Nature Moncton Nature News: April 21 2023

April 21, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**The special voice recording link did not get attached yesterday morning, so the message is repeated today, complete with the link. Enjoy!

The video recording that Louise Nichols was able to capture of the Winter Wren serenading her by her Aulac home is at the link below. It’s a great chance to cement the vocalization seeing the bird at the same time. The Winter Wren is often heard well before it is seen.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1o15ljlkhxlpm0l/Winter%20Wren%20..%20Louise%20Nichols.MP4?dl=0

**While Deana Fenwick was in Moncton to attend the meeting on Tuesday, she popped by Centennial Park to see the Wood Ducks and capture pleasant photos of the handsome male Wood Duck with its conservatively plumaged partner.

Deana was pleased to see the Purple Finches return to her feeders in Sackville.

At the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Thursday, she got photos of a Pied-billed Grebe.

There were also Gadwalls, American Wigeons, Mallard Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler (who darted away before she could capture a photo).

The Killdeer have also returned to the Retention Pond on St. James Street in Sackville. Last year they nested there, so Deana is hoping they have another brood this year.

**Barb Curlew spotted a GREAT BLUE HERON on the summit of a tree surveying the territory in the rain at Waterside on Wednesday to get a pleasing photo.

**Brian Stone walked the Mill Creek Park trails in Riverview on Wednesday afternoon for a couple hours, and the weather was so mild and sunny (at times) that he had high hopes of finding his first snake of the season. As he finished his walk and was just minutes from the end at the parking lot, he suddenly was stunned by the appearance of a young, healthy, and gorgeous Garter Snake trying to sneak off the trail without being seen. Not believing his luck, Brian picked it up gently and held it for some photos. The snake settled down and enjoyed the warmth of Brian's hands while his photo session progressed. It was then released into the leafy understory and quietly glided away.

(Editor’s note: note one of Brian’s photos shows it using its forked tongue to gather information on its surroundings. The tongue is completely harmless and is a sensory organ. The fangs (teeth) are a different story and if the snake is agitated, they can deliver a bite. Brian is very accustomed to handling snakes gently so that does not usually happen as the snake would not feel threatened).

"Snakes use their tongues for collecting chemicals from the air or ground. The tongue does not have receptors to taste or smell. Instead, these receptors are in the vomeronasal, or Jacobson’s Organ, which is in the roof of the mouth. Once inside the Jacobson’s Organ, different chemicals evoke different electrical signals which are relayed to the brain.”

**Early on Wednesday evening, before it got too dark, Brian Stone visited the Main St. end of Jones Lake at the spillway to photograph the male and female celebrity pair of Harlequin Ducks that caused nature photographers to flock like the birds they chase. The pair seemed relaxed and unimpressed by the commotion they caused and posed nicely for all who showed up for photos.

Brian checked the outflow area on the other side of Main St. before leaving and found a Beaver relaxing on the edge of the creek.

(Editor’s note: one of Brian’s photos shows one of the ‘grooming nails’ (arrowed) on the hind foot of the beaver that we don’t often get to see in photographs. Also, the beaver does not usually show its total body out of water. Never say never!)

"The two inner toes on each hind foot of the Beaver are modified for grooming. The innermost toenail opens and closes over the toe, like a bird's beak, and functions like a coarse-toothed comb. The second toe has a 'split nail' or 'double nail.' The former term is more commonly used, but the latter term is, perhaps, more accurate.”

**Nelson Poirier has not received any reports from Thursday evening’s owl prowl as yet; however, he was able to hear a very close-by Saw-whet Owl vocalizing seemingly endlessly outside his Little West Miramichi camp on Thursday evening.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton