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.
https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam
**John Inman photographed
the lively action in a nearby raven's nest, showing an adult in the
middle and, on either side, two squawking nestlings wanting to be fed.
(Editor’s note: Note the
brilliant red of the interior of the oral cavity of the nestling raven
signaling, no doubt, where food is to be placed!)
John also photographed a fourteen-spotted
lady beetle (very small), one of our many species of midge flies,
and the resident skunk who had just finished grabbing a snack and was heading off
for a nap.
**Isaac Acker shares
photographs he took in Riverview, where
they are doing a lot of new construction. His photos include a wolf spider, an eastern
redback salamander (lead phase), and maritime garter snakes, except
one photo with a maritime garter snake and a northern red-bellied snake appearing
to enjoy one another’s company.
The leadback phase of the eastern
redback salamander (not often seen) is a distinct
genetic colour morph characterized by a uniform dark grey, charcoal or solid
black back with no red stripe. Unlike the typical red-backed phase, which has
an orange-to-red stripe down its spine, the leadback phase blends seamlessly
into dark, damp forest soils.
**Pat Gibbs comments, “It
isn't often she gets photos of two such starkly different young, so when it
happened this year, she just couldn't resist comparing them, thinking it’s just
no contest. In the case of young-of-the-year starlings vs young-of-the-year mallard
ducklings, the ducklings win the cuteness contest every time.
I guess with starlings it truly is 'a face only a mother could love’.”
**The eastern phoebe
very much prefers the use of human structures such as roof eaves and bridges to
build their nests, but can sometimes be very wary of the presence of humans.
Several years ago, Nature
Moncton (Fred Richards) built several eastern phoebe nest boxes. It turned out
to be a one-year-only project, as most were used by other species. A photo of
one in situ is attached that was used repeatedly by an eastern phoebe.
A photo from an active
nest on the ledge of an unused building is also attached, taken from a distance
with nestlings very near fledging. The eastern phoebe will usually nest at
least twice in a season.
Lastly, a photograph of a nest
that was abandoned is attached. The nests are extremely consistent in their
construction making them easily recognized, with a moss base and dried grass cavity.
** Undoubtedly, we seldom
pause to consider the valuable role that Mother Nature’s ‘cleaner uppers’ play to
help keep our environment clean by recycling the amazing amount of compost and
rotting materials that are around us.
Nelson Poirier recently
took note of our three most common species of carrion beetles enjoying lunch on a
decaying carcass, recycling it back to the earth to provide nutrients for the
plants we more frequently admire, failing to remember what feeds them.
The American carrion
beetle, the marginated carrion beetle, and the redlined carrion
beetle worked together to complete their assigned mission and appeared quite
content doing so!
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
