Nature Moncton Nature News: November 24 2025

Nature Moncton Nature News

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**Peter and Deana Gadd spent a few hours in the Escuminac Point area on Sunday. As they arrived at the actual point, a group of gulls suddenly took flight, but one of them looked a little heavier and “fluffier”. They quickly realized that it was a snowy owl! It flew out over the water and, in a short time, returned to the point where it seemed to have just left. It remained there for some considerable time, allowing for some photographs. It was a female or an immature, possibly the latter, forced to find its own hunting area. In order to try not to disturb the owl, the Gadds then walked along the southeast shore of the point and had another surprise. Three barn swallows were busy feeding on insects, finding them presumably hovering above a massive bank of washed-up eel grass. They actually had been reported there earlier in November, it turns out. It was a somewhat mild sunny day with little wind. The Merlin app suggested a snow bunting, and on looking up, a single one flew past. Red-throated loons, common goldeneye, and a couple of eiders were feeding just offshore.

Earlier, as they drove towards the point, and again as they were leaving, they were also fortunate to see pine grosbeaks, though only three in total.

**Barbara Smith and her husband took an afternoon walk at Mill Creek Nature Park in Riverview last Thursday and saw evidence of plenty of beaver activity. They spotted at least eight freshly chewed trees, several of which were a long way from the creek or the reservoir. This made them wonder whether beavers sometimes fell trees just for the fun of it?

(Editor's note: it is always interesting to note when looking at beaver felled trees that the beaver chews the cut so it will fall in the direction it wants it to.)

**This is the time of year when one can expect to see the male winter moth (Operophtera brumata) on its flight mating mission. This moth species is typically the last moth we can expect to see in late fall and early winter. John Inman photographed one day-perched on the window of his home on Sunday.

John also photographed a duo of Asian multicoloured lady beetles. This species of lady beetle is often seen this time of year as it seeks warmer crevices to overwinter, which often means our homes or warmer outbuildings.

It is interesting to note that both of John’s insect observations are non-native introduced species; the Asian multicoloured lady beetle was introduced initially purposely to control aphids, while the winter moth was introduced accidentally.

John also got a long-distance photo of a pine grosbeak, hoping it would come closer to check out the loud vocalizations of his now-resident flock of evening grosbeaks.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton