Wildlife – Belleisle Watershed Coalition

Wildlife of the Belleisle Watershed

🐾 Welcome to the Wild Side of the Belleisle Watershed

Across the changing seasons, the Belleisle Watershed comes alive with quiet rustles, brilliant flashes of feathers, gentle wingbeats, and the calls of creatures great and small. From sky dancers like Tree Swallows and Chimney Swifts to nighttime pollinators like bats and the drifting monarchs of late summer, this land and water is teeming with life—if you know where to look.

At the Belleisle Watershed Coalition, we believe that every creature tells a story—and every story deserves to be heard. That’s why we dedicate our efforts to protecting, monitoring, and enhancing the habitats that our wildlife depend on. Whether it swims, flies, crawls, or burrows, every species has a role to play in the health of our watershed—and so do we.

Throughout the year, our team tracks wildlife presence, behaviour, and seasonal movement. We monitor nesting patterns, migration timing, and population shifts—watching closely for signs of change, decline, or success. These observations help us understand what our local species need not just to survive, but to thrive. We use this knowledge to guide hands-on projects that make real improvements on the ground.

One of our most impactful programs is called Beef Up the Banks. Through this initiative, we plant native trees and shrubs along shorelines and streams to strengthen riparian buffer zones—those green corridors where land meets water. These buffers do more than prevent erosion—they create shade, shelter, and nesting space for countless species, from frogs and fish to songbirds and insects. Every tree we plant helps cool the water, stabilize the soil, and grow a better future for the creatures who call this place home.

In the spring, we install nest boxes and prepare for the return of migratory birds. Summer brings butterfly counts, bat surveys, and youth programs that teach the next generation to be curious stewards of the land. Autumn sees us collecting data, planting roots, and helping wildlife prepare for winter. And even in the quietest months, we’re reviewing results, refining plans, and dreaming of new ways to keep our watershed wild.

This page is a celebration of the species we support and admire. Each profile tells the story of a creature that depends on the Belleisle landscape—and in turn, on our care and awareness. By getting to know them, we hope you’ll come to love them. And by loving them, we hope you’ll help protect them.

So take a moment. Look around. And maybe you’ll spot something wild, wonderful, and worth standing up for—right in your own backyard.

The Tree Swallow

(Tachycineta bicolor — “tack-ee-sin-ET-a BIK-oh-lor”)

High above the open meadows and winding rivers of the Belleisle Watershed, a flash of blue streaks through the sky. It’s the Tree Swallow, a small songbird with shimmering feathers and a love for wide-open skies. Known for their graceful flight and sweet, bubbly songs, these birds are a welcome sign of spring across much of Canada.

Tree Swallows are about the size of a sparrow, but what sets them apart is their iridescent blue-green back and pure white belly. They nest in tree cavities and nest boxes, often returning to the same spot year after year. Unlike many birds that build in trees or shrubs, Tree Swallows need a hollow space to raise their chicks. That’s why conservation groups and homeowners often put up special nest boxes to help them find a safe home.

A female tree swallow has nested nearby our BWC Outreach Manager Chris Sonser’s vegetable garden.
She patrols the area and protects his garden from insect predators.

In the early spring, Tree Swallows arrive from their winter homes in the southern U.S., Mexico, and Central America. The males return first, scouting for the perfect nesting spot. Once a pair forms, the female lays between 4 and 7 small white eggs. Both parents take turns feeding the babies, bringing them soft insects until they are strong enough to fly.

Insects are a big part of the Tree Swallow’s diet. They catch their food while flying, snatching bugs like flies, beetles, and mosquitoes right out of the air. Watching them twist and dive on a warm summer evening is like seeing a little air show—one that helps keep the bug population in check!

By late summer, the young birds are ready to take flight, and soon the whole family begins their journey south. Tree Swallows gather in large flocks—sometimes by the thousands—roosting together in marshes and fields before heading off on their long migration. It’s a dangerous trip, and many won’t return. But those who do will find their way back to the same watery places they were born, year after year.

The Tree Swallow is more than just a bird—it’s part of the living rhythm of the watershed. From their sky-blue feathers to their tireless insect hunts, these birds are a small but important part of the Belleisle ecosystem. So next time you see one zip across the sky, take a moment to watch. There’s a whole story in those wings.

Look For our Tree Swallow Nature Sign Coming Soon!

The Monarch Butterfly

(Danaus plexippus — “DAY-nay-us PLEX-ih-pus”)

In late summer, when the wildflowers bloom and the breeze begins to cool, the Belleisle Watershed plays host to one of nature’s most delicate travelers: the Monarch Butterfly. With its bold orange wings edged in black and speckled with tiny white dots, the Monarch is more than just beautiful—it’s part of one of the most incredible migrations on Earth.

Monarchs begin their lives in the humblest of ways: as tiny, round eggs laid on the leaves of milkweed plants. A few days later, the eggs hatch into black, white, and yellow striped caterpillars that spend their days munching milkweed leaves. This plant may seem ordinary, but to Monarchs, it’s essential—without milkweed, they can’t survive.

After nearly two weeks of eating and growing, the caterpillar forms a chrysalis—a bright green cocoon trimmed with gold. Inside, a quiet transformation begins. About ten days later, a fully-formed butterfly emerges, its wings soft and crumpled at first, then expanding as it prepares to fly. It’s a short life, but a powerful one.

The Monarch’s journey doesn’t stop there. By the end of summer, Monarchs born in the Belleisle region are preparing for an epic flight—a migration of nearly 4,000 kilometers all the way to the mountain forests of central Mexico. There, they’ll spend the winter in great clusters, covering trees like living leaves. Come spring, they begin their return trip north, laying eggs along the way as new generations carry the journey forward.

But it takes four generations to complete a full migration cycle. That means the butterfly you see fluttering through your garden may be the great-grandchild of the one that left Mexico months earlier. This incredible relay race is one of nature’s wonders—and it depends on every link staying strong.

That’s why the Belleisle Watershed Coalition helps create safe spaces for Monarchs to rest, refuel, and reproduce. One of our proudest projects is the pollinator garden at Belleisle High School, developed as part of the Monarch Waystation initiative. This living classroom is planted with milkweed and nectar-rich blooms to support Monarchs and other native pollinators as they pass through our region. It’s a small patch of ground with a big impact—for butterflies, bees, students, and the watershed itself.

So the next time you see a flash of orange drifting on the breeze, take a closer look. It might be a Monarch on its way to somewhere far, far away—or just arriving home.

Our Pollenator Garden and Educational Sign is Located At:

The Chimney Swift

The Chimney Swift
(Chaetura pelagica — “KAY-too-rah puh-LAJ-ih-kuh”)

Look up on a summer evening, just before sunset, and you might see them—tiny, boomerang-shaped birds slicing through the sky in fast, chattering flocks. These are Chimney Swifts, one of the most acrobatic and mysterious birds in the Belleisle Watershed. With stiff, curved wings and quick, flickering movements, Chimney Swifts never seem to stop flying—and in many ways, they don’t.

Chimney Swifts are built for life on the wing. They eat, drink, and even bathe in midair, snapping up hundreds of flying insects like mosquitoes, flies, and ants every day. With short beaks and wide mouths, they feed while flying with incredible speed and precision. If you’re watching a summer sunset and hear a high-pitched “chip-chip-chip” from above, chances are good you’ve just met one.

These birds used to nest inside large, hollow trees in old-growth forests. But as those trees disappeared, Chimney Swifts adapted, learning to raise their families inside brick chimneys. Today, many of them depend on human-made structures to survive. They build their nests from tiny twigs, glued together with their own saliva, and attach them to the rough interior walls of a chimney.

Chimney Swifts migrate all the way from South America to Canada every spring, arriving in May and staying until early fall. After raising their chicks, they begin to gather in large groups, often circling a favorite roosting chimney by the hundreds before spiraling down into it like a living funnel. It’s a magical sight—and one that’s becoming more rare.

Because fewer buildings are being built with traditional chimneys, and older chimneys are often capped or torn down, Chimney Swifts are losing their homes. That’s why the Belleisle Watershed Coalition is working to help. In 2024, we built and installed a special Chimney Swift tower—a safe, open-roofed structure designed just for swifts to nest and roost in. It’s a modern solution with an old-world charm, giving these birds a chance to continue their journey for generations to come.

So the next time you look up at the sky and see a tiny bird darting like an arrow at dusk, take a moment to wonder: Where did it come from? Where is it going? And how lucky we are to share this sliver of sky.

The BWC Swift Tower Project

In 2024, the Belleisle Watershed Coalition took an exciting step to support one of our most aerial residents—the Chimney Swift—by constructing a dedicated Swift Tower in the heart of the watershed.

Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) are small, fast-flying birds known for their unique ability to roost and nest inside vertical, enclosed spaces—like the brick chimneys of older homes and schools. But as these traditional chimneys are capped, torn down, or replaced with modern designs, swifts are rapidly running out of places to raise their young.

That’s where Swift Towers come in.

A Swift Tower is a specially designed vertical structure that mimics the interior of a chimney. It provides Chimney Swifts with a safe, dry place to nest, roost, and gather in large groups during migration. Built from natural materials and open at the top (just like a real chimney), the tower offers the perfect conditions for these aerial insect-eaters to rest and reproduce.

With support from partners and community volunteers, BWC’s Swift Tower was installed to serve as both habitat and a hands-on conservation symbol. It’s more than just a box on a post—it’s a beacon of stewardship, education, and hope for a species in decline.

Visitors can now spot the tower near [insert location or coordinates if known], and we’re keeping a close eye (and ear!) on activity in and around it. With any luck, the swifts will soon move in and make it their seasonal home.

By creating this space, BWC is helping preserve the sights and sounds of summer skies—and doing our part to ensure Chimney Swifts remain a cherished part of the watershed’s wildlife for generations to come.

Check Out Our Swift Tower and Chimney Swift Educational Sign!

Bats

The Bats of the Belleisle Watershed
(Chiroptera — “kai-ROP-ter-uh”)

As the sun slips behind the treetops and the last birds quiet down for the night, a different kind of flight begins. Tiny shapes flicker against the twilight sky—fast, silent, and often unseen. These are the bats of the Belleisle Watershed, and while they may not sing like birds or shine like butterflies, they play a vital role in keeping the natural world in balance.

Bats are the only mammals on Earth capable of true flight. Their wings are made of thin, stretchy skin stretched over long finger bones—hence their scientific name Chiroptera, meaning “hand-wing.” In New Brunswick, we’re lucky to host several species, including the Little Brown Bat, the Northern Long-eared Bat, and the Big Brown Bat, among others.

These nighttime hunters are champions of pest control. A single bat can eat hundreds of insects—like mosquitoes, moths, and beetles—every hour. That makes them not only fascinating, but incredibly valuable for both ecosystems and humans. They help protect crops, gardens, and forests while leaving no trace behind but the silence they fly through.

Unlike birds, bats “see” the world using echolocation—a kind of natural sonar. They emit high-pitched squeaks that bounce off objects, allowing them to navigate and hunt in total darkness. To us, it’s completely silent. But with the right tools, we can listen in.

That’s why, in 2024, the Belleisle Watershed Coalition launched a special project to monitor local bat activity using acoustic recording equipment. These devices let us capture the echolocation calls of passing bats—giving us a better picture of who’s flying through our skies, when, and in what numbers. It’s an important step in understanding how our local bat populations are doing, especially as many species are now at risk from habitat loss, pesticide use, and White-Nose Syndrome—a disease that’s wiped out millions of bats across North America.

By listening in on the night and learning more about these mysterious mammals, we’re hoping to protect them—and the delicate role they play in our watershed’s web of life.

So next time you’re out at dusk, take a moment to look up. You just might catch a silent winged shadow zipping by on its nightly patrol. Not all heroes wear capes—some wear fur and fly under the radar.

The Turtles of the Belleisle Watershed

(Chrysemys picta – “KRISS-eh-miss PEEK-tah” & Chelydra serpentina – “KELL-ih-drah sir-PEN-tin-uh”)

As the warm sun rises over the still waters of the Belleisle Watershed, two of the region’s most ancient and fascinating creatures begin their day. One basks quietly on a log near the shore, its bright red and yellow markings glowing in the morning light. The other lurks just below the surface, eyes peeking out from the water like tiny periscopes. These are the Painted Turtle and the Snapping Turtle—two native species that have shared this land for thousands of years.

Painted Turtles are the more social of the two, often spotted sunning themselves in groups along pond edges, on rocks, or fallen branches. Their smooth, dark shells are rimmed with bright red stripes, and their bellies are a cheerful orange. Snapping Turtles, on the other hand, prefer solitude. With massive heads, long tails, and rugged, prehistoric shells, they spend most of their lives in the water, venturing onto land only when it’s time to nest.

A Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) looking for a place to lay eggs for the next generation!

Each spring and early summer, female turtles make a dangerous journey—leaving the safety of wetlands to find dry, sandy or gravelly soil where they can lay their eggs. Roads often cross these paths, putting turtles at serious risk. Hatchlings face even more dangers as they emerge weeks later, trying to find their way to water.

That’s why the Belleisle Watershed Coalition has taken action. In recent years, we’ve installed “Turtle Crossing” signs along Route 124, marking known nesting zones where turtles are frequently seen crossing. These signs remind drivers to slow down and watch the road—especially during nesting season—giving turtles the safe passage they need to complete this vital journey.

By protecting these slow-moving, long-lived reptiles, we’re helping preserve an important part of our natural heritage. Turtles play a key role in wetland ecosystems, helping clean up dead plants and animals, and spreading seeds as they travel.

So next time you see a turtle crossing the road, don’t just drive by—give it space, give it time, and remember: it’s been making that journey for generations.