Editor & Proofreader

Editor: Nelson Poirier    Proofreader: Louise Nichols

Wednesday, 25 February 2026

February 25 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 e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor,  nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

 

Please advise both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader 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

 

 

**Nature Moncton will be participating in the Riverview MapleFest event on March 29 with a beginner birding workshop. The details are at the end of this edition and are published well in advance as registration is required.  The details will be repeated closer to the event if space is still available.

 

 

**Phil Riebel in Miramichi shares some beautiful captured photos of a pine martin in the Miramichi area using an ingenious setup he put together himself that is obviously capable of very rewarding results.

The camera traps Phil used are older DSLRs with Nikon SB-28 flashes and an IR motion sensor, plus some homemade housings.

(Editor’s note: I asked Phil for a photo of his homemade trail camera outfit, which is added today, as well as the rewarding results. I know Phil would be glad to share his methodology, but suspect it may be challenging to copy!)

(Editor's note: The American marten [Martes americana] and "pine marten" in North America are generally the same animal, with the term "pine marten" used commonly but technically referring to a distinct Eurasian species [Martes martes]).

 

**Deanna Fenwick had taken down her feeders because of the big winds in Sackville at dusk on Tuesday, but neglected to remove the small suet ball. As she was looking at the storm progressing, a brave little male downy woodpecker still managed to grab dinner in the midst of the snow and swirling winds!

 

**Nature Moncton will be participating in the Town of Riverview's upcoming MapleFest event by holding a beginner birding workshop. Please share this workshop invitation with your circle of friends and family who may be interested in developing their birding skills.

🐦Sunday, March 29 from 10am-12pm

🍁Riverview Operations Centre, 300 Robertson Street

🐦Age 12+

🍁Registration required:  outandabout4nm@gmail.com

 

Leaders: Cathy Simon and assistants Marbeth Wilson and Jessica Belanger-Mainville.

 Nature Moncton welcomes all budding bird enthusiasts to learn where the birding hot spots are in the area, and what bird species are most likely to be seen, and how to use the free bird identification app, Merlin. Following a brief indoor presentation, participants will head outside to walk the Mill Creek Nature Park trails in hopes to put their birding skills to good use. Bring binoculars if you have them. Extras will be available to share if needed. Outdoor, weather appropriate clothing and footwear is required. This workshop is part of the Town of Riverview’s MapleFest celebrations.

 https://www.townofriverview.ca/events/beginner-birding-workshop

https://naturemoncton.com/events/




 

 

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton



DOWNY WOODPECKER (MALE). FEB. 23, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


DOWNY WOODPECKER (MALE). FEB. 23, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK






PINE MARTEN. FEB.6, 2026.  PHIL RIEBEL 


PINE MARTEN. FEB.6, 2026.  PHIL RIEBEL 


PINE MARTEN. FEB.6, 2026.  PHIL RIEBEL 


PINE MARTEN. FEB.6, 2026.  PHIL RIEBEL 



DSLR CAMERA TRAP. DEC. 2018. PHIL RIEBEL


DSLR CAMERA TRAP. DEC. 2018.  PHIL RIEBEL 






  

Monday, 23 February 2026

February 23 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.

 

The weather the past few days 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

 

**A very important message below from Nature Moncton president Cathy Simon:

 

📣 We want your feedback!

Nature Moncton is inviting members and attendees to take a few minutes to complete a short survey about our monthly presentations. The survey includes just 10 quick questions and asks what you enjoy, what could be improved, and what topics or formats you’d like to see going forward. 🌿Your input will help guide future programming at Nature Moncton, so we’d really appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

👉 Please fill out the survey here. Thank you for helping us make our presentations as engaging and relevant as possible 💚

 

 


 

 

**Jane LeBlanc found the resident pair of bald eagles on 'the ocean floor' on St. Martins Beach at very low tide on Saturday. They very briefly engaged in mating behaviour before they flew off in different directions.

 

**This item is of historical interest revolving around a clear, good-quality photo John Inman got on June 10, 2018.

A lot of birders have spent time examining this photo, and the general consensus is that it is suspected to be a juvenile male painted bunting. The painted bunting is a rare bird in New Brunswick, and a juvenile male is even more so. It is also a bit of a surprise that it turned up in the month of June.

“Never say never” when it shows up in the yard of John Inman!

 

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton



PAINTED BUNTING (JUVENILE MALE SUSPECTED). JUNE 10, 2018. JOHN INMAN



BALD EAGLES. FEB. 21, 2026. JANE LEBLANC



Sunday, 22 February 2026

February 22 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.

 

The weather the past few days 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

 

**Rheal Vienneau experienced a sure sign of oncoming spring when he encountered a group of thousands of snow fleas while snowshoeing to his cabin in Belleisle Creek. Take a look at the action in the video below that Rheal captured:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yk18fmc2njv8av3zo1hfs/SNOW-FLEAS-RHEAL-VIENNEAU.MOV?rlkey=4nv26olj3c001ckvsehtseccd&st=d5ewzrph&dl=0


(Editor’s note: Snow fleas are actually springtails, not related to the commonly known flea. They have a springlike appendage called a furcula that allows spectacular leaps to give them the name flea. Their body chemistry consists of a powerful biological antifreeze that lets them emerge in grainy snow on warmish winter days. They are with us all year, but are very obvious with a white background. They also come in other colours such as coral, but black is the most common. They forage on detritus and are completely harmless to humans.)

 

**John Inman photographed a standoff between a white-tailed deer and a barred owl popping its beak at the deer while sitting on its flying squirrel meal. The owl won out as the deer quickly left, while a few of the 76 mourning doves continued to enjoy their menu.

 

**On Saturday, the Nature Moncton Birdfeeder Tour took place in nicely cold weather under cloudy skies with occasional mild snow flurries. Brian Stone and Deanna Fenwick report that the group was treated to an excellent breakfast at Fred and Susan Richards' home in Taylor Village while they observed their selection of birds through their windows in comfort. The next stop was at Yolande LeBlanc's home in Memramcook, where another nice selection of birds was watched at her feeders. Then at Gordon Rattray's Weldon home, a similar variety of birds were viewed, as well as a fast-moving bald eagle that blurred its way through Brian's attempted photo. This was a special eagle that was called up by Gordon on demand as he was explaining how bald eagles commonly fly up the river past his yard, and one immature bald eagle did just that as he was telling the story. You can't get better service than that. The group finished their outing at club president Cathy Simon's home, where hot drinks, crafty cupcakes, and various other treats were enjoyed while staring out the living room window at even more resident birds. 

 

A list of birds photographed on the tour includes American goldfinches, American tree sparrows, blue jays, northern cardinals, black-capped chickadees, evening grosbeaks, hairy and downy woodpeckers, dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatches, rock pigeons, one very blurry immature bald eagle, and a well-behaved red squirrel.

(Editor’s note: There have been a few comments lately about the lack of birds in the area, but I think the birdfeeder tour showed there were lots about from the photos Deanna Fenwick and Brian Stone share.)

 

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton



BARRED OWL. FEB 21, 2026. JOHN INMAN


WHITE-TAILED DEER (IN STANDOFF WITH BARRED OWL). FEB 21, 2026. JOHN INMAN


MOURNING DOVES. FEB 21, 2026. JOHN INMAN






NORTHERN CARDINAL (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


NORTHERN CARDINAL (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


NORTHERN CARDINAL (FEMALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE


NORTHERN CARDINAL (FEMALE) AND WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE




HAIRY WOODPECKER (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


EVENING GROSBEAK (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


EVENING GROSBEAK (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


EVENING GROSBEAK (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


EVENING GROSBEAK (MALE AND FEMALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE


DOWNY WOODPECKER (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


DOWNY WOODPECKER (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


DOWNY WOODPECKER (MALE). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


DARK-EYED JUNCO. FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK




BLUE JAY. FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


BLUE JAY. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


BLUE JAY AND HAIRY WOODPECKER. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE


BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE. FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


BALD EAGLE (HONESTLY). FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE


AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. FEB. 21, 2026.  DEANNA FENWICK


WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK


WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. FEB. 21, 2026. DEANNA FENWICK



RED SQUIRREL. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE



BIRDFEEDER TOUR. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


BIRDFEEDER TOUR. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


BIRDFEEDER TOUR. FEB. 21, 2026. BRIAN STONE 








  

Saturday, 21 February 2026

February 21 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.

 

The weather the past few days 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

 

**It is that time of year when morning and evening sunsets can be awesomely beautiful.

Larry Sherrard captured a photo of the sun disappearing into the horizon so suddenly as it bade adieu,  and as it watched over the snow-covered Little Southwest Miramichi River.

 

**Anna Tucker has been noticing several pine grosbeaks that have appeared over the past week, searching through shrubbery in the yard of her Moncton Church Street apartment complex. She is not sure what the object of their interest is; however, something has definitely attracted their foraging attention.

 

**John Inman is noting some bird activity that is suggestive of the upcoming season!

The group of male purple finch moved on, but a group of female purple finch moved in.

A red-winged blackbird was high in the poplar tree in spring song.

 There have been several American robins around all winter, but 15 or so dropped in while passing through on Friday.

 

**On Friday afternoon, Brian Stone walked the section of the NB Trail from Coverdale Rd. to the old train bridge near Salisbury to look for the bald eagles that hang out in that area. No other wildlife of any kind was seen, but as Brian was leaving the train bridge, an adult bald eagle flew over and landed on a tree beside the river. Brian stayed for a while to see if the eagle would have company, and after a few minutes, the eagle began flapping its wings as if it was preparing for an energetic take off, but then settled down again. A few minutes later, the eagle flew off and circled overhead for a while, and then headed off towards the Coverdale Rd. 

 

 Brian left the bridge and headed back himself, but as he was approaching the Coverdale Rd., he noticed two adult eagles perched at the top of a large pine tree, but they flew off before he could get the camera going. He waited for a few minutes in case they came back, but as he was staring at the top of the pine tree he suddenly noticed that there was a large stick nest up there as well, definitely an eagle nest. Brian headed home with the knowledge that the eagles would possibly be nesting there this season. An extra note to this story ... when Brian was processing his images of the first eagle flapping its wings vigorously on its perch by the bridge, his wife Annette pointed out that the eagle had a branch in its beak and appeared to be trying to break it off, most likely to bring it to the nest for some needed upgrades.

(Editor’s note: A nice story of spring preparations. We may not be preparing for spring, but wildlife is, especially bald eagles, as they make repairs to nests that in many cases they have been using for years to raise a family.)

 

 

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nfelelson Poirier

Nature Moncton


BALD EAGLE. FEB. 20, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


BALD EAGLE. FEB. 20, 2026. BRIAN STONE 


BALD EAGLE. FEB. 20, 2026. BRIAN STONE 



BALD EAGLE. FEB. 20, 2026. BRIAN STONE 



BALD EAGLE NEST. FEB. 20, 2026. BRIAN STONE


PINE GROSBEAK. FEB 20, 2026. ANNA TUCKER


PINE GROSBEAK. FEB 20, 2026. ANNA TUCKER


PINE GROSBEAK. FEB 20, 2026. ANNA TUCKER


RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. FEB 20, 2026. JOHN INMAN


PURPLE FINCH (FEMALES). FEB 20, 2026. JOHN INMAN


AMERICAN ROBIN. FEB 20, 2026. JOHN INMAN




SUNSET ON THE LITTLE SOUTHWEST MIRAMICHI. FEB 18, 2026. LARRY SHERRARD