Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 4 2016

** Kerry Lee Morris-Cormier advises that Tuesday, September 6, is World Shorebird Day, with a chance for some citizen science. Kerry Lee’s note is attached to provide details and contact number.

World Shorebirds Day is Tuesday September 6^th^.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada(NCC) would like to encourage birders to take part in a global shorebird count.

People can go to their favorite birding spot anytime between Sept 2^nd – Sept 6^th anywhere in NB, Canada or the world and record their shorebird observations.

To register a site visit; https://worldshorebirdsday.wordpress.com/globalshorebirdcounting/

Staff will be on site at NCC’s shorebird interpretive centre during high tide on World Shorebirds Day Sept 6^th and invite you to visit from 4pm – 6pm.

For more information or help registering a site call; 902-695-9159.

Peeps & good tides,

Kerry Lee

** Lisa Morris shares photos of flowering and fruiting plants that she got recently in the Richibucto area, including BEACH PEA,SEA LAVENDER, TANSY, SWEET CLOVER, CLINTONIA with its blue berries, and a very tame RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine rousse]. The Clearwing Hummingbird Moth was in July.

** Maurice Richard noted a pair of BELTED KINGFISHERS [Martin-pêcheur d’Amérique] on utility wires around Jones Lake. He comments that he has never seen kingfishers around Jones Lake before. He has also noted some type of hawk cruising the lake a few times. The lake is currently mostly drained down due to upgrading being done to the retaining gates.

** Aldo Dorio got a photo of a flycatcher we are seeing less and less often, an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER [Moucherolle à côtés olive]. The white tufts on the side of the rump are distinctive but not often visible, but one shows in Aldo’s photo. He also got a few photos of a WILSON'S SNIPE [Bécassine de Wilson].

** En route back from Halifax on Saturday, I stopped at the Amherst water treatment ponds and found about 50 shorebirds, very predominantly GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] and LESSER YELLOWLEGS [Petit Chevalier]. A PECTORAL SANDPIPER [Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée] was among them and it was nice to compare it to a Lesser Yellowlegs, side by side.

** A run through the High Marsh Road and Coles Island Road to the CBC site, on the Tantramar Marsh, netted lots of NORTHERN HARRIERS [Busard Saint-Martin], as expected. It was nice to find a juvenile RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] among them, near the CBC site. A WILSON'S WARBLER [Paruline à calotte noire] cooperated for a quick photo in Halifax earlier in the morning.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton