Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 2 2015

** A nice surprise for Jean-Paul and Stella LeBlanc when a LARK SPARROW [Bruant à joues marron] arrived in their Bouctouche yard on November 1. They will update, if it continues to be a patron. It was back this morning.

** John Inman had a considerable movement of sparrows through his 225 Mary's Point Road yard on Sunday morning, including the first two FOX SPARROWS [Bruant fauve] he has seen this fall.

** Brian Stone advises of a NORTHERN LIGHTS alert for November 2nd and 3rd. Brian left the attached URL to check.

http://www.softservenews.com/en/aurora-borealis-breaking-news/aurora-storm-watch-300088.html

** Anna Tucker took note of WILD RADISH in full flower on Friday at the Sackville Waterfowl Park. Sean Blaney points out that this plant is the most common of the large, later-flowering mustards.

** The second part of Saturday’s Nature Moncton trip to the fields behind the Sackville lagoon and town garage lead to lots of surprises, while the group were there, and even more when folks were back at home reviewing the many photos.

There was one flock of approximately 100 birds that were observed for a long time, but distance was a challenge. We first thought the group must be mostly BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS [Pluvier argenté], simply out of default, as it would be the most likely. However, on studying the many photos it now appears that many, if not most, of that flock were AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS [Pluvier bronzé]. Louise Nichols and Brian Stone made some composite photos to show the differences between these two plovers.

Louise points out that the Stokes Guide sums it up by saying that the Am. Golden-Plover is smaller-headed, thinner-necked, and slimmer overall than the Black-bellied, which is described as large, deep-chested, thick-necked, with a relatively large head and longer, thicker, blunt-tipped bill. Louise also points out the long primary projection of the Am. Golden-Plover, which shows nicely on a photo she got earlier in the year at Petit-Cap. The Golden also shows more contrast between the top of the head and the supercilium, and as mentioned has a daintier appearance than the Black-bellied. In flight, the Black-bellied Plover shows a black armpit, which the Am. Golden-Plover does not.

As the flock was being watched, occasionally some birds would lift into flight, and other flocks were noted that we all assumed to be plovers. Some shots that Brian Stone took gave more surprises. In 5 flight photos he got of a flock not one plover can be seen, however, the droopy bills indicate that they were DUNLINS [Bécasseau variable], and the flashing white rumps of others show them to be WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau à croupion blanc]. We have no idea where the mixed flock came from or where they landed.

Many thanks to all those who helped with commentary on the photos, especially Gilles Belliveau, who had us all look more closely for certain details, to be more certain of the identification of the two plovers in basic winter plumage.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton