Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 22 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Oct 22, 2022 (Saturday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**John Inman in Harvey, Albert County has had a Red- tailed Hawk coming to meat chunks he puts out for it. This is the 14th winter that one/it has returned which it recently did. A Northern Goshawk watched with interest as did one of two Sharp-shinned Hawks that are regulars.

An impressive array of raptors but they are there for a reason!

** A second report of an Eastern Towhee in as many days! That must mean something that only the towhees know for sure.

Jane LeBlanc also had a male Eastern Towhee in her yard on Thursday. She tried for photos but wasn't successful. She's hoping it will stay around to give her another chance at it.

On Friday she had a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a male Downy Woodpecker at her suet feeder, as well as a rowdy Irish Setter pup giving it her all but not quite reaching the suet, as it is now hanging on the clothesline after her successful attempt to get it from the pole hanger last week.

** Lynda Leclerc read about the Bumble Bee Watch in the October 20 Nature Moncton News so decided to check her gardens. There were many bees enjoying her Caramel Heuchera even though there were many blue flowers on the third blooming of her Delphinium. None of the bees went to them. Lynda comments “What’s the Heuchera got that Delphinium doesn’t?”

** Brian Stone visited the Arthur St./Grand Pre St. lagoon in Memramcook on Friday to check for interesting duck and bird life. He noted a dozen or more Ruddy Ducks floating serenely in the center area of the lagoon (in eclipse plumage). Two of them eventually swam a bit closer for a better photo. An immature Bald Eagle flew over the lagoon and surrounding marsh searching for items of interest. Hanging over the entrance to the viewing blind was a large Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) working on fixing up her web. Caution is advised when entering the blind to not transfer the beautiful spider's hard built web onto one's face.

Further along his journey Brian stopped in at the Sackville Waterfowl Park and photographed some of the many Gadwall and American Wigeon Ducks present. One Pied-billed Grebe was seen swimming and diving among its larger friends. A small group of Shorebirds was resting at the pond's edge and appeared to be mostly composed of Yellowlegs. On his way out of Sackville Brian stopped at the water retention ponds on Lorne/St. James St. but found very few shorebirds and none close enough for photos. A lone Great Blue Heron was his only photo from that area.

**Nelson Poirier had a white-headed partial albino Common Grackle arrive with the hordes of blackbirds to his feeder area on Friday. It was not bothered by its kin moving freely with them but would not come close for a photograph; however, a distant documentary photo is attached.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton