Nature Moncton Nature
News
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**The City has advised that
the camera on the peregrine falcon nest box on the summit of Assumption Place
will be turned off today, June 30, as the fledglings and parents are now
spending their time on the rooftops nearby. The rooftop site is very busy with
parents trying to keep up with the demands of incessantly hungry teenagers
loudly expressing their desire for immediate feeding.
All appreciation to the
City of Moncton technical team for their attention to the camera which allowed so
many people to enjoy and appreciate the family life of this amazing bird.
Leigh Eaton comments that he
was on Assomption Blvd and heard a loud, continuous bird call on Monday.
Looking up at the peregrine falcon nest box, he spotted four falcons in flight,
calling constantly and circling the building, occasionally landing on the Bell Aliant
tower.
From his vantage point, it
was impossible to tell which were the juveniles and which were the adults, but
their flying skills were clearly being fine-tuned. The Snowbird Team could
learn a thing or two from these birds!
Lee was completely
mesmerized by both the sound and their flying ability, and spent more than 15
minutes just standing there watching. What amazing birds they are.
**This week’s Nature
Moncton Wednesday evening walk destination is below:
Date: July 1, 2026 at
6:30 PM
Where: Wilson Marsh, Dutchill entrance
Meeting place: Corner of Dutchill Drive and Marina Drive, Moncton
Leader: Fred Richards
Join us for a lovely walk
on the marsh on Wednesday, July 1st! We will cover about 3.5 km, over an
estimated 1.5 hours. The trail is rated easy to navigate, and the terrain
is level, except for the first 100 metres, where we must descend from
Dutchill Drive to the marsh. The marsh is now a “Treasured
Wetland” designated by Ducks Unlimited and has signage
highlighting some of the interesting things we might see. One small
portion of the walk is along a wooded trail where many songbirds are expected.
Bug spray and protective clothing are recommended. If you have one, don't
forget to wear your Nature Moncton name tag too! All are welcome, Nature
Moncton members or not.
PS: The weather
is not looking good in the long-term forecast, but keep checking for updates.
**Brian Coyle captured a trail cam video of a buck white-tailed deer that shows a few interesting features.
It shows the antlers (to
be) in the early velvet stage of development and also fibromas on the
side of the neck and head.
Fibromas are benign tumors
that appear as dark, fleshy, and hairless growths on skin caused by a host-specific
virus. They typically appear on the head, neck, face, and forelimbs. They are
usually found in deer under two years old. They are normally considered purely
cosmetic and do not affect the animal's overall health. They do not affect any other species and thus are no problem for humans.
**Maureen Girvan
photographed a spread-winged northern crescent butterfly on the Dieppe
trail on Sunday.
We have several of the
strikingly marked crescent group of butterflies that are very active at the moment. They are in the small to medium-sized category of butterflies.
**Yvette Richard shares
more photos of the spectacular display of the Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds
that paid a special visit to Moncton on Sunday.
**David Lilly comments, “Mactaquac
Provincial Park (often pronounced or phonetically spelled similarly to the way
it is spelled) is located just a short drive outside of Fredericton along the
scenic Saint John River. Covering over 1,300 acres, it is a premier destination
for birdwatchers due to its rich mixture of habitats and accessible trails.”
David sends some bird
photographs recently taken there.
**On Saturday, Brian Stone joined Cathy Simon at Wilson Marsh for an outing of birding and observing other areas of nature. They heard more than 30 different species of bird life and saw many of them. Of special interest was the observation by Cathy and the photography by Brian, of a pair of cedar waxwings building a nest beside the path. Brian checked it again on Sunday, and it had been enlarged significantly. Also of interest was the finding of two pied-billed grebe nests beside the path further along, one with at least three eggs, and the other with at least four. As people walk past, the grebes slide off the nest and hurriedly try to cover the eggs to keep them hidden.
A sora came close
and got photographed walking up a fallen tree at the edge of the marsh while
one of its young chicks ran back and forth quickly, keeping the photographer
from getting a photo in focus. One cedar waxwing was seen eating what
looked like tiny apples from a tree, swallowing them whole in an uncomfortable-looking
display. A lucky find was a female blue dasher dragonfly that posed
briefly beside the trail. Brian was unable to relocate it the next day but
guesses it, and maybe more, are there somewhere.
Brian also stopped in at
Highland Park in Salisbury and took a few photos of the nesting eastern
kingbirds feeding their recently hatched chicks. One kingbird parent
brought in a moth or butterfly and passed it to the other parent sitting on the
nest that opened wide to receive it and then promptly stuffed it into the
gaping mouth of a hungry chick. The kingbirds are nesting just 3 or 4 meters
from the new wooden bridge on the trail in the same nest that they occupied
last year. They must not mind the frequent pedestrians passing close by or the
occasional photographer stopping briefly for a couple of photos.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
