Nature Miramichi:

I know Dave has distributed this email to quite a few people but there may be someone on our club list that isn’t in Dave’s list. Sorry for duplication. Peter

From: David McLeod [mailto:mcleodda@nbnet.nb.ca]
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2015 4:14 AM
Subject: 2015-16 Winter Bird List for Northumberland County and local Christmas Bird Counts

Hi All:

As in previous years, everyone is invited to contribute to the 2015-16 Winter Bird List for Northumberland County. It begins on Tuesday, Dec. 1, and extends through to Monday, Feb. 29.

Last year we set a new record of 68 species. See attached list. Hopefully we can do even better this time, with the first few days being critical while some migrant stragglers are still around. Perhaps that Yellow-throated Warbler will reappear at Peter and Deana’s, the Northern Cardinal will still be at Walter and Chris’s, Jim will be able to relocate the Black-backed Woodpecker in Redmondville, and the Common Grackle and Rusty Blackbird will still be hanging around my feeder. As before, I’d appreciate receiving any lists of your observations for the first day or two from individual feeders or from anywhere in the county for those who travel, at my email address: mcleodda

I’d also like to announce the dates for our three local upcoming Christmas Bird Counts (CBC’s) that were recently decided by Pam and myself.

Red Bank / Sunny Corner CBC – Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. Meet at the Irving in Sunny Corner at 8:30 AM.

Miramichi CBC – Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Meet at Tim Hortons, Douglastown, at 8:00 AM.

New Jersey / Neguac CBC – Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. Meet at Tim Hortons, Neguac, at 8:30 AM.

All are welcome to participate regardless of your bird identification skills, as you can join a party with more experienced birders. Or you can keep a list of the species and number of each visiting your feeder that day and send me the results. A reminder will be sent closer to the actual dates.

Dave

2014_15 Winter Bird List for Northumberland Co., Feb 25, 2015.docx

This is our first day of Project Feeder Watch and we have been rewarded. I thought I saw this bird last weekend but only had a glimpse. It came back this morning briefly. A “lifer” for the both of us.

One was reported in St. George yesterday on Birding New Brunswick. If it returns on a regular basis I will let you know in case you would like to check it out. (Reduced admission for club members!)

Full resolution photos attached. Peter and Deana

There are regional differences … this could be a member of the Southeast population … normal range is New Jersey to Alabama … but has been seen occasionally in eastern Canada, as far north as Labrador.

From: P. Gadd [mailto:gadd1313@nb.sympatico.ca]
Sent: Sunday, October 25, 2015 3:33 PM
Subject: MNC Meetings and Field Trips

Hi All,

A note to let you know what is in the planning stages for club meetings and field trips over the next few months.

Meetings:

Monday November 9th … Nature Photography workshop. Club members are invited to share some of their nature photographs and talk about

their approach to such photography. The idea is that we all will learn something by the sharing of ideas, techniques, composition etc. It is not intended

to get particularly technical and is not necessarily about high-end cameras. If you wish to participate in the presentation please let me know and send along

one or ten of your photos, or as many as you wish, so that I can prepare a presentation that we can look through as a group. Phil Riebel is not able to attend

this session unfortunately but hopefully at a future meeting he will be able to share and discuss some of his nature images.

Also the November meeting is our AGM and we will be holding an election for the club executive for 2015-2016.

Membership dues are due: $20.00 individual, $30.00 family.

December Meeting – this will be held on Dec. 7th, the first Monday of the month as the 14th might be getting into Christmas activity schedules.

We will have our Christmas Pot-Luck supper so the meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. Holly will be presenting on her visit to Churchill, Manitoba

and the Polar Bears in that area.

January 11th, 2016, Dave MacLeod will present on the techniques he uses as he researches answers to the many questions we send his way.

Below is what Dave has in mind for this session;

“ I’m thinking that examples of a bird, an insect, a vascular plant, and a non-vascular fungus would be worth exploring time allowing, using some photos that were sent to me by members for identification.

Although the internet is a valuable tool for comparison of photos on various websites, not all the information needed for an identification to species (and even sometimes to genus) is readily available there, especially when one is starting from scratch in the identification process. For the real keener various printed materials like dichotomous keys, range maps, etc., may be more available in books and are often the starting point before going to the internet to seek confirmation. For that reason I’m also considering bringing in some of my books so members can see what is out there in their particular field of interest.”

February 8th, 2016 TBA

March 14th, 2016 TBA

April 11th, 2016 – John Klymko, Zoologist, Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, Sackville, NB, will be presenting a wrap up of the recently completed 6 year Maritime Butterfly Atlas

Possible presenters/topics for the upcoming year:
Organic Farming, Birding on the Acadian Peninsula, Shoreline Erosion Control

If anyone has ideas for presentations for club meetings please let me know.

Field Trips:

Miramichi Museum, Chatham-Miramichi Saturday Dec. 5th or Sunday Dec. 6th

I have heard from Dave that Ena’s recovery from hip surgery after 3 weeks is going well although there a number of weeks recuperation left. Dave has been very busy in helping Ena through her daily routine

and she is also receiving appropriate support from health care workers. I have let Dave know we are all thinking of them.

Garden Bird Feeders – Miramichi Garden Club Presentation October 8, 2015

Begin forwarded message:

From: “David McLeod” <mcleodda>
Date: September 15, 2015 at 10:50:22 PM PDT
Subject: Wasp photo by Verica at Hay Island

I thought Club members would be interested in seeing an excellent photo of a wasp taken by Verica on Sept. 12 at Hay Island after Phil spotted it perched on the car windshield.

It’s a female Pelecinid Wasp (Pelecinus polyturator) which is told from the male by the extra long, jointed abdomen. It occurs in the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada.

The following link to the BugGuide website gives much more information about this species, including the fact that it parasitizes June Bug grubs (larvae), and so is a good biological control of that beetle species: http://bugguide.net/node/view/6945

Dave

Begin forwarded message:

From: “David McLeod” <mcleodda>
Date: September 15, 2015 at 11:22:06 PM PDT
Subject: Whimbrel at Hay Island

These two photos of a Whimbrel were taken by Aldo Dorio last month at Hay Island. It’s one of the larger, uncommon species of shorebirds that migrates through this area in late summer from its breeding area along the western side of Hudson Bay.

Aldo is to be congratulated for being there at the right time and capturing these beautiful photos!

The smaller bird in the foreground looks like a Lesser Yellowlegs, given the relative difference in size. From the tip of the bill to the tip of the tail, a Whimbrel measures 17.5 in. compared to 14 in. for a Greater Yellowlegs and 10.5 in. for the lesser. If you subtract about 2 to 3 inches for the bill length of the Whimbrel, the body still looks appreciably larger even though it’s farther from the camera. I also think a Greater Yellowlegs would have more dark barring on the flank area just below the wing compared to this bird as seen in photo #2.

image1

Comments are always welcome, Dave

From Jim Saunders

McKay and Gordon Meadow Brooks – Glossary 4(Autosaved).pdf

From: verpep@bellaliant.net [mailto:verpep@bellaliant.net]
Sent: May-04-15 4:30 PM
Subject: Brant

Hello,

Your numerous sightings of the Brant sparked my interest. However I was not sure what I was looking at previously.
While driving by this afternoon I spotted it. I went home got my camera and here it was peacefully grazing by the side of the road in Nelson near the old General Store not far from the Post Office. Until a series of School Buses drove by on the way to the school, when it decided to head for the water and rest on top of the rock.
Thank you for the education.

Verica

From: P. Gadd [mailto:gadd1313@nb.sympatico.ca]
Sent: April-26-15 7:14 PM
Subject:

The Miramichi Naturalists’ Club (MNC) will recognize Nature Canada’s BIRD DAY by offering guided tours to members to the public, of Miramichi Marsh (aka Miramichi Nature Trail) in Chatham-Miramichi on Saturday May 9th, 2015. The tours will begin at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and last for approximately 90 minutes. The primary purpose is to identify and talk about the many avian summer residents of the marsh and nearby woods and other natural aspects of the area. Over the past eight years since the trails were developed, the MNC has recorded sightings of more than 100 bird species in and about the marsh , some passing though during migration and others spending the spring and summer to breed and raise young. Some of the lesser known summer marsh residents include the Pied-billed Grebe, the American Bittern and the reclusive Sora. A sometime visitor is the American Coot. Bring your binoculars if you have them but they are not required. Organizers do ask that you leave dogs at home as their presence can make observations more difficult. The “Rain Date” is Sunday May 10th at 2:00 p.m. Meet at the corner of Quebec St. and Ironmen Rd. near Retirement Miramichi. For more information contact Peter Gadd at 622-1313.

Pied-billed Grebe with three young ones (early June).