Nature Moncton Nature
News
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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 camera on the peregrine falcon nest box on the summit of Assumption Place is now live. When checking the link to watch the activity, scroll down to the first large image, which shows what is happening in real time.
The peregrine falcons'
first egg is prominently displayed in the nest box. The egg is not being
incubated by a parent, which is normal. True incubation will not start until
most of the clutch of eggs is laid, with the plan that the clutch will hatch
over a short timeframe, approximately 34 days from the start of true incubation.
The actual timing can vary with conditions.
The timing of the first egg
was indeed at 7:33 AM on Wednesday, as Maureen Girvan was the lucky one who
happened to be checking in at that time to see it take place.
https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam
**John Inman’s resident red-tailed
hawk unexpectedly came into the front of its handout table on Wednesday,
staying around much longer than it has in past years. It had its legs really
outstretched as if attacking prey.
Shannon Inman photographed
a distant male Barrow’s goldeneye still present, and a cloud
formation caught her eye, looking quite different and deserving of a photo.
(Editor’s note: this cloud
formation appears to be a lenticular cloud. Although they appear motionless
even when it is windy, the water droplets are actually racing through the cloud,
continually reforming in place.)
Shannon also spotted a coltsfoot in
very prime bloom, which is often one of our earliest plants to bloom in
disturbed areas. The blooms appear well ahead of the leaf foliage.
**On Wednesday, Brian
Stone met Louise Nichols at the lagoon in Memramcook, and they both visited the
Dorchester lagoons to find low numbers of ducks and birds. While they were
scanning the waters, Brian turned around and searched the fields in the other
direction, just in case some birds were sneaking up on them, and he noticed a
large mass in what looked like a line of poplar trees in the distance. A quick
study of this mass was all it took to reveal it as a large bald eagle
nest with a pair of adult eagles comfortably making it their home. Brian
and Louise walked up a bit closer to the nest for a better view and a few
closer photos and watched both eagles doing what nesting eagles do at this time
of year for a few minutes before turning back and heading out to a
few other areas.
(Editor’s note: the bald eagle usually favours tall white pine trees for nesting sites. Poplar trees are
sometimes not strong enough to support the weight of an eagle’s nest after a
few years of nest maintenance. This pair does not seem to be concerned and
probably know best what they’re doing.)
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
