Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 3 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Oct 3, 2022 (Monday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Louise and Glen Nichols spent a very satisfying few days last week at St. Martins and the Fundy Trail Parkway. They started with a beautiful trail outside the Parkway which is the West Quaco trail to Brown's Beach -- the far west end of the Fundy Biosphere. Glen and Louise hiked that trail on Wednesday afternoon and were treated to splendid views of the Bay of Fundy along with some pleasant surprises like a Monarch Butterfly likely getting ready to cross the water and a Harbour Seal at Brown's Beach. On Thursday morning the tide was low, so Louise and Glen were able to walk out to the sea caves at St. Martins although they were able to only view them from a distance because they were roped off to visitors that day. Later, they entered the Fundy Trail Parkway, and drove out to Parking # 15 where they hiked out to the Walton Glen Gorge for a fantastic view of the gorge and the Walton Glen Falls. Some of the trails were closed in this area because of damage from Fiona, so Glen and Louise drove back and hiked the Long Beach Falls Loop which follows a brook through woods to the falls, the site of a lumbermill in the past with some artifacts still present in places. This was a challenging hike although rated "moderate" in the guidebook! Finally on Friday morning, Louise and Glen joined a guided tour out to Pangburn Beach to explore a sea cave and learn about the water's effect on the rocky shoreline. Louise attaches some photos from the trip.

(Editor's note: note the signature bull's eye mark which an arrow is pointing to with a red arrow inserted to point it out on the head of Louise's Common Green Darner Dragonfly photo)

(Editor’s note: it is great to start getting photos from this newly opened up beautiful part of New Brunswick that leads from St. Martins to Fundy National Park).

**John Inman has had a pair of a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Merlin patrolling his birdfeeder yard steady for the past few days.

A colourful Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar was on the move to cooperate for a nice photo. This caterpillar will soon use its own setae (hairs) to fashion its cocoon to overwinter as a pupa.

John also had a visit from a Common Grackle which John comments has been only the second blackbird in his yard the last couple of months which is unusual for him.

**Anna Tucker went out of her Church Court residence to note there were 3 different Blue Jays gathering acorns and a couple of Grey Squirrels also collecting acorns.

Oak acorns are a favourite of these two species and they often bury them and forget about them to successfully end up planting them instead.

Anna also photographed a stand of Brown-eyed Susan, truly fall ‘eye candy’.

**Brian Stone joined Janet Kempster for a bird outing in the Salisbury and Second North River areas on Saturday in nice, cool, sunny weather. Along the Taylor Rd. they saw and photographed 2 Blue-headed Vireos, a Hermit Thrush, an Eastern Phoebe, a Nashville Warbler, and a Palm Warbler. The most populous birds, besides the common Black-capped Chickadees, seemed to be Swamp Sparrows and Ruby-crowned Kinglets (one photo showing seldom-seen ruby crowned patch) as many individuals of each were noted at multiple spots along the road.

At Highland Park at least 6 Common Gallinules and several Pied-billed Grebes were present, both groups seeming to be young birds. Two Bald Eagles were calling from tree perches and groups of Canada Geese were flying overhead. A young-of-the-year Great Blue Heron foraged in the shallow pond surrounded by large numbers of Mallard Ducks. Red-winged Blackbirds were congregating in large numbers and more will join them before long. Gem-studded Puffball Mushrooms were growing in the grassy areas, and a Woolly Bear Caterpillar (larva of the Isabella Tiger moth) crossed their path at the end of their walk.