Nature Moncton Nature News: May 31 2015

** Janet Cormier photographed an adult SURF SCOTER [Macreuse à front blanc] in full breeding attire on the ponds between Crowley Farm Road and Wheeler Boulevard on Saturday. It seems like an odd time and place to run across a lone Surf Scoter, but there it was in the section nearest Wheeler Blvd.

** Paul Langelaan and Bill Winsor located a very cooperative MOURNING WARBLER [Paruline triste] in a cutover near one of Paul’s hayfields [near Salisbury] on Friday, after seeing an INDIGO BUNTING [Passerin indigo] in that area for a second time. Paul had found the bunting in the same location earlier and is wondering about the possibility of nesting, as he had seen one at the same site last year, for an extended period. Bill got beautiful photos of the Mourning Warbler, one of our later arriving warblers, and not that common. The photos are shared.

** John Filliter got a photo of a blooming MARSH MARIGOLD [Populage des marais] at Grand Barachois on Friday. This striking plant blooms at this time of year, in wet areas, often on stream and pond edges.

** Louise Nichols visited the trails off the Walker Road, near Sackville, on Saturday. She found a NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] working on a nest among usnea lichen, just as Aldo Dorio had found the day before near Neguac. Louise came across an AMERICAN REDSTART [Paruline flamboyante] that she assumed to be a female at first, but it burst into song making her wonder if it was not indeed an first-year male. The song sounded a bit different from most Redstarts, being a bit softer at the end.

She stopped at the Sackville Waterfowl Park afterwards, for a real prize observation and photo of a VIRGINIA RAIL [Râle de Virginie] in the open.

** Anna Tucker visited the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Friday, noting CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] with goslings, RING-NECKED DUCK [Fuligule à collier], PIED-BILLED GREBE [Grèbe à bec bigarré], and others that are included in photos.

** John Langelaan leaves a very interesting account of canoeing on the Pollett River, now that the high water has receded. He did it with some visitors from Saint John and notes that it is a jewel of a river, a very enjoyable paddle with a bounty of nature to check out. At one point they watched a COMMON LOON [Plongeon huard] in the clear water of a side pool, as it did its fast underwater travel. They saw a pair of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS [Petite Buse], many BELTED KINGFISHERS [Martin-pêcheur d’Amérique], CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d’Amérique], an occupied BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] nest, OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur], and more.

John reports that the BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] nest in the Mill Creek marsh behind their home off Hillsborough Road was occupied by a pair of eagles this spring. The pair were bringing food to the nest and John suspected that there was a clutch of eggs in incubation. However, the pair suddenly abandoned it; the exact same thing happened last year for an unknown reason. They also had a MOOSE [Orignal] foraging in the marsh, near their home on Friday.

** Brian Stone visited the Fundy Parkway on Friday, noting 10 TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge], RED ADMIRAL [Vulcain] butterfly, warblers [parulines], CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d’Amérique], SNOWSHOE HARE [Lièvre d’Amérique], many with the usual nice photo images.

Nelson Poirier,

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca,

Nature Moncton