Nature Moncton Nature News: July 4 2016

** Louise Richard reports that they have a GRAY CATBIRD [Moqueur chat] enjoying the thickness of a cedar hedge at their home in Moncton's West End. It is clearly emitting the meowing sound along with the regular choppy unique song. The Catbird is a fairly common bird, but its often skulking behaviour in shrubbery makes it more often heard than seen. When seen, the black top of the head, plum-coloured under-tail coverts, if you can see them, and all gray body are characteristic. It's most likely to be heard first. A few old photos are attached.

** There has been a bit of discussion about MINK FROGS [Grenouille du Nord] lately. Don McAlpine points out that it was in 1854 when Baird described and named the Mink Frog. John Gilhen comments that differentiating it from the GREEN FROG [Grenouille verte] based on appearance and photos can be tricky; he sometimes sees specimens that he feels may be hybrids. John suggests that if you can capture a Mink Frog, hold it to your nose, as they usually give off a distinct musky odour. He says that he often hesitates to identify the two from photos as he has had Green Frogs in the hand that were patterned like Mink Frogs. He points out that Green Frogs may be found anywhere that there is a puddle, but Mink Frogs tend to like slow vegetated streams, vegetated areas, vegetated coves of lakes and ponds. Look for pickerel-weed, lily pads, or cow lily. Louise Nichols and I heard them in just such an area last week.

** I've not seen much of COMMON NIGHTHAWKS [Engoulevent d'Amérique] this year, so it was pleasant hearing their calls and watching several hawking insects high in the air over the Miramichi River on Sunday night.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton