**We
may have a very interesting season coming up on the Tantramar Marsh. Roger
LeBlanc visited the Tantramar Marsh on Thursday to note dozens of NORTHERN
HARRIERS [Busard Saint-Martin] in all three plumages of male, female, and
juvenile. They stayed until well after sunset and encountered no SHORT-EARED
OWLS [Hibou des marais], at least in the section of the marsh they covered. The
big surprise was seeing at least three ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS [Buse pattue]. They
did see Rough-legged Hawks four or five places, but could say at least three by
different plumages. September 29th
seems early for Rough-legged Hawks to be arriving in New Brunswick in any
number, so it could mean a great winter of Raptor [Rapace] observations on the
Tantramar. They saw RED-TAILED HAWKS [Buse à queue rousse] and BALD EAGLES
[Pygargue à tête blanche] as well. A real Raptor bonanza day, and there must be
an excellent food supply of MEADOW VOLES [Campagnol des champs] on the marsh
this past year.
**Gordon
Rattray, Brian Stone, and I paid a visit to the relatively new and nearby Ducks
Unlimited impoundment at the end of Tucker Street in Upper Coverdale, and were
all surprised to see the scope of it, and will be making return visits for
certain, as the visit had to be short. There were many Ducks [Canard] in various
plumages, and Shorebirds [Oiseau de rivage]. A few SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des
prés] cooperated nicely for photos, and some BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS [Pluvier
argenté] got some studying looks for the possibility of an AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER [Pluvier bronzé] among them. Only Black-bellied Plovers were
identified from photographs; that difference which is closer at this time of
year with basic and juvenile plumages. Gilles Belliveau makes excellent comments
with a few things to help. The black, white, and grey colouration immediately
rules out American Golden-Plover, which should have some brown or yellow tones.
The birds in today’s photos lack the dark cap and auriculars
which would contrast much more with the white supercilium
to create a bolder pattern, and the bill size is bigger and bolder in the
Black-bellied Plover than the American Golden-Plover.The primary extension
(folded wing tips over the tail in the sitting bird) is longer in the American
Golden Plover than the Black-bellied Plover.
Gordon
Rattray also got a photo of a Black-bellied Plover at Waterside Beach on Friday
morning.
**Aldo
Dorio submits a photo of a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis]
which is a nice clear photo in nice positioning for this usually quick-moving
small bird. Aldo also got photos of a HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] on
Thursday from a few different angles, another hard bird to get out in the open
to cooperate for a photo.
**Brian
Stone and I spent part of Friday with
Edmund Redfield, Trystan Knockwood , and Matthew Valpuk as they tended the live
trap
nets in the Petitcodiac River in Salisbury as part of the monitoring effort of
the
Petitcodiac River Fish Recovery program. It was very revealing
to see firsthand
how they do this, and see the set of records kept on each fish taken from the
trap before release. It’s always amazing to see what’s travelling
and living under the water surface we just don’t get to see. The extensive
records they are keeping will form a very significant record of what is
happening each year. This is changing dramatically since they started records in
2010. Several photos of the visit are attached. Edmund Redfield will be one of
the presenters at the December 13th
Nature Moncton meeting, to share the records obtained and what they
mean.
**I’m
attaching a photo of one of several HEN OF THE WOODS Mushrooms [Polypore en
touffe] growing under an OAK [Chêne] tree in downtown Moncton. I did not find
the cache myself but was given the location after an oath not to reveal the
location. Note the Oak Acorn
[Gland de Chêne] beside.
The Hen of the Woods is found associated always with Oak. Victoria Park has Oak
trees and I have had reports of Hen of the Woods growing there in other years.
I’m also attaching a photo of a juvenile WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge
blanche] still showing breast stripes, that came by the feeder area on
Friday.
Nelson
Poirier
Nature
Moncton
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 02. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, (WATERSIDE). SEPTEMBER 30, 2016. GORDON RATTRAY
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. SEPTEMBER 30, 2016. GORDON RATTRAY
DUCKS UNLIMITED TUCKER ST. IMPOUNDMENT SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
TOMCOD. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
GASPEREAU (JUVENILE) SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
GEM-STUDDED PUFFBALL MUSHROOMS. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE
HEN-OF-THE-WOODS MUSHROOM.OCT 1, 2016.NELSON POIRIER
LIVE FISH TRAP SET. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
MUSKRAT TO BE RELEASED ELSEWHERE. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.OCT 1, 2016.ALDO DORIO
SAFFRON-WINGED MEADOWHAWK DRAGONFLY 01. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE
SAVANNAH SPARROW. SEPTEMBER 30, 2016. GORDON RATTRAY
SPOTTED SPREADWING DAMSELFLY. SEPT. 30, 2016. BRIAN STONE
STRIPED BASS (JUVENILE) SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
HERMIT THRUSH.SEPT 30, 2016.ALDO DORIO.
HERMIT THRUSH.SEPT 30, 2016.ALDO DORIO.
PETITCODIAC RIVER FISH MONITERING TEAM. SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
EEL (PIT TAG BEING INSERTED) SEPT 30, 2016.BRIAN STONE
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (JUVENILE).OCT 1, 2016.NELSON POIRIER (2)
