Nature Moncton Nature News: April 30 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

April 30, 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 both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

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

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

The live feed to the Peregrine Falcon nest box camera can be accessed at https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam

** Anna Tucker did a round of Jones Lake in Moncton on Sunday to observe many Ring-necked Ducks, Common Mergansers, and a pair of Wood Ducks.

**Aldo Dorio photographed an immature gull at Hay Island that needed a consultation from Gilles Belliveau. Gilles identified it as a first-year Ring-billed Gull, i.e. born last summer.

**Bob Blake reports their Magnolia tree is loaded with blossoms and just starting to open on Monday. Bob comments it all started from a 6” slip from Kathy Popma at a Nature Moncton plant exchange many years ago!

(Editor’s note: the Magnolia tree sports big, beautiful blossoms before the leaves come out.)

**On Sunday Brian Stone visited Memramcook to check the lagoon and walked some trails in the Haute-du-Ruisseau Park. (Nature Moncton will be doing a Warbler Field Trip to this park on May 25.) In the lagoon, Brian found the reported male Eurasian Wigeon and got a distant documentary photo as the wigeon decided to stay at the far side of the lagoon to give Brian experience in processing a tiny, highly cropped image. Also present were some Black Scoters that followed the wigeon's lead in staying distant as did a lone Northern Pintail Duck.

At Haute-du-Ruisseau Park, Brian found Red Trilliums almost ready to bloom, a timid Hermit Thrush hiding in some concealing branches, a very vocal male Purple Finch, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, several White-throated Sparrows (some 1st-summer individuals) foraging in the forest floor compost, and tadpoles in the flooded ditches. Small critters captured were Bee Fly and Northern Azure Butterflies. Some trees had been cut to clear the trails and Brian counted (to the best of his ability) at least 72 tree rings in one cleanly cut stump.

**On Saturday Brian Stone revisited the Jemseg area with friends to view the Painted Turtles and other wildlife. The turtles were sunning themselves as they like getting warmed up for their daily activities.

Several Ospreys were busy nesting and a small Wolf Spider was caught crossing the road as it paused for its portrait. More Eastern Comma Butterflies were out enjoying the nice weather and one landed long enough for a good photo.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton