Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 8 2021

NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE, Nov 8, 2021 (Monday)

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 .

**A pleasant surprise Sunday morning for Suzanne Rousseau to find a male Red-bellied Woodpecker to her Sussex feeder. She hasn’t seen the species for a couple of years and comments “it just made my day”.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker appears to be expanding its northern range but doing so slowly.

**John Inman is getting a good start to the birdfeeder season. He has been enjoying by a female Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, a few remnant Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles. Saturday was hawk day for John when Sharp-shinned Hawks, a Peregrine Falcon, and a Northern Goshawk arrived. John comments it’s understandable as approximately 100 Rock Pigeons have become patrons to make for choice raptor pray.
Great to get 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker reports in one day. Unfortunately, the differing genders are long distance apart.

**The waxing crescent Moon and Venus put on another sky-high display on Sunday night in the crystal-clear sky. Yvette Richard caught it from her Cocagne home at 7:33 PM.

****Brian Stone also photographed the 10% full, waxing crescent Moon on Sunday evening at sunset as it was close to the planet Venus in the twilight sky, near the horizon.

**Clarence Cormier reports that from his bird arrival dates in his journals, some species he has had at his Grande Digue site by this time in other years are not visiting his yard as yet. This includes American Tree Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, and Pine Grosbeak.

**Jim Johnson in Scotch Settlement reports he had placed a Kestrel nest box in a field behind his home and was surprised to have Tree Swallows use it appearing to be successful with no unhatched eggs or dead nestlings but will used nest remnants.

**Larry Sherrard came across a plump, sleek, Yellow-spotted Salamander not wishing to move away on a very cool morning recently. This would no doubt change as the day’s warmth would warm its body temperature to find an appropriate probably underground area to ride out the cool weather ahead.

**John Hamer reports he came across a large Black Bear deceased on the road from a vehicle strike just south of the last exit to Amherst going south. Her cub was 200 yards further on.
There are reports that Black Bear numbers are up due to less hunting pressure due to covid-19 stopping out of province hunters from partaking in the hunt.

**The Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly is a dragonfly that flies very late in the season. It was still a pleasant surprise to come across both male and female perching on a sunny location to absorb the sun’s warmth even though a distinct chill was in the air on Sunday, November 7.