Nature Moncton Nature News: October 16 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

October 16, 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

**A sincere thank you to Dr. Diana Hamilton for coming to the Nature Moncton meeting on Tuesday night to share some of the newest developments in our understanding of the life and times of the shorebirds that visit us in numbers each year.

Diana pointed out that their numbers are definitely plummeting and described the ongoing research to better understand the reasons and how that situation can be addressed, which led to many interesting questions from the attending and virtual audience.

**Adult Black-legged ticks are most frequently encountered in the spring and fall.

Shannon Inman came across one on her pant leg after being around some tall grasses in their Harvey yard. John got a good photo of the tick which appears consistent with the ID features of the Black-legged tick. This tick carries several pathogens that are very significant to human health including the Lyme organism. This tick species is becoming a lot more prevalent in New Brunswick and it is very important to be aware of how to protect ourselves from the consequences a bite from this tick may have. Protection methods, identification websites, and timely treatment methods are developing and improving. It is important we learn how to live with this tick as they are with us and have no plans to leave.

**Bob Blake comments they had a first fall visit from a Dark-eyed Junco to their feeders on Tuesday. We don’t tend to see this species very commonly around feeders during the warmer months with more wild food available.

**David Lilly is very much enjoying photographing the fall colours in the Fredericton area.

Let’s enjoy these while we can as their time is limited!

**On Sunday Brian Stone checked out the lagoons in Hampton and saw many ducks, mostly in the third lagoon. Dozens of Green-winged Teal ducks joined more than a 100 American Wigeon ducks and more than six Northern Pintail ducks.

(Editor's note: note one of Brian's photos that shows the three coloured bands of the speculum area of the Northern Pintail that we don't often get to see so clearly (arrowed)

Also, note in one photo the habit of Northern Shoveler ducks of congregating and circling as a group as a foraging technique)

Also, dozens of Northern Shoveler ducks were feeding in several separate groups. A few Ring-necked Ducks were keeping to themselves at the back of the lagoon and didn't come close enough for photos. A Muskrat, an Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly, and a couple of Turkey Vultures did show up for the camera to add a little variety.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton