NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Sept 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
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
labelling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .
Proofreading
courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**The
September Nature Moncton meeting takes place this coming Tuesday night, Sept. 17 with
the write-up at the end of this message and upfront Monday and Tuesday.
New
technology is going to be used as a trial to share the presentation with
participants who cannot be there in person. It is a trial effort which may work
well or maybe not!
**Jane
and Ed LeBlanc had reason to be in Hampton early Saturday morning, so they
checked out the lagoons. Great Blue Herons were not cooperating for photos, but
some of the many Turkey Vultures did. Most of the common ducks were
there, along with Song Sparrows and warblers. The one warbler Jane caught was a
female Common Yellowthroat. Other walkers told them they had just missed
an eight-point buck on the walking path minutes before.
At
home in St. Martins, Jane caught a few of the new 'peeps' still in the harbour,
as well as Meadowhawk dragonflies making more dragonflies.
**Aldo
Dorio photographed a dowitcher on Saturday at Hay Island. It is that
time of the season when the occasional Long-billed Dowitcher can pass through
as they tend to migrate later than the Short-billed Dowitcher. It can be very
difficult to differentiate these two species without hearing their distinctly
different vocalizations.
**On
August 31, 2024, Georges Brun visited the Riverview Marsh. Due to dry
conditions, 90% of the marsh was without surface water, yet still soggy. Along the eastern side of the pond 20 plus
Great Blue Herons were patiently observing the evaporating areas and every now
and again a heron would stab his complete beak into the soft mud and low and
behold capture an eel. Georges comments that the first time he thought he
was seeing a heron with a black beak and perhaps it was a species he was
unfamiliar with, but with patience, he saw what was really happening!
There
were many shorebirds with the herons including Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs
with Semipalmated Sandpipers and others he was hesitant to identify.
The
Peregrine Falcons know about this habitat along with a juvenile Bald
Eagle. Their flyby and intimidation tactics would generate flight
from the smaller birds but a few minutes later a return to the staging area was
the rule!
On
most days, the remaining Peregrine Falcons are almost always seen atop the A
logo alongside the Assumption Place building or on the Aliant Tower Platforms, usually
early in the morning or just around 6 o'clock in the evening, and sometimes over
the Riverview Marsh or the Bis Marsh.
He
did spot a Peregrine Falcon with prey which he could not identify on the bank
of the Petitcodiac River across from Château Moncton.
**Suzanne
Rousseau was walking on Kelly’s beach in Kouchibougouac on Friday and there were
15 to 20 Grey seals in the ocean plus two washed up on shore. Apparently, there
was a big White Shark that was seen in Pointe Sapin a few days earlier. There
may be a connection??
**Over
the last six nights Tony Thomas’ moth trap in a Fredericton garden has attracted
18 species. Several of these were small or rather heavily worn but one in the
trap Saturday morning was in rather good condition with just a few scales
missing. It was one of the Stalk Borer Moths (genus Papaipema).
The caterpillars of these moths bore into, and live inside, the stems and roots
of the host plant. Tony’s specimen is a Sensitive Fern Borer - Papaipema
inquaesita- caterpillars living, and eating, inside Sensitive ferns! In
some specimens the two circular areas at the front of the wings are white.
**BugGuide
was helpful in identifying and leading to more information on the very
colourful stink bug Richard Perron photographed recently which is reattached
today. This is the Green Stinkbug a.k.a. Green Soldier bug (Chinavia hilaris).
The early instar nymphs are brightly coloured and striped as Richard's
photograph shows but turn green when approaching maturity.
**The
small gulls can lead to identification challenges, especially as immatures at
this time of year. An excellent flight photo of such an immature gull has led
to valued opinions from several experienced birders. The identification as a
Bonaparte’s Gull would seem to be getting the most traction.
(Editor’s
note: I would like to pass on the excellent comments shared but that could lead
to a lengthy dissertation more appropriate for a gull workshop so will attach
the photo again today with the identification that seemed to get the most
votes!)
** SEPTEMBER MONTHLY MEETING PRESENTATION
Topic:
Sea Turtles in Atlantic Canada
Tuesday September 17, 2024 at 7:00 pm
Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge
Presenter:
April Nason
Did you know there are four species of sea
turtles present in Atlantic Canada? This
presentation will focus particularly on the unique anatomy of the most common
sea turtle in Canadian waters, the Leatherback Sea Turtle, and the historic
work of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network.
Presenter April Nason developed a life-long
interest in turtles from the pet turtles she received as a child. She completed 3 years of her marine biology
degree at UNBSJ and then swerved into dental school and a career in dentistry
until she rediscovered her love for sea turtles. Eventually, she enrolled in the Lifelong
Learning Education program at MSVU where her thesis focused on finding the love
between people and turtles. She is now
the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Canadian Sea Turtle Network,
spending the past two years talking turtles throughout Canada and beyond.
April will also discuss cold-stunned hard
shell sea turtles, a phenomenon that is on the rise in our region, and what you
can do to help save the lives of these turtles.
This will be an in-person presentation at the
Rotary Lodge with a Zoom link for those who want to join in from home.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87409118455?pwd=OjwKXLitsSWY9MNjOYlworVZz8aVZ4.1
All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
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