NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 20, 2021 (Tuesday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by Susan Richards susan_richards@rogers.com
Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
**Tonight, Tuesday night April 20th,
is Nature Moncton meeting night and a very special one with a virtual visit to
Canada’s newest National Park, Sable Island.
The write-up is at the end of today’s edition with the link to join in
at
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87305712273?pwd=NWxMYUtMczVxNmVKdGZEQmk4MzMvQT09
**Georges
Brun has surely captured a diversity of waterfowl in the Petitcodiac River in
the bend area over the years and especially recently. On Monday it was SCAUP that he
spotted at that site with photos attached.
**Stella
Leblanc photographed a female NORTHERN
CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] that dropped
by their Bouctouche yard on Monday morning.
It only stayed long enough to get a photo, but great to know it is in
the area. The more the better!
**Brian
Coyle has a few new videos to share. He is finding that a beaver dam is an
excellent spot to place a trail camera.
The
Bobcat one is obvious, as we all know that cat’s don’t like to get their feet
wet. The video of the pair of beavers is interesting, as two winters ago, a
trapper cleaned out the entire colony and subsequently the dam breached in one
section. As soon as Brian approached the camera, he could smell the pungent
odour of beaver castor on the dam, which is exactly where the bobcat stopped to
sniff. The pair have begun repairing the breach in the dam, so it looks like
they are claiming this as their territory. Take a look at the action at the
attached links:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wvzjq400crz08hw/DSCF0013.AVI?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k84xp3042vmlwoa/DSCF0008.AVI?dl=0
**Elaine Gallant was pleased to see a new visitor
to her Parlee Beach feeder yard. A female RED-BELLIED WOODPEKER arrived Monday.
Previously, they have only seen the male. Excellent timing!!
**Brian Stone took advantage of the nice (finally) weather on Monday and
walked through Wilson Marsh and the Tucker St. Ducks Unlimited impoundment. Not
a large variety of bird life there yet but he did get his first of year Swamp
Sparrow at Wilson Marsh. Lots of Canada Geese present and Red-winged Blackbird
numbers are increasing. Honey Bees were enjoying the Coltsfoot flowers at both
sites. A small group of Ring-necked Ducks were still hanging out at a good
distance.
At Tucker St. Brian noted a
slightly larger variety of ducks and slightly larger numbers. There were many
American Wigeon pairs, lots of Canada Geese with some sitting on nests, also
Ring-necked Ducks and one pair of Black Scoters. Tree Swallows were flying
actively overhead and a Woolly Bear caterpillar posed on a twig to show his not
often seen feet.
**Gordon Rattray has been doing surveys at the ponds in
the Hillsborough area to see if the duck numbers are improving, and they are
but slow.
Today in
Hillsborough Wetlands Park, 2 AMERICAN
WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique], 2 GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d'hiver] 21 NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] lots of CANADA GEESE [Bernache du
Canada], Gordon flushed an AMERICAN BITTERN [Butor d'Amérique], and 1 BLACK SCOTER [Macreuse
noire].
At Gray Brook
Marsh, there were 7 RING-NECKED DUCK [Fuligule
à collier], a pair of HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné], a pair of
Black Ducks [canard noir], several pairs of MALLARD [Canard colvert] and 3 CANADA GOOSE [Bernache du Canada] on their
nests.
** Nature Moncton April meeting
April 20,
2021 at 7:00 PM
Virtual
Meeting
Presenter:
Greg Stroud
“Sable
Island: Canada’s newest National Park”
Canada’s
newest National Park, Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia may be
difficult to arrange a visit to and chances are many of us may never get that
opportunity. That is about to change on April 20, 2021 when the Nature Moncton
April meeting will pay a virtual visit to this unique place guided by Greg
Stroud, a veteran to guiding naturalists.
Sable Island
is home to special members of Mother Nature’s wildlife community. Yes, the
special feral horses taken to Sable Island since the mid 1700’s are still present and surviving this unique environment.
Walrus are no longer present; however, some seal species call it home, and
sharks visit the area with seals in mind. It is also the summer breeding ground
of the Ipswich Sparrow, a subspecies of the Savannah Sparrow.
Greg Stroud,
Operations Coordinator for Sable Island National Park Reserve, who lives on
Sable Island 6 months of the year and is intimately familiar with it, will be
our private guide to showcase this special place to us.
Greg is no
stranger to guiding naturalists. Greg has been a professional Nature guide for
various tour companies as well as worked at various positions at National Parks
across Canada. Greg is an avid birder and when not birding can be found
canoeing or kayaking in the backcountry or exploring on his mountain bike where
he lives in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.
This not to
miss presentation will be virtual due to Covid 19 restrictions. The link for
anyone anywhere to join will be:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87305712273?pwd=NWxMYUtMczVxNmVKdGZEQmk4MzMvQT09
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
