NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Oct. 21, 2018 (Sunday)
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Transcript by: David
Christie <maryspt@mac.com>
** A very special moment for
Paul Langelaan on Friday morning, around 9 a.m. when he spotted a FISHER [Pékan]
crossing the Buckley Road near his Second North River home. Paul comments that
it was much larger than a MARTEN [Martre d’Amérique] that he has seen on
another occasion. It was Paul’s first time to see a Fisher in the wild, as I’m
sure would be the case for many others. It is a very secretive and elusive
mammal; a very special sighting.
**
John Inman had a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] arrive in
his 225 Mary’s Point Road feeder yard on Saturday. John has had this species
visit in other years as well, and remain for the winter.
** Dave Christie reports that he
observed a moderate-sized flock of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS [Pluvier argenté],
with some SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS [Pluvier semipalmé] and SANDERLINGS [Bécasseau
sanderling] on Saturday morning at the Mary’s Point beach. Before he could estimate
their numbers, they suddenly departed, followed by the passage of a fast-flying
adult PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin].
Later, he observed a couple of GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] and at
least 11 Semipalmated Plovers in the area of the Harvey Dam, as the tide was
receding around noon hour.
** Mac Wilmot noted EUROPEAN STARLINGS [Étourneau
sansonnet] feeding on VIRGINIA CREEPER [Vigne vierge commune] berries at his
Lower Coverdale home. He has never seen any birds foraging on the berries of
this plant before. Mac also sends a photo of the LOBSTER MUSHROOM [Lactaire
parasité, ou Russule parasitée] that is an easy one to identify, with Mac’s
photo being fairly typical, although this specimen has been invaded by a
secondary white fungus. It’s an interesting species. The red colour and shape
are the result of another species of mushroom, usually of the Russula or
Lactarius genera, being invaded by a secondary fungus, Hypomyces lactifluorum.
It ends up looking totally different from the original mushroom. There are
cautions in the literature about the possibility of the first fungus being a
poisonous one, but this has been a very popular edible for a very long time,
and as far as I’m aware, no reports of it being problematic.
** Aldo Dorio shares two
merganser photos, from the Hay Island area. One is a female HOODED MERGANSER [Harle
couronné]; note the yellow lower mandible of the female that shows up nicely.
Also included are two views of a COMMON MERGANSER [Grand Harle]. I’m assuming
this to be an immature bird, but stand to be corrected.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
COMMON MERGANSER. OCT 20, 2018. ALDO DORIO
COMMON MERGANSER. OCT 20, 2018. ALDO DORIO
EUROPEAN STARLING FORAGING ON VIRGINEA CREEPER. OCT 20, 2018. MAC WILMOT
HOODED MERGANSER (FEMALE). OCT 20, 2018. ALDO DORIO
LOBSTER MUSHROOM. OCT 20, 2018. MAC WILMOT
