NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Jan. 14, 2017
(Sunday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Three of us went to the LITTLE RAY’S TRAVELLING ZOO
exhibit on Saturday. It is running again today, Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
at the Moncton Coliseum. There is a variety of reptiles, birds and mammals in
excellent displays. There are two 30-minute stage presentations which are very
interesting and informative. If attending, I suggest that you step to the side
of the stage to hear well because acoustics in the Coliseum make it almost
impossible to hear what is said, if sitting in front of the stage. A few photos
are attached of a SLOTH [praecox] that is a very interesting animal and a star
of the show, and also of a TORTOISE [torque] eating its lunch. Brian Stone was
there and got 59 great photos that can be viewed at the attached
link
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lqroazkjsywkta0/AABwLzWBHSATUnYxrC-FvKmJa?dl=0 Click on one photo to make it full screen and then use the arrows to
go to the next photo. All animals on display are rescued or bred in captivity,
with nothing taken from the wild. The owl is one from Eurasia, not a native
owl.
** Ron Steeves watched a scenario unfold during Saturday’s
weather event. With all the thawing and flooding, it was interesting to watch
the intervale across from his house, as it got covered with water. It seems that
there was a good crop of mice and voles last fall. This intervale floods during
winter or spring but Ron has never witnessed the BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête
blanche] having such a field day getting something to eat. A pair of adult birds
were cruising the area and had very little trouble finding a mouse or vole that
had drowned and was floating or one that was trying to raft to safety on a piece
of ice or floating wood and ran out of luck. Ron estimated that the eagles
consumed at least 12 to 15 rodents during the afternoon. I suspect that flooding
has displaced rodents in other areas so that this scenario probably was repeated
elsewhere.
A discouraging aspect of all this flooding is that the new
walking trail around the decommissioned old Salisbury lagoon was taking a
beating as water was rapidly running over it at several locations.
Ron also had a female NORTHERN GOSHAWK [] in his yard on
Saturday, chasing the feeder birds, mostly MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle triste].
Ron comments that she had better leave his pheasants alone, or it could mean
war. Goshawks do have a taste for pheasant, Ron!
** Lisa Morris enjoyed watching the sun rise over Jones Lake
on Friday morning, from the corner of Mount Royal Boulevard and Westmount.
Chances are the snow in her photo has disappeared but it will probably be
replaced.
** The sudden mild weather and disappearance of snow from
the ground has surely changed the activity around bird feeders as birds were
able to forage for ground items in areas not covered by snow. Dave Christie
comments that the AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien] and DARK-EYED JUNCOS
[Junco ardoisé] disappeared from his yard on Saturday, with mainly just a few
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES [Chardonneret jaune] coming in. This will undoubtedly
change with the return of cold weather and no doubt snow.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
SLOTH. JAN 13, 2018.NELSON POIRIER
SUNRISE OVER JONES LAKE.JAN 12, 2018. LISA MORRIS
TORTOISE JAN 13, 2018.NELSON POIRIER
