Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 1 2016

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE - November 1, 2016 (Tuesday)

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Edited by : Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by : Louise Richard richlou@nbnet.nb.ca

Info Line # : 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** Laura London in Sackville had a yard surprise when she arrived home mid-day on Monday: 25-30 AMERICAN CROWS [Corneille d’Amérique] were creating a major raucous in her yard. She quickly moved over to see what they were fussing about to spot a BARRED OWL [Chouette rayée] on the ground by a shed. It flew to a tree where she got a photo. A neighbour’s cat came onto her deck but she thought it was probably quite safe from any owl due to the owl being under siege from the crows and the cat happening to be a very large CAT [chat]. However, she did soon note a giant puncture wound on the cat’s head. She did not see any attack on the cat but wondered if that is what had taken place.

** Georges Brun notes a patch of MULTI-FLORA ROSE [rosier multiflore] with its clinging winter hips near the entrance of the Rabbit Brook walking trail on Connaught Ave approximately 125-150 feet from the entrance near the roadway fence. This is considered an invasive plant but can be very attractive for overwintering fruit connoisseur birds, giving a food source as well as protection in its thick thorny brambles. Definitely a spot to monitor this winter. There’s also a large patch building up at the entrance of the Bell Marsh trail.

** Louise Nichols comments the shorebirds in the Sackville Waterfowl Park were down to 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] on Monday, however, GADWALLS [Canard chipeau] were just about taking over.

** Brian Stone, Danny Sullivan, Larry Sherrard and I were honoured to be able to take in a release of 200+ ready-to-spawn ATLANTIC SALMON [Saumon atlantique] into an upward tributary of the Petitcodiac River on Monday. It was an eye popping event. The Inner bay of Fundy subspecies of the Atlantic Salmon is now classed as endangered and remnant stock has been captured and gene banked to save it from permanent extinction at Mactaquac and some raised out in a specially-made sea cage set up off Grand Manan. This remnant stock with many at spawning age are being released into some of the Bay of Fundy rivers from which they were lost such as the Point Wolfe and the Petitcodiac Rivers. Monday was Petitcodiac River day. A portion of this invaluable portion of banked stock was released on Monday. Brian Stone got many photos of the event that are added today including the large especially equipped trucks loaded with the salmon bounty that were then taken to a tributary with a convoy of project co-ordinators and volunteers in toe. The event seemed to go flawlessly and hopefully wild endangered Inner-bay of Fundy Atlantic Salmon will be spawning soon to create recruits for a successful recovery. Note in the photos Tim Robinson and Edmund Redfield from the Fort Folly Habitat Recovery Program are shown, who will present to Nature Moncton on December 13. A television crew was also present that aired the event on Monday evening’s news that can be viewed at

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/salmon-released-petitcodiac-1.3830154

Brian Stone also took many other still photos that can be viewed by clicking onto https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hoad99wkkkpxepw/AAB1mOAQlj0JPcxzJtAaqz8Xa?dl=0

An amazing and potentially historic event !

** Some very obvious errors to correct from yesterday’s photos which are now correct on the Blogspot. The nice photo of the shorebird at Hay Island is a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER [Bécasseau à croup ion blanc], not a Dunlin. Note the long primary projection of the wings beyond the tertials and tail, and the white speculum. The White-Rumped Sandpiper is one of the sandpipers that can tarry late in the season. The tip of the bill may look drooped as a Dunlin would be, but it is not. Also in Jamie Burris’ photos the female NORTHERN PINTAILS [Canard pilet] were mislabeled as Wigeon. Note the difference in the bills of the 2 species and the demarkation on the neck present in the female Wigeons that is not present in female Pintails. These errors were mine, not the photographer’s. The photos are re-attached correctly today.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton