Editor & Proofreader

Editor: Nelson Poirier    Proofreader: Louise Nichols

Wednesday, 27 October 2021

Oct 27 2021

NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE, Oct. 27, 2021 (Wednesday)

 

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

 

  **Richard Blacquiere comments you never know what will pop up at the Hampton Lagoon. Tuesday morning it was an American Wigeon with unusually white neck and cheeks. It was the 1st time Richard had ever seen anything like this. An Internet search revealed it’s a fairly rare variant occasionally seen and photographed. They are, apparently, also known to hunters as the ‘White-cheeked Wigeon’ or ‘Storm Wigeon’. No one has an explanation of why ‘Storm’ can be used.

 

 

**Jim Johnson in Scotch Settlement saw the article on swallow mortality in nest boxes being checked. He checked his 14 boxes and there were 2 dead young nestlings only.

 

Jim also comments on the photo of a Raven with the white chest patch in a recent edition. Jim comments a similar Raven followed him around while plowing a field last week.

 

 

**Attractive flower heads can surely change as Mother Nature advises them to set seed to procreate. Pat Gibbs photographed the attached photo of a matured seed head. On consultation with Gart Bishop, he felt it to be the Bull Thistle. This species has a two-year cycle only producing seeds in the 2nd year. The seeds of thistles are very sought after by some birds, especially the American Goldfinch.

 

 

**Debbie Batog’s daughter got quite a shock when a Ruffed Grouse hit a window. She thought it was a gunshot commenting she had never heard of a grouse flying that fast that it could do so much damage. There was another bird (grouse) close by calling to the deceased bird.

 

I have had several reports over the years of grouse window strikes creating this substantial damage. They are very fast flyers and heavyset birds.

 

**Louise Nichols checked her swallow boxes Tuesday, and it wasn’t encouraging. She checked 4 of her 5 boxes because one box she has not been able to open since she got it. Of the 4 checked only one appeared to be successful. Two of the boxes had dead swallows in them much like has been found elsewhere this year. The 4th box had a nest which seemed more like a chickadee nest than a swallows; it was made primarily from moss. Louise thought she saw only swallow activity at that box and didn’t notice any chickadee activity there, but maybe she missed something. There were 4 unhatched Black-capped Chickadee eggs in the box. (Swallow eggs are pure white. Black- capped Chickadee eggs have pale brown speckling) There was also the remnants of a wasp nest, so Louise wasn’t sure if the wasps may have invaded the box which is what stopped the eggs from hatching. Louise attaches 2 photos of this last nest; one the way she found it when she opened the box with the wasp nest. The other shows the eggs that were underneath the wasp nest remnants.

 

Sad to see. Louise wonders what happened to the swallows she.

 

Some (but not all) recent reports coming in is suggesting Tree Swallow boxes did not have a good year the year. The cold period In the spring when nesting usually starts may have been a factor. However, this is simply a potential suggestion.

 

**Aldo Dorio photographed 2 Red Knots that seem to be lingering at Hay Island. This is not a shorebird that we see that often so nice to be able to share a photo of them in their winter plumage.

 

Aldo also photographed a Dunlin which is much more expected shorebird to linger with us late in the season.

 

**Anna Tucker enjoyed walking the Riverfront Trail on Tuesday. She noted male Ring-necked Pheasants as expected enjoying this particular habitat. There were many Mallard Ducks, with males now in full breeding plumage, in the pond behind the stores on Main Street.

 

Anna also noted many fresh Shaggy Mane mushrooms popping up in the mulch behind the A&W location.

 

 

 

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

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AMERICAN WIGEON AKA 'WHITE-CHEEKED WIGEON' OR 'STORM WIGEON'. OCT 26, 2021. RICHARD BLACQUIERE

RED KNOTS. OCT 26, 2021. ALDO DORIO

DUNLIN. OCT 26, 2021. ALDO DORIO

RUFFED GROUSE AFTER WINDOW STRIKE, OCT 26, 2021. DEBBIE BATOG

RUFFED GROUSE WINDOW STRIKE, OCT 26, 2021. DEBBIE BATOG

MALLARD DUCKS. OCT 26, 2021. ANNA TUCKER

MALLARD DUCK (MALE). OCT 26, 2021. ANNA TUCKER

RING-NECKED PHEASANT (MALE). OCT 26, 2021. ANNA TUCKER


BULL THISTLE (SUSPECTED). OCT 24, 2021. PAT GIBBS

RIVERFRONT TRAIL. OCT 26, 2021. ANNA TUCKER

SHAGGY MANE MUSHROOMS. OCT 26, 2021.  ANNA TUCKER

SHAGGY MANE MUSHROOMS. OCT 26, 2021.  ANNA TUCKER

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE EGGS IN SWALLOW BOX. OCT. 21, 2021. LOUISE NICHLS

SWALLOW BOX NEST AS FOUND. OCT. 26, 2021. LOUISE NICHOLS