Nature Moncton Nature News: October 14 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

October 14, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Rick Elliott spotted and was able to get an excellent photograph of a Lark Sparrow that dropped by their Waterside yard on Friday.

The Lark Sparrow is an uncommon but regular visitor to New Brunswick.

** Louise Nichols checked out the Sackville Retention ponds on Thursday afternoon and found they are still providing a good shorebird show. Many yellowlegs were present as well as a good number (minimum over 50) of Pectoral Sandpipers. But the nice addition to the group were 4 Stilt Sandpipers. Louise got a quick photo of the stilts while they were reasonably close before they flew off to the other side of the pond. A documentary photo shows them on the far side among a group of Pectoral Sandpipers.

Afterward, Louise went to the town sewage lagoon to check for the Glossy Ibis that was there earlier in the week, which she totally missed. The ibis was not present, but Louise noticed a Peregrine Falcon flying overhead in circles and then saw a second Peregrine Falcon on top of the large white freezer building. The Peregrine in flight circled around for about 5 minutes before taking off on a mission. The bird on the building remained perched there. The whole incident made Louise wonder if that building top would be another good place for a Peregrine Falcon nest box. She attaches some documentary photos.

**Red-throated Loons have arrived in New Brunswick from their northern breeding grounds.

Anna Tucker visited Pointe-du-Chene wharf on Thursday and noted several Red-throated Loons were continually dipping and diving for fish. Some were showing remnants of breeding plumage.

** On Thursday, October 12th, Barb Curlew and Rick Elliott saw a small flock of 8 Eastern Bluebirds flying around with some American Goldfinches in Waterside. Later they found them on fence posts on Shortcut Road.

Barb and Rick have seen Eastern Bluebirds previously on Shortcut Road, suspecting they are nesting in that area. This could be a family unit, or a flock of fall wanderers as we occasionally tend to see this time of year, sometimes popping in and out of birdhouses as if checking out the potential for next season.

**John and Shannon Inman had two more Baltimore Orioles appear to their Harvey yard on Friday, first noticed seeking out insects in Cedar bushes. One soon found a hummingbird nectar feeder but had to do a face-off with bees.

John also was able to get a very quick photo of a Shrew that was out during the day. It appeared to have a very light pelage in comparison to the darker ones John occasionally sees.

**Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Butterfly is not a commonly seen butterfly in New Brunswick. It must have been a good year for them as we now have had the third report in a few weeks with the last record being several years ago on this source.

Judith Dewar happened to see one on October 2 in her Fredericton yard and got two excellent photographs from an open and closed-winged vantage.

Judith comments that she has Butterfly Bush (Buddleja lindleyana) that has attracted many butterflies this summer as well as many insects and bugs.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton