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Sackville Red Wing Black Birds

Sackville Female Gadwall

Sackville Ring Neck Ducks

Sackville Red Winged Teal Ducks

Hi Folks
On Sunday, September 27, we left Sussex , headed for Richibucto, where we had a reservation for three nights at the Silver Birch Motel.
      We stopped en-route to see the Sackville Waterfowl Park. This park was founded in 1988 as a joint venture between the Town of Sackville and Ducks Unlimited of Canada. The Province of New Brunswick, the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Delaware Duck Stamp Fund. There was a plaque set into a boulder commemorating the contribution of the Delaware Duck Stamp Fund.
      The two hunters on my email list already know that hunters are conservationists, but the non hunters do not. President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was probably the best known hunter/conservationist--brought out in the recent Ken Burns National Parks PBS series. Hunters know that if a species becomes extinct that you can't hunt them anymore. So this fund contributed money to this park as a stopover for ducks flying to Delaware. I am not a hunter, but read all the pamphlets at this park.
      I recently read an article in "The Nature Conservancy" magazine by a naturalist who buys a US government duck stamp every year. He said that he was not a hunter, but bought the stamp because the money funded land purchases for the National Wildlife Refuges. I am attaching the best pictures of the birds that we saw; Red Wing Blackbirds-- the red wings on these birds can only be seen in flight. They landed every time I tried to get a picture of them flying, Female Gadwall, Red Winged Teal Ducks, and Ring Neck Ducks.
      I asked directions on how to get to Tantramar bridge at the Sackville info center (two photos, one interior).
      From there we drove to the Silver Birch Motel in Richibucto, arriving about 3pm. I picked this place from the New Brunswick Travel Guide because it was near Kouchibouguac National Park. There was no one in the office. The door was locked with a phone number to call. I called from a phone booth in front. It rang 12 times and then a recorded message started "If you would like to make a call...." We have decided that this place is not to be recommended.
      We drove to Kouchibouuguac to occupy our time (see photo). We were finally able to check in at 5 pm and the manager was not apologetic. Liz said that she thought the room had not been vacuumed in a week.
      The next morning we drove to Cameron's Mill bridge (two photos, one interior ) and then to Kouchibouguac Park, where we walked the Bog Trail in the morning. If there are any gardeners reading this, then you know about peat moss, which comes from New Brunswick. If you look at Liz vs. the peat bog (just one of many) then you realize just how much peat moss there is in New Brunswick. The picture of Liz looking at the sign was taken by me from the tower ( see photo of me in tower). The picture of me with the picnic table statues was taken by Liz at the visitor center.
YIB
      Tom

Tantramar Bridge, WGN 55-14-13.	Tantramar Bridge interior.

Cameron Mill Bridge, WGN 55-05-12.	Cameron Mill Bridge interior.

Liz on the Kouchibougac Bog Trail.	Tom on the Kouchibougac Bog Trail Tower.

Tom and the statues

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