Nature Moncton Information Line

Thursday, 15 November 2018

Nov 15 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, November 15, 2018 (Thursday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca .

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling. Note that corrections, deletions, or delayed additions may not always appear on the Info Line and email transcript but will always appear on the BlogSpot. For this reason, it is recommended that those wishing to look at historical records use the BlogSpot rather than the email transcript. The BlogSpot can always be accessed from the website.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

**Doreen Rossiter leaves a nice report from her Alma feeder yard. After not seeing the male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] for two days, Doreen spotted a chase between a male and female Red-bellied Woodpecker going on. Then they boldly perched on the front deck railing. Doreen comments that the feathers on the male’s red head looked just like silk in the sunlight … very striking.

She had two PINE GROSBEAKS [Durbec des sapins] visit on Wednesday. One was in female plumage and the other was showing a reddish blush on the rump area and head. Females and immature males can be very difficult to distinguish between as the males do not take on the reddish plumage until their second year of life. The second bird was apparently a male taking on adult plumage.

Doreen’s first FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] of the year arrived on Wednesday which she comments is late for her first arrival records for this species in fall. WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] and SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] are still present with lots of DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] but PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] and PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] are noticeably fewer in number.

Irene Doucet reports on a friend, Holly Easse, who was finding wasps even up to November coming into her home. This is unusual to find wasps flying this late so some sleuthing found this to be of our several Vespula species of the wasp group known as yellow jackets. The Vespula can be hard to identify to species but BugGuide feels the documentary photo Holly got of one is Vespula maculifrons, the Eastern Yellow Jacket, that is one of the more common east of the Great Plains. This Vespula builds subterranean nests at ground level usually. Only a mated queen will survive the winter and start a new colony next spring.

This specimen in the photo is a male that tend to fly late in the season looking for virgin Queens to mate with.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

EASTERN YELLOW JACKET WASP (VESPULA MACULIFRONS) NOV 2018. HOLLY ESSE

Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Nov 14 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, November 14, 2018 ( Wednesday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to
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To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com. Please advise if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com.

Transcript by: Judy Marsh marshj@nbnet.nb.ca

Info Line 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** A GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal] or ''The''GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal] is back on the Tantramar Marsh. Louise Nichols caught sight of one on Monday morning and was able to get distant photos. Other than for the GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal], Louise found it fairly quiet on the marsh. It is not a great early indication of the small rodent numbers on the marsh.

**Clarence Cormier reports his Grand Dique feeder yard is hosting some welcomed species. On Thursday, November 8^th he had four PINE GROSBEAK [Durbec des sapins] in female plumage appear which is right on schedule for them compared to other years. On November 12^th a flock of fifteen plus BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal] arrived and they returned on Tuesday. Clarence is also among the lucky EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant]hosts when twenty-eight arrived on Tuesday. He now has six AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] as well as two WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] that continue to stay.

**Ron Steeves forwarded a nice photo of a Giant Ichneuman wasp taken in the summer. This wasp is parasitic on other wood boring wasp larvae. The film that shows inside the curved abdomen is apparently a secretion of the female wasp. Google search and you-tube video shows it forming when ovipositing, so I am assuming this must be a female behaviour.

**Isaie Comeau in Tabusintac is getting some interesting birds at his feeder yard. He is getting a flock of EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant], a male NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] and a FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] plus the expected regulars. Aldo Dorio got photos of some of the action at Isaie's feeder yard on Tuesday.

Shawn Cormier sends a photo of an American Crow appearing not amused with Tuesday’s weather.

Brian Stone reports his first isicle of the season! Suspect there may be a few more.

**We don't seem to have many White Ash trees in the Moncton area but I noticed a small one growing at the top of the path leading down to Bell Marsh. A photo is attached of the bark that shows the intersecting ridges starting to form the regular diamond pattern. This species comes as male and female trees so this one is obviously a female as it shows the clinging winter samara. The wing of the samara also encloses the tip of the seed case only in this ash species and the horse-shoe shaped leaf scar under the bud in winter is characteristic . The opposite arrangement of the buds and branches is also a characteristic of the ash as is the case for maples as well. Pine Grosbeaks enjoy snapping off the wing and eating the seed of the winter clinging samara.

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Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

AMERICAN CROW. NOV 13, 2018. SHAWN CORMIER

EVENING GROSBEAKS. NOV 13, 2018. ALDO DORIO

FOX SPARROW. NOV 13, 2018. ALDO DORIO

GOLDEN EAGLE. LOUISE NICHOLS. NOV 12, 2018

ICICLE. NOV. 14, 2018. BRIAN STONE

NORTHERN CARDINAL (MALE). NOV 13, 2018. ALDO DORIO

WHITE ASH (BARK) NOV 9, 2018.NELSON POIRIER

WHITE ASH BUD (SHOWING HORSESHOE SHAPED LEAF SCAR AND OPPOSITE ARRANGEMENT) NOV 13, 2018. NELSON POIRIER

WHITE ASH SAMARA. NOV 13, 2018. NELSON POIRIER

Tuesday, 13 November 2018

Nov 13 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, November 13, 2018 (Tuesday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca .

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

**A few feeder yard surprises for Marguerite and Bill Winsor came to their Salisbury feeder yard. A FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] arrived on Monday to cooperate for a photo. On October 29 a female PILEATED WOODPECKER [Grand pic] dropped by for a taste of suet and stayed long enough to be photographed. Note the lack of a red “moustache” and the red on the crown not extending right to the bill indicating a female. Marguerite also reports that the male NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] that appeared four days ago has returned each day since.

** Audrey Goguen reports that she had a large flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] arrive to her Moncton yard Flowering Crab tree on Monday. There is a great crop of Flowering Crab fruit around the city to welcome and keep them this winter.

** Kevin Renton reports that there is a flock of EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] coming to their Stilesville feeder yard, however for a big surprise on Monday when they were joined by PINE GROSBEAKS [Durbec des sapins]. It is a very interesting combination of grosbeaks to a feeder yard.

** Doreen Rossiter had a lone, female PINE GROSBEAK [Durbec des sapins] drop by her Alma yard to forage on Highbush Cranberry fruit on Monday. Doreen comments that she has not had this species in her yard since November and December of 2012.

** Daryl Doucette shares an EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] tale that is too good not to share. I am quoting Daryl below with a few words altered for family consumption!

“Was reading about the Evening Grosbeaks, and took to reminiscing about back in the early '70's at 69 Mapleton Rd. where I grew up. I had a bird feeder (piece of plywood) attached to the outside sill of my bedroom window. I remember the grosbeaks were VERY plentiful...one day I slid open the bedroom window, put sunflower seeds on the window sill, on my bed and on my dresser...I sat in the corner and the next thing I knew I had grosbeaks IN THE BEDROOM feeding! Didn't bother them at all!! Kinda annoyed my mother though....she didn't appreciate bird poop in the bedroom....

and a foot note.. my 12 yr old friend ( at the time) actually grabbed one of them, and found out VERY QUICKLY the amazing strength of their big green bill....!”

** There are still PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré] in Tabusintac. Aldo Dorio photographed an adult male. Note the red crown and lack of bold belly stripes of the male House Finch that was featured yesterday. I have added a photo of a female Purple Finch, side by side, to note the white supercillium over the eye that is not present in the House Finch female and the notched tail of the Purple Finch vs the square tail of the House Finch.

** Brian Stone visited Mapleton Park on Monday to note that the ducks are beginning to converge at the bridge over Hall’s Creek at the Gorge Rd. end of the park. He photographed a GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] seemingly not amused with the colder weather; more trees damaged by the recent storm and a few Black/Mallard duck hybrids. Some frost formation photos are a sign of the season.

** I had the first AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] arrive to our Moncton feeder yard on Monday. The bi-colored bill shows up nicely. I had read that NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge] have a taste for Safflower seeds. I picked up a small bag of Safflower seeds on Monday. I was sure surprised to see the male right into it at dusk after I put it out and is back at it this morning.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. NOV 12, 2018. NELSON POIRIER

FOX SPARROW. NOV 11, 2018.MARGUERITE WINSOR

FROST. NOV. 12, 2018. BRIAN STONE

GREAT BLUE HERON. NOV. 12, 2018. BRIAN STONE

MALLARD-BLACK DUCK HYBRID. NOV. 12, 2018.. BRIAN STONE

PILEATED WOODPECKER (FEMALE). OCT 29 2018.

PURPLE FINCH (ADULT MALE ON LEFT, FEMALE ON RIGHT).NOV 12, 2018.ALDO DORIO AND NELSON POIRIER

PURPLE FINCH (MALE). NOV 12, 2018. ALDO DORIO

STORM DAMAGE IN MAPLETON PARK. NOV 12, 2018. BRIAN STONE

NORTHERN CARDINAL (ENJOYING SAFFLOWER SEED). NOV 13, 2018. NELSON POIRIER

Monday, 12 November 2018

Nov 12 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 12 November, 2018 (Monday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca/

To respond by email, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

appear on the BlogSpot. For this reason, it is recommended that those wishing to look at historical records use the BlogSpot rather than the email transcript.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

Info Line telephone #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** The heavy winds of the past few days seem to be subsiding. Will more bird surprises show up this week? It's that time of year.

Susan and Fred Richards continue to get a flock of EVENING GROBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] in their Taylor Village feeder yard. However, Sunday brought an added bonus, their first-ever NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge], a female that seemed to enjoy the company of the grosbeaks. I think that is the only day this past week with only one cardinal report. What a cardinal week it has been.

** Mac Wilmot was able to capture a nice photo of his female RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] enjoying the suet block in his Lower Coverdale feeder yard. Note how the red on the head and nape does not extend right to the bill, as it does in the male.

** The HOUSE FINCH [Roselin familier] is a relatively common finch in New Brunswick, that is with us all year, but seems to strongly favour urban centres. We never had House Finches as regular clients, until we moved into the city. Now they are regular patrons at feeders, tending to favour sunflower chips and occasionally black oil sunflower seed. They are easy to confuse with the PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] at first glance but easy to differentiate when you're used to seeing them. The males vary in their red distribution but a photo of the generic House Finch male is attached beside a photo of a bland, conservatively dressed female. The males have a brown crown that the male Purple Finch lacks, and are also heavily barred dark on the lower chest, which the Purple Finch lacks. The females lack the obvious white supercilium over the eye of the Purple Finch female. The male House Finch takes on its reddish plumage in its first fall, while the Purple Finch does not acquire its rosy red colour until the second fall of life. The photo does not show, but the tail is notched at its apex in the Purple Finch, squarish in the House Finch. The vocalizations although similar can be readily differentiated as well.

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Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

EVENING GROSBEAKS. NOV 11, 2018. FRED RICHARDS

HOUSE FINCH (MALE AND FEMALE). OCT 28, 2018.NELSON POIRIER

NORTHERN CARDINAL (FEMALE) .NOV 11, 2018. FRED RICHARDS

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (FEMALE). NOV 11, 2018

Sunday, 11 November 2018

Nov 11 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 11 November, 2018 (Sunday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to

To respond by email, please address your message to the information line editor,

Please advise the editor if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling. Note that corrections, deletions, or delayed additions may not always appear on the info line email transcript but will always appear on the BlogSpot. For this reason, it is recommended that those wishing to look at historical records use the BlogSpot rather than the email transcript.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at <www.naturemoncton.com>

Edited by: Nelson Poirier

Transcript by: David Christie

Info Line telephone #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** Dave Christie made a hike on Mary’s Point on Saturday, to find lots of activity. He started about an hour before high tide, going out the south side. He came across a flock of about 70 SANDERLINGS [Bécasseau sanderling] at the water’s edge, as Sanderlings do. A single SEMIPALMATED PLOVER [Pluvier semipalmé] was in the same area but higher up the beach, separate from the Sanderlings. Farther along the beach was a flock of about 40 SNOW BUNTINGS [Plectrophane des neiges], the most that Dave has seen this fall. They were high on the beach, farther from the water.

Past the end of the second island, Dave crossed to the north side, facing Shepody Bay, to encounter two more flocks of Snow Buntings, of approximately 25 and 30. Assuming some may have been part of the first flock seen, suggests that about 65 Snow Bunting might have been in the area.

As Dave came back along the back side of Fox Island, he encountered a group of AMERICAN CROWS [Corneille d'Amérique] making a loud, protesting ruckus and soon saw the cause when a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] sailed out to survey the marsh. He only observed one GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] feeding at the water’s edge.

Dave comments on his feeder yard being very similar to many others about which comments were made the past few days, that PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré] and sparrows [bruants] had dropped off, to be replaced by AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES [Chardonneret jaune] and DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé].

** At my own feeder yard, the male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] continues regular visits. The male NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] is still being seen but the female was not seen on Saturday, but it has been more coy than the male. The feeders are dominated by approximately 50 American Goldfinch, several HOUSE FINCH [Roselin familier], a few PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins], a few RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES [Sittelle à poitrine rousse], a few SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur]. PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] have departed. There are still several COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] plus the regular woodpeckers [pics] and the expected BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire], but still no sign of the first AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien].

** There has been a flood of first-time visits of NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge] to feeder yards the past four days. Carol Shea in Upham was very pleased to have her first cardinal visit her yard, a female, on Saturday. This is less of a general surprise because Upham is not too far from Hampton, where cardinal observations are common.

Aldo Dorio spotted three Pine Grosbeaks along a road at Hay Island on Sunday all in female/juvenile plumage. It is shaping up to be a great season ahead for northern/vagrant visitors.

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

NORTHERN CARDINAL (FEMALE). NOV. 10, 2018. CAROL SHEA

PINE GROSBEAK. NOV 11, 2018. ALDO DORIO

Saturday, 10 November 2018

Nov 10 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 10 November, 2018 (Saturday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to

http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca

To respond by email, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling. Note that corrections, deletions, or delayed additions may not always appear on the info line and email transcript but will always appear on the BlogSpot. For this reason, it is recommended that those wishing to look at historical records use the BlogSpot rather than the email transcript. The BlogSpot can always be accessed from the website.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

**Doreen Rossiter was very pleased to have a flock of 15+ EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] arrive to her Alma feeder yard on Friday morning. Doreen comments it’s a long time since she’s had a flock of Evening Grosbeaks visit, only having one or two appear occasionally once or twice a year in recent years. I think I recall it was in the 1980s that Evening Grosbeaks were the more numerous species in many feeder yards. Are they returning?

**NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge] continue to pop up. Marguerite and Bill Winsor had an adult male arrive to their Salisbury yard on Friday morning, returning again in the afternoon. Like so many others, they hope it becomes a regular patron.

**John Massey adds an interesting photo of a conifer stump being recycled into the earth. There are no doubt many many kilometres of mycelial threads through this stump, breaking it down. The fruiting bodies of two of the fungi are showing, being the ORANGE JELLY [Dacrymyces palmé] and the VIOLET-TOOTHED POLYPORE [Tramète du Chêne-Liège].

**Mac Wilmot is still reporting two or three RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS [Pic à ventre roux] about his Lower Coverdale yard. He spotted a male and female at a suet block on Friday. Both are acting quite shy and not interested in photo ops. Mac attaches a photo of a juvenile BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] monitoring the Petitcodiac River. Mac comments it may not be a great photo, but it’s special as it is taken from his kitchen window! A nice yard bird for sure.

**Aldo Dorio also got a photo of a female NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] in Tabusintac on Friday. He also got another photo of a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER [Bécasseau à croupion blanc] at Hay Island. White-rumped Sandpipers are one of the species expected to linger late, but November is indeed getting late.

**It was a double whammy for Brian Stone and I on Friday. We were polishing off some practice using iNaturalist in our sunroom when we looked out to see a male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] enjoying shelled peanuts. This is the first time we have had a visit from a Red-bellied Woodpecker and it returned on Saturday morning to enjoy sunflower chips. Three new yard bird species in as many days is too much excitement for an ole lad to handle! Three NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge], one Red-bellied Woodpecker and one WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche]. Brian and I made a short late-day trip to Bell Marsh, and were very surprised to come across two female Northern Cardinals on the main path, not far from Bell Street. Northern Cardinals seem to be falling from the sky in the area this past week!

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton