Nature Moncton Nature News: May 4 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

May 4, 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

** Lois Budd is very pleased to see a pair Eastern Bluebirds taking occupation of a Nature Moncton nest box at her friend Vicky McNight’s Glenvale yard. Lois got her Eastern Bluebird lifer at Vicky's many years ago but no nesting. Lois took two of Fred Richards' nest boxes to Vicky a few years ago and Tree Swallows have taken up residence every year but this year the Eastern Bluebirds have decided to claim one for themselves and appeared to be successful at putting the run to the Tree Swallows that wanted to keep it as theirs.

Vicky and Lois are very excited.

(Editor’s note: it would seem from reports that more and more Nature Moncton nest boxes are being occupied by Eastern Bluebirds. This may reflect the fact that Eastern Bluebird numbers are increasing.)

**John Inman is noticing approximately 200 Double-crested Cormorants, some resting on the far shore behind their house on the Shepody River along with many more joining gulls on the water fishing, presumably taking advantage of a smelt run at the moment.

John got some striking action photos of a male Northern Harrier that has been hunting sparrows in the raspberry canes near his home for the last few days and has been very successful at it. One photo shows him leaving with prey.

Another photo shows one going to fight off a territorial challenge from a second Northern Harrier.

John comments between the two Northern Harriers, two Sharp-shinned Hawks, Merlin, and a Peregrine Falcon that frequent the yard, there is not much rest for migrating birds.

** Jane LeBlanc has several native plants in her St. Martins yard, and the Bloodroot is in flower now. She also noticed six Turkey Vultures overhead and managed to get three of them in a photo.

**Norbert Dupuis captured a pleasant spring photo of a pair of Northern Cardinals and the duo of White-throated Sparrows perched together in a shrub which is showing its swelling buds ready to burst into spring action.

**Brian Stone captured a few photos of a Pied-billed Grebe wrestling with prey recently.
As is often the case, Alyre Chiasson was able to recognize the prey as a Four-spined Stickleback minnow. With all the razor-sharp stickles on this minnow species, some manoeuvring was obviously necessary to make sure it went down the right way! The photos are rerun today.

**Nature Moncton has received the message/request attached below. I am sure many will be able to contribute the photos they ask for and many will also visit the exhibit.

Fundy Biosphere Region and Stonehammer Geopark are creating an exhibit at Treitz Haus in Moncton. Part of the exhibit will be interpretive panels, some of which will highlight the ecology of local mudflats, particularly concerning migratory shorebirds which stop to refuel on the Bay of Fundy.

They are currently searching for images for these panels. If any nature photographers out there have high-quality pictures of any of the following, that they would be willing to grant permission for us to use on these interpretive panels, we would be most appreciative!

· Mudflats at Johnson's Mills or Mary's Point

· Shorebird tracks on the mud

· Corophium volutator / mudshrimp

· Polychaetes / bristle worms

· Semipalmated sandpiper

· Semipalmated sandpiper foot

· Other migratory birds that stop at the upper Bay of Fundy

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help with this project!

Melissa Fulton (she/her)

Operations Manager

Fundy Biosphere Region

melissa@fundy-biosphere.ca