NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February
17, 2021 (Wednesday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** A big “Thank You” goes out to Mike
Holland, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development for taking the
time to be the Nature Moncton presenter on Tuesday evening. Mike spoke very off
the cuff and was very genuine in commenting that he enjoyed being amongst a
group of similarly minded folk. It was very enlightening about how his portfolio
was going to reach their Protected Natural Area goal and made it clear that he
was a bureaucrat role to fulfill but is also very aware of what is out there and what needs to
happen and has a plan to have it happen sooner, not later.
** Jane Leblanc shared a photo of a BALD
EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] lunching on something on the St. Martins beach
at low tide. I felt that it may be a skate which Alyre Chiasson looked at today
and agrees commenting that the tail gives it away with the 2 dorsal fins that
show nicely when the photo is clicked on to make it full screen. Alyre comments
that this odd looking fish is common in our waters, including the Bay of Fundy.
It likes sandy to gravel substrate and it frequents the shallows, typically
found above 60 meters. It has no commercial fishery other than possibly as bait
for lobster traps.
** Grant Ramsey reports he had a great
weekend birdwatching at their feeder yard on the Richibucto River to include a good-sized
flock of EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] and a nice diversity of other
expected regulars.
Grant sends thanks to Roger Leblanc for
the inspiration to get some Saw-whet Owl boxes up, putting them up in a conifer
stand near a water source such as a stream, river, or swamp 12 to 15 feet high
and facing south. Photos are attached.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
