Nature Moncton Nature News: April 10 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

April 10, 2022 (Sunday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

*Louise Nichols investigated the small pond behind their house in Aulac to find things coming back to life. Frogs were obviously present as a number splashed under water as Louise approached. She was able to get a distant shot of a pair of eyes looking at her before that frog too dove under. She assumes the frogs are Wood Frogs, but was not able to get close enough for a definite ID. No frogs are vocalizing yet, but she did hear a single Spring Peeper on and off in the afternoon, similar to the way we hear single peepers in fall. Louise doesn't recall hearing just a single frog peeping in the spring before.

Some water insects were present, including a number of Predacious Diving Beetles. Louise also saw a dragonfly nymph swimming in the pond and a fairly large tadpole that must have overwintered there. She also caught sight of a couple of chrysalis-like balls attached to some grass blades in the pond. They were too far out for Louise to grab, so she had to settle for an underwater documentary photo of one. She wonders if they could be caddisfly larvae.

In addition to pond life, other insect life was present in the woods including a number of Mourning Cloak Butterflies, the first Louise has seen this spring. (Editor’s note: the Mourning Cloak Butterfly is one of the few that overwinters as the adult and ready for flight at first warmth).

**Georges Brun captured striking photo of a brilliant male Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker that landed on a Spruce tree along his urban Moncton driveway.

Georges also photographed a lone male Black Scoter across from Halls Creek on the Petitcodiac River.

Smelts have been migrating upriver with the tide to spawn since the New Moon (April 1, 2022). This will be providing forage opportunities for certain species of birds and larger prey fish.

**Leigh Eaton was sent a link to a video on striking British Columbia ducks, all of which we have here in New Brunswick. Leigh shares the video link which is attached below:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fancy-ducks-film-1.6412401

**Ed and Jane LeBlanc in St. Martins saw what they think are Beaver tracks in a sandy part of the river on their St. Martins property when walking their new puppy on Friday. Jane comments “they were quite a size...almost as long as her own foot.

**Brian Stone drove around looking for interesting nature subjects on Saturday to come across a Red Fox walking down a driveway in the Murray Corner area. The fox crossed the road close behind Brian's car and he took the opportunity to take its picture for the blog. So far all the foxes Brian has seen this year look very healthy and in general good shape.

Also in that area a female Northern Harrier was photographed at a great distance flying low over some grassy seaside dunes.

At the Arthur St. lagoon in Memramcook Brian got a few photos of the many Ring-necked Ducks, both male and female, that were present. A lone pair of male and female Bufflehead Ducks were keeping their distance at the far side of the lagoon at too great a distance for good photography. Also at Memramcook was a male Ring-necked Pheasant perching on an old hay bale and a male Downy Woodpecker, both close to the lagoon.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton