Nature Moncton Nature News: November 11 2025

Nature Moncton Nature News

Clicking on the photos enlarges them for closer observation.

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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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Shannon Inman spotted a group of ruffed grouse in the woods, with a male that was putting on a courtship display.

(Editor’s note: The male ruffed grouse raises its black ruff in the neck area in courtship displays to give this species its common name. This courtship display would be much more common in the spring when we hear the associated drumming sound.)

Shannon also noted a small cluster of berries remaining on a Canada mayflower plant.

Shannon also photographed a group of mushrooms suspected to be the rusty gilled polypore, contributing to the recycling of an old tree stump.

**Brian Stone and Cathy Simon toured the Cape Jourimain and Cape Tormentine areas on Sunday and found the areas to be mostly quiet but pleasant to hike around. At Cape Jourimain, a few surf scoters were visible far out in the waters along with several female common eiders, and a small group of double-crested cormorants were perched on rocks at the base of a bridge pylon. Chokeberries and winterberry holly were everywhere along the trail, and some mushrooms were popping up to add variety. A small troupe of black-capped chickadees was hosting four golden-crowned kinglets, which were hopping about quickly in a likely threat-avoidance maneuver.

Two nests were photographed, one about the size of a robin's nest and the other much smaller.

At Cape Tormentine, a flock of snow buntings was the main attraction, putting on a nice show of aerial agility. Red-throated loons were swimming and diving far out in the water, and gulls were resting out on the breakwater. Some of the big rocks along the water's edge were coated with barnacles and shells. A drive through the Tantramar Marsh on the way home resulted in the sighting of two female northern harriers that were hunting over the fields.

(Editor’s note: The white upper tail coverts and the owl-like facial disk that are distinctive in all ages of the northern harrier in both genders are well illustrated in Brian’s photographs.)

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton