NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
November 28,
2023
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Edited by
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
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courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**On November 21, the Nature Conservancy of Canada sponsored a Zoom presentation on the Wild Bees of Atlantic Canada: their biology, behaviour, and where to find them. This happened to conflict with the Nature Moncton meeting on wild edibles so many may have missed it but it was recorded and is now available at the link below.
https://youtu.be/ZZIMUAYBgmg
This presentation had 2 presenters: Jess
Vickruck who is an entomology research scientist for Agriculture and Agri-food
Canada based in Fredericton and Jennifer Sullivan based in Newfoundland.
(Editor’s note: the editor had a
chance to listen to the recorded version on Monday and highly recommends it. The
sound is excellent with very informative interesting content.)
**At 2:30 Tuesday morning, Brian Coyle was roused
from his sleep by the deep, 5-note hooting of a Great Horned Owl.
He knew
that if he looked out his bedroom window to the top of a tall dead Tamarack
tree in the bright moonlit night, he would see its silhouette against the
night sky.
Sure
enough, it was there .... this is the beginning of their mating rituals and hooting, which can
last up to 6 weeks before mating. Then, after a gestation of about one
month, the female will lay her eggs. This means that they will be laying eggs
in the month of February. Brian has had them using this dead Tamarack tree as a
"hooting" spot for several years, and never tires of being
roused from his sleep by them.
(Editor’s
note: it may be the end of November but some of our wildlife community are planning for spring already!)
**Michael Weightman
reports spotting a Bobcat on November 24 in Mapleton Park by the stream there. It
moved off quickly, but he was clearly able to see the characteristic bobtail.
He noted it was not a large animal.
(Editor’s
note: mother Bobcats very abruptly advise their teenage young to be on their own
when they come into estrus leaving the young to fend for themselves which leads
them to be not yet as wary of humans. The young may be seen in daylight hours, hungry for
whatever they can find. This usually happens in January and February but could be considered as a possibility with this
animal.)
**Nelson
Poirier has a pair of Northern Cardinals coming to his yard feeder area, but they are very coy about coming to the variety of feeders and food available.
Nelson
broke recommendations and planted an invasive Multiflora Rosebush beside
the feeder set up a few years ago. He did this as he noted every time he would
go out on a field trip with Halifax Naturalists, they would head for areas of Multiflora
Rose where Northern Cardinals and other birds were often present. He has
been noticing that his visiting cardinals are often in the Multiflora Rosebush instead
of at the feeders. They feed on the numerous rosehips this plant produces.
In a recent
Nature Moncton presentation on plants that attract wildlife, it was
pointed out that Multiflora Rose is indeed attractive but of low food value. Nelson’s
cardinals seem to prefer this lower-valued food to the more nutritional
offerings available beside it.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
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