Nature Moncton Nature News: October 3 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

October 3, 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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**Besides the Canada Jay still coming to the suet, Jane LeBlanc also had White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Downy Woodpecker to her Sumac tree fruit, Golden-crowned Kinglet in the Witch Hazel shrub, and in the St. Martins Harbour, a Red-throated Loon.

**Brian Coyle came across a plump Banded Argiope spider in a field near his home on Wednesday that cooperated nicely for a photograph.

**The large colourful Argiope spiders were popular observations on Wednesday as it is their most active time of year.

Lynn Dube encountered an Argiope genus spider in a field, busy tending its web.

Lynn also photographed a cooperative Green Frog enjoying its day in their backyard fishpond.

**Leon Gagnon reports on some of the observations he has made on Miscou Island.

During the months of August and September, Whimbrels were seen or heard fairly regularly, most of the time isolated or in small groups of less than 10 individuals.

He photographed a Long-tailed Duck on August 18 near the Miscou lighthouse and noticed others along the coast.

He photographed an Olive-sided Flycatcher on August 19. There were four individuals seen in different locations during the month of August. Most of them were perched on the top of trees.

Greater Yellowlegs were abundant as were Ruddy Turnstones in September.

A juvenile Spotted Sandpiper posed proudly on a large rock.

**Brian Stone sends some photos from the Salisbury Wetlands taken on Tuesday as he visited the lagoons and walked the trail around the ponds. More than a hundred Canada Geese were present, spread out in all the ponds and lagoons. A pair of Surf Scoters was also there in the far pond, as well as several shorebirds including some Spotted Sandpipers and several Lesser Yellowlegs. A Mallard duck posed on a branch above a Green-winged Teal duck. Far ahead of Brian on the trail, a male Ring-necked Pheasant ran in and out of view while keeping an eye on his fellow trail walker.

Earlier Brian had visited a beach at Caissie Cape and found some Hermit Crabs in a variety of sizes and shapes scurrying about in the shallow water's edge. Also, several other large Banded Argiope garden spiders which seem to just appear this time of year. Brian also noted a Woolly Bear caterpillar seemingly getting ready to overwinter up along the edge of his roof gutters at the rear of his house.