Nature Moncton Nature News: May 11 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

May 11, 2023

To respond by e-mail, please address message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Deanna Fenwick has a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches nesting about 4 feet from her kitchen window!

They are in a nesting box similar to the one Deanna got when she joined Nature Moncton.

Right now, she just has photos of one going to the hole with food back and forth. The nest box has been vacant since Deanna moved there in 2020.

(Editor’s note: I don’t recall anyone having reported Nature Moncton nest box style used by a White-breasted Nuthatch).

**It seemed not that long ago that Canada Geese arrived back from their southerly vacation, promptly started their summer housekeeping mission, and now one of the first reports of goslings.

Ron Arsenault saw a pair of Canada Geese with a brood, the first brood he has seen this year. They were seen from the Riverfront Trail in Dieppe, behind the Dollarama. Ron also saw another goose still incubating.

(Editor’s note: with the exponential increase in numbers of the species, possibly it’s a good thing they only raise one brood per year!).

**Aldo Dorio photographed a Tree Swallow checking on the suitability of a nest box in his Neguac yard on Wednesday.

Aldo had an Eastern Bluebird family nest in his yard last season. It will be interesting to see if they return to join the swallow family.

**Some tick species that have not been a significant risk to humans have been with us for a very long time in New Brunswick. These ticks are very host specific and will only be found on and feed on very specific mammal/bird species.

In recent years, we are experiencing an increasing presence of tick species that are not host specific and will attach to and feed on humans.

The species of tick that is most problematic for humans is the Black-legged Tick (Ixodes scapularis) as it is the only one that is recognized as carrying the agent (Borrelia burgdorferi) that causes Lyme disease, which is very treatable if diagnosed early, but if not treated early can develop into a very chronic serious condition. Lyme disease can be very challenging to diagnose.

It is far beyond the scope of Nature News to provide a tick oration in one edition, as that would challenge the length of the daily newspaper!

It is very important that naturalists provide themselves with information about ticks from reliable sources. There is much misinformation in some social media sources, so readers beware.

On Wednesday, Louise Nichols photographed a tick husband Glen found on his person. It can be problematic to identify ticks on photos as often a stereoscope is needed to be certain. Louise’s photo is a good one showing the white ornamentation on the scutum (arrowed) to show that it is not the Black-legged Tick and is suspected to be the American Dog Tick which is not recognized as a Lyme disease vector.

Brian Stone also found a tick crawling up his arm on Wednesday and photographed it. His is also a good photo that suggests it is indeed the Black-legged Tick.

**Brian Stone is visiting his sister at Upham once again for a few days, and he sends some recent photos from the Upham yard and the Hampton lagoon area. At Upham, on the back deck, an American Robin sits on its nest as it gets photographed through a bedroom window. In the yard, Common Grackles forage both on the ground and on the feeders among the other patrons, including Chipping Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Purple Finches, American Goldfinches, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, and Dark-eyed Juncos. The yard was blooming with small White Violets and Wild Strawberry Flowers.

At Hampton, around the lagoons, Brian saw many Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes, Great Blue Heron, and 5 White-tailed Deer browsing the area. (Editor’s note: the White-tailed Deer pelage is looking a bit tattered at the moment as they shed their grey-brown pelage of hollow insulating hairs for the rich chestnut brown garb of summer).

A Double-crested Cormorant was drying its wings in one of the lagoons. Serviceberry trees were opening their spring blooms in several spots. Large numbers of Turkey Vultures were present.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton