Nature Moncton Nature News: 2016-03-20

Saturday, 26 March 2016

March 26, 2016

**It would appear like the past few days have been the most active of the year for many bird feeder yards that have also caught the attention of RAPTORS [Rapace]. Brian Coyle had a NORTHERN GOSHAWK [Autour des palombes] come by his Lower Mountain Road feeder yard on Friday.6 REDPOLLS [Sizerin] also appeared for the first time this season, as well as a lone BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal] that spotted an apple a RED SQUIRREL [Écureuil roux] had cached in a tree branch and spent a time enjoying the booty.

**A PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] has returned to the Riverside-Albert-Harvey area, being seen by Dave Christie and John Inman on Wednesday and Thursday, and Shannon Inman saw it in Riverside on Friday. Shannon also saw the first two TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] that Dave has heard about fly over her home in Riverside on Thursday.

**The freezing rain on Friday brought very high numbers of FINCHES [Fringillidés] and SPARROWS [Bruant] to Dave’s feeder yard. PINE SISKIN [Tarin des pins] were the most numerous Finch. There were high numbers of DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé], WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche], AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien], and SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur]; Dave commenting the ground was covered with feeding birds. A WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] was on the Shepody River below the dam on Wednesday and Thursday, as was a pair of HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné].

**Louise Nichols paid a visit to the Tantramar Marsh in the rain on Friday afternoon. She was fortunate to come upon a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK [Buse pattue] that posed cooperatively for a few excellent photos. Louise scanned a number of large groups of CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] as was possible in the rain, but did not see any other GOOSE [Oie] species. Louise also dropped by the Sackville Waterfowl Park to find the boardwalks very slippery, but did note a contingent of mixed GULLS [Goéland] and a few each of COMMON MERGANSER [Grand Harle], WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu], RING-NECKED DUCK [Fuligule à collier], AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique], GADWALL [Canard chipeau], and MALLARD [Canard colvert] DUCKS. So things are starting to come to life at Sackville Waterfowl Park, although the numbers of each species are not high yet, and the only part of the park that was occupied on Friday was the area between the boardwalk and the Tourist Information Centre.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (a). LOUISE NICHOLS. MARCH 25, 2016

Friday, 25 March 2016

March 25 2016

** Georges Brun spotted a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pelerine] flying over Bore Park with prey in its talons on Wednesday to get documentary flight photos. Georges also noticed a large flock of WAXWINGS [Jaseur] on Sunday foraging on flowering crab tree fruit from trees that are planted in the median along Vaughan Harvey Blvd. near the intersection of Gordon St. and Atlantic St. They sure don't seem bothered by this heavy traffic area. The same scenario happened last year for several days. Eric Wilson noted it. Brian Stone and I went over and it was quite a show with hundreds of birds foraging with cars speeding by them. The City of Moncton planted the flowering crab trees there. We saw no evidence of birds being hit by cars.

** Roger Leblanc has been monitoring owl routes in preparation for the upcoming Owl Prowl night. He had been finding it very quiet, but not so on Wednesday night when he got GREAT HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d'Amérique], BARRED OWL [Chouette rayée] and NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL [Petite nyctale] in two spots. He's hoping that we can get that sort of activity when the Nature Moncton outing gets slotted. He expects they are on territory and will still be there for the Owl Prowl.

** It's far too early to be seeing BLACK SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES [Papillon du celery] that usually don't emerge until the end of May. However, Pauline McGibbon, mother-in-law of Lois McGibbon, had an adult appear in a heated back porch, suspecting the chrysalis may have come in on Geraniums she is over-wintering. This is not the food plant of the caterpillar, but the caterpillar may have gone to nearby Geranium plants to attach its chrysalis for the winter. Unfortunately, it will probably not survive to reproduce, but it is being offered sugar solutions in faint hope.

** Marlene Hickman is yet another to have a FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] join the sparrow troupe in Dorchester. Most of photos coming in seem to show this sparrow in breeding plumage. There appears to be a lot of Fox Sparrows moving through New Brunswick at the moment.

** The immature WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW [Bruant à couronne blanche] that I have had at my feeders all winter is still not showing any significant change to breeding plumage.

** Bob Childs reports that a male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] continues to be a patron at his Riverview feeder area. A single PINE GROSBEAK [Durbec des sapins] came by and his first SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur].

** Brian Stone sends some photos of birds around his sister's home in Titusville, near Hampton that includes three nice views from different angles of a colourful FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] of which there were three visiting, along with PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré], DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] and a nice variety of expected regulars.

** Dave Miller and I made an early Thursday morning visit to one of Dave's spots for birding that he knows so well: the Taylor Rd. near Salisbury. The main quarry of the morning was BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS [Pic à dos noir]. We heard drumming of several and got flight observations of at least three. There were no close photographic observations, but the bright sun rising to the sound of Black-backed Woodpeckers drumming was a very rewarding experience. A HAIRY WOODPECKER [Pic chevelu] drumming allowed for a nice comparison of the drumming of these two species that can sound alike, but as Dave pointed out, the timing between drummings and the speed of the cadence are points that help you suspect what you are hearing. GREAT HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d'Amérique] vocalizations were heard several times, and the first glimmer of rising sun provided a nice sundog.

** The fruit trays in my feeder yard are surely causing a raucous the last day due to AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] behavior. The Waxwing troupe has swollen to 15-20 with both BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boreal] and CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique], but still predominantly Cedar Waxwings. Ten Robins have joined them. However, there are a few male Robins that are preoccupied with chasing their kin away and then going to work on the Waxwings. There have been some real dog fights going on.

** This weeks Sky-at-a-Glance is added to today's transcription, courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, March 26 – April 2
Spring is here and the Big Dipper, which forms the rear haunches and
tail of Ursa Major the Great Bear, is high in the northeast at sunset.
The bear spends the night doing a Fosbury Flop over the pole. An hour
after sunset the bear’s cave, the semicircular constellation of Corona
Borealis, has cleared the horizon. Soon it will be above the horizon at
sunset and the bears can come out of hibernation.

For stargazers early spring means it is time for a Messier Marathon. In
1758 a French comet hunter, Charles Messier, started compiling a
catalogue of nebulous objects in the sky that resembled comets but
weren’t. His completed catalogue was issued 13 years later with 103
objects. In the mid-20th century the catalogue was expanded to 110 based
on Messier’s notes. Under a clear, dark sky all of the Messier objects
can be seen in a small scope. It is a rite of passage for amateur
astronomers to locate and observe all them, and a certificate is awarded
by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada for those who carefully log
the details of this accomplishment.

The Messier catalogue includes 57 star clusters, 40 galaxies, 12 nebulae
of new or dying stars, and an enigmatic pair of stars. The first on the
list, called M1, is the Crab Nebula, the gaseous remnant of a supernova
that was seen in daylight in 1054. M110 is a galaxy seen near M31, the
Andromeda galaxy. The easiest to see is M45, the star cluster also known
as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. The Orion Nebula, a stellar nursery in
the Hunter’s sword, is composed of M42 and the nearby but much less
spectacular M43. Ursa Major has seven Messiers, including galaxies M81
and M82 (Bode’s Nebulae) and M51, the Whirlpool galaxy.

For a few weeks in March and April, around the time of a new Moon, it is
possible to see all the Messier objects in one night, hence the Messier
Marathon. However, from New Brunswick, one of them rises in bright
twilight and is somewhere between very difficult and impossible to see
at this time of year. That won’t keep some stellar stalwarts from trying.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:10 am and sunset will occur at
7:40 pm, giving 12 hours, 30 minutes of daylight (7:15 am and 7:45 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:56 am and set at 7:50
pm, giving 12 hours, 54 minutes of daylight (7:02 am and 7:54 pm in
Saint John).

The Moon teams up with Mars and Saturn early in the week and is at third
quarter on Thursday. Saturn has begun its retrograde motion, moving
slowly westward relative to the stars; another factor in the
ever-changing triangle it is making with Mars and Antares. Jupiter is
high in the east after evening twilight and at its best for viewing
around midnight. This is a good week to look for the zodiacal light in
the west about an hour after sunset. You will need a cloudless sky and
be away from artificial light to detect this wedge-shaped glow of
sunlight reflecting off comet and asteroid dust in space.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the Rockwood Park Interpretation
Centre on April 2 at 7 pm. All are welcome.

Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

AM ROBIN, CEDAR AND BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.MARCH 24, 2016.NELSON POIRIER

BLACK SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY.MARCH 24, 2016.LOIS McGIBBON

BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER WORKINGS.MARCH 24, 2016.NELSON POIRIER.

CEDAR WAXWING SHOWING WHITE BARS TO SIDE OF WING.MARCH 24, 2016.NELSON POIRIER

FLOWERING CRAB TREES ON VAUGHAN HARVEY BLVD. MAR 20 2016 GEORGES BRUN (1)

FOX SPARROW 01. MAR. 24, 2016. BRIAN STONE

PEREGRINE FALCON WITH PREY MAR 23 2016 GEORGES BRUN (4)

PURPLE FINCH (MALES). MAR. 24, 2016. BRIAN STONE

Ursa Major

WAXWINGS (AT TREES ON VAUGHAN HARVEY BLVD) MAR 20 2016 GEORGES BRUN (2)

Thursday, 24 March 2016

March 24 2016

** We seldom see an AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] at a seed feeder, however Jamie Burris had a bright male come to a tray of mixed variety seeds to enjoy them heartily. It first came for the seeds on Tuesday, and was back Wednesday for a refill. It also gave some turkey scraps a try that Jamie had put out for the Crows.

** A WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche] is not common in the Moncton and Nova Scotia border area due to the lack of large deciduous tree stands that they prefer. Vicki Daley was pleased to have one arrive to her Amherst feeder yard on Wednesday.

** I'm getting some of the first patrons of the season to the fruit tray offering of apples, bananas, and Mountain Ash berries that were put aside from last Fall. A female AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] arrived on Tuesday, and is intent on chasing away other Robins. A CEDAR WAXWING [Jaseur d'Amérique] arrived for the first time on Wednesday and the Robin was less aggressive about chasing it away. The Waxwing would be an overwintering bird as it would be very early for this late arriving species to appear now. I'm hoping it brings its friends to sample the buffet available, which it did with two more by evening. ( and more today, Thursday but still all Cedar Waxwings)

** Again a reminder of the "Owl Prowl" and workshop originally scheduled for tonight, Thursday evening, is postponed to an alternate date on Monday, March 28, and that date on hold as well depending on weather conditions. There was a good number of participants registered for this event, so be sure to keep watch for announcements for rescheduling.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

AMERICAN ROBIN (FEMALE).MARCH 23, 2016.NELSON POIRIER

AMERICAN ROBIN EATING SEEDS.MARCH 23, 2016.JAMIE BURRIS.

CEDAR WAXWING.MARCH 23, 2016,.NELSON POIRIER

Wednesday, 23 March 2016

March 23 2016

* The storm brought a different plumaged bird to Don Daigle's feeder yard on Monday. It turned out to be a HOUSE FINCH but an orange variant with unusually placed markings. It took a few reviews of Don's nice photos to call its identification. I have HOUSE FINCH regularly to my own feeder yard with the odd orange variant but never one marked like Don's visitor.

* The BLACK SCOTER are arriving. Carmella Melanson got a great photo of 4 males on Tuesday very actively vocalizing to a female who seems quite unimpressed with their chorus line. She saw approximately 62, predominantly males, with more farther out on the water off St. Thomas wharf

* Doreen Rossiter reports a huge turnout to her Alma feeder yard on the storm day of Monday feeding 300+ birds most of the day. The big numbers were 100+ SONG SPARROWS along with the first FOX SPARROW of the season and a large contingent of a BLACKBIRD blend. The first NORTHERN SHRIKE Doreen has had in her yard this season was attracted to the activity.

* Gabriel Gallant also had a return of approximately 50 SNOW BUNTINGS to his Saint Marie de Kent feeder yard that had not been attending recently. 5 REDPOLLS also visited along with his first SONG SPARROW. AMERICAN GOLDFINCH also came back in significant numbers.

* New member, Ethel Douglas, is yet another to enjoy a visit from a large flock of WAXWINGS to roost in a pine tree outside their Royal Oaks condominium on Saturday.

* Brian Stone shares some more photos from the Nature Moncton field trip to Hampton and Saint John area on March 13 to include some of the the many SCAUP along Norton Shore Rd. Most were suspected to be GREATER SCAUP and one of Brian's photos shows the upheld wing of one bird to show both primary and secondary wing feathers to be white on the trailing edge whereas only the secondaries are white in the LESSER SCAUP.

Also shown is a cavity in a rock face with bird white-wash below it to show a bird has perched or nested in it.

Also included are ICELAND GULLS, a male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE and GADWALL ducks.

* Again a reminder of the Owl prowl and workshop scheduled for Thursday evening is postponed to the alternate date of Monday, March 28. and that date on hold as well depending upon weather conditions. There was a good number of participants registered for this event so make sure to keep a watch for announcements for rescheduling.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (MALE). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

BIRD PERCH CAVITY. MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

BLACK SCOTER MARCH 22, 2016.CARMELLA MELANSON

BUFFLEHEAD DUCKS (MALES IN FRONT WITH FEMALE IN REAR). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

GADWALL DUCKS (MALES AT REAR WITH FEMALE IN FRONT). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

GADWALL DUCKS (PAIR). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

HOUSE FINCH (VARIANT).MARCH 21,2016.DON DAIGLE,

ICELAND GULL (1ST WINTER). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

ICELAND GULL (ADULT). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

SCAUP (FEMALE WITH WINGS UP SHOWS WHITE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FEATHERS OF GREATER SCAUP)). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

SCAUP (FEMALE). MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

SCAUP (SUSPECT GREATER) 01. MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

SCAUP MALE (SUSPECT GREATER) 01. MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

SCAUP. MAR. 13, 2016. BRIAN STONE

WAXWING LINE-UP.MARCH 19, 2016.ETHEL DOUGLAS

Nature Moncton

Tuesday, 22 March 2016

March 22 2016

** A tip of the hat to Carmella Melanson who made an early morning run on Monday to the Tantramar Marsh before the snow started to get serious to be rewarded with seeing the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE [Oie rieuse] Hank Scarth and Paul Mansz had found on Sunday afternoon. Carmella got a nice photo for the poor light that she had to work with. The photo shows the smaller size of the Greater White-Fronted Goose in comparison to the CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du Canada] it is accompanying.

** Louise Nichols comments her Sackville yard picked up with the storm from the usual 8 to 9 species to 13. A RUFFED GROUSE [Gélinotte huppée] was in a yard Birch tree, her first SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] arrived, but special was a FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] that stayed all day. We’ve had a lot of nice pictures of Waxwings but 2 that Louise got on Sunday are too good not to share. She noted a flock of approximately 100 to 150 Waxwings laced with AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d’Amérique] in Sackville on Sunday.

** John Langelaan reports a very significant swell in the number of expected patrons at their feeder yard facing Mill Creek at the edge of the Riverview town limits the past few days. They have been watching the BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tote blanche] nest there on Mill Creek that they see easily from their home. They have seen adults go and come from the nest but wondering if they are spending enough time at the nest to be initiating real occupation. John notes the nest failed the past 2 years and hoping for more positive results this year.

** Bev Schneider shares a nice photo of a HORNED GREBE taken at the Dipper Harbour Wharf on Saturday. It was a special moment to have this species come so close to the wharf to cooperate for a photo.

** The snow storm did not bother a few cock RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide] from getting into serious spring dueling on Monday in Susan Richards’ yard in Memramcook. They have 5 males and 4 females as regulars but the 2 in Susan’s photos are just not agreeing on who’s the “Cock of the Walk”.

** Some changes for the Owl Prowl and short workshop that had been planned for this coming Thursday evening. Guide Roger LeBlanc does not think we should do the owl prowl on Thursday because of the cold temperatures this week; he’s tested his route, and has not been able to locate any owls at all at the moment. We can look forward to our alternative date of Monday, March 28, as a possibility. But even with that date, we’ll have to watch for conditions, so stay tuned.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

BOHEMIAN WAXWING (a). LOUISE NICHOLS. MARCH 20, 2016

FOX SPARROW (a). LOUISE NICHOLS. MARCH 21, 2016

Greater White-fronted Goose March 21, 2016 Carmella Melanson

HORNED GREBE.MARCH 19, 2016. BEV SCHNEIDER

RING-NECKED PHEASANTS DUELING.MARCH 21, 2016..SUSAN RICHARDS

Monday, 21 March 2016

March 21 2016

** Dave Christie sent out a Nature Moncton bird alert on a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE [Oie rieuse]. Hank Scarth and Paul Mansz spotted it Sunday afternoon, with CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] on the Tantramar Marsh. They found them, on the Folkins Road, on the stream side, approximately 800 metres from the red Prescott barn.

** Gilles Belliveau identified a special bird on Sunday, a BLACK-HEADED GULL [Mouette rieuse] at the Hampton lagoon. He spotted it late Sunday morning and got the word out, so lots could get to see it during the beautiful sunny day. It is an immature gull, showing a black tail band and still some brown on the mantle. However, its bill is predominantly orange-red in colour with a black tip, indicating that it is moving towards adult plumage. Pat and I, with several others, saw it in mid-afternoon at the third impoundment, with RING-BILLED GULLS [Goéland à bec cerclé], and many of the group got great photos.

I’m adding some of my own to the blog, also a photo of a male NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] there, that shows its huge shovel bill. Other ducks were enjoying the lagoons and there were also several TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] floating about overhead.

Earlier in the day, Pat and I visited Maces Bay, Dipper Harbour and Chance Harbour. The BRANT [Bernache cravant] have not arrived in Maces Bay as yet. A BLACK GUILLEMOT [Guillemot à miroir] in breeding plumage was noted at Dipper Harbour, as well as several SURF SCOTERS [Macreuse à front blanc].

** Ron Arsenault joined the Chignecto Naturalists’ Club on Sunday to visit the SKUNK CABBAGE patches at Upper Cape and shares a photo of one popping through the snow. Ron was also in the Moncton area briefly, and saw a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] on the nest box perch at the summit of Assumption Place at 6 p.m.

** MAYFLOWER [Fleur de Mai] is a very early-flowering plant, and Anna Tucker found them in bloom at Sackville last week. I don’t believe that it’s on the Plantwatch list.

** John Filliter had a RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] come to his Cap-Brûlé yard on Sunday to enjoy suet, a food that pheasants don’t often choose.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton