Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 18 2016

** Tonight, Tuesday, October 18th, is Nature Moncton meeting night at the Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge across from Cabela’s at 7pm. The guest presenter will be Jeff Clements who will have some very interesting up to date information on OCEAN CHANGES which may explain a lot about things happening at the moment. The write-up of Jeff’s presentation is attached.

NATURE MONCTON OCTOBER MEETING

Tuesday, October 18 at 7:00 PM

Guest speaker: Jeff Clements, Scientist with the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans

Place: MAPLETON PARK ROTARY LODGE (across from Cabela’s)

Title: What Happens as the Oceans Become More Acidified?

Commonly known as the “other CO₂ problem”, ocean acidification is a recently-discovered phenomenon by which carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere dissolves into the oceans and lowers seawater pH, causing it to become more acidic. Unfortunately, when CO₂increases and pH drops, ocean-dwelling animals can be affected. Furthermore, on top of ocean acidification, these animals also have to deal with an increasingly warmer ocean and a swath of other environmental changes! This leads to much uncertainty and concern for the future of our oceans in a changing world.

In this talk, Jeff will introduce the topic of ocean acidification by discussing what is and how it works, and will highlight some of the biological, ecological and societal consequences associated with ocean acidification. He will also talk about the current state of ocean acidification research and will wrap up by highlighting some of the work that he has been doing right here at home in the Bay of Fundy.

** We have been trying to make the 2nd half of the meetings now predominantly items brought in by members to show and talk about with business being left to the Board to do. That will change for this meeting only as the AGM and Election of Officers has to take place. However, if time permits, members’ items will be shown along with sightings, so bring along anything you have in case there is time.

** Dale Gaskin reports the sunflower seed order from NB farmer Mike Dickinson will be delivered at the November 15th meeting. Dale has been taking down names of folks for the number of bags they have reserved, which is now up to 108, and unfortunately Mr. Dickinson will only be able to bring a maximum of 110 bags in a load, so things pretty well sold out! There are usually some that are reserved that don’t get picked up, so being there at the meeting in November may still have a few bags available.

** There are now 2 EASTERN TOWHEES [Tohi à francs roux] in Alma. Doris Hatt reported a female to her 8537 Main St, Alma, feeder on Saturday and Sunday and on Tuesday morning Doreen Rossiter has had a male Eastern Towhee arrive to her feeder yard. Interesting to hear of 2 of these species to put in an appearance in NB in consecutive days. Does this mean we may get a bit of an influx of uncommon species over the next days and weeks?

** There are several species of birds that, with patience, will accept food from human hands, especially the Black-Capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Pine Siskins, but not usually the Blue Jay. A BLUE JAY [Geai bleu] has Paul Nickerson completely trained to fetch peanuts when it wants them! A number of Blue Jays have been coming to Paul’s yard since the young fledged, but one has come to his hand for peanuts and staying there until it has a beak full and flies off with the bootie. If it is ignored when it returns, it will land at the window fluttering and squawking until Paul obeys its call. A content Blue Jay and a well-trained Paul Nickerson :)

** Signs of the season and of the changing of the guard, SNOW BUNTING [Bruant des neiges] are arriving. Aldo Dorio photographed some at Hay Island on Monday.

** In sleuthing for the pleasant fall scenes at the moment, Ray Gauvin shares a photo of fall leaves around St Bernard’s Church in downtown Moncton.

** Brian and Annette Stone and Danny and Nicole Sullivan made a day trip to Kouchibouguac on Monday to note several interesting items. They came across an APPLE TREE [pommier] full of EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant], an uncommon event in recent years. Some small GREEN FROGS [Grenouille verte] were found around a small pond and fish that appear to be STICKLEBACK [epinoche], a Beaver Pond was active with fresh lumbering being done, seemingly to prefer BIRCH [bouleau]. Brian also photographed some mushrooms including the common BIRCH POLYPORE, WOLF’S-MILK SLIME mould, and a CHAGA mushroom growing on a Birch tree as it always does. This mushroom is black on the outside and brown on the inside, and has become very much in demand as a potential medical mushroom, which some literature now is suggesting it may be correct. They also visited the Perry Rd where the Greater-White Fronted Goose had been recently seen, but did not locate it among the very large Goose flock there.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton