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.
If you would like to share
observations/photos with Nature News, contact the editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Please advise the editor
at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com, as well as proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca, if any errors are noted in wording or photo
labelling.
Proofreading courtesy of
Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**The March Nature
Moncton meeting is happening this coming Tuesday evening, March 17, with a
presentation on owls. This presentation will be live at the Mapleton Lodge
with Nature Moncton members and friends able to participate in person.
All details are at the end of
this edition and upfront on Tuesday morning.
**John Inman photographed
the sudden arrival of a juvenile American goshawk to his Harvey yard. It was there briefly until the resident red-tailed
hawk saw it and quickly ran it off the property.
(Editor’s note: note the
fluffy undertail coverts that usually have black streaks [arrowed] in the
juvenile American goshawk.)
**Brian Stone's wife,
Annette, well known as an excellent nature observer, pointed out the presence
of frozen sap icicles (sapcicles?) hanging from some of the branches of
their yard maple tree. Brian took a few photos and brought a few of the
"sapcicles" back inside with him and heated them on the stove
until the water was mostly gone and a thin coating of maple sugar remained in
the pot to be scraped up and enjoyed on a spoon.
**Nelson Poirier has noted
a dwarf flowering crab tree laden with fruit in a neighbour’s yard in ‘downtown’
Riverview and was wondering why it had not attracted connoisseur fruit-eating
birds. A change very abruptly happened in the snow flurries of Saturday
morning. Suddenly, American robins seemed to be everywhere around the
yard on fences and in trees, waiting their turn. Nelson estimated that approximately
40 birds were harvesting the booty. They were very predominantly, if not
completely, brilliant orange-breasted males.
**Nature
Moncton March Meeting
March 17, Tuesday at 7:00 PM at Mapleton
Lodge
Owls are hooting in New Brunswick
Presenter: Nelson Poirier
Many of us are more familiar with our diurnal raptors but
less familiar with those fascinating raptors, the owls, that tend to work the
night shift.
Seeing an owl is always a special moment for any
naturalist, seasoned birder, or neophyte.
Nelson Poirier invites us all to spend an evening with the owls on March 17, sharing discussion and photos to illustrate the life and times of these
fascinating creatures.
Although Nelson does not consider himself to be an owl expert, he has been around for a long time, and has had experiences with
these creatures to share. In addition, he has attended every presentation he could for
many years to collect lots of information from others.
Plan to share your thoughts, ideas, and stories along with Nelson, so we all
can learn more to appreciate our resident owls and a few that visit us
occasionally, as well as some we can expect to drop by New Brunswick in the
future.
All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
