NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 6, 2017 (Monday)
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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)
** Brian Coyle reports a COYOTE [Coyote] that he watched in a field off
Upper Mountain Road on Saturday, as it kept pouncing on an area like a fox would
do. It repeated that behaviour for approximately 10 minutes. Brian comments that
the tail of the animal was almost completely denuded of fur, suggesting
SARCOPTIC MANGE [gale sarcoptique].
On that subject, recently on the Tantramar Marsh, Pat and I saw a RED FOX
[Renard roux] that was in extremely poor condition, approximately 70% denuded of
its pelage. Sarcoptic mange would have to be the first rule-out for that animal
as well. Sarcoptic mange is a serious mite infection of canines that leads to
fur loss and inability to fend off cold temperatures.
** Danny Sullivan watched a BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] pair on a
utility pole at the intersection of the Irishtown Road and the Trans-Canada
Highway recently, suggesting a bonded pair with housekeeping in mind.
** As a response to the comments about Eurasian HERRING GULL [Goéland
argenté] yesterday, Jim Edsall mentions that birders in the Halifax area are
indeed watching carefully for signs of Eurasian Herring Gulls, but none have
been positively identified as yet. Jim also notes that they have been noticing
some winter Herring Gulls with clean white heads as early as three weeks
ago.
Nelson Poirier,