Nature Moncton Nature News: October 19 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

October 19, 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 the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**A Nature Moncton field trip will take place today Saturday, October 19, with details below:

Nature Moncton Outing – Shorebirds and Waterfowl!

Location: Sackville Water Retention Ponds and Waterfowl Park

Start time: 10:00 AM; Saturday, Oct 19, 2024

Host: Louise Nichols

Starting Location: Parking is available along the side of Charles St. in Sackville. Driving the TransCanada, take Sackville exit #504. Go through the lights and continue along Main St. (Rte 940) as it veers to the left. You will reach a 2nd set of lights at the intersection of Main and Bridge St. Turn left on Bridge St. Follow Bridge St. past Lorne St, past the Marshlands Inn, and then turn right on Charles St. Drive until you pass St. James St. (on the right) and then park anywhere along the side of the road.

The Sackville Retention Ponds were created in the heart of Sackville to divert rainwater through a series of ponds connected by culverts and ditches out to the Tantramar River. Not only does the system provide flood protection to the town, but it is also a significant area for waterfowl and shorebirds. This fall, a group of shorebirds has been frequenting the ponds and this group has included occasional Stilt Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowitchers which are not as often seen. Pectoral Sandpipers are also often among the group along with the usual yellowlegs and occasional smaller sandpipers.

We will visit the ponds and look for the shorebirds in the morning. After a brief picnic lunch, we will walk through the town’s Waterfowl Park in the afternoon to observe the ducks who are by now finished their summer molt and are once again sporting their beautiful bright plumages.

Bring a snack and lunch (if you forget a lunch, there are several fast-food places close to the waterfowl park).

Don’t forget to wear your name tag! All are welcome, Nature Moncton members or not.

**Jane LeBlanc enjoyed a sunny day off in St. Martins. She went to the harbour at high tide to see if there was anything new. She saw a Common Loon, (normally it's Red-throated that she sees) but was more surprised at the butterflies she saw in the area, including an American Lady and several Clouded Sulphurs.

Back home, she had a bird flitting in the trees and after an hour or so, she saw that it was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

(Editor’s note: the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a late migrant and the occasional one stays with us for the winter. Their rapid movements can make them a challenge to photograph.)

**Susan Richards captured a photo of a Red-bellied Snake at their Taylor Village yard on Friday.

(Editor’s note: this species of snake is one of our small ones usually no more than 10 inches long as an adult. Note the restricted yellow band on the top of the neck to differentiate it from the similar sized Ring-necked snake whose band encircles the neck.)

**John Inman was visited by a Baltimore Oriole, a Merlin , and a Cooper's Hawk. A juvenile Peregrine Falcon was not impressed with the arrival of a new raptor and immediately started harassing it, John capturing the action.

**Christine Lever captured in Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly enjoying the sun in her Riverview backyard. The dragonfly landed on her washing on the line! It stayed around long enough for her to grab her phone and take a photo. Then a wasp came along and it quickly moved off.

A beautiful mint green katydid was much more cooperative, waiting to be adequately photographed.

The katydid let Christine admire its lovely shape, but only after it took a couple of steps where it rocked back and forth. After rocking a bit, it must have decided she wasn't a threat and stayed still enough to allow a couple of photos.

**On Thursday during the day Brian Stone traveled around to a few different areas looking for photo subjects before he went out on his evening comet hunt. At the Salisbury Wetlands ponds he found some Yellowlegs hanging out with a White-rumped Sandpiper. While he was photographing these interesting birds, Brian's wife Annette pointed out that she had nearly stepped on a late roaming Garter Snake. This snake had some dark brown and orange colouration that Brian had not seen on a garter snake before, but there is a lot of variation in that species, so he was happy to have seen a new version that he was not familiar with.

Annette helped Brian out with some close-up photography of the snake. Brian also stopped by the Salisbury Big Stop to get some distant photos of a small group of Snow Geese that are resting regularly way out in the field behind the stop. A few Clouded Sulphur butterflies were still out and about soaking up the last warm rays of the Sun.

**Brian also sends one more photo of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinsan-ATLAS) taken Friday evening in the thankfully second clear night this week.

**David Lilly shares some photos from his site near Fredericton including a photo of a White-breasted Nuthatch doing its upside down routine as well as our common, colourful Blue Jay surveying its domain.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton