** Yolande LeBlanc reports that the NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier]
warbler continues to be a regular patron of her Memramcook feeder yard. The
female RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] is also still around but
continues to act shyly. A troop of 8 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide],
6 males and 2 females, has become regular. Like the rest of us, Yolande
continues to wait for COMMON REDPOLLS [Sizerin flammé] to drop by. It should be
soon.
** John Massey came across a fairly large specimen of the mushroom, CHAGA
[Polypore oblique]. It usually grows on Yellow Birch but is found occasionally
on White Birch, as in the case of John’s photo on Saturday. This mushroom is
used very heavily as a medicinal in some countries.
** Louise Nichols found several, approximately 2 cm masses, under a
conifer tree in her Sackville yard, that has caught the ‘whodunit' curiosity of
us. There was also some whitewash, or suspected bird splatter under the tree, so
a bird is on the suspect list. The masses did have some white on them,
suggesting uric acid from scat, but the contents when separated appear more like
partially digested material, and the formation of the masses doesn’t suggest
bird scat, so they may be regurgitated pellets. I would be very interested to
hear of any other interpretations.
** Brian Stone visited Mapleton Park on Saturday to find most of the ponds
ice-covered, even with the warmer temperatures. He got a nice photo of an
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK [Canard noir] and found more caterpillars of the VIRGINIA
CTENUCHA [Cténuche de Virginie] moth, which overwinters as the larval
caterpillar. Brian got a nice photo of two individuals from top and bottom to
show their characteristic red abdominal pro-legs.
** Anna Tucker found several HOUSE FINCHES [Roselin familier] in the
Victoria Park area on Saturday and took note of the variation of male plumage in
this species. They were favouring pine trees in the park and a few were visiting
a feeder at a nearby residence.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
BLACK DUCK. DEC. 12, 2015. BRIAN STONE
CHAGA MUSHROOM.DEC 12, 2015.JOHN MASSEY
HOUSE FINCH..DEC 12, 2015.ANNA TUCKER
HOUSE FINCH..DEC 12, 2015.ANNA TUCKER
HOUSE FINCHES (MALE AND FEMALE)..DEC 12, 2015.ANNA TUCKER
PELLET SUSTECTED (CRUSHED).LOUISE NICHOLS. DEC. 12, 2015
PELLET SUSPECTED.LOUISE NICHOLS. DEC. 12, 2015
PELLETS SUSPECTED (CROSS SECTION).LOUISE NICHOLS. DEC. 12, 2015
PELLETS SUSPECTED.LOUISE NICHOLS. DEC. 12, 2015
VIRGINIA CTENUCHA MOTH CATERPILLARS 01. DEC. 12, 2015. BRIAN STONE
