NATURE
MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE, Nov 4, 2021 (Thursday)
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by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
NATURE
MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE, Nov 4, 2021 (Thursday)
To respond
by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
Please
advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .
Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**Gordon Rattray visited Gray Brook Pond
Wednesday and found a few birds commenting they were mostly far out, so some
photos are documentary. Gordon photographed a Red-throated Loon in
winter plumage. This bird was there on Sunday but unable to get a picture that
day because of rain. A handsome male Pileated Woodpecker also posed
nicely for Gordon’s camera as well as both Common Merganser and Hooded
Mergansers.
**Hummingbirds have not got on the radar recently, but Dale Halfpenny 'broke the ice' seeing a hummingbird Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at Herring Cove, Fundy National Park. Unfortunately, no photo. Dale saw it for about a minute, the closest distance 50 to 60 feet. He could not distinguish any colour, but it looked “drab” all over. It stopped momentarily at various plants and seem to be acting normally. No camera or binoculars as he was hiking and travelling light.It is suggested to leave at least one hummingbird feeder up and maintained until well past freeze up. There is always the chance of Ruby-throated Hummingbird stragglers but also the time of year when very unexpected species of hummingbirds can stray into New Brunswick. In the past, we have had rare species of hummingbirds appear at feeders this time of year to create very lively bird alerts. **Aldo Dorio photographed a
Cattle Egret off the Covedell Road in Tabusintac on Wednesday. True to
its name, it was in the company of cattle.
**Brian Stone points out a Steller’s
Sea Eagle has been spotted near Windsor, Nova Scotia. One has to wonder/assume
this may be the same bird that has visited New Brunswick and Quebec this past
season. If so, wandering like it may be, keep your eyes peeled for a
revisit to New Brunswick.
**We have received the
report back on a leg-banded adult Ruddy Turnstone photographed by Leon Gagnon
on Miscou on August 28, 2021, and photo reattached today.
It was banded in Cape May
County, New Jersey, USA on May 28, 2021. The report said it was hatched in 2019
or earlier.
**In northeastern New
Brunswick, we still unfortunately are not used to watching Northern Cardinal
broods and recording photos. Melanie McCarthy (a former New Brunswick
native) now living in PEI was able to get some photos of young-of-the-year
birds and their molting parents in latter September in her PEI yard. The rather
young-looking juveniles suggest this may be from a 2nd brood.
As one can see in Melanie’s
photos of the adults in latter September, they do look a bit ‘ratty’ as that is
when they molt their feathers to take on a new bright plumage.
The young-of-the-year will
take on a red bill usually by December depending on when they were born.
Melanie saw a male feeding
a female in June and fledglings were reported a few kilometers away in her
community to make her indeed suspect this is the same couple rearing a 2nd
brood in her yard.
**As a point of correction
and learning, scroll back to yesterday’s edition and look closely at Brian
Stone’s excellent photos of the Northern Harrier. A few have pointed out
the warm orange tones on the undercarriage point to it being a juvenile bird to
make gender indeterminate. A good point to be aware of at this time of year
when the juvenile Northern Harriers have not made the complete molt to adult
plumage as yet.
** Brian Stone
went for a short walk on the Riverview Marsh Trail on Wednesday to the
disappointment of his needy camera. There were 3 CANADA GEESE and a
dozen or more GREEN-WINGED TEAL DUCKS inhabiting the ponds beside the
trail. One ICELAND GULL was present, overlooking the teals as
they dabbled. On the far side of the river a BALD EAGLE was perched waiting for whatever might come its way.
**Carl Duivenvoorden sends out a
monthly mail out called Green Ideas. Many New Brunswick naturalists may already
get this, but for those that don’t, the November edition that dealt with leaf
cleanup is very timely and added below:
Quoting Carl's words
“Consider leaving the
leaves alone
November 2, 2021
Better
options for fall leaves
In NB where I live, most leaves have
fallen and people are well into their fall routines of raking, bagging and
placing at the curb.
But maybe there’s a better way.
Consider:
- Leaves are an integral part of our natural
environment, cycling nutrients from one plant to another, and creating
food and habitat for many other life forms
- Bagging takes time and effort, pulling you
away from other things you’d probably rather be doing
- There’s a considerable carbon footprint to
disposing of leaves: notably the paper bags (and presumably the drive to
go pick them up), and especially the energy used to haul them away.
It’s ironic that leaves, which are
actually captured carbon, would have such a carbon footprint for their
collection and disposal. It’s even more ironic that we cut down trees to
manufacture those leaf bags.”
·
Very best: this is one of those very
rare instances where doing nothing is probably the very best option: leave
leaves where they are, to rot and recycle naturally. Of course, that’s
not feasible for many of us so…
·
Next best: rake your leaves under
hedges, into perennial flower beds, into veggie gardens or into nearby woods,
so they can decompose and recycle their nutrients there.
·
Next best: create a compost
heap. Leaves and lawn clippings are a dream team for creating ‘rocket
fuel’ for next year’s garden. More on composting here.
·
Next best: if you don’t have a good
spot for leaves to decompose or compost, find a neighbour who does and would
like to have your leaves. Bonus: try to avoid using bags altogether or
using and reusing just a few.
·
Next best: use your mower (preferably
electric or battery powered) to shred those leaves into mulch that stays on
your lawn. It’ll help improve moisture retention and reduce the need for
fertilizer.
·
Worst: please avoid using leaf
blowers; try a broom instead. If you absolutely have to use a leaf
blower, please make sure it’s electric or battery powered.
·
Very worst: please don’t bag leaves
up as garbage; if buried into landfills, they’ll gradually decompose into
methane, which is a far worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Some interesting thoughts. Mother Nature does not cleanup the leaves in
the forest to make for a very rich forest floor!
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
