Nature Moncton Nature News: January 9 2015

** Shirley and Brenda had a very special EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] arrive with a flock to their Collins Lake Rd. feeder yard in Shemogue on Wednesday. The individual was predominantly white with yellow blushing. This is not at all common but does have a name for it, being xanthochroism. Brenda Anderson got some beautiful photos.

** Louise Nichols had a nice birding surprise on Thursday when she found and photographed a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis] among the cattails of the Sackville Waterfowl Park. On route home, she spotted a flock of 75 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boreal] foraging on Highbush Cranberry. At home in Sackville, she was greeted by a NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] in her yard and a GREAT HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d'Amérique] hooting in the woods behind her home.

** Georges Brun captured some photos of a NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] as it cruised past the Moncton wharf on Thursday. There have been a few Harriers reported so far this winter. The white rump patch is visible in all three photos, but especially in number one, along with the long tail and appropriate wings.

** Early Thursday evening, the sky at the horizon was clear enough for Brian Stone to get a shot of VENUS and MERCURY together. Venus is on top. Because the shot was taken at twilight, the planet Venus does not look that much brighter than Mercury in Brian's photo. Through his eyes, Venus appeared much brighter than Mercury, and if it were higher in the sky and could be viewed in a true dark night, then Venus would have dazzled and outshone Mercury by a significant amount. Later in the evening, Brian was able to get some photos of the COMET LOVEJOY. There was some haze in the sky, but the bluish comet can be readily seen.

** Things seem to be coming to life around bird feeder yards with the cold and the impending snow storm. Anne Marsch had lots of patrons to her heated water supply, including a GRAY SQUIRREL [Ecureuil gris]. The female NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] continues its brief regular visits, a dozen EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] dropped by on December 16th and then returned on December 29th, so they're circulating the area.

** Bob Blake also comments their bird feeder yards have become very busy and welcomed the first COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flame] of the season on Thursday.

** Wendy Sullivan had a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] come by her Riverview feeder yard on Thursday.

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca/. To see them in higher resolution if the original photo was taken that way, click on the Nature Moncton Photo bucket option at the Blogger site. In Photo Bucket, hovering on the photo will show the Photo Credit.

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca