Nature Moncton Nature News: September 24 224

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Sept 24, 2024

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Louise Nichols followed an alert from Kathy Popma that the shorebirds were building in the new retention pond in Sackville. Louise has visited a couple of times in the last few days, but on Monday afternoon, she found one of the Stilt Sandpipers that had been reported there. It was feeding among a very large group of yellowlegs (Greater and Lesser) in the impoundment. Louise also observed a Killdeer and took some shots of it bathing, showing off its colours. In addition, a good number (about a dozen) of Pectoral Sandpipers were part of the group.

It was always an interesting area to visit which was part of the summer Wednesday night walk that Louise guided, hoping to show others the spot.
(Editor's note: this site will definitely be a destination for shorebirds the rest of the fall, especially in the newly created portion before foliation takes hold with pleasant close observations as the birds will be accustomed to human traffic on the trails.

Louise's photos of the Killdeer have nicely captured the bright reddish-orange rump that we usually see only in flight. The frontal view of the Pectoral Sandpiper nicely shows the streaking on the breast contrasting sharply with the white clear belly that is a nice field mark for this species.
The Stilt Sandpiper likes to hang out with yellowlegs and Louise's photos of the two species together help to pick it out.)