Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 14 2016

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE - November 14, 2016 (Sunday)

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

Transcript by : David Christie maryspt@mac.com

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

** Tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 15, is Nature Moncton’s November meeting night. Our guest will be Stephen Clayden, who will give a presentation on our Acadian Forest and what makes it so unique and special. The write-up is added below.

NATURE MONCTON NOVEMBER MEETING

Tuesday, November 15 at 7:00 PM

Guest speaker: Stephen Clayden

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

Title: The Acadian Forest

We live in a very special part of the world in New Brunswick.

The Maritime Provinces encompass the transition between temperate deciduous (“hardwood”) and boreal evergreen (“softwood”) forests in northeastern North America. Red spruce is a signature species of this region, but many other conifers and hardwoods are present, forming a mosaic of forest communities that reflect both environmental and historical influences. This diverse and distinctive assemblage was first termed the Acadian Forest by William E. D. Halliday in 1937 in his pioneering classification of the forest regions of Canada. Since then, the name has gained widespread use by ecologists, foresters, and conservationists. It has also entered the popular imagination, conjuring up the special character of the woods of the Maritimes. In this talk, Stephen Clayden will provide an overview of the Acadian Forest: how it came to be recognized by that name; its variation across the region and modification by human pressures; and the challenges involved in conserving its rich biodiversity, known and unknown.

** The BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEED order will arrive on Tuesday night, so those who have reserved seed, should arrive a bit early to get their ordered seed. Mike Dickinson will be there at 5:30, so that orders can be picked up and avoid congestion in the parking lot.

** The second half of the meeting will have very minimal business and be devoted to sightings, photos and videos that the members bring in. Some have been building up from what could not be shown last month. Anyone with photos to share, bring them on a flash drive and make sure to give them to whoever is setting up the projector at the start of the meeting.

** The HAMMOND’S FLYCATCHER [Moucherolle de Hammond] that Jim and Jean Wilson found in Fundy National Park on Saturday surely created a big buzz of folks on Sunday. It was spotted briefly by several people, at least twice at the same spot where Jim and Jean found it. Other observers left without having seen it.
However, insects were indeed flying in the warm temperatures of Sunday. With the forecast of continuing warm weather this week, it’s possible that this rarity can still be relocated. This flycatcher’s summer breeding area is western North America.

** From recent reports, it seems that there is an increased number of EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] in the area, especially where many bird-feeding yards have already had visits from small numbers. Other observations have come from sites without feeders. Pat Muirhead from ANAGANCE added to the growing list of hosts when she had her first visits of this species on Saturday.

** A few of us stopped to investigate a road-killed bird on Route 11 last week. The head and tail could not be located but the wingspread could be made to nicely show wing feathers, and one foot showed that the tarsus and toes were feathered; there was a very heavy talon and it was a large bird. Dave Christie did some checking and found that these features and the wing feather pattern matched GREAT HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d’Amérique] plumage. Note these features in the photos.

** Brian Stone dropped by the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Sunday and noted a few DOWITCHERS [Bécassin sp.] Dowitchers moving through this late have a high likelihood of being Long-billed Dowitchers, however, it’s very difficult to rule out the possibility of late Short-billed Dowitchers without hearing the distinctly different vocalizations. The Long-billed Dowitcher makes a sharp, highly pitched ‘keek,' while the Short-billed Dowitcher call is a mellow 'tu-tu-tu.’ Anyone visiting the Sackville Waterfowl Park this week should watch for these birds and be alert for vocalizations. The same situation occurred at the waterfowl park a few years ago, with Long-billed Dowitchers being present late in the season.

Brian also got a photo of a female RING-NECKED DUCK [Fuligule à collier] that posed nicely, and a frontal view of a pair of GADWALLS [Canard chipeau] out of the water; we don’t often see them that way.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton