Nature Moncton Nature News: April 16 2015

** Another warbler on the scene. Rick and Paula Lansdale had a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] land on their deck railing on Wednesday morning, seeming to eye the flies gathering on the side of the house. They live on the outskirts of Alma.

** Last weekend, Ron Steeves, Connie Colpitts and Bill Winsor came across an intact bird’s nest from last summer in New Horton. It was in an alder, one metre off the ground, and had a diameter slightly larger than a Robin’s nest. Bill took photos from two angles. On checking at D.N.R. in Fredericton with two biologists who monitor bird nests, they felt that it was probably the bulky nest of a CEDAR WAXWING [Jaseur d’Amérique].

** A nice round of spring observations for Dave Christie. On Wednesday he saw his first two EASTERN PHOEBES [Moucherolle phébi] of the season in the Mary's Point area. Both were spotted after hearing their calls, and both were fly catching some type of flying insect. He encountered an AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique] bonanza, when 11 flushed from a small, 30 by 10 foot snow-free area at the edge of woods at Mary's Point. A NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] visited his sunflower seed feeder Wednesday morning and more were seen along the roadways.

Dave notes that the SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] and AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] are far less concentrated now that the fast-melting snow is exposing more open ground. [Transcriber’s note: I was unsure whether 2 brightly plumaged WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] at my feeders on Wednesday were new arrivals or remnants of the over-wintering group I had of this species; having since heard that John Inman noted 4 bright White-throats in his Harvey Bank yard that day, I’m more confident that mine are spring migrants. Today, John's single Swamp Sparrow has increased to three. — DSC]

Dave reports that the Wentzells had a visit from a PALM WARBLER [Paruline à couronne rousse] to their yard in Harvey on Wednesday, as well as a PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] with yellow on its head and rump. He suspects that it is a second-summer male.

** Brian Stone visited Mapleton Park on Wednesday and found many trails flooded from the recent melting conditions. The new bridge is doing well there. He spotted a distant RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis], EASTERN CHIPMUNKS [Suisse], and a RED SQUIRREL [Écureuil roux] with ticks attached. These are likely a species of tick specific to the squirrel, but would have to be examined closely to be certain. PUSSY WILLOW buds are starting to emerge faster. He also noted one distant BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal].

** None of have appeared at my apple cache for three days, but a flock of approximately 75 were noted landing in a nearby tree, presumably a flock passing through as they did not seem to be aware of the apple cache still out. A small contingent dropped by the apples on Thursday morning.

** Bob Blake comments that they had the first NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] in their Second North River [N of Salisbury] yard on Tuesday, which happens to be two weeks earlier than their first yard visit of that species last year.

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

<nelson@nb.sympatico.ca>