Nature Moncton Nature News: August 29 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

August 29, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**This coming Nature Moncton Wednesday walk (Aug 30) in Taylor Village is written up at the end of this edition today and upfront on Wednesday.

**John Inman captured a photo of an Orb-weaver spider that was able to get a damselfly in its web, appearing like a very prize catch!

**The Atlantic Wildlife Institute posted some very interesting, updated news of successful rehabilitation efforts of 2 of the Peregrine Falcon fledglings that encountered challenges after leaving the nest box atop Assumption Place in Moncton and am quoting their post below as it was written with a photo of one of the birds in perfect condition.

” The Atlantic while latest to Double Peregrine Falcon release! The weather has been such a challenge this summer. Wet, stormy days have made it difficult to get our releases done. But with a good window of opportunity recently, we had the ability to release these two young raptors!

Both were from the infamous Assumption Bldg nest in Moncton. We usually have to come to at least one of the fledgling's rescue each year around Canada Day due to the downtown fireworks scaring the bejibbbers out of the young birds and window strikes being the common culprit.

This year, two young ones from the rooftop nest decided to get themselves into trouble a week before Canada Day.

Fledgling #1 was found on the ground on the nearby busy Botsford Street. Suffering from a wing injury, this young bird needed our help. Thank you to the DNRED-Dieppe office for retrieving #1 and sending us for care.

Fledgling #2 was found on the ground a couple of days later, actually at night by well-known birder Nelson Poirier from Nature Moncton. #2 was in the parking lot next to the wall of the bldg of the nest, not flying and in a precarious position of being in danger of the human nightlife in that area, knowing how busy the lot would become the following morning. We made the decision to ask a Ranger once again from the local DNRED for assistance in also retrieving this bird. At 11 pm that night, Ranger Bree and our own AWI Responder Amanda picked her up and brought to our facility.

Originally hoping to be released back to their parents after Canada Day a week later, #1 showed us that their wing injury had not healed yet, and #2 hadn't gained strong flight either.

We decided to keep both falcons together until #1 had healed completely and both #1 and #2 showed perfect flight skills. The day came when both the weather cooperated, and both young birds showed us they were ready to go. Our team brought them back to their home territory, just slightly downriver from their nest, so that they could get their bearings on their home turf. The parent birds are still around, so we are confident the family will reunite.”

A Nature Moncton Committee is still working on the possibility of getting a nest camera installed in this box so the public can watch the activity while not disturbing the birds. Stay tuned!

**Brian Stone visited Cap-Lumiére on Monday with his wife Annette for a beach day outing. While they were sitting looking at the waves and nearby birds, they heard some low moaning sounds coming from further up the beach, and Brian scanned the area with binoculars to search for the creators of the odd noises. He was quite surprised to find out that the sounds were coming from a large group of more than 200 Grey Seals that were floating with their heads pointing up out of the water. As the tide came in the group slowly dispersed, and the seals began hunting for fish, occasionally making large splashes as they came up to the surface while chasing their prey.

Brian also noted many shorebirds along the beach that frequently walked or ran past at close range, seemingly unafraid of the beachgoers who were watching them with interest. Brian sends photos of Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, White-rumped Sandpipers, Sanderlings, and a distant Northern Gannet that flew by out of the camera's reasonable range.

In the grassy dunes, Brian photographed a Yellow-collared Scape Moth nectaring on an aster flower.

**Nelson Poirier adds a few photos of recently noted items.

A Fall Webworm caterpillar was recently noted. This is a very common caterpillar seen this time of year but usually within their tentlike webs.

It’s the season when the asters erupt, and the Purple-stemmed Aster that tends to like shorelines was photographed.

The Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth) is still very commonly seen day flying, acting like an erratic butterfly. They can be very difficult to photograph flying so erratically and not perching however, this one did settle down momentarily for a photo.

**Tomorrow night, Wednesday, August 30, 2023, will be the final Nature Moncton Wednesday Walk of the summer of 2023. The walks have been very well attended this year, and Thank You to all who participated.

This week’s walk will start at 31 Rockland No.1 Road, Taylor Village, NB. E4K 2R1. This will be mostly a social outing. We will have some snacks, and then if we feel up to it, we can go for a walk. This event will start at 6:00, but if you arrive late (before 7:00 please), it will be OK. This is more of a snack and mingle, but there is always lots to see. We will be holding this come rain or shine. Contact number is 506-334-0100, and please call if you need help with directions, as many GPS products do not believe that the Rockland Bridge went out in 1978 and will try to get you here from the Dorchester side of the river. Hope to see you here.

Fred Richards has attached a map from Dieppe to 31 Rockland No.1 Road for your convenience.

                      Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

WEDNESDAY NIGHT WALK DIRECTIONAL MAP

PEREGRINE FALCON (YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR). AUG 2023. PAM NOVAK

GREY SEALS. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

GREY SEAL. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

LEAST SANDPIPER AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

RUDDY TURNSTONE (YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR). AUG. 28, 2023., BRIAN STONE

RUDDY TURNSTONE AND SANDERLING. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

RUDDY TURNSTONE. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SANDERLING. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SANDERLINGS. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR). AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SANDERLING. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SHOREBIRDS. AUG. 28, 2023.. BRIAN STONE

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SPIDER (ORB WEAVER WITH DAMSELFLY PREY). AUG 28, 2023. JOHN INMAN

FALL WEBWORM MOTH CATERPILLAR. AUG 25, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

YELLOW-COLLARED SCAPE MOTH. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

SPONGY MOTH (FORMERLY GYPSY MOTH). AUG 27, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

SILVERSIDES FISH. AUG. 28, 2023. BRIAN STONE

PURPLE-STEMMED ASTER . AUG 25, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

Nature Moncton Nature News

Editor & Proofreader

Tuesday, 29 August 2023

August 29 2023