Nature Moncton Nature News: April 21, 2015

>> ** The Nature Moncton April meeting will be taking place tonight,Tuesday night, April 21. The special guest will be Andrew Boghen who will give a presentation on the parasites that will show there are very different ways to look at this community in mother nature's world. The write up for this special presentation by a very skilful and knowledgeable presenter is attached.

** Ralph White had a visit from an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER to his Riverview yard on Monday morning. This is a warbler that passes through NB on route to breeding grounds to the north. We are much more apt to see this warbler in fall then in the spring, although there is always a possibility this warbler overwintered in NB as a small number do but could as well be a moving through migrant.

** Doreen Rossiter had two new arrivals to her Alma yard on Monday with the appearance of CHIPPING SPARROW and one female NORTHERN CARDINAL.

** Dave Christie came across three YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS on Monday all insect catching as well as an EASTERN PHOEBE. The walls of the church in Harvey attracted two of the warblers.

Dave came along to find Sybil Wentzel photographing a very cooperative VIRGINIA RAIL at the Lars Larson marsh.

The marsh is still mostly frozen over with edges opening and a few small open spots elsewhere. Dave felt it was early for a Virginia rail. It seemed very busy feeding and little concern being paid to its admirers.

** Maurice Richard heard the vocalization of a BARRED OWL at approximately 7 o'clock on Sunday evening from their Acadieville cabin.

** Audrey Goguen was away from their Moncton home at 16 Northview for the winter and just returned and impaled apples on nails in an apple tree in their front yard to promptly get 24 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS to the buffet.

One would have to wonder if some of these individuals were present last year and knew the site as Audrey had the same scenario this time last year, however there were ROBINS in the blend last year.

** Brian Stone got a nice photo of a male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER in Mapleton park on Monday and shares some of the striking show of the crocus plants are putting on at the moment as the snow recedes.

** After a very successful workshop and field trip last Saturday Nature Moncton workshop coordinator Louise Nichols has another set for Saturday, May 2, so coming up shortly. This one is in primetime with all the ducks arriving to learn about them and their lifestyle and head off to the local sites to look for them with birding guru Roger Leblanc. Registration with Judi-Berry Steeves is encourage promptly to plan the day. The write up to this event is added to the transcript.

What’s that duck?

Workshop and outing with Roger LeBlanc

Saturday May 2^nd, 2015

With the arrival of spring -- and believe it or not, it will come -- many birds species that have left us for more moderate

climates will be coming back. And one of the first groups to return, and certainly the most colorful, is ducks. Dressed in their spring best, they will first be congregating in bays, waterways and impoundments before getting down to the arduous matter of producing next year’s waves of offerings. So this is the perfect time to learn to recognize them or simply brush up on your duck ID skills. To help you out with this, Nature Moncton will be offering

a combination workshop and outing “What’s that Duck?” with our own Roger Leblanc. We will first use the morning to study the almost 30 species of ducks that can be expected in the region. We will learn how to separate them by habitats and habits, then we will go on to field marks, behaviors and share with Roger his experience-based “tools of the trade” for duck identification. After lunch, we will head out to a couple of hot spots in the Moncton region where ducks are findable in mixed groups at this time of year and work, with Roger’s help, on using the knowledge learned in the morning workshop. All in all, a good learning and fun-filled day that should help you better answer the question : “What’s that duck?”

Saturday May 2nd, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Tankville School, 1665 Elmwood Dr., Moncton -- followed by outing in the area (bring a lunch).

Registration with Judi Berry-Steeves at jbsteeve@nbnet.nb.ca or phone Judi at 387-4778.

$10 payable at the door to cover costs of workshop and outing. All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

>> Nelson Poirier,

>> Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca