NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
June 29, 2025
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 and the proofreader
Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if
any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
For more information
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Proofreading
courtesy of Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
The
live feed of the Peregrine Falcon nest cam on the summit of Assumption Place in
Moncton has been terminated for the season, as it appears that all 3 chicks
have fledged successfully, leaving the empty nest syndrome!
**A very
appreciative thank you from 27 participants to Kate Bredin and Richard Elliott for leading the Saturday morning field trip to visit the Pickard
Quarry nature site in Sackville.
Richard,
Kate, and many helpful volunteers have been instrumental in transforming this
historic site into a 5-acre natural area with trails that allow visitors to
enjoy the diverse wildlife features that have attracted a surprising array of
flora and fauna in the heart of downtown Sackville. The resounding words from
participants expressing their intention to return were a strong endorsement of
this unique site.
Due to the special connections of Richard and Nelson with
the weather maker, the forecasted heavy rain cooperatively held off!!
**Louise Nichols went out on Thursday to explore the Tintamarre
National Wildlife Area near Sackville. Work has been done in this
area to install additional access roads, making it now possible to travel through the
entire area from Jolicure Rd. to Goose Lake Rd. The new road that goes
around and beyond Paunchy Lake is one that Louise would not take her small car
on because of some rocky sections, but a bigger vehicle or a truck would likely
be fine. Louise drove in from Jolicure as far as Paunchy Lake and then
walked the new road -- not quite to the end, but likely a couple of kms.
The route passes through a variety of habitats, including lakes, marsh, and
bog. Louise attaches some photos she took on her walk.
**After the Pickard Quarry visit, Deanna Fenwick, Brian
Stone, and Nelson Poirier paid a visit to the Sackville Waterfowl Park.
The highlight of the visit was a surprising number of pied-billed
grebe floating nests, some still with eggs to incubate and others with very
lively hatched chicks. Deanna was able to capture some great photos from a
considerable distance that did not disturb their family life.
It was not possible to photograph the many birds heard
vocalizing, but a male chestnut-sided warbler was slightly cooperative,
while the cedar waxwings seemed to be seeking photo opportunities.
**Shannon Inman recently photographed a dusky cockroach
(Ectobius lapponicus). This non-native introduced from Europe was first
discovered in the Maritimes in 1991 and is now present in all three Maritime
provinces. It is a woodland species.
**Brian Stone shares some photos of the Nature Moncton
Pickard Quarry field trip that took place on Saturday under cloudy and cool
skies that remained rain-free despite the best efforts of several weather
reports to convince them that it was raining. An excellent briefing was given
by outing leader Richard Elliot, which educated all present on the site's history and new plans for environmentally friendly developments that will
enhance the trail experience for park users.
After that outing concluded, several members visited the
Sackville Waterfowl Park to view the newly hatched pied-billed grebe chicks and
their parents from several different nests, and searched for sora and
Virginia rail chicks, but were unsuccessful with them. Also photographed were a
scruffy-looking black and white warbler, a chestnut-sided warbler,
cedar waxwings, a male yellow warbler, a young muskrat, and a suspected hover fly.
**Nelson Poirier visited Hay Island near Neguac and
Tabusintac area on Thursday.
It happened to be prime time for a flight of short-tailed
swallowtail butterflies to be on their ovipositing/nectaring mission. One
specimen was captured and briefly chilled to get good photographs of
identification features before release. (Editor's note: As mentioned before,
the global range of this butterfly is restricted to specific sites surrounding
the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its host ovipositing plants are mainly Scotch lovage
and cow parsnip, both of which are abundant at Hay Island.)
Two separate willets were photographed in quite
different areas of the site. Aldo Dorio felt there was one nesting pair at the
site, which is fewer than in other years. There was no vocalization heard as
it often has been.
Savannah sparrows were
numerous and vocalizing, but Nelson’s sparrows were not heard or
seen; it may be early for them, as Hay Island is normally a popular
destination for the species.
The cattle egret Aldo had photographed in the
farmyard on Covedell Road in Tabusintac was still present and looking very
content with its cattle amigos.
The low-growing sea milkwort was growing in tight
clusters and in beautiful bloom.
Another special item spotted was Aldo Dorio!! We often
see his observations from the Hay Island area from what his camera sees, but
seldom the photographer.
**Showy lady’s slipper blooming time has arrived!
Peter Payzant went in search of showy lady's slippers at
Smiley's Provincial Park near Windsor, Nova Scotia, on Thursday and was not disappointed,
providing a pleasing photo. They were at their peak bloom with a few blossoms
still closed.
Peter comments, “I checked the provincial and federal
lists of threatened species, and it doesn't appear on either, but
NatureServe.org calls it 'Imperiled (S2)' in Nova Scotia, 'Vulnerable (S3)' in
New Brunswick.
We have
several good sites for showy lady’s slipper in New Brunswick, so it’s time to
check them out. They should be in bloom for at least a week, maybe 10 days.
Nelson Poirier.
Nature Moncton
