berries. She also caught one of two white-throated sparrows enjoying sunflower seeds.

**On Thursday, Brian Stone received an alert from Brian Coyle (thank you, Brian) about an apple tree on the Ammon Rd. that was hosting a feeding frenzy of waxwings. Brian also told Brian that other species were accompanying the waxwings, and so Brian got himself up and out and went for a look. As he drove up to the tree, Brian noticed the birds were flying back and forth from a tall tree across the street, seemingly feeding at the apple tree in shifts. Brian Coyle was quite correct that there were more than just waxwings feeding at the tree, and Brian came away with photos of bohemian waxwings, cedar waxwings, pine grosbeaks, and American robins. That's a nice mix of fruit-eating birds.

(Editor’s note: What a great opportunity to compare the subtle but obvious field marks of the two waxwing species!)

**While driving to Hampton for a visit, Brian Stone and his wife Annette noticed a thin haze of cloud come close enough to the Sun to get the iridescence treatment. As Brian was driving, Annette took out her phone and took a few photographs through the windshield that Brian later processed to compensate for the windshield distortions.

A quote from the internet ... " Iridescent clouds are a diffraction phenomenon caused by small water droplets or small ice crystals individually scattering light. Larger ice crystals do not produce iridescence, but can cause halos, a different phenomenon".

**This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2026 February 7 – February 14

Binoculars are great instruments for observing the brighter star clusters and nebulae in the night sky, and Orion is a great place for binocular treasures. Its most prominent naked eye feature is the angled line of three stars that make Orion’s Belt. This trio, part of a star cluster called Collinder 70, will fit easily within almost any binocular view. They are hot giant stars with the one on the right, Mintaka, being a little dimmer than Alnitak on the left and Alnilam in between. Although they appear to be near each other, at a distance of 2000 light years Alnilam is nearly three times farther than the other two. Between Alnilam and Mintaka binoculars will show an S-shaped asterism, Orion’s S, which peaks above his belt.

Below the belt is a string of a few dimmer stars that makes Orion’s sword, one of which looks fuzzy to the eye. Binoculars reveal this to be the Orion Nebula or M42, a vast cloud of gas and dust where stars are forming. Just above the nebula is an asterism that resembles a person running or perhaps the figure in a WALK sign. Several double or multiple stars can be seen in this general area. Binoculars will also enhance star colours so check out Orion’s two brightest stars, blue-white Rigel and orange Betelgeuse. Defocusing your binoculars slightly will enhance the colours even more.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:33 and sunset will occur at 5:33, giving 10 hours of daylight (7:36 and 5:40 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:23 and set at 5:43, giving 10 hours, 20 minutes of daylight (7:26 and 5:50 in Saint John).

The Moon is at third quarter on Monday and near Antares Wednesday morning. Mercury and Venus have joined Saturn in the west in evening twilight. The increasing angle of the ecliptic makes this the best evening apparition of the year for Mercury, although it will be dimming rapidly toward the end of the month. Midweek Venus sets 40 minutes after sunset and Mercury will be about a binocular width to its upper left. Jupiter will be high overhead around 10 pm, and on Wednesday telescope users can see its moon Ganymede emerge from transit at 6:12 while its shadow begins a leisurely three hour transit. Rural observers might catch the zodiacal light angling up the ecliptic 60 to 90 minutes after sunset.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre this Saturday at 7 pm. Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay. The Fredericton Astronomy Club meets in the UNB Forestry-Earth Sciences building on Tuesday at 7 pm.

Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

CEDAR WAXWING. FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

CEDAR WAXWINGS. FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

CEDAR WAXWING. FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS. FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

BOHEMIAN WAXWING. FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

PINE GROSBEAK (FEMALE). FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

AMERICAN ROBIN. FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

AMERICAN ROBIN. JAN. 5, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

AMERICAN ROBIN. FEB. 05, 2026. BRIAN STONE

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. JAN. 5, 2026. JANE LEBLANC

CLOUD IRIDESCENCE. FEB. 06, 2026. ANNETTE STONE

Orion binoculars

Thursday, 5 February 2026

February 5 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

Clicking on the photos enlarges them for closer observation.

To respond by email, please address your message to the information line 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

**Nature Moncton Movie Night is on tonight. Watch, and share your thoughts on this special movie. All details below:

Feb. 5, 2026, at 7:00 PM, via Zoom

Film: Migrations with Alain Clavette and Zachary Richard, a film by Roger Leblanc.

Birds and migration have always fascinated mankind. Zachary Richard, the Cajun singer-songwriter, got interested in birds many years ago and started observing and recording birds in his own backyard. Later, wanting to learn more, he teamed up with experts on the subject, one of whom was New Brunswick birder Alain Clavette. It was their mutual interest in nature that brought them together, but it was also a coming together of two “Acadies,” the original one from the north and the more recent “Cajun” from the south. From the unending mud flats of the upper Bay of Fundy to the luxuriant bayous of Southwestern Louisiana and back to the bird “nursery” islands of Southeastern New Brunswick, the exceptional footage in this film helps foster an intimate meeting with the birds and their habitat expressed in Zachary Richard's music. The film is in French with English subtitles

Roger Leblanc was a New Brunswick naturalist and film maker. He was a long-time member of Nature Moncton and a board member of both Nature Moncton and Nature New Brunswick. Before his sudden passing in 2023, he was always available to lead a workshop or outing. He is very much missed.

Please use the link below to join us for this event:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81735384703?pwd=arDCR7Dvgl2bJp6lMGemJPDzMBYya3.1

**Another uncommon leucistic evening grosbeak has become a patron at the bird feeder yard of Charlotte and Glen Betts in Renous near Miramichi. This is the second one that has been reported this season and possibly reflects the high number of evening grosbeaks we are enjoying this winter.

John Inman had a leucistic evening grosbeak appear earlier in the season in Harvey, Albert Co., so it is unlikely this is the same bird.

(Editor’s note: I have had many evening grosbeaks visit my own feeders over many years and have seen only one of these before. It is a genetic quirk and will not affect the health or well-being of this stand-out individual among the crowd.)

**George Brun reports that on Feb. 3, 2026, more common mergansers arrived at the bend of the Petitcodiac. The six birds were all males. On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, the females arrived. Their number was also six. Also, 11 Canada geese have returned from downriver or Nova Scotia.

George was at least a 1/2 km away when he took these photos, with lots of variability as far as the quality of images. Temperature plays tricks, especially with humidity. The wind, when it oscillates from low speed to a steady 35 km/hr can make a difference, along with rain or drizzle. Cloud cover and, of course, the sun in your face or on the back of your neck can also play a part. Everybody has been through this!

**Brian Stone searched along the Shediac area coastline on Wednesday for any open water spots that might be hosting ducks or other seabirds.

At the Cormierville wharf, there was no open water in sight, but an apple tree nearby was populated with a large group of Bohemian waxwings accompanied by a few female pine grosbeaks and some European starlings.

In a couple of open-water spots that he found, there were small numbers of common mergansers and red-breasted mergansers. Mallard and black ducks were plentiful, and common goldeneye ducks were present in a couple of areas, as were just a few Barrow's goldeneye ducks.

Brian saw two small flocks of snow buntings pass over as he was driving, and in the name of safety, he didn't take his hands off the wheel to take photos. A resting 1st-winter Iceland gull finished off Brian's photo excursion.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

EVENING GROSBEAK

(LEUCISTIC). FEB 5, 2026. CHARLOTTE BETTS

EVENING GROSBEAKS (ONE LEUCISTIC). FEB 5, 2026. CHARLOTTE BETTS

BOHEMIAN WAXWING. FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS. FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

BOHEMIAN WAXWING. FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS. FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS AND PINE GROSBEAK (FEMALE). FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

PINE GROSBEAK (FEMALE). FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

COMMON MERGANSERS. FEB. 4, 2026. GEORGES BRUN

CANADA GEESE. FEB. 3, 2026. GEORGES BRUN

COMMON GOLDENEYE DUCK (MALE). FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

COMMON GOLDENEYE DUCK (IMMATURE MALE). FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

BARROW'S GOLDENEYE DUCKS (MALES). FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (FEMALE). FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

ICELAND GULL (1ST WINTER). FEB. 04, 2026. BRIAN STONE

Wednesday, 4 February 2026

February 4 2026

Nature Moncton Nature News

Clicking on the photos enlarges them for closer observation.

To respond by email, please address your message to the information line 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

**Nature Moncton Movie Night is on tomorrow night, Thursday, with anyone anywhere able to join in, watch, and share thoughts on this special movie. All details below:

Feb. 5, 2026 at 7:00 PM, via Zoom

Film: Migrations with Alain Clavette and Zachary Richard, a film by Roger Leblanc.

Birds and migration have always fascinated mankind. Zachary Richard, the Cajun singer songwriter, got interested in birds many years ago and started observing and recording birds in his own backyard. Later, wanting to learn more, he teamed up with experts on the subject, one of whom was New Brunswick birder Alain Clavette. It was their mutual interest in nature that brought them together, but it was also a coming together of two “Acadies,” the original one from the north and the more recent “Cajun” from the south. From the unending mud flats of the upper Bay of Fundy to the luxuriant bayous of Southwestern Louisiana and back to the bird “nursery” islands of Southeastern New Brunswick, the exceptional footage in this film helps foster an intimate meeting with the birds and their habitat expressed in Zachary Richard's music. The film is in French with English subtitles

Roger Leblanc was a New Brunswick naturalist and film maker. He was a long-time member of Nature Moncton and a board member of both Nature Moncton and Nature New Brunswick. Before he passed away suddenly in 2023, he was always available to lead a workshop or outing. He is very much missed.

Please use the link below to join us for this event:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81735384703?pwd=arDCR7Dvgl2bJp6lMGemJPDzMBYya3.1

**Georges Brun noted the first arrival for him of a male common merganser down at the bend of the Petitcodiac River.

After a few months' hiatus, he finally saw a male ring-necked pheasant in the Riverview Marsh.

A peregrine falcon flew in on its roost with a prey just as Georges looked up at the south side logo of Assumption Place. It looked like the bigger female. A red fox was roaming along the river and the edge of the marsh. A bald eagle was trying its luck against a flock of gulls just across from the Moncton Press Club.

**John Inman shares a photo of a few of his white-tailed deer herd that had just cleaned up the seed and were on their way for a nap.

Also, the Shepody Bay ice comes in on the tide, and then it's left when the tide recedes.

**Brian Stone was driving around the Riverview, Salisbury, and Second North River areas on Monday afternoon, hoping to find some bird life (or any other natural life) to photograph. He came across three different flocks of common redpolls, with the first two flocks being far off in the tops of tall trees, but they were nice to see anyway. Not so good for photography, though. But the third flock was a different story. At the corner of Taylor Rd. and Route 112, the old Fredericton Road, a flock of redpolls was foraging vigorously on seeds right beside the road. A few snow buntings were mixed in with the group, and they all flew up and down frequently in a mesmerizing aerial display. Brian made a short video of that activity which can be seen by clicking the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v3e8cot8m6qwhqld8h64h/Common-Redpolls-and-Snow-Buntings-Feb.-02-2026-Brian-Stone.mp4?rlkey=teu9zssenp7uic6thasjfydyi&st=nrg5678w&dl=0

At a farm on the Scott Rd. Brian noticed a small group of European starlings populating a tall tree. They flew down to the ground to forage while he watched. He also includes a photo of a pair of bald eagles that Cathy Simon spotted near her home and alerted Brian in case he wanted a photo, which he did.

**Early Tuesday morning Brian Stone noticed a thin cloud layer around the Moon that was displaying a colourful lunar corona.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton