Vol. 45 No. 1 2018 - Where's Your Bird Why a Provincial Natural History Collection Matters Salmon Life Cycle
←
→
Transcription du contenu de la page
Si votre navigateur ne rend pas la page correctement, lisez s'il vous plaît le contenu de la page ci-dessous
Vol. 45 No. 1 2018 Where’s Your Bird • Why a Provincial Natural History Collection Matters • Salmon Life Cycle
Board of Directors / Conseil d’administration Affiliated Clubs / Clubs affiliés
Honourary president / Président d’honneur Chignecto Naturalist Club
Dr. James Goltz Meetings: Sackville Commons Co-op, 7:30 pm, 3rd
Monday of the month, Sept. – June.
Past president / Ancien président
Don MacPhail, dm@qcca.ca Club de Naturalistes de la Péninsule acadienne
www.clubcnpa.ca
Co-Presidents / Coprésidentes
Mike Lushington, carlalushington@gmail.com Club des Ami(e)s de la Nature du Sud-Est
Paul Mansz, paul@mansz.com http://sites.google.com/site/lesamiesdelanature
Secretary / Secrétaire
259 rue Brunswick St. Joel Butler, engleside@gmail.com
Club D’ornithologie du Madawaska
ww.umce.ca/coml/index.htm
Suite 103
Fredericton, NB E3B 1G8 Treasurer / Trésorier Fredericton Nature Club
Matthew Killick, matthew.j.killick@pwc.com ww.fnc.gbnature.com
Nature NB is a non-profit, Directors / Directeurs Hampton Nature Club
charitable organization whose Paula Noel, phoca03@yahoo.ca
Holly Frazer, frazerholly@gmail.com hamptonnaturalist.blogspot.com
mission is to celebrate, conserve Janet Doucet, janetdoucet@gmail.com
and protect New Brunswick’s Nicolas Lecomte, nicolas.lecomte@umoncton.com Jaquet River Nature Club
natural heritage, through Tony Diamond, tonydiamond49@gmail.com Meetings: The Royal Legion Branch #77 (3843 Main
Jan Riddell, janriddell10@gmail.com Street, Belledune), 4th Monday of the month, Sept.-
education, networking and
May.
collaboration. (The former name
of Nature NB – New Brunswick Nature Miramichi
Federation of Naturalists / https://miramichinaturalistclub.com/
Fédération des naturalistes du
Nouveau-Brunswick is retained Staff & Programs / Employés & programmes Nature Moncton
www.naturemoncton.com
for legal purposes.)
Executive Director / Directrice générale
Nature Sussex
Nature NB est un organisme Vanessa Roy-McDougall www.naturesussex.ca
259 rue Brunswick St., Suite 103
de bienfaisance à but non-
Fredericton, E3B 1G8, 459-4209, NB Botany Club
lucratif qui a comme mission
executive.director@naturenb.ca nbbotanyclub.wordpress.com
la célébration, la conservation
et la protection du patrimoine Executive Assistant / Assistant exécutif Restigouche Nature Club
naturel du Nouveau-Brunswick Dominique Sooley, 459-4209, info@naturenb.ca Meetings: Campbellton Nursing Home, 101 Dover St.,
par l’éducation, le réseautage 7:00 pm, 1st Monday of the month, Sept.- June.
et la collaboration. (L’ancien Programs coordinator /
Saint John Naturalists’ Club
nom de Nature NB, soit Coordinatrice des programmes www.saintjohnnaturalistsclub.org
« Fédération des naturalistes Melissa Fulton, 459-4209, staff@naturenb.ca
du Nouveau-Brunswick / Salisbury Naturalists
Education coordinatior / Coordinatrice éducative Meetings: Salisbury Village Office (Douglas St.),
New Brunswick Federation of
Emma McIntyre, 459-4209, naturekids@naturenb.ca 7:00 pm, 2nd Tuesday of the month.
Naturalists », demeurera le nom
légal de l’organisme.) Communications Coordinator / Saint Andrews Nature Club
Coordinatrice de communications www.facebook.com/naturestandrews/
Jillian Edwards, 459-4209
communications@naturenb.ca
Climate Change Officer / Agent de projet sur le
changement climatique (Sackville)
Adam Cheeseman, climate@naturenb.ca
Nature NB - Species at Risk /
Nature NB - Espèces en Péril
Lewnanny Richardson, 1704 chemin Rivière à la truite,
Nature NB (NBFN/FNNB) is a provincial af- Rivière à la truite, E1X 2L5, 395-3500,
filiate of Nature Canada (formerly lewnanny.richardson@gmail.com
Canadian Nature Federation) and the
Canadian Nature Network (CNN).
Nature NB (NBFN/FNNB) est un partenaire
provinciale (N.-B.) du Réseau Canadien
de la Nature (RCN) et affilié de Nature
Canada (la Fédération Canadienne de
la Nature).
NB Naturalist
In This Issue Dans ce numéro
NB Naturalist
Le Naturaliste du N.-B.
ISSN 0047-9551
Front cover photo / page de couverture, Christian Leger Published annually by Nature NB,
259 Brunswick St., Suite 103,
Editor’s Note, Paul Mansz......................................................................................................................3 Fredericton, NB, E3B 1G8. Canadian
Publication Mail Product Sales
Mot de l’éditeur, Paul Mansz................................................................................................................4 Agreement No. 487716.
Return postage guaranteed. Please
Salmon Life Cycle, Michelle Lavery......................................................................................................5 send notice of change of address
to Nature NB.
Sleuthing the Freshwater Mussel Community in Maritime Canada
NB Naturalist carries articles and
with a New Ally, Nelson Poirier.............................................................................................................8 reports pertaining to the natural
history of New Brunswick. Articles are
Our Outings, Mike Lushington...............................................................................................................11 invited in either English or French,
and will be printed in the language in
The Winner of the 2018 Roland Michener Conservation Award, which they are received. The opinions
expressed are those of the authors.
Jim Wilson of N.B, Jan Riddell.............................................................................................................13 Please send all submissions for
the NB Naturalist to: Vanessa Roy-
WildPaths Maritimes Tracks Wildlife near NB/NS Border, Paula Noel....................................15 McDougall (executive.director@
naturenb.ca) Ask for details of com-
Make a Difference with a Conservation Plate..........................................................................18 puter compatibility. Advertising rates
available on request. Single issues are
Where’s Your Bird, Todd Watts............................................................................................................19 $5 plus postage.
Why a Provincial Natural History Collection Matters , Donald F. McAlpine...................................21 Publié chaque année par Nature NB,
259 rue Brunswick., Suite 103, Fred-
How You Can Enjoy Nature with Nature NB/ ericton, NB, E3B 1G8. Port de retour
garanti. Tout changement d’adresse
Comment vous pouvez profiter en nature avec Nature NB, Nature NB...........................25 devrait être envoyé au Secrétaire de
la société.
On peut lire dans Le Naturaliste du
N.-B. des rapports touchant l’histoire
naturelle du Nouveau-Brunswick. Les
articles seront acceptés en français
ou en anglais pour être reproduits
dans la langue d’origine. Les opinions
exprimées sont celles de leurs au-
teurs. Veuillez faire parvenir toutes
articles pour Le Naturaliste du N.-B.
à : Vanessa Roy-McDougall (execu-
Volunteers needed! We are looking for volunteers who are familiar with publication and tive.director@naturenb.ca). Deman-
dez pour les détails de compatibilité
layout tools such as Adobe InDesign. If you have some experience with this tool, or oth- d’ordinateur. Tarifs publicitaires sont
ers like it, and would like to help with producing the NB Naturalist, please drop us a note disponibles sur demande. Un nu-
méro a 5$ l’exemplaire plus les frais
at executive.director@naturenb.ca. postaux.
On a besoin de bénévoles! On est à la recherche de bénévoles qui connaissent des
outils de publication et de mise en page comme Adobe InDesign. Si vous avez de
l’expérience avec cet outil, ou d’autres du même genre, et que vous aimeriez contribuer
à la production du «Naturaliste du N.-B.» , SVP envoyez un courriel à executive.director@
naturenb.ca.
© 2018 All articles in this publication
Please submit articles to Vanessa Roy-McDougall, executive.director@naturenb.ca. remain the sole copyright of the au-
thors. Any reprinting of an article with-
S.v.p. soumettre les articles à Vanessa Roy-McDougall, executive.director@naturenb.ca. out the author’s permission, whether
in print, electronic, web-based, or
other format, is strictly forbidden.
Sincere thanks to our many authors who contributed to this publication. © 2018 Les droits de reproduction de
Merci beaucoup à tous les auteurs dévoués qui ont contribué à cette publication. tous les articles dans cette publication
EDITORIAL TEAM FOR VOL. 45 NO. 1 demeure la seul propriété des au-
teurs.Toute reproduction des articles
Editor in Chief / rédacteur en chef : Vanessa Roy-McDougall sous forme imprimée, électronique,
Graphic Layout / mise en page : Jillian Edwards Internet ou autre est strictement
Team / équipe : Jillian Edwards, Paul Mansz, and Sabine Dietz interdite sans le consentement de
l’auteur.
Translation: Nature NB, Mira Dietz-Chiasson
Naturaliste du NB 2
Editor’s Note
Paul Mansz
Nature NB
A chill wind seems to be finding all
the cracks and draft-loving holes
in our house this fall – yes, it’s still fall,
It will certainly be at least annually, if not
more frequently. We will also continue
to publish special themed issues, again at
but it sure feels like the deep of cold least on an annual basis, and will “leak”
winter now! Our bird feeders are alive individual articles periodically through
with many of the regulars we see every our online channels to whet your appetite.
year, plus a few American Tree Sparrows Not only will this approach – publishing
Volunteers needed! that arrived a bit earlier than usual. An articles as they become available – provide
“Oregon” Dark-eyed Junco, that was more timely access to content you might
We are looking for
first seen at Hank and Carolyn Scarth’s otherwise have to wait months for, it will
volunteers who are
home a year ago, has reappeared and give you and all our readership a chance
familiar with publication
and layout tools such as
seems to split his feeding preferences to comment and enter a dialog around
Adobe InDesign. If you between our two buffets. Although the the content. I see this as a significant
have some experience waterways aren’t quite entirely frozen advantage that online publication
with this tool, or others like over, they are on the verge – with just provides, where your thoughts and
it, and would like to help enough open water for a lingering Great perspectives may be included along with
with producing the NB Blue Heron to find a small meal. the information offered by the article.
Naturalist, please drop us
And speaking of cold: the first of our pro- You may already have enjoyed some of
a note.
vincial Christmas Bird Counts are ready these online article previews: of timely
to start a week from my writing this note, interest is an article that Don MacPhail
and I know that many of us are looking wrote, highlighting what many of you
forward to reacquainting ourselves with probably did not realize: the first Ca-
familiar geography, friends, and – of nadian Christmas Bird Counter was a
course – birds! This year seems to be one New Brunswicker! You can read about
when a few of our irruptive species like William H. Moore right now, online,
Evening Grosbeak and Common Redpoll at www. naturenb.ca, or you can wait
are making appearances, so perhaps the for our next printed compendium.
complexion of species on our lists will be Wishing you all the best in 2019,
just marginally enriched because of that. yours in Nature’s friendship,
I would like to use this as a segue to
tell you about a change the staff and
volunteers here at the NB Natural-
ist have introduced: articles will be
made available through our online
channels when they’re ready, so you
can enjoy them on a timelier basis.
We’ll still provide a printed version of
the NB Naturalist that will compile all
the articles into one volume, with the
frequency of this being a function of
the number of articles we receive.
Photos: Paul Mansz
3 NB Naturalist
Mot de l’éditeur
Paul Mansz
Nature NB
U n vent glacial semble s’infiltrer par
toutes les fissures et ouvertures
possibles de notre maison cet automne.
imprimée du Naturaliste du N.-B. qui
regroupera tous les articles en un seul
volume, la fréquence de cette publication
- Même si c’est encore l’automne of- étant en fonction du nombre d’articles
ficiellement, on se croirait déjà dans le reçus. Ce sera certainement au moins une
grand froid de l’hiver ! Nos mangeoires fois par an, sinon plus souvent. Nous con-
d’oiseaux sont animées par les nombreux tinuerons également à publier des numé-
habitués qui nous reviennent chaque ros thématiques spéciaux, encore une fois
année, ainsi que par quelques Bruant au moins une fois par an, et partagerons
hudsonien qui sont arrivés un peu plus des articles individuels périodiquement
tôt que d’habitude. Un Junco ardoisé par le biais de nos canaux en ligne. Cette
de la sous espèces oreganus, qui avais approche (publier des articles dès qu’ils
été vu pour la première fois chez Hank seront disponibles) fournira, non seule-
et Carolyn Scarth il y a un an, est réap- ment, un accès plus rapide au contenu,
paru et semble partager ses préférences mais elle vous donnera, à vous et à tous
Photos: Paul Mansz
gastronomiques entre nos deux buffets. nos lecteurs, une chance de commenter et
Bien que les cours d’eau ne soient pas en- de commencer une conversation autour
tièrement gelées, ils sont à la limite, avec du contenu. Je considère cela comme
juste assez d’eau libre pour permettre à un un avantage significatif de la publication
Grand Héron de trouver un petit repas. en ligne, où vos pensées et vos points de
Et en parlant de froid: alors que j’écrit vue peuvent être inclus en compléments
cette note, les premiers Recensements des informations fournies par l’article.
des oiseaux de Noël de la province vont Vous avez peut-être déjà apprécié certains
commencer dans une semaine, et je de ces aperçus d’articles en ligne: un
sais que beaucoup d’entre nous sont article de Don MacPhail a été publié,
impatients à l’idée de redécouvrir une soulignant ce que beaucoup d’entre
géographie familière, des amis et, bien vous n’ont probablement pas réalisé: le
sûr, les oiseaux ! Cette année semble en premier recenseur canadien d’oiseaux
être une où quelques-unes de nos espèces de Noël était un Néo- Brunswickois !
éruptives, telles que le Gros-bec errant et Vous pouvez lire l’histoire de William H.
le Sizerin flammé, font leur apparition Moore dès maintenant, en ligne, au www.
en grands nombres. Par conséquent, naturenb.ca, ou vous pouvez attendre
l’aspect des listes d’espèces de nos rap- notre prochain compendium imprimé.
ports devrait en être légèrement enrichi. En vous souhaitant tout le meil-
Je profite de cette transition pour vous leur en 2019, je demeure vôtre
parler d’un changement que le person- en amitié de la Nature,
nel et les bénévoles du Naturaliste du
N.-B. ont introduit: des articles seront
disponibles via nos canaux en ligne dès
qu’ils seront prêts, pour que vous puissiez
profiter plus rapidement de l’information.
Nous publierons toujours une version
Naturaliste du NB 4
Michelle Lavery
Salmon Life Cycle
University of Guelph,
jlavery@uoguelph.ca
Abstract vers les eaux salées de l’océan. Une fois
Atlantic salmon overcome countless dans l’océan, les jeunes poissons se nour-
obstacles to their survival as they grow rissent de petits poissons et de crevettes
from embryo to adult. In autumn, adults pendant que les pêcheurs les attaquent
make their long migration from the ocean avec leurs filets en plein mer. Finalement,
to their natal freshwater streams, laying leur corps connait une deuxième transfor-
Atlantic Salmon
eggs that must survive the depths of mation physiologique et les adultes com-
are anadromous, mencent leur pénible voyage de retour à
winter. Once hatched, embryos develop
characterized as a species contre-courant pour frayer. Ils referont
that lives in salt water but
into juveniles over 2-3 years, all the while
foraging for food, evading predators, and ce voyage plusieurs fois dans leur vie.
reproduces in fresh. Unlike
their pacific cousins, they surviving heat waves and ice jams. If they
can reproduce multiple survive their freshwater nursery, young
salmon then undergo a physiological
E
times. Pacific salmon very autumn, hundreds upon thou-
species, when they return overhaul, preparing their bodies for the sands of adult Atlantic salmon make
to freshwater, cease migration from freshwater stream to salt- their way up creeks, brooks, and streams
eating, and their lives end water ocean. In the sea, young fish gorge all over New Brunswick to spawn. By the
shortly after reaching their themselves on smaller fish and shrimp light of the moon, metre-long females dig
spawning beds. while being pummelled by fishermen’s gravel nests known as "redds". A single fe-
Atlantic Salmon that return nets in the open ocean. Finally, their bod- male can lay up to 15000 eggs that remain
to reproduce after only ies undergo a second physiological change buried in the gravel over winter, slowly
one winter at sea are and adults begin the harrowing journey developing into tiny, bug-eyed fish babies.
called “grilse”. back upstream to spawn. They will make
this trip several more times in their lives. It’s well known that winter in Canada
is long and hard, and underwater
Abstrait it isn’t any different. A chill creeps
Le saumon de l’Atlantique fait face à de through the water and slows their tiny
nombreux obstacles pour survivre au metabolic rates to a crawl. Eventu-
cours de son développement du stade ally, the ice breaks up and scours the
d’embryon à celui d’adulte. En automne, gravel riverbed — some of the eggs end
les adultes migrent depuis l’océan vers les up crushed under boulders or scraped up
cours d’eau douce où ils sont nés pour on shore, while others end up in pockets
pondre des œufs qui devront eux survivre of low oxygen and suffocate. In the best
à la dureté de l’hiver. Une fois éclos, les case scenarios, about 40% survive.
embryons se développent jusqu’au stade
de juvéniles; cela leur prend 2 à 3 ans. Au The eggs hatch into clumsy baby fish
cours de ce stade, ils doivent se nourrir, known as "alevins". They have eyes the
fuir les prédateurs et survivre aux vagues size of their heads, and enormous yolk
de chaleur et aux embâcles de glace. Les sacs on their bellies to sustain them until
jeunes saumons, s’ils survivent dans leur their insect prey hatch later in the spring,
pouponnière en eau douce, connaitront providing that their hatch was timed
ensuite une transformation physiologique correctly. Hindered by these yolk sacs,
qui préparera leur corps à la migration alevins are poor swimmers and vulner-
able prey to hungry river fish and birds.
5 NB Naturalist
The first year is often the hardest. The
tiny fish must forage constantly and
evade predators like trout, hungry
birds, and even other juvenile salmon.
If they survive the following winter to
become parr, they will have to spend two
more years of foraging and fighting for
their lives before they become adults.
Environmental threats like hot summer
temperatures and frigid winter ones
combined with pollution and low oxygen
levels can kill more parr than predators
can! By the time they’re teenagers, only
5% of their siblings will have survived.
After several winters in the stream, a
set of environmental cues will trigger a An adult Atlantic salmon that has migrated back to its natal freshwater stream from the
ocean to spawn, caught as part of a species conservation initiative in the Miramichi.
dramatic change. The parr, who have Photo by Holly Labadie
lived their entire life in freshwater, will
begin to overhaul their physiology in
preparation for a life in saltwater. They
must change the way their gills filter
water, the way they eliminate waste, and
the way they camouflage themselves.
Turning from brown to silver in colour,
they are now called smolt, and they
complete their transformation while
migrating through a labyrinth of streams
to the ocean. Along the way, they
encounter new species of hungry fish,
birds, and aggressive adult salmon headed
upstream to spawn. Of the smolts who
leave their freshwater homes, only half
will complete their journey to the sea.
When they reach the ocean, they gorge
themselves on smaller fish and shrimp,
doubling, tripling or even quadrupling
in size in a matter of months. They
follow their prey from Nova Scotia to Fertilized Atlantic salmon eggs being laid down for incubation at a
Greenland, meeting up with comrades hatchery as part of a species conservation initiative in the Miramichi.
Photo by Michelle Laverly
from Newfoundland, Ireland and Norway
along the way. But all too often they
aren’t the only ones gorging themselves.
Commercial fishermen follow the hordes
of hungry fish, hauling enormous,
fish-filled nets out of the water daily.
Naturaliste du NB 6
Eventually, the surviving adults turn
away from their feast and head back to
their home streams. Females fat with eggs
and males spoiling for a fight navigate
through estuaries filled with pollution,
rivers blocked by dams, and streams
littered with avid fly fishermen. The
few that make it to their destination dig
gravel nests and lay the next generation
of eggs. Spent adults drift back to the
ocean to gorge themselves again — they
may make this spawning journey several
more times in the following years.
Eggs being retrieved from an adult female Atlantic salmon as
Adapted from a column in The Brun- part of a species conservation initiative in the Miramichi.
Photo by Michelle Lavery
swickan (published October 2015).
The juvenile stage of the Atlantic salmon life cycle, parr are residents of their natal freshwater streams for 1-4 years before migrating to sea as smolts.
Photo by Michelle Lavery
7 NB Naturalist
Sleuthing the Freshwater
Mussel Community in Maritime Nelson Poirier
nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Canada with a New Ally
Abstract
A great, hot-off-the-press flash guide O ne of the very interesting, but little-
known, groups of invertebrate ani-
mals we have in our many New Brunswick
to New Brunswick’s freshwater mussel
community is now available in four dif- streams and lakes is the freshwater mussel.
ferent languages. It is available as a small, The naturalist community in New
easy-to-pack booklet that will help satisfy Brunswick does not pay much attention
the curiosity of naturalists that encounter to this member of Mother Nature’s
those neat piles of shells to learn to call community. This is unfortunate, as
them by name. The guide will be espe- there is a significant void in what we
cially valuable to anyone doing mussel know about the 11 species recorded here
surveys in New Brunswick. We have 10 and they are important contributors to
freshwater mussel species in New Brun- the health of freshwater ecosystems.
swick and, with this flash guide in hand, For me personally, it was not until I heard
learning to identify them all to species Dwayne Sabine give presentations to
level will be quite attainable. We learn naturalist groups that I realized just how
and very much enjoy identifying birds, fascinating these creatures really are, and
butterflies, odonates, plants, etc., so why how much I would like to be able to call
not New Brunswick’s freshwater mussels? them by name when finding their shells
Abstrait on the shorelines of lakes, rivers, and
Tout juste sorti, ce fabuleux guide pra- streams. Muskrats may be cattail root con-
tique sur les moules d’eau douce du Nou- noisseurs; however, they also have a taste
veau-Brunswick est disponible en quatre for freshwater mussels. They satisfy this
langue. Ce petit livret facile à transporter taste in a very interesting way. They gather
saura répondre à la curiosité des natu- mussels from their underwater habitat,
ralistes qui rencontrent de beaux tas de bringing them to shore and placing them
coquillages puisqu’ils pourront désormais in piles called “middens”. When out of
leur donner un nom! Le guide sera sur- the water for a time, the mussels are weak-
tout intéressant pour ceux qui mènent des ened and their shells will partially open.
enquêtes sur les moules au Nouveau-Brun- The muskrat then returns to feast on the
swick où il existe 10 espèces de moules interior body of the mussels, leaving the
d’eau douce. Avec ce guide en poche, shells intact in a neat, easily located, pile
il devient plutôt simple d’apprendre à where interested naturalists can gather
toutes les identifier. Nous apprenons à them and identify them, satisfying the
reconnaitre les oiseaux, les papillons, les curiosity that makes us naturalists.
odonates, les plantes et bien plus encore, There are only 10 kinds of mussels we are
et nous y prenons plaisir! Alors pourquoi apt to find in New Brunswick (the 11th
ne pas en faire autant avec les moules is extirpated). Some are fairly common,
d’eau douce du Nouveau-Brunswick? some much less frequently encountered,
others rare in New Brunswick in light
Naturaliste du NB 8
A typical muskrat “midden” of mussel shells ready to examine for species identification.
Photo by Nelson Poirier
of present knowledge, and some now shops, sponsored by the Department
of special conservation concern here. of Fisheries and Oceans and presented
With only 10 freshwater mussel species by the New Brunswick Museum, for
to deal with, it is no more difficult to Indigenous groups gearing up to add
get to know the species by name and to freshwater mussel surveys to fish sur-
identify them than, say, the skipper but- veys they were already engaged in.
terflies of New Brunswick, for which we This guide is available in English, French,
have ample good guides to help us with. Wolastoqey, and Mi’kmaq, and is perhaps
It may have taken a moment to get here, a New Brunswick first for a multilingual
but the real reason for this essay is to publication. The guide comes with all
review and introduce the New Brunswick four sets attached to a single ring, and is
naturalist to a new user-friendly guide printed on waterproof Tyvec. Users can
to the mussels of New Brunswick. mix and match the pages as they wish.
Up until now, the guidebook of choice to While the impetus behind the whole ef-
learn about our mussel community has fort was freshwater mussel conservation,
been The Freshwater Mussels of Maine the hope is that the project will also play
by Nedeau, McCollough, and Schwartz a role in helping to conserve Maritime
(2000 edition). This 118 page guide indigenous languages. The guide was
book is still the main source of choice produced jointly by the New Brunswick
(early printings needed an error corrected Museum and the Canadian Museum
on page 82). Unfortunately, it is not a of Nature, with funding for production
convenient guide to carry in the field. provided by Fisheries and Oceans.
Maritime naturalists engaged in mussel Unfortunately, the print run was quite
surveys are now in luck as a field-friendly, small (several hundred), so distribution
concise, 26 page, pocket-sized guide of the hardcopy version is currently
is available free of charge as of 2018. restricted to watershed groups actively
It is entitled Freshwater Mussels of engaged in mussel surveys. However, the
Maritime Canada by Donald McAlpine, electronic version can be freely down-
Mary Sollows, Jacqueline Madill, and loaded. I’ve spent some time digesting
Andre Martel. The project grew out the pages of this small gem realizing
of a series of freshwater mussel work- what a bonus it is to the Maine publica-
tion (which the inside cover states it’s
9 NB Naturalistdesigned to be used in conjunction with). has made this practice unnecessary. How-
However, there are two points in the ever, declines in water quality and loss of
new guide I found to be problematic. salmon populations, on which this mussel
1. The Canadian conservation status species is dependent, have also been
is listed; however, the known Maritime significant factors in the species decline.
status may differ, which could lead to I’m looking forward to the start of the
confusion. This is the case for one spe- open water season so I can begin to pe-
cies in particular: The Creeper is listed ruse muskrat middens and roam streams
as Canadian conservation status secure, with a 5 gallon plastic pail with the
whereas in New Brunswick, only a few bottom replaced with a plexiglass plate.
specimens have ever been collected. The latter allows for perfect viewing of
2. The non-native, and highly invasive, he mussels in their underwater world.
Zebra mussel (not actually closely A copy of the guide, downloaded onto
related to our native freshwater mussel a phone, will probably be in my pack.
species) is included, which may lead The electronic version of Freshwater
users to think this species is present in Mussels of Maritime Canada can
the Maritimes, which at this point it be downloaded for free at http://
is not (and hopefully never will be!) www.nbm-mnb.ca/images/stories/
Nevertheless, this guide is an invaluable Freshwatermusselsguide.pdf.
asset to watershed groups or others that Also, a more technical paper, and one
may undertake freshwater mussel surveys of the recommended supplements
in the region. If used in conjunction with to the guide, Freshwater Mussels
the more comprehensive Freshwater Mus- (Bivalvia:Margaritiferidae, Unionidae) of
sels of Maine and other supplement rec- the Atlantic Maritime Ecozone, is also
ommended, the problems above will not available as a free download at http://
present issues. In any event, I am told that www.nbm-mnb.ca/images/stories/
a further printing will take place soon and AMEChapter27Freshwatermussels.pdf
the two issues above will be addressed.
It is of interest that the Dwarf Wedgemus-
sel, now extirpated, was known in Canada
only in the Petitcodiac River watershed.
After construction of the Petitcodiac River
Causeway between Riverview and Monc-
ton, this species disappeared. Could this
guide lead to remnant specimens being lo-
cated? That would be an exciting outcome!
The Eastern Pearlshell, which is very
common in nearly all New Brunswick
watersheds, is now endangered in Europe,
where it was once very common. This
species is one of the longest living inver-
tebrates known, living up to 200 years.
Sadly, collecting of this species in search
of rarely present pearls has decimated
populations in some parts of the world. The Flashcard Guide.
Fortunately the “cultured” pearl industry Photo by Nelson Poirier
Naturaliste du NB 10Our Outings
Mike Lushington
carlalushington@gmail.com
“We walk, we chat, Nuthatch
we look for, and at, Photo by Anthony Sulpizio
whatever may present
itself..” Abstract étant plutôt d’encourager le partage
- Mike Lushington The Restigouche Naturalists’ Club and the d’informations et d’enthousiasme à
Jacquet River Nature Club get together l’heure d’en apprendre plus sur les
on an almost weekly basis for short, infor- curiosités naturelles locales, et ce tous
mal outings in and around Restigouche réunis. Et tout le monde est d’accord
County on a year-round basis. These : « Les sorties ratées n’existent pas! »
outings are not usually “leader-led”;
instead they encourage sharing of infor-
mation, as well as mutual enthusiasm
for getting together and learning about
local natural attractions. We agree that
O ver the last couple of years, we,
the members of the Restigouche
Naturalists’ Club and the more recently
“there is no such thing as a bad outing.” formed Jacquet River Nature Club, have
Abstrait begun to plan outings nearly every Sat-
Tout au long de l’année, les clubs urday throughout the year, as well as fre-
Restigouche Naturalists Club et Jac- quent mid-week, usually evening, events.
quet River Nature Club se sont réunis On a Saturday morning in the spring,
presque chaque semaine pour des sorties we may agree to meet in Dalhousie to
courtes et informelles dans le comté de tour local beaches, coves, and water
Restigouche et ses environs. En général, treatment facilities, mainly in search
ces sorties ne sont pas animées par of warterfowl; on a summer morning,
une personne en particuliers, l’idée it might be a trip back to Robinson
11 NB NaturalistLake for plants and birds that frequent
marshes and the lakeside; in autumn,
we may well find ourselves strolling over
the trails in Sugarloaf Provincial Park
or along the sea coast and marshes of
Jacquet River; in winter, we will gauge
the weather and patrol the Eel River
Trail or, again, the sea coast in search of
whatever may be braving the elements.
We have several outings each year that
have become traditional: Karl’s walk
to the Dalhousie beaver pond in late
May in search of Trout Lilies, or his
walk down behind the Dalhousie Fire
station for the plants and a surprising
variety of birds; Andre’s annual visit to
the Cross Point (Quebec) nature trails;
a drive to Antinouri Lake in the Jacquet
River Gorge; Louis’ boat trip on the Bay
of Chaleur; or, of course, the annual Photo by Ralph Eldridge
Christmas Bird Counts (two of them).
Most of our outings are unpretentious
little affairs. They last a couple of hours
and we don’t go far. We walk, we chat,
we look for, and at, whatever may present
itself, and we share information and learn
from one another. Apart from having
someone take responsibility for getting us
to an unfamiliar place, no one is expected
to be the group “Leader”; our effort
and our enjoyment are collaborative.
Our evaluation of each may be sum-
marised simply: none of us can recall
ever having had a “bad outing”.
Photo by Nature NB
Naturaliste du NB 12The Winner of the 2018
Jan Riddell
anriddell10@gmail.com Roland Michener Conservation
Award, Jim Wilson of N. B.
Jean and Jim Wilson.
Photo by Jan Riddell
Abstract Abstrait
The Saint John Naturalists Club is very Le club des naturalistes de Saint John
proud to announce that Jim Wilson est fier d’annoncer que Jim Wilson a
“His gentle, modest has received the 2018 Roland Michener reçu le Prix Roland Michener 2018 de
nature is compelling and Conservation Award from the Cana- la part de la Fédération canadienne de
his genuine concern for dian Wildlife Federation. This national la faune. Ce prix national reconnaît le
the study, education, award recognizes an individual “who travail d’une personne qui « a fait preuve
conservation and has demonstrated a commitment to d’un engagement exceptionnel à la cause
enjoyment of nature conservation through active involvement, de la conservation par le biais d’activités
is infectious. “ inspires strides in conservation educa- efficaces et responsables destinées à
-Jan Riddell on Jim Wilson tion and protects our country’s natural promouvoir, à améliorer et à intensifier la
heritage for the benefit and enjoyment conservation des ressources naturelles du
of future generations”. Through his Canada pour le bien-être des générations
lifelong work monitoring birdlife and à venir ». Les contributions de Jim Wil-
his current monarch butterfly project, son pour notre environnement naturel
Jim Wilson’s contributions to our sont exemplaires, notamment son projet
natural environment are exemplary. de vie de surveillance des oiseaux et son
projet en cours sur le papillon monarque.
13 NB NaturalistW hen Chuck Perry, President of
the Saint John Naturalists’ Club,
received an email from the Canadian
Roy-Vienneau, at the PLBO where she
learned to tag monarch butterflies.
Jim was retained by the Crown as an
Wildlife Federation (CWF) inviting expert witness during a recent legal
our Club to nominate a person for process regarding the destruction of
one of their national awards, it didn’t wildlife habitat. He is a regular guest on
take him long to recognize that Jim CBC radio and writes a weekly page of
Wilson’s contributions fit not one, but “Sightings” for The Telegraph Journal.
all of the parameters of the Roland His outstanding leadership has been
Michener Conservation Award. recognized by appointments to many
A dedicated member of our Club for boards and councils dedicated to the
five decades, Jim has presented numer- study of wildlife and wildlife habitat. He
ous public workshops and led many performs these services with integrity,
birding field trips for children, local and enthusiasm and respect for the people
provincial naturalists’ organizations, and around him. His gentle, modest nature
the public, all at no charge. He was instru- is compelling and his genuine concern
mental in establishing the Point Lepreau for the study, education, conservation
Bird Observatory (PLBO) in 1995 and and enjoyment of nature is infectious.
has been Chair of the committee that Jim’s passion for the natural environment,
manages the activities at this site since its supported by his dedicated wife Jean, was
inception. The PLBO is one of only two celebrated in Regina, Sask. where they
well-established sea bird observatories attended the CWF Awards Banquet in
on the Atlantic coast of North America. June, 2018. Along with the other 2018
In 2001, Point Lepreau and adjacent winners in different categories, Jim will
Maces Bay were declared an Important be included in a full feature story in the
Bird Area by Birdlife International. July/August edition of the publications
For 53 years, Jim has monitored his Canadian Wildlife and Biosphère Maga-
route for the annual Maritimes Breeding zine. They will be available in Chapters
Bird Survey, designed to identify trends stores across Canada. Watch for them!
of North American breeding birds at Very special thanks to Eileen Pike who
continental, national, and regional scales. contributed significant information and
During the last 18 years, Jim surveyed edits.
his route for the annual Nocturnal Owl
Survey. Over several decades he con-
tributed to the Maritimes Nest Records
Scheme, which follows the health of bird
populations through nesting activity,
thus providing valuable information on
the state of the wider environment.
In 2006, Jim initiated the Monarch
Butterfly Tagging Program in NB and
he continues to distribute milkweed
seeds to dozens of volunteers who grow
milkweed throughout the province. In
September 2017, Jim hosted the Lieuten-
ant Governor of New Brunswick, Jocelyne
Naturaliste du NB 14WildPaths Maritimes Tracks
Paula Noël
paul.noel@ Wildlife Near NB/NS Border
natureconservancy.ca
Abstract that present the greatest barriers to wild-
WildPaths Maritimes is a new program life. The Nature Conservancy of Canada
working to 1) better understand how is looking for volunteers to support the
roads impact the movement of wildlife project by becoming citizen scientists and
and 2) find solutions to make our roads taking photos to document wildlife using
safer for people and wildlife alike. The the mobile application iNaturalist. This
program is focused on the Chignecto application allows observers to record
Isthmus, an area critical for maintain- valuable information like the identifica-
ing and restoring ecoregional-scale tion of observed wildlife and its location,
connectivity for wildlife and ecological and add the information to a shared
processes. Volunteers can help contribute database. The Department of Transporta-
data to the program using iNaturalist. tion and Infrastructure will be able to
use the information in the database
Abstrait to enhance conservation and improve
WildPaths Maritimes est un nouveau safety for both wildlife and people on
projet dont le but est de 1) mieux roads in the Chignecto Isthmus region.
comprendre l’impact des routes sur les The Chignecto Isthmus, is a 23 kilometre-
mouvements de la faune, et 2) trouver des wide connection between Nova Scotia
solutions qui permettraient de sécuriser and New Brunswick and has been identi-
“This program focuses on nos routes à la fois pour les personnes
tracking wildlife sightings fied by conservation scientists as a Critical
et pour la faune. L’espace concerné par Linkage Area. Critical Linkage Areas are
near the New Brunswick/
le projet est l’isthme de Chignectou, important for maintaining and restoring
Nova Scotia border,
un espace essentiel au maintien et à ecoregional-scale connectivity for wildlife
with a goal of identifing
sections of highway that
la restauration de la connectivité à and ecological processes. Landscape con-
present the greatest l’échelle écorégionale, pour la fauve et nectivity and wildlife habitat in this area
barriers to wildlife.” les processus écologiques. Les bénévoles is being increasingly impacted by urban
peuvent contribuer au projet en part- sprawl from growing population centres
- Paula Noël
ageant des données avec iNaturalist. (Moncton, Dieppe, Shediac, Sackville,
Amherst) and road development. As
a result it is increasingly difficult for
T his summer, WildPaths Maritimes wildlife, in particular wide-ranging spe-
was launched, a Staying Connected cies like bear, moose and bobcat, to find
Initiative (SCI) partnership program sufficient undisturbed habitat. Wildlife
coordinated by the Nature Conservancy corridors are an essential component to
of Canada. This program focuses on landscape-scale conservation in order
tracking wildlife sightings near the New to enable: genetic flow between popula-
Brunswick/Nova Scotia border, with a tions; range expansion / contraction in
goal of identifing sections of highway response to climate changes; dispersal
of young individuals to suitable habitat;
15 NB Naturalistand temporary refuge in response to
natural and anthropogenic disturbance.
A multi-pronged approach to maintain-
ing or improving wildlife connectivity
is essential for conservation success.
A combination of 1) securing a network
of key parcels of land that supports suit-
able habitats for wildlife, 2) mitigating the
negative effects of roads (or other barri-
ers) on wildlife movement, and 3) restor-
ing areas necessary to enhance landscape
connectivity are all needed to increase
the odds of the Chignecto Isthmus
remaining a viable wildlife corridor. To
accomplish all of this, there needs to be a
coordinated approach between non-profit
organizations, the forestry industry, wood-
lot owners, and government agencies.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada
Amelia Barnes, Dalhousie University, surveys roads for wildlife.
has already protected 3000 acres of Photo by NCC
land in the Chignecto Isthmus and has
future projects planned to help secure
a permanent wilderness corridor for
wildlife in the region. Other organiza-
tions working to conserve or restore
wildlife habitat in the Chignecto Isthmus
include provincial and federal agencies,
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Soci-
ety, Community Forests International,
Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Atlantic
Wildlife Institute, and Nature NB.
WildPaths Maritimes will enable inter-
est groups and the public to monitor
wildlife road crossings and road kill in
their neighborhood, which will help to
direct efforts in guiding future develop-
ment in our towns and to maintain
these crucial connections between core
habitats. A baseline of data was col-
lected in summer 2018 by Dalhousie
University researchers who completed
detailed surveys on foot and by car along
highways on the Chignecto Isthmus in
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The
information submitted by Dalhousie re-
searchers and volunteers will also be used Bear crossing Route 134.
Photo by Ginette Roy
Naturaliste du NB 16to identify key areas for conservation. Chignecto Isthmus is encouraged to con-
We welcome reports on wildlife anytime tact the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s
and anywhere in the Maritimes on iNatu- Fredericton office at 1-877-231-4400.
ralist, but we are also looking for volun- The WildPaths project has received
teers to Adopt a Roadway in the Chignec- funding from the New Brunswick
to Isthmus (from Moncton, NB, to Truro, Wildlife Trust Fund and the Nova
NS). You may pick a section of road that Scotia Habitat Conservation Fund.
you travel frequently whether by walking, Link to the project in
biking or driving and make monthly iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/
reports to the WildPaths Maritimes projects/wildpaths-maritimes
Project. Anyone wishing to volunteer with
the WildPaths Maritimes project on the
17 NB NaturalistMake a Difference with
a Conservation Plate
S ince its inception in 1997, the New
Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund has
funded worthwhile wildlife and habitat
As of March 2018, 54,450 vehicles
displayed one of the four Conservation
plate designs: the Atlantic salmon (the
restoration, research, and education original conservation plate design), the
projects in New Brunswick in five White-tailed deer (New Brunswick’s
subject areas: Fisheries, Wildlife, Trap- most popular game animal), the black-
ping, Education, and Biodiversity. capped chickadee (New Brunswick’s
provincial bird) and the purple violet
The New Brunswick Wildlife Council,
(New Brunswick’s provincial flower).
a dedicated group of 17 volunteers rep-
resenting anglers, hunters, naturalists, The cost of the Conservation plate is $57
environmentalists, outfitters, trappers, initially, with $50 contributing to the
Indigenous People and the public-at-large, cost of the new plates and $7 going to
manage the Trust Fund. To date, the the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund.
Trust Fund has received 2921 applications This $7 is added to the motor vehicle
for project funding (valued at $53.3 M). registration renewal fee each year and will
The Council reviews each application automatically go to the New Brunswick
and makes recommendations for funding Trust Fund to support and fund wildlife
to the Provincial Minister of Energy and projects throughout New Brunswick.
Resource Development. So far, Council
members have recommended 2109 pro-
jects for funding (valued at $20.8M). This
year, 71 local non-governmental organiza-
tions and community groups have re-
ceived funding to undertake 122 projects.
The New Brunswick Wildlife Council
members wish they could fund more
projects each year, but they have a limited
amount of funds available to distribute,
and they are seeing an increase in funding
requests each year. A great way for you, as
a New Brunswicker, to show your ongo-
ing dedication and support for wildlife
conservation in New Brunswick is to
purchase a conservation plate for your
vehicle, which contributes directly to the
New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund.
Naturaliste du NB 18Where’s Your Bird?
Todd Watts
buteobuz@gmail.com
A ll of us have been in the field and
struggled to convey the location of a
bird to the other members of our party.
Quick and effective communication
is an invaluable skill for the natural-
ist. Often we encounter birds sitting
in a tree, moving across the horizon,
or elsewhere, and need to describe to
If a bird was viewable in this photo, would you be able to quickly and succinctly describe how to find it? the people with us where to find the
Photo by Todd Watts
bird. For many, this is a challenge.
Abstract
I am going to describe a method that
Conveying the location of a bird to should simplify this process. It will focus
members of your birding party can be on using landmarks, the clock system,
quite challenging. This article will look fields of view and direction of travel.
at ways to eliminate these difficulties. This might sound complicated, but it
Through the use of fields of view, land- really isn’t. With a little practice, you
marks, and the clock system, any birder can ‘get’ others on our birds quickly and
can communicate locations quickly and easily. A few instances might continue
effectively. Practicing these methods can to be difficult due to lack of landmarks,
lead to more enjoyment, make you a but in the majority of cases, this method
better birder, and help document some will serve you well. Becoming skillful
of nature’s most amazing spectacles. in this area can help others enjoy the
Abstrait bird or birds you have seen, collaborate
sightings of rare or uncommon birds,
Communiquer la localisation d’un and help record important data.
oiseau aux membres de notre groupe
Direction of travel is often the first thing
d’observation peut devenir tout un
that should be mentioned, especially if
défi. Dans cet article, nous découvrons the bird is moving very fast. Moving right
comment écarter ces difficultés. Grâce or moving left is usually the easiest way
à l’utilisation de champs de visions, de to describe horizontal movement (instead
repères et du système d’horloge, tout of east and west). Sometimes vertical
ornithologue peut communiquer des movement needs to be communicated as
well (soaring birds). Then the direction
localisations rapidement et de façon ef-
is simply up, down or higher or lower.
ficace. Avec ces méthodes, vous prendrez
Use of landmarks is also a good place
plus de plaisir, deviendrez un meilleur or-
to start. Landmarks can be anything
nithologue et il sera plus facile de rendre
including trees, any type of structure,
compte des plus incroyables spectacles de clouds, other birds, the horizon or the
la nature. sun. Use landmarks that are as far away
19 NB Naturalistas the bird or further. Landmarks close currently approaching a house with a red
to the observer can only be used when roof.” Or if you are watching seabirds at
the observers are standing shoulder to Point Lepreau, “the bird is passing under
shoulder, and even then, it is better to Grand Manan Island.” A mention of field
use more distant points of reference. of view can also be very helpful here.
The clock system allows us to communi- 2. You see a bird soaring above the
cate the position of the bird relative to a horizon. Find a landmark and go from
fixed object. Any landmark can be viewed there. You might say something like,
as the centre of a clock with an hour hand “I’ve got a bird at about two o’clock off
extending from it. The hour hand points the top of the cell tower one quarter
to the bird. A bird directly over the land- field out.” If it is quickly moving higher,
mark would be at twelve o’clock, directly stating something like, “rapidly gain-
right would be three o’clock and so on. ing altitude” might be appropriate.
Fields of view are used to describe the 3. You see a bird perched high in a tree
distance from a landmark. This refers to on an outer branch. You could say, “about
a field of view through ones binoculars five o’clock in the top of the tree.”
or spotting scope (whichever is being 4. You see a bird perched in a tree near
used). If the bird is in the centre of your Saw-whet Owl.
its base. Maybe say something like, Photo by Anthony Sulpizio
field of view and a notable landmark is “Bird perched at ten o’clock off the
at the edge of your field of view, then base of the trunk a full field out.”
the bird could be described as being one
half a field from the feature (landmark). There are countless examples that could
Sometimes the bird might be as little be used here. Hopefully these few have
as a quarter field from a landmark or helped to give you an idea of how to
as great as two fields. When a bird is describe the location of a bird. Remember
more than a full field from a notable to measure distance using fields of view,
landmark things get a little tricky. use the clock system, landmarks, direction
The observer must slowly move their of travel and to communicate calmly. Your
binoculars off the bird and look for a birding companions will thank you for it!
landmark while attempting to judge how
far they have traveled. Remember, a full
field is the width of your field of view
through whatever optics are being used.
Communicating calmly is very important!
An excited response to seeing a bird
might scare the bird, cause others to
move quickly which could also scare the
bird, or cause others to take their eyes
off something of greater importance.
A few potential scenarios:
1. You see a bird that is moving right to
left just under the horizon. This sighting
can be communicated by saying, “I have a
bird moving left just under the horizon.”
If it is approaching a landmark, that
Short eared owl.
information could also be added. “It is Photo by Louise Nichols
Naturaliste du NB 20Why a Provincial Natural
Donald F. McAlpine
donald.mcalpine@nbm- History Collection Matters*
mnb.ca
Abstract du Nouveau-Brunswick pourra désormais
The importance of a provincial natural endosser son rôle aux niveaux provincial,
history collection to science and society national et international, élargissant
"There is one matter ainsi le profil et la portée de l’institution,
in New Brunswick and elsewhere is sum-
on which I love to dwell à la fois au Nouveau-Brunswick et
more than upon any oth-
marized, with examples provided. A
much-needed new facility will allow au-delà des limites de la provinces.
er, and that is the great
survey…to make known the New Brunswick Museum to bet-
[New Brunswick’s]… ter assume its provincial, national, In September 2017 Premier Brian Gallant
scientific phenomena and international roles, extending the announced $50 M towards construction
down to their minutest institution’s profile and reach, both of a new New Brunswick Museum (NBM)
features…the geology, inside and outside New Brunswick. building on the Saint John waterfront1.
meteorology, botany and
Abstrait Once complete, this facility should allow
zoology of the province."
Dans cet article, il est question, de façon realization of a dream expressed more
- W. F. Ganong, 1904 than a century ago by the great New
résumée, de l’importance d’une col-
The Great lection d’histoire naturelle provinciale Brunswick naturalist and cartographer,
New Brunswick Survey William Francis Ganong. The announce-
pour la science et la société au Nouveau-
Brunswick, et ailleurs. Avec ses nouveaux ment followed nearly 20 years of lobbying
locaux, qui était très attendus, le musée on the part of NBM administrators and
staff, Board members, and the general
public. The NBM will also be embarking
on a major fund-raising drive in support
of the project. The much-needed new
facility will bring all staff together under
one roof (divided between two buildings
since 1996), provide lab and work areas
that meet health and safety standards,
and include space that will serve both
the collections and the public functions
of the Museum. It is anticipated that
the new facility will open in 2023.
There is no doubt that the new facility
will allow the NBM to more adequately
take on provincial, national, and interna-
tional roles that it has been increasingly
assuming over the past three decades.
This will surely extend the institution’s
This Ivory Gull was collected on Grand Manan in 1881. Carefully preserved in the NBM bird collection, feath- profile, reach, and prestige, both inside
ers from this specimen provided the baseline for evaluating mercury contamination in this species. The informa-
tion was reported in a paper published in 2015. and outside New Brunswick. Internation-
Photo by NBM/DF McAlpine al requests from researchers for the loan
21 NB NaturalistVous pouvez aussi lire
