Nature Moncton Nature News: April 10 2016

A pleasant surprise visitor for Pat Fox and Heather Silliker on Sunday morning when a Tufted Titmouse suddenly appeared at a sunflower seed feeder in their Upper Coverdale yard. It was the first time it appeared in their yard and will be interesting to see if it becomes a regular patron or is on the move. It is of note that several of this species have shown up in various locations in NB this winter to feeder yards. Known ones have been seen in Bouctouche, Fredericton and St. George and elsewhere. Pat was able to get a few quick photos.

** WOOD FROGS [Grenouille des bois] have started their seasonal vocalization at Sainte-Marie-de-Kent. On Saturday evening, Gabriel Gallant was standing very still in a spot where he expected an AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique] to perform its spring ritual at dusk, when he was surprised to hear a few Wood Frogs calling from flooded parts of his field. They were the first he has heard this spring. Gabriel says that it got quiet when the temperature dropped a few degrees.

** For some time now, Maurice and Louise Richard have had a male NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD [Moqueur polyglotte] around their home bordering Jones Lake, however, on Saturday Maurice spotted two together, and not in conflict, so a pair is suspected in that area.

** Susan Richards shares some photographs from Saturday of the extreme high tide on the Memramcook River, where the road to the once-second-longest covered bridge in the world was, that was washed away in 1976. Susan comments on the Taylor Marsh, where tidal water came over the road leaving marsh grass on the road. [Transcriber’s note: This afternoon’s high tides will will be less than Saturday’s but still large; the highest tides occurred during the nights. Predicted time of the tidal bore today is 12:59 p.m.]

** On Friday, Brian Stone travelled from Moncton to Halifax on the train and took some photos through the windows of areas of the Tantramar Marsh, past Sackville, that were still flooded due to the extra high tides of the past few days. You can see the wind turbines in the distance in some photos for orientation. Another photo is from the Milford (N.S.) area, where the same was happening, and another in between, of a muskrat lodge looking to be inundated.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton