Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 9 2016

** We sure are having a pleasant SNOWY OWL [Harfang des neiges] winter. Gilles Bourque reports that 2 Snowy Owls have been seen for certain around the Moncton Airport Saturday and Sunday with a possibility of a third in the area.

** Yet another SNOWY OWL [Harfang des neiges] spotted on Monday. Kevin Renton spotted one flying over the Sears location at Champlain Mall towards the Petitcodiac River. This may or may not be one of the birds mentioned by Gilles Bourque in the airport area. Kevin also reports their Stilesville feeder yard continues to be very active with a very significant number of EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] as regulars, 6 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide] with an even gender ratio, a BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal] group periodically drops by a yard Flowering Crab tree plus expected regulars.

** All sounding good for the first stop of the Nature Moncton feeder tour this coming Saturday.

** The REDPOLLS just don’t seem to be arriving at feeders yet. Aldo Dorio did photograph a flock of approximately 15 at Malpac near Neguac. One does appear to be a HOARY REDPOLL [Sizerin blanchâtre], but am labelling it Redpoll in light of some discussions in the birding world about whether these are potentially actually different sub-species of the Common Redpoll. We’ll let that discussion play itself out.

** Louise Nichols comments the WAXWINGS continue to visit the abundant Mountain Ash crop at the University of Moncton sporadically; however, she spotted a MERLIN [Faucon émerillon] monitoring the action recently.

** A very uncommon Gull that has in the past and can show up at any time, especially in the winter in NB, is the COMMON GULL [

goéland cendré] from Europe. One and possibly two are visiting Halifax at the moment and Brian Stone captured photos of it on February 6. This gull species is to be watched for in NB. It is a smaller gull at 16 inches, just a bit smaller than the Ring-Billed Gull. Note the yellow legs, black eye, and the head more white than our adult winter gulls except for the Great Black Backed Gull. Keep a watch for one among NB gulls at this time of year especially around the coast. This is an adult bird in Brian’s photo.

** It’s the first time I recall SPARROWS as the predominant feeder bird in numbers at our feeder yard. In Monday there were 20 plus, outnumbering the AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune], MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle triste], and the other expected species. The blend is very predominantly AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] and 2 SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur], and that one WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW [Bruant à couronne blanche]. Am attaching a few photos of it from Monday that just may be starting to have those brown head bands lightening a bit for spring.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton