Editor & Proofreader

Editor: Nelson Poirier    Proofreader: Louise Nichols

Monday, 21 December 2015

Dec 21 2015

**  There haven’t been many NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS [Moqueur polyglotte] reported so far this winter, however, Attila Fust, coordinator of the Bouctouche Christmas Bird Count, had one appear at his suet feeder on the Coates Mills Road just across the Bouctouche River from Sainte-Marie. He’s hoping it continues to visit until count day, which is Sunday, Dec. 27, for that area.
 
**  There was an occurrence of AURORA [aurore] in the sky over New Brunswick on Sunday night - Monday morning.  Brian Stone was ready for it, but just as it was beginning to grow strong, clouds rolled in and blocked it. Brian got some photos of what was brewing until the clouds foiled his anticipation.
 
**  BROWN CREEPERS [Grimpereau brun] can occur in town; Georges Brun had one visit his small urban forest on Churchill Street in Moncton, in early and in mid-December.
 
**  A COMMON GRACKLE [Quiscale bronzé] with a beak deformity and white on the tail is making the rounds of feeders in Salisbury. Marguerite Winsor got a photo of it in their yard. It has also been visiting Dave and Bonnie Miller's and Connie and Pearl Colpitts’ yards.
 
**  Louise Richard has RED SQUIRREL [Écureuil roux] visitors at their Acadieville cabin, but one is sporting a short tail to suggest a near miss by a predator, while one of its kin sports a full tail beside it. They also have a MINK [Vison d’Amérique] that they see in the area from time to time. There could be a possible connection with the shortened squirrel tail. The Richards got an awesome video of the Mink travelling along the river; I’m hoping to find a way to post videos like this on the Blogspot in order to share them.
 
 
 
Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton
AURORA 01. DEC.20, 2015. BRIAN STONE

AURORA 01. DEC.20, 2015. BRIAN STONE

AURORA 01. DEC.20, 2015. BRIAN STONE

COMMON GRACKLE (BEAK DEFORMITY AND WHITE ON TAIL).DEC 20, 2015.MARGUERITE WINSOR

RED SQUIRREL (tail incident).DEC 20, 2015.LOUISE RICHARD

RED SQUIRREL.DEC 20, 2015.LOUISE RICHARD