Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 17 2021

NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE,

Nov 17, 2021 (Wednesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**It’s black oil sunflower seed delivery day today with yesterday’s instructions repeated at the end of the message.

**A very big Thank You to Brian Donovan for ‘zooming’ in to join Nature Moncton on Tuesday evening and give an extremely interesting presentation on trail camera use and some of the amazing footage of wildlife Brian has captured we are not used to seeing. The participant enthusiasm was obvious as was Brian’s contagious enthusiasm in sharing his passion.

Some folks were not able to attend. President Fred was able to record the session and we will have a Dropbox link so folks who missed it can still sit in on it just as participants did on Tuesday night. That Dropbox link will be placed on the blog as soon as it is available.

** Two Northern Flickers came around Yolande LeBlanc’s Memramcook yard on Tuesday. She saw them first on the trunk of a Tamarack tree, then to the Mountain Ash, but a bully Blue Jay chased them away. The pair of Northern Cardinals come around most every day, early morning, or late afternoon, just before dark.

** Cathy and Isabelle Simon went for a walk on the Humphrey Brook trail on November 14 and saw Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, several Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinch, and a Golden-crowned Kinglet. In addition, they saw a large patch of Pink Earth Lichen. (Editors note: Pink Earth Lichen favours growing in disturbed areas and can be strikingly beautiful, especially after a rain accentuates the pink colour of the fruiting bodies (apothecia)).

**Brian Stone toured Mill Creek Park in Riverview on Tuesday to find mostly just cold, dim, windy weather and a few minor snow flurries. He did manage to spot a lone GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET very high in a bare tree and then a large flock of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH similarly high in a bare tree (Editor’s note: the seeds within the catkins of birch are very favoured fodder of American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, and Common Redpoll in late fall and early winter which is the reason we don’t often see large numbers of these species at our feeders until well into December). Beyond that Brian got some park scenery images to display the newly minted trails and infrastructure.

Brian also shares several photos of the trails of Mill Creek Park. This is an area many naturalists are still discovering and hopefully lots more photos will be arriving as naturalists discover it. The large dam was built when the Coverdale Naval Base was there and now decommissioned. There has been a lot of debate whether this structure should be repaired or removed, both being costly undertakings.

**** Sue and Fred Richards announce the sunflower seed pick-up will happen today, Wednesday November 17th, from 3pm to 6pm in the SOUTHWEST corner of the Coliseum parking lot.

Farmer Mike Dickinson asked

- that everyone wear a mask,

-everyone stay in their vehicle,

-each vehicle will drive up one at a time,

-give him or his helper the money in an envelope - correct amount in the envelope ($17 per bag)

-mike and his helper will load the vehicle

and then you drive away.

If you can't make it on this schedule, please have someone pick up your order for you.

These instructions are in place to observe Covid-19 regulations and allow this year's delivery to happen safely.

Fred and Sue Richards will be on site.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier