NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Sept. 6, 2021 (Monday)
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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)
**Peter
Gadd got an excellent photo of a LESER YELLOWLEGS at Hay Island on Sunday
that nicely shows bill length compared to Greater Yellowlegs and the more
petite features.
**All
Thanks to Roger Leblanc for leading a keen group of participants to Petit Cap
to look for shorebirds and the other things that pop up when a group of
naturalists’ eyes start looking. Several
shorebirds were seen and appreciated but not in high numbers. A few DUNLINS were seen as well as BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS which so often tend to linger later.
It
was interesting to watch a young-of-the-year CASPIAN TERN begging from
its adult parent. The juvenile shows the scaling on the wing versus the homogeneous
grey of the adult. The Caspian Tern is
the world’s largest Tern.
The number of GREAT BLUE HERONS was
remarkable, seeing dozens upon dozens of them and watching them forage
especially on FLOUNDER and their antics consuming them. They were
getting other prey appearing to be EEL and crustaceans. There were many
juveniles. The juveniles lack the white on the crown and show a dark upper
mandible whereas the adults have the white central crown and both mandibles
(bill) all yellow.
The
SEASIDE GOLDENROD was in brilliant bloom and were very popular
with SALT MARSH CATERPILLARS. The
adult of the Salt Marsh Caterpillar is the Salt Marsh Moth of which a picture
is added from Wikipedia.
RING-BILLED GULLS were abundant. Many of this gull species will migrate southerly in early
winter. Note the black streaking/speckling starting on the head which indicates
begin of winter plumage and others show the broken dark tail band of immaturity.
BALD EAGLES
made passes as did a few BANK SWALLOWS that were moving about swiftly on
their insect foraging mission.
It
was quite a surprise to see several LLAMAS and ALPACAS being
walked like large dogs on the beach which got lots of photos. One alpaca was
strikingly groomed looking like a space poodle! A Llama footprint in the excellent wet sand
substrate which expect would leave many of us scratching our heads if we were
not aware of what it was.
A
young-of-the-year NORTHERN HARRIER floated low over the marsh area to
give great observations clearly showing the signature white upper tail coverts and its slight dihedral flight style with quick turns. The Northern
Harrier is an interesting raptor as the adult genders have distinctly different
plumage whereas the young-of-the-year is a cinnamon brown striking plumage with
both genders being the same as a juvenile. The one the group saw well was an
immature.
It
was interesting to meet a gentleman gathering sea glass and had a bucketful of
the booty which he let us photograph. An interesting hobby to take note of.
The
weather was favourable with no wind and biting insects were low in numbers.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
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