NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Feb 13, 2022 (Sunday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**Louise and Glen Nichols checked Glen's hives in their
Aulac yard in the warmth of Saturday afternoon to find the bees were out and
active. It's very strange to be standing in the snow of February and see
bees buzzing by. The bees emerge on warm winter days to 'poop' (as can be
seen in one of Louise's photos of the bee in the snow), and also to check
things out to see if any foraging opportunities exist yet. Not all the
bees make it back to the hive at this time of year and it is common to see a
number of dead bees in the snow. Louise attaches a few photos to show the
activity around the hive on a mild day in winter.
**Brian Stone went for a long drive on Friday over
Caledonia Mountain in hopes of finding some interesting nature to photograph.
The day was sunny and mild, and the Caledonia Mountain Rd. was plowed, but
narrow. Brian passed several snowplows widening the road along the way over the
top. There were many American Robins foraging alongside all the roads he
travelled but he didn't see any large flocks. The largest number of a species
that Brian saw was the Red-breasted Nuthatch, numbering 4 to 6 at every
stop he made for a total 20+. Black-capped Chickadees were also
present at all the stops but in smaller numbers at 3 or 4 at each stop. Blue
Jays showed up at 2 stops to number just 4.
Brian was
hoping to locate Red Crossbills but they were scarce along the road with
just one showing up briefly at a great distance. He heard a few more deep in
the woods but they decided to stay there and hide from the camera.
While Brian
was standing on the roadside listening for crossbills a pair of Canada Jays
popped out of the woods to investigate him. They left unimpressed and went
about their business elsewhere. (Editors note: it’s hard to not add more photos of this species we don't often get the chance to appreciate).
Brian noticed that in the area where he saw
and heard the crossbills the Balsam Fir cones in the trees were stripped
to their stalks. (Editors note: note that the cones of balsam fir always stand
upright)
Brian
stepped outside the car in the middle of the Caledonia Mountain Rd. on Friday
and noticed puzzling tracks on the side of the road. They appear to be canine
but are quite a bit larger than would normally be seen with coyotes. The print was
almost the size of his palm, and were fresh, not melted out. The trail showed an alternating
stride from short to long. Some were quite longer than in his images. It might
suggest a large domestic dog, but it came out of the woods for a long distance
and then went back in. There were no homes or buildings in the area. Still, a domestic dog is possible, but it just struck Brian as strange. (Editors note: the paw
size does seem very large for coyote; however, the size of coyotes does vary
considerably. It is not a coyote in a normal trot as stride should be in the 18-19 inch range. One has to be aware that it is mating season and movements
may be erratic. Following on the domestic dog thought, it is quite normal for
the trail of a dog to be erratic. Food for thought as always seems to be the case with
tracks and trails in the snow!)
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
