NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
January 14, 2024
Nature Moncton members as well as
any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and
descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition
of Nature News
To respond by e-mail, please address
your 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
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**The January Nature Moncton meeting
will be starting off 2024 with a special double-bill presentation by raptor
guru Todd Watts this coming Tuesday night, January 16. All details are at the
end of this edition and upfront on Tuesday.
**The Arthur Street lagoon in
Memramcook is a traditional magnet for birders and waterfowl in spring, summer,
and fall but usually freezes over in the winter.
Susan Richards visited the lagoon in
December and there were many Mallard Ducks, American Wigeons, and other birds
flying and swimming there.
Susan visited the lagoon on Saturday
to find there was an area in the center of the lagoon that was ice-free due to
the mild conditions so far this winter. The day was sunny, cold, and no
wind. A gull was at the edge of that hole eating something on the ice.
A crow came
to check it out then another crow and another. The gull finished
what it was eating, stepped back into the water, and floated around.
(Editor’s
note: it is to take note that there is still lots of open water in New
Brunswick while hearing about the very low temperatures in other parts of Canada. We could
certainly also experience those low temperatures yet, but it is pleasantly slow coming!)
** Nature Moncton January Meeting
Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 7:00 pm
Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge
Subject: Raptors, Raptors, Raptors!
Presenter: Todd Watts
This presentation will be approximately a two-hour
session with a mid-time break to provide everything a naturalist really needs
to know about diurnal raptors from one of New Brunswick’s best.
Join Todd Watts, the founder of the Greenlaw
Mountain Hawk Watch, for a discussion on how to identify birds of prey. As an
avid hawk watcher, Todd has spent over 5,000 hours scanning the skies in search
of hawks. This experience has provided a great opportunity for him to develop
significant skills in the art of raptor identification.
During this two-hour presentation, we will explore
some of the finer points of distinguishing one raptor from another. Special
attention will be given to particular challenges, such as the difficult ID
points that separate the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, and Northern
Goshawk. If time allows, all the regularly occurring species of diurnal raptors
will be covered.
This will be a virtual presentation to be shared
with anyone wanting to get up to speed on raptor ID.
The presentation will be on the screen at the
Mapleton Rotary Lodge. The audience
present and the virtual audience will both be able to interact with Todd.
To connect virtually, click on the following link:
Join our
Cloud HD Video Meeting
All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
