Nature Moncton Nature
News
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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 action in the
peregrine falcon box on the summit of Assumption Place has now become nonstop,
with two very busy parents tending to the insatiable appetites of four
teenagers.
Https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam
**Georges Brun advises of
a major upgrade of the Humphreys Brook trail with the details at the link below:
https://www.moncton.ca/en/news-notices/humphreys-brook-trail-closure
**The ruby-throated hummingbirds
have come on with a vengeance in Miramichi for Larry and Anne Sherrard. They
have made their first syrup offering more concentrated, and the hummingbirds
have shown their approval by feeding contentedly in surprising numbers. Check
out the link below:
**Brian Stone braved the
cold, dim, cloudy weather on Friday to visit a couple of areas for the usual
nature hunt and photography sessions. At Wilson Marsh, Brian's first encounter
was with a brown thrasher that only allowed him a quick backside photo
as it headed off to more photographer-free areas. A curious American
redstart came by for a brief second or two, and a raven flew
erratically overhead as it was being harassed by a group of five red-winged
blackbirds. Five large families of Canada geese were swimming in one
spot while a small family of mallard ducks fed along the edge elsewhere.
Brian heard a dozen or more other species of birds that kept their distance and
remained hidden in the trees and bushes.
At Mapleton Park, Brian
found a male pileated woodpecker working on a fallen log close beside
the trail that was not interested in hiding from the camera. Another nice find
was an eastern wood pewee that was calling loudly from the treetops
beside the main pond. Several swallows were actively flying over the
pond's surface, but were much too fast for decent photography even though that
was attempted. Honeysuckle, mock orange, starflower, and nodding
trillium flowers were photographed on the way out of the park. While Brian
was out and about, his wife Annette was home taking photos of a foraging
skunk in the backyard through the kitchen window.
**The interrupted fern
and the cinnamon fern are often the first ferns to emerge in spring.
They can be difficult to differentiate until suddenly the fronds unfurl open to
show the first fertile fronds of the interrupted fern, which tend to look like
they have a few dark blades on them. In contrast, the cinnamon fern will have
its separate, dedicated fertile fronds as separate entities that will take on
the beautiful cinnamon coloration.
Nelson Poirier
photographed the two for comparison.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
