Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 30 2015

** Yolande and Eudor LeBlanc are having a flurry of bird excitement around their 251 Central Street home in Memramcook. The NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] continues to come to peanut butter smeared on a tree and the female RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] is coming but is more shy. The excitement heightened on Sunday when they saw a Robin-shaped bird in the yard that met all the markings of a FIELDFARE [Grive litorne]; Yolande is suspicious that is what it was. The bird left their yard after giving good observations. There are a lot of clinging apples and other fruit around Yolande’s place and in the Memramcook valley in general. Yolande suggests that checking the area and watching for any Robin flocks with a tagalong could be very rewarding. Yolande’s phone number is 758-9583.

** Jack Perry brings up a very interesting feature of the NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] warbler posted yesterday, commenting that he was taken by the “stylish brown shoes”. On a second look, it almost seemed there was some peanut butter on its feet, however, Brian Stone made an Internet search and found that this feature showed in many on-line photos of Northern Parulas.

** Maria Cormier photographed a beetle back in September that caught her attention with its striking markings. It turned out to be a ROUND-HEADED APPLE-TREE BORER [].

** Jules Cormier reports that his Baltimore Oriole [Oriole de Baltimore] guest was back on Sunday, again feeding on ENGLISH IVY berries. Jules suspects that it feeds all along the board walk on the marsh side of his home, as there is English Ivy along there, as well as in his yard.

** We may have had a cool, cloudy day over most of New Brunswick on Sunday, after bright sunny start to the day, which Aldo Dorio captured the sunny start as it rose over Néguac.

The second Nature Moncton workshop is scheduled to happen this coming Saturday, December 5 at the Tankville School. The announcement for that is attached.

Winter birds are coming!

News flash: winter is coming! But instead of getting depressed over something so natural that can’t be changed, a lot of bird watchers are looking forward to winter because the changing season will bring with it the chance to see some of those famous “winter birds” that seasoned birders talk about all the time. Which species are we talking about and why – and when are they coming?

These are the kinds of questions that will be addressed in the upcoming workshop offered by Nature Moncton on “winter birds.” Join Roger LeBlanc who has been watching and trying to understand the behaviors of these winter visitors for a long time. And if you by chance participated in the recent bird feeding workshop offered by Nature Moncton, this would be a very natural follow-up to help you recognize what you might be attracting to your backyard. Together we will try to work out some of the patterns that will help you know what is to be expected as well as when and where you should be looking. In addition, Roger will help you understand exactly what you are looking at on that snow-covered branch in a workshop that will combine bird photographs with a few video surprises.

So whether you are quite content with checking out the “winter birds” that will be invading your feeders or are ready to bundle up and head outside to search for them in the snow-covered landscape, this workshop aims to help you enjoy their presence even more. Roger will also talk about the annual Christmas Bird Counts that take place throughout the province. Roger is the organizer of the Moncton count and is always looking for eager participants – a chance to put your new knowledge of winter birds to work!

Saturday December 5^th , 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Tankville School, 1665 Elmwood Dr., Moncton

Registration with Judi Berry-Steeves at jbsteeve@nbnet.nb.ca or phone Judi at 387-4778.

$8 to cover costs payable at the door. All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton