Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 6 2016

** Kerry Lee Morris-Cormier, Manager of the Johnson’s Mills Shorebirds Interpretive Centre reminds today is World Shorebirds Day and everyone is welcome to visit the Interpretive Centre, especially at high tide time of 4 pm. The centre is located at 2724 Route 935, 8 kms past Dorchester. On Saturday Mary’s Point, Hopewell Rocks, and Johnson’s Mills did a simultaneous count with great results. A few photos of the action from Monday are attached. The internet sites to record your observations today of shorebirds are attached below.

Today is a great day to consider shorebird populations and the importance of; counting, monitoring, research and conservation .
Anyone interested in counting shorebirds for the World Shorebirds Day global count can registering here; https://worldshorebirdsday.wordpress.com/

To count shorebirds regularly try ; ebird http://ebird.org/content/canada/ or Atlantic Canada Shorebird Survey http://www.birdscanada.org/birdmon/default/datasets.jsp?code=PRISM-ACSS

Peregrine falcon have made a recovery, maybe with our help species like the endangered Red Knot will too.

** Louise Nichols followed up on a report of a SANDHILL CRANE [Grue du Canada] in the Dorchester Penitentiary area on Sunday night and went out to find it there as reported very high on the hill. Louise comments she heard it was there on Monday in the same area. On Sunday, Louise made a hike on one of her favourite trails off Walker Rd near Sackville to find a Red Admiral Butterfly [Vulcain] and a Great Spangled Fritillary [Argynne cybèle] to get photos as well as a juvenile SHARP-SHINNED HAWK [Épervier brun] that came in very close to her. We’ve labelled the Great Spangled Fritillary as a female as Jim Edsall points out the lack of spots on the lower basal half, the darker basal area, and heavily black banded veins are apparent.

** Anna Tucker was in the Sackville Waterfowl Park recently to notice lots of dragon and damselfly activity, with a WHITE-FACED MEADOWHAWK and some suspected HAGEN’S BLUETS cooperating for a photo. The Hagen’s Bluet can be hard to identify on photos but Gilles Belliveau suspects he sees some of the reproductive structures in one of the specimens to suggest that species. As well mushrooms were popping up. Anna caught a pleasant photo of the Crescent Moon on Sunday night at 11 pm.

** Aldo Dorio got a photo of another colourful wasp on Monday, this time a RED AND WHITE WASP, one of the Ichneumon wasps and a very colourful one indeed.

** The action was lively at the Rotary Park trail in Buctouche after Stu Tingly’s report of some interesting birds there to bring lots of birders to the spot on Monday, and suspect very few left disappointed. The SNOWY EGRET [Aigrette neigeuse] dropped in for a nice performance, 2 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS [Chevalier solitaire] were very cooperative and the STILT SANDPIPER [Bécasseau à échasses] continued its stay. Photos of all 3 are attached and a few photos of the Stilt Sandpiper aside a PEEP and some SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS to compare size and features. The strong midday light made it hard to say if the Peep was a Least Sandpiper or a Semi-Palmated Sandpiper. A LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER [Bécassin à long bec] is also suspected to be present at that location.

** It’s looking like a 10 out of 10 for MUSHROOMS [champignons] with all the recent rain which has left the forest floor damp and the mushrooms are loving it. The heat has made field habitat dry out quickly but the forest canopy is leaving forest floor moist. If anyone is in the Miramichi area this Wednesday afternoon, September 7, there will be a mushroom foray from 1 to 5 p.m. starting at the Beaubears Island Interpretive Centre at 35 Saint Patrick St, in Nelson/Miramichi, and then going to the island later in the afternoon to search for mushrooms.

** Also Jean Renton reports that they have had an excellent gathering of CHANTERELLE mushrooms and HEDGEHOG Mushrooms. We found an abundance around our camp as well that went nicely with a sauce and toast this morning!

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton