Nature Moncton Nature News: August 15 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

August 15, 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

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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.

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**All appreciation to Louise Nichols for scouting out and leading the Wednesday night walk to the added network of water retention ponds constructed in Sackville expected to become shorebird magnets. Brian Stone’s report below illustrates the start of that.

**Dale Pugh recently had the rare opportunity of seeing a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird sitting on a nest. The nest was discovered by David Miller located in a maple tree on his property in Salisbury.

(Editor’s note: this is a rare opportunity to see this species on its unique nest. The structural details are always the same with the outside of the nest shingled with lichen and perched atop a branch. It would seem unusual to see an adult still on the nest at this late in the season but I'm sure the bird knows the reason and is not about to explain to human mortals.)

**This is an ideal time to add comments from Yolande LeBlanc in Memramcook.

Yolande comments “I have not had as many hummingbirds during the summer as in the last 10 days. I had only one or two males all summer, no females. Then all of a sudden, females arrived, at least 3, and still now, 2 males are still around. The nectar is going down fast! Quite a few scuffles and chases.

I see the Northern Cardinals occasionally, mostly in berry bushes. I hear them more often than I see them”

**Aldo Dorio captured a photo of an adult Black-crowned Night-heron near the Neguac wharf on Wednesday.

It’s a great time of year to see this heron during the day as it starts its migration from the traditional rookery area in the Lameque area. Earlier in the season, their day's activity starts at dusk and into the night.

However, another bonus for Aldo on Wednesday was a juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron at the same wharf.

**The Common Nighthawk is a species that tends to migrate early in the season and that is right now, which is often the only time we get to see them in any number. Like the Black-crowned Night-heron just mentioned, their day starts at dusk earlier in the season.

Veteran birder Ron Steeves leaves some interesting observations with this appropriate timing. Ron comments

“We had a large migration of Common Nighthawks last evening (Tuesday) just before a heavy thunderstorm. I see nighthawks migrate every year up the Petitcodiac River system. It’s always early evening but yesterday I estimated about 100 + over an hour. Very difficult to count with all of their erratic flight."

I had Baltimore Orioles nesting in my yard this year and counted five fledging birds coming for jelly daily. The adults quit coming long ago but the young kept coming up to three days ago. I thought I could identify six different adults (four males and two females) coming for jelly this spring.”

**Veronica Price was able to get an excellent photograph of yet another of the colourful Tussock Moth caterpillars that are appearing at the moment. Veronica’s photo nicely shows the identification features of the Banded Tussock moth caterpillar.

With many hundreds of species of moths and butterflies in New Brunswick, expect to see lots of photos over the next days.

**Brian Stone sends a few photos from the Nature Moncton Wednesday Night Walk at the Sackville Retention Ponds natural area. A Great Blue Heron was seen wrestling with an eel and was eventually successful in having it for supper. Many Cedar Waxwings were feeding around the ponds and a couple large groupings of shorebirds were present, mostly featuring yellowlegs with some Short-billed Dowitchers and Killdeer. Mountain Ash trees were displaying abundant berry crops and a Muskrats were seen gliding across the ponds.

Louise and Glen Nichols brought a very special puppy visitor to the walk that added a high level of cuteness to the event.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

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