Nature Moncton Nature News: May 16 2015

**Jack Perry had a very special visitor to his Hummingbird [Colibri]

feeder on Thursday in West Saint John: an ORCHARD ORIOLE [Oriole des

vergers] enjoyed the Hummingbird nectar and moved over to a container

of grape jelly and polished that off. There was no sign of it on

Thursday or Friday. Jack got a documentary photo.

**Aldo Dorio got photos of a SOLITARY SANDPIPER [Chevalier solitaire]

that made a stopover at Hay Island Nature Park near Neguac on Friday.

Also, a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER [Paruline noir et blanc] and a

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine rousse] probing Maple

blossoms [Fleur d'Érable], as well as RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS [Roitelet

à couronne rubis] doing the same.

**Louise Richard shares some nice observations and photo from her

Acadieville cabin. She found a FALSE MOREL mushroom [Gyromitre

commun]. This Morel is not an edible species, and it appears this time

of year. Louise also found a fresh YELLOW-SPOTTED SALAMANDER

[Salamandre maculée] egg mass, and a REDBACK SALAMANDER [Salamandre

rayée] under a board. The tail of the Redback Salamander appeared

injured; however, they are able to regenerate snipped-off tails as a

defense mechanism.

**John Foster spotted a brilliant male BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de

Baltimore] in a tree in their Moncton yard. They immediately put out

an orange half on a post and it was enjoying it within five minutes,

to provide for an excellent photo.

**Louise Nichols had a productive Friday morning birding in Port Elgin

on the Gaspereau Heritage Trail that connects with the Trans Canada

Trail. As some have commented, Louise felt there were more

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] and WHITE-THROATED

SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] around than she normally encounters.

Good news on the Swallow [Hirondelle] front: it seemed every nest box

around the lagoon was occupied, and the Swallows were very vocal.

There also was a number of GRAY CATBIRDS [Moqueur chat] vocalizing.

Note the rusty undertail covert in a photo. The prize birds of the day were a

LINCOLN'S SPARROW [Bruant de Lincoln] and a male WILSON'S WARBLER

[Paruline à calotte noire], with photos of both.

**Dale Gaskin reports he heard a CHIMNEY SWIFT [Martinet ramoneur]

vocalizing in Hillsborough in the area around the fire station. He was

not able to see it but he is very familiar with their call. He saw

Chimney Swifts in that area last year, so is assuming there must be a

location some are using there as a staging or nesting area. Dale

comments that the RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS [Colibri à gorge rubis]

have arrived in full force at his Dawson Settlement yard, and a female

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose] seems to have

settled in as well.

**Bob Betts had his first BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de Baltimore]

arrive on Friday: a bright male. Bob had orange halves out since

Monday and suspects the orange may have got dry, with the Baltimore

Oriole choosing the feeder tray. He had grape jelly out, but RACCOONS

[Raton laveur] quickly demolished that. Bob also had a visit from two

CAPE MAY WARBLERS [Paruline tigrée] to his Grande Digue yard on

Friday.

**Jean-Paul LeBlanc reports the number of BOBOLINKS [Goglu des prés]

in their Bouctouche neighbour's yard has risen to ten, and they as

well spotted a male feeding on the ground below feeders on the

Bouctouche Bay Road. Jean-Paul got a photo of a colourful male.

All the birds observed were males.

A photo was taken on 10 May by Louise Malloch of a Scarlet Tanager at her home in Lepreau. The
bird showed up at their feeder briefly around noon. The Tanager looked
distinctly orange which she was able to capture nicely in a photo.
Richard Blacquiere did a little research on the Internet and found an interesting short
article on the 'orange variant' Scarlet Tanager. (Not a variant in the
taxonomic sense, just an unusual, but apparently well documented, colour
variation.) Check the attached URL http://birdaz.com/blog/2014/05/15/the-scarlet-tanager-orange-variant/

Leon Gagnon, a birder who spends his summers at Wilson’s Point on Miscou, shares some photos of a Prothonotary Warbler he recently saw at Point Pelee, Ontario. We occasionally get visits from this warbler in NB. Definitely one to watch for in Spring migration.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton