Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 13 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Oct 13, 2022 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Richard Blaquiere reports that it is been an interesting past few days at the Hampton lagoon with new
arrivals of Bufflehead and Ruddy Ducks. There were only 2 Ruddy Ducks on Tuesday morning (11 Oct), but 5 on Wednesday in the afternoon.
(Editor’s note: it seems like the start of a new birding season with Bufflehead arriving!).

**Louise Nichols visited the Sackville Retention Pond on Wednesday afternoon which is still a good spot for shorebirds. She was able to spot the Stilt Sandpiper that has been hanging about on and off for a while. Also present were the usual Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and a large group of Pectoral Sandpipers. About four Dowitchers (Short-billed or Long-billed?) were also in the mix.

On another note, Louise noticed that a ground wasp nest in their Aulac yard had seemingly been invaded (Black Bear?). The hole was larger as though dug out and bits of comb were laying on the ground outside of the hole. Louise and Glen assume that something helped itself to a snack and would love to know what it was.

They have also had a Lady Beetle invasion going on since last week. More Lady Beetles than they have ever seen are on their windows and the siding of their house. Some have inevitably gotten inside, and they now have about half a dozen that have made themselves at home in their bathroom. (Editor’s note: the most common lady beetle houseguest as cold-weather approaches is the non-native Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle which can be quite variable in colour and spotting).

**Aldo Dorio sends a photo of a Song Sparrow, a species that we will start to see less of in the near future as they file flight plans South. A low number always spend the winter with us, especially in birdfeeder yards.

**Brian Stone visited his sister Carol Shea at her campsite in Fundy National Park on Tuesday and spent the day hiking and then sitting around the campsite. While hiking some trails and roadways and marvelling at the downed trees and other hurricane damage in the park, he saw 2 hawks fly silently overhead but got too brief of a glance to attempt an identification.

He also got a Chanterelle Mushroom photo. Back at the campsite Brian watched a group of several Song Sparrows foraging in the fading fall undergrowth as another group of birds, American Crows, watched from high perches atop large evergreen trees nearby. As Brian watched both groups a hawk flew into the area and was immediately mobbed by the crows as it flew into an open area under a group of trees and bushes to escape the harassment. About 5 minutes later Brian noticed a hawk fleeing the area and got a poor resolution photo that may or may not have been the same bird. (Editor’s note: a consultation with Gilles Belliveau felt it was either a Sharp-shinned Hawk or a Cooper’s Hawk)