** A photo of a Lady Beetle went out unlabeled a few days ago. It's
reattached today, labeled as the ASIAN MULTICOLORED LADY BEETLE, an introduced
species that is now very common in New Brunswick, and one that likes to
overwinter in crevices in our homes.
** Ron Arsenault leaves an interesting explanation for the fish skeletal
remains on the Tantramar marsh in yesterday's edition. A Department of Fisheries
and Oceans biologist has suggested it to be the remains of a STRIPED BASS [Bar
rayé]. Good size ones are running now in the Bay of Fundy rivers. This could be
just a fileted out fish with the remnants taken to the marsh for eagles to feed
on which is a great idea.
** It's a short day on news reports from Monday. Rainy days do that. So a
good day to re-run the write-up for the Nature Moncton workshop/field trip
combination on shorebirds set for this coming Saturday, August 27th, lead by
Roger Leblanc. That write-up is added to the transcription, and participants are
encouraged to register ahead if interested so we can get a handle on
numbers.
HERE COME THE
SHOREBIRDS
Workshop and Field Trip with Roger
Leblanc
Saturday August 27,
2016
Even though we’re smack in the middle of a beautiful
summer, autumn migration (although some don’t like to think about it
J) has
already started. No, not so much those confusing autumn warblers or hard to
differentiate flycatchers yet, but shorebirds. Now the simple mention of
shorebirds brings a glazed look to the eyes of many who are just starting out in
birding -- and for good reasons! There
are many species of them and they are often seen in mixed flocks. Plus here, we
mostly see them at this time of year, when they are going into drab basic or
winter plumage that is essentially the same for all: a bi-colored combination of
dark gray on top alternating with pale gray on the bottom -- great for hiding
from predators but not so good for birders. Add to that that they are more often
seen from afar, out in marshes or mud flats, and it is understandable that some
just call them peeps and move on to more “reasonable” birds. But that would be
an error. Shorebirding can be lots of fun and we are in fact fortunate in this
region that we have some shorebird migration phenomena that are world class and
of global importance. But all this brings us back to the dilemma: How am I
supposed to identify those little gray birds all the way out there on the mud
flat that just won’t stand still and kind of all sound the same?
Well once again Nature Moncton is coming to the rescue.
On Saturday August 27th we will be offering a practical workshop on
shorebirds. Following our recent successful approach to combine an indoor
presentation with a hands-on field outing, we will also go out to observe what
we have learned. So rather than tackling
the 30+ species that you might expect to see at different times of the year in
the province we will focus on the 15 or so that we can reasonably expect to see
here now. Our own Roger Leblanc will lead this workshop/outing and will share
with us the tricks of the trade that he has honed over several decades for
putting names on most of these shorebirds of autumn. In the workshop he will
focus on ID field marks but also habitats, behaviors and other devices that, all
put together, help expert birders more easily and quickly call birds. So if you have been hoping to find something
to do bird-wise to bridge the extravaganza of spring birding and the allure of
autumn rarities, this is your chance. Don’t miss it!!
Saturday August
27th
Workshop from 1:00 pm
to 3:00; Field trip will follow and will
likely go into the early evening, so bring a sandwich and some snacks.
Tankville School, 1665 Elmwood Dr.
Registration with
Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca, or phone Louise at
939-5054.
Cost of workshop is $8
payable at the door . All are welcome,
Nature Moncton member or not.
** Bring binoculars
(and a scope if you have one) and bring footwear that will enable you to walk on
a beach.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
ASIAN MULTICOLORED LADY BEETLE.AUG 19,2016.ANNA TUCKER
