Nature Moncton Nature News: May 18 2015

** Tomorrow is Nature Moncton’s May meeting night. Special guest will be Roland Chiasson who will share some of the treks and trails in the general Sackville-Tantramar area. There are many trails that many of us may not be aware of, so expect Roland to have a lot of take-home information to share.

The meeting will take place at Mapleton Park Rotary Pavilion at 7 p.m., starting off with the speaker; Nature Moncton activities to follow.

** Aldo Dorio photographed a SNOWY OWL [Harfang des neiges] in the fog at Hay Island on Monday May 18, surely a surprise to find in New Brunswick in May. He also photographed a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER [Paruline à gorge noire] and NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] on Sunday, as well as a NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] duck.

** John Inman at 225 Mary's Point Road had an adult male ORCHARD ORIOLE [Oriole des vergers] come to orange sections on Sunday and Monday. [Transcriber’s note: A very colourful male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] is visiting John’s yard. Yesterday and today it’s also been feeding on oranges, and John thinks that the BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu] have been keeping it away from the seeds.]

** A nice experience for Oscar LeBlanc. A group of them were around a campfire at Kouchibouguac National Park on Friday night, listening to AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique] calling and performing their aerial display, when a WHIP-POOR-WILL [Engoulevent bois-pourri] gave its very distinctive call; it called for approximately 10 seconds. Oscar checked with Eric Tremblay at the park, who said that there have been past records of Whip-poor-will there.

** Paul Langelaan has had WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS [Bruant à couronne blanche] coming to his Second North River feeder yard [N of Salisbury] for the past three days. They are making their way through New Brunswick to breed in areas to the north of us.

** Clarence Cormier had two new arrivals at his Grande-Digue site on Sunday. Three AMERICAN REDSTARTS [Paruline flamboyante], all males, came by, as did one male CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER [Paruline à flancs marron].

** Dave Christie was out on Mary's Point on Monday and noted that the Middle Island is ablaze with SPRING-BEAUTY [Claytonie de Caroline] plants in blossom. As well, he noted some TROUT-LILY [Ail doux] also in bloom.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton