Nature Moncton Nature News: 2016-05-01

Saturday, 7 May 2016

May 7 2016

**Aldo Dorio watched a pair of OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur] building a new nest at Hay Island on Friday, to get photos of them in progress.

**Dwaine Oakley gave a presentation to Nature Moncton two years ago, on KESTREL [Crécerelle] boxes they had put up in PEI. Following that, I put up three Kestrel nest boxes in the Sunny Corner area. I had seldom seen Kestrels in the area, but boxes were placed in areas of appropriate habitat. None were taken last year, but I’m very suspicious one is being used this year. A Kestrel has been seen on at least three occasions, perched on utility wires facing one nest box. On Friday I was able to photograph a female near the nest. Paul Langelaan also put up a Kestrel box after that presentation. He had Kestrels take it last year, and has seen birds near that box this spring.

**There’s been a lot of WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] chatter this past week. Another photo of this sharply-dressed Sparrow is added today. This one has the vanilla bands on the head to make it look like a baseball helmet. Others have the light cinnamon-flavoured bands.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

AMERICAN KESTREL. (FEMALE).MAY 6, 2016.NELSON POIRIER

OSPREY NEST BUILDING.MAY 6, 2016.ALDO DORIO.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.MAY 6, 2016.NELSON POIRIER

Friday, 6 May 2016

May 6, 2016

** Stella LeBlanc captured a nice photo of a female BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique] with its lunch in its beak on Thursday. It was taken near the river close to the Saint Thomas wharf.

** Dave Christie has had a male PINE WARBLER [Paruline des pins] arrive to his Mary's Point feeder yard on Wednesday and it continues to drop by as of Friday morning. It's joining PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] . At first it seemed to favour dropping to the ground, appearing to be picking out sunflower chips dropped by birds as they were cracking the seeds. Dave comments he often gets one Pine Warbler per year drop by his feeders, but not usually more than that.

** Dave checked his yard pond during the day for amphibian activity on Thursday. It is lively with SPRING PEEPERS [Rainette crucifère] at night. He found a preyed-upon YELLOW-SPOTTED SALAMANDER [Salamandre maculée] at the pond's edge where the head had been removed.

** Dave checked the CANADA GOOSE [Bernache du Canada] nest that has been so obvious in the Lars Larson marsh on Thursday to find it empty, so either a new clutch of Canada Geese are in the area or predation has occurred. He'll be checking that on Friday.

** Mike Antle comments that they as well were treated to 8 to 10 active WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] at their Maquapit Lake cottage last weekend. Only occasional vocalizations of incomplete songs were heard. Mike comments he returned briefly on Tuesday to note no White-throated Sparrows; however, PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] had arrived to their feeders. They have 5 woodpecker species around the cottage now that the NORTHERN FLICKERS [Pic flamboyant] and the YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS [Pic macule] have arrived back.

** A concerning scenario came up recently with the use of a drone to hover it over an OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur] nest in Barachois. An individual stopped when he saw what was going on to express concern and got a very negative response. I checked with Maureen Tonner with DNR. Her return comment was "harassing and disturbing wildlife is against the law, written in the Fish and Wildlife Act." Given the location of the incident, she suggested to phone the Dieppe DNR office at 836-2344. They may send you to Public Safety, but start with the Dieppe office.

** It is a busy time of year so important to jot events on the calendar. A heads-up on a Nature Moncton Workshop on Pond Life on Saturday afternoon, May 14, is attached today so you can plan to reserve a seat. Presenter Wayne Fairchild is an excellent presenter who knows this subject very well, and you can expect this workshop to be an excellent presentation to show what may be in ponds in the spring that we may not see without a bit of sleuthing. They can be very lively spots of life. The write-up for this is attached below.

From Skimmers to Bottom Feeders: A Look at Pond Life

Workshop with Wayne Fairchild

Saturday May 14, 2016

Ever wonder what’s hiding in that pond beside the road? Let’s have a look at what appears when you have a closer look at the lives and habits and hiding places of the creatures that make up pond life. Grab a tray and do a little searching and bug picking, and help turn what you have observed and collected into some visual scientific results. This is a hands-on activity with some guidance on how and what to look for, to find members of a group of our lesser-known fresh water friends, the aquatic invertebrates.

Saturday May 14, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Tankville School, 1665 Elmwood Dr.

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

Cost of workshop is $8 payable at the door . All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

** This week's Sky-at-a-Glance is attached to this transcription, courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, May 7 – May 14

International Astronomy Day is the Saturday nearest the first quarter
Moon between mid-April and mid-May, and this year that falls on May 14.
Astronomy clubs worldwide make extra efforts to “bring astronomy to the
people,” which is the slogan for the day. This is achieved in many ways,
including setting up telescopes in places where people are often found
(sidewalk observing), visits to schools, mall exhibits and public
observing in parks. The Moon is most accessible and most spectacular in
a telescope near first quarter, hence the timing of Astronomy Day.

This year we are fortunate to have a rare astronomical event to kick off
Astronomy Week, which runs May 9 – 15. On Monday, from 8:13 am to 3:41
pm, Mercury can be seen crossing the face of the Sun with a properly
filtered telescope. Mercury transits, as they are called, occur only 13
or 14 times a century, and of those the Sun might not be up in New
Brunswick or it might be cloudy. Although Mercury passes between Earth
and the Sun approximately every 116 days, it is usually above or below
the Sun in our sky because its orbit is tilted to ours by 7 degrees. It
is only when Mercury reaches inferior conjunction within a few days of
May 8 or November 10, when the two orbits line up with the Sun, that we
see a transit. Mercury will be a tiny, sharply defined black circle
moving slowly across the Sun.

Members of RASC NB, the provincial astronomy club, are planning public
observing events for the Mercury transit and throughout Astronomy Week.
On Monday, look for safely-filtered telescopes set up at Brookside Mall
and Hanwell Community Church in the Fredericton area, at a supermarket
in Oromocto, and at the Irving Nature Park in Saint John. Solar and
evening observing will be offered all week at Brookside Mall as well as
an indoor exhibit there on Astronomy Day. Public observing is planned
for 9 – 11 pm at the Rockwood Park Bark Park in Saint John on Astronomy
Day. Of course, all observing events are weather permitting.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:56 am and sunset will occur at
8:36 pm, giving 14 hours, 40 minutes of daylight (6:04 am and 8:39 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:47 am and set at 8:44
pm, giving 14 hours, 57 minutes of daylight (5:55 am and 8:47 pm in
Saint John).

The Moon is new on the afternoon of May 6, less than 16 hours after
perigee, so expect unusually high tides this weekend. It is at first
quarter on Friday 13; no werewolves to worry about but watch out for
goalies with blades but no skates. Jupiter is at its best in late
twilight this week, being at its highest and having a brightened sky to
reduce glare in a scope. Look for its Great Red Spot around 10 pm on
Monday, and watch its largest moon Ganymede slowly reappear from in
front of the planet at 11:10 on Thursday. Mars rises around 10 pm this
weekend and is brightening as it nears its opposition on May 22, but a
moderately-sized telescope and a steady sky are needed to see surface
detail or its polar ice caps. Ever beautiful Saturn rises about 35
minutes after Mars.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at 7 pm on May 7 in the Rockwood
Park Interpretation Centre. The Fredericton Astronomy Club meets in Room
203 of the UNB Forestry / Earth Sciences Building on Tuesday at 7 pm.
All are welcome. There are still openings for an astronomy workshop at
the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre from 9:30 am to 4 pm on May 14.
Please register via the email below. For more information see http://saintjohnnaturalistsclub.org/programs.htm.
Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

BELTED KINGFISHER (FEMALE) MAY 5,2016.STELLA LEBLANC

Thursday, 5 May 2016

May 5 2016

** Julie Pellerin updates on the GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] that had come to the Cap Brule marsh behind her house to stay three days, several days ago. It's back in the Cap Brule marsh as of Wednesday morning. It had flown to the lagoon area but has returned. Julie comments that the GREAT BLUE HERONS [Grand Héron] sometime seem to try to put the run to it. Julie has a yard pond near her house. She comments that ducks from the marsh are often in it, as well as Great Blue Herons.

** Georges Brun spotted the PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] on the lower platform of the Bell Aliant tower on Wednesday evening.

There is a pond by Pollinator Park, and this pond is located beside a number of trees planted by the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance friends, and it has attracted a lot of wildlife as it is maturing. It is loaded with MINNOWS for fish eaters, and with the cattails present MUSKRATS [Rat musqué] have moved in. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] and SWALLOWS [Hirondelle] are around the pond. Pollinator Park is just before crossing the new Gunningsville bridge on the left, coming from Moncton. Georges shares a few photos from there on Wednesday of a muskrat.

Georges is noting a number of CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du Canada] on their nest in the Petitcodiac Riverview Marsh area.

** Louise Nichols comments she is experiencing the same WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] scenario in her Sackville yard, having a lot more around her feeder area than ever before. Some of the other expected sparrows are present as well, but are very much dominated by the White-throated Sparrows. Louise also still has PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] that came in early spring.

** It's a different scenario with Pine Siskins this year as well. I recently put feeders out at our Little Southwest Miramichi camp and was very surprised to find that Pine Siskins are the most numerous patrons by far, which I do not recall ever seeing here before in any number. Another pleasant surprise was approximately twelve EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] which I usually only see a pair of, if at all.

** It seems that many folk are being treated to a variety of Sparrows in their feeder yards this year. Mac Wilmot had a SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés] come by his Lower Coverdale feeder yard on Wednesday. One would think that with the snow all gone so early sparrows would tend to head to weedy fields. There are either a lot of sparrows this year, or there is no rush to get to natural feeding areas.

** We commented a few days ago that BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] seemed to be leaving ... not yet. Aldo Dorio spotted a flock of twenty at Hay Island chowing down on some type of red berry. Aldo also got nice photos of a male and female NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet]. Note the similarities at first glance of the female Northern Pintail and the female Gadwall if the bill color is not noted.

It seems to be staying cool at night but a few of the early moths are out. The medium sized SCRIBBLER MOTH was at my moth light on Tuesday Night.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

BOHEMIAN WAXWING.MAY 4, 2016.ALDO DORIO

NORTHERN PINTAIL (FEMALE).MAY 4, 2016.ALDO DORIO

NORTHERN PINTAIL (MALE).MAY 4, 2016.ALDO DORIO

PEREGRINE FALCON MAY 4 2016 GEORGES BRUN (1)

SAVANNAH SPARROW.MAY 4, 2015.MAC WILMOT

MUSKRAT MAY 4 2016 GEORGES BRUN (1)

THE SCRIBBLER MOTH.MAY 4, 2016.NELSON POIRIER

Wednesday, 4 May 2016

May 4 2016

**Anne Marsch had a very special visitor to her Lower Coverdale yard on Tuesday when a BROWN THRASHER arrived in the morning and stayed all day. Anne got documentary photos through the window.

**Rhi Edwards and Bruce Coates have both been away the past weeks so they had only shared BLACK THROATED SPARROW excitement via email. They just got back home so headed over to the Beaubassin Research Station to look for the sparrow. They were not able to locate it however were treated to a bonus of seeing 6 immature BALD EAGLES fishing gaspereau in the Missaquash River. They fished, flew about and landed to eat for over an hour. GULLS harassed them and were successful in getting a few eagles to drop their prey. Eventually the eagles landed on hummocks and posts in around the ponds around the station. They comment it was an amazing site to watch. The event was difficult to photograph but a photo shows some eagles moving about the river.

A photograph of a NORTHERN SHOVELER pair is also added that was in one of the ponds.

**Jake Lewis in Saint John got some nice photos of a partial albino AMERICAN ROBIN on Monday. The bird was found at to the UNBSJ campus roaming along aside the Hans Kohl Commons library building along with other robins. Partial albinos are always special as each one is a unique one time edition.

**Mac Wilmont shared a photo of a marsh marigold plant just starting into bloom in a wet area in his Lower Coverdale yard. Marsh marigold is a very beautiful spring flower and plant that can sometimes be in surprising numbers in the right habitat of continually wet areas.

Mac also had a YELLOW WARBLER in his yard on Tuesday, it was brief but long enough to be sure of it's identification.

**Dave Christie reports a wave of YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS appeared on Monday being attracted to trees on the south edge of the Lars Larsen Marsh, seeing them darting about for insects and vocalizing. He estimated the group at approximately 40 along with one PALM warbler.

Dave also noted the wild strawberry plants are starting to come into bloom on Monday.

On Tuesday and Wednesday morning he noted a lone EVENING GROSBEAK female vocalizing from trees around the feeder yard of his Mary's Pt. home but yet to see it come down to feed.

**The number of WHITE THROATED sparrows to feeder yards continues to be very notable. Bob Blake reports they had 25+ in their Second North River yard on Tuesday, along with many PURPLE finches, SONG sparrows and CHIPPING sparrows.

**Jean Renton in Stilesville is yet another with high numbers of white throated sparrows, counting 28 on Tuesday in her yard. Jean comments it's just like winter with all the birds around the feeders with PINE SISKINS, which she had not seen all winter having just arrived. Jean is noting a high number of BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEES coming to peanut butter appearing like they are not getting seriously territorial as yet.

At their Canaan Forks camp on the weekend they noted 4 WHITE-TAILED DEER in a field, one looking very patchy and rough. White-tailed deer do shed their winter coat at this time of year but Jean comments this one seemed to have bare skin patches, so possibly similar challenges.

**Brian Stone made a brief visit to the Crawley Farm Rd. BALD EAGLES nest. This is surely a very public nest with the occupants very accustomed to and oblivious to people. A very urban nest.

While driving along route 15 Brian noted a CROW or RAVEN dive bombing the nest.

**A photo got distributed yesterday of a HOUSE FINCH that was actually a PURPLE FINCH. With 2 misidentifications getting by in a week suspect will have to take the spring trout fishing a bit less serious.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

BALD EAGLE ON NEST 01. MAY 03, 2016. BRIAN STONE

BALD EAGLES FISHING GASPEREAU AT BEAUBASSIN.MAY 3, 2016.RHI EDWARDS

BROWN THRASHER.MAY 3, 2016.ANNE MARSCH.

MARSH MARIGOLD.MAY 3, 2016.MAC WILMOT

NOTHERN SHOVELER PAIR.MAY 3, 2016.RHI EDWARDS

ROBIN (PARTIAL ALBINO).MAY 2, 2016.JAKE LEWIS.

Tuesday, 3 May 2016

May 3 2016

** Gordon Rattray took a run to Mary's Point and area on Monday. He comments SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés] and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] seemed to be everywhere. He enjoyed a nice encounter with a low flying TURKEY VULTURE [Urubu à tête rouge] that was later joined by three others overhead. He had nice observations of the CANADA GOOSE [Bernache du Canada] nest at Lars Larsen Marsh that David Christie had pointed out earlier. He also comments that he could hear SWAMP SPARROWS [Bruant des marais] vocalizing a lot in the cattails offshore.

** On Sunday evening Louise Nichols had a pleasant encounter with a SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des marais] on the High Marsh road on the Tantramar Marsh. Light was getting dim, but was still enough to get a nice photo. A RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] was also ground perched in the area. Louise also visited the Paunchy Lake area, seeing a good number of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] and PALM WARBLERS [Paruline à couronne rousse].

** Gabriel Gallant has been checking frequently on some WOOD FROG [Grenouille des bois] and YELLOW-SPOTTED SALAMANDER [Salamandre maculée] egg masses in the Coates Mills area in the past few weeks to watch their progress. The Wood Frog egg masses have developed into small tadpoles, still in the egg mass, nicely shown in Gabriel's photos. One Yellow-spotted Salamander egg mass does not seem to have developed as of yet. Also Gabriel saw and photographed his first female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes] of the season around his bird feeders, and photographed a PALM WARBLER [Paruline à couronne rousse] on his walk in Coates Mills.

** Georges Brun had a visit from a very colorful male PURPLE FINCH] to his Churchill St. yard on Monday.

** Anna Tucker has been noting the abundant RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide] along the Petitcodiac river front trail this year, and them being very active at the moment. Anna also caught some cloud activity in the last few days in the Moncton area, one of which.

** The DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS [Cormoran à aigrettes] are really arriving in numbers at the moment. Jocelyne Ross photographed a group at Cap Bimet on Sunday.

** Monday was the first day I recall observing six different sparrow species in one day around the feeders since moving into the city. WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] were most numerous, followed by SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur], CHIPPING SPARROWS [Bruant familier], SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés], a few remaining AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien], and our one WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW [Bruant à couronne blanche].

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS.MAY 1, 2016.JOCELYNE ROSS

PURPLE FINCH.MAY 2 2016 GEORGES BRUN

MALLARD DUCK PAIR.MAY 2, 2016.ANNA TUCKER

PALM WARBLER.MAY 2, 2016.GABRIEL GALLANT

RED-TAILED HAWK. LOUISE NICHOLS. APRIL 30, 2016

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (FEMALE) MAY 2, 2016.GABRIEL GALLANT

RING-NECKED PHEASANT (COCK).MAY 2, 2016.ANNA TUCKER

SANANNAH SPARROW.MAY 2, 2016.GORDON RATTRAY

SHORT-EARED OWL (a). LOUISE NICHOLS. APRIL 30, 2016

SKY OVER MONCTON AT 1800 PM. (POSSIBLE AIRCRAFT CONTRAIL)MAY 2, 2016.ANNA TUCKER

SUNDOG IN SKY OVER MONCTON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.MAY 1, 2016.ANNA TUCKER

TURKEY VULTURE.MAY 2, 2016.GORDON RATTRAY

WOOD FROG TADPOLES DEVELOPING. MAY 2, 2016.GABRIEL GALLANT.

YELLOW-SPOTTED SALAMANDER EGG MASS. MAY 2, 2016.GABRIEL GALLANT.

Monday, 2 May 2016

May 2 2016

** The BLACK-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge noire] continued its stay at Aulac and was enjoyed by many people on Sunday. Brian Stone got many excellent photos of it and some nice photos of a HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] from different angles.

They also visited the Sackville Waterfowl Park and got some nice photos of the ducks moving in. Take a close look at the photos that Brian took of a male RING-NECKED DUCK [Fuligule à collier], which actually show the ring on the neck from which it gets its name. We don’t often see that feature unless the light is right.

** Dave Miller is again finding SPRUCE GROUSE [Tétras du Canada] on the Taylor Road near Salisbury. He got two photos of a female. He also photographed the GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] that was back in the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Sunday.

** Some of the first butterflies are being reported. Jack Perry in Saint John had a visit from a MOURNING CLOAK [Morio] on Sunday. Jack says that he too is getting lots of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche], with head bands of both colour forms.

** Clarence Cormier reports some new arrivals in his Grand-Digue yard, a VEERY [Grive fauve] was a special visitor, as was a MOURNING CLOAK [Morio] butterfly. As many others, Clarence seems to be getting more WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] than usual, with up to 9, and SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés] up to 10. Two others that were nice to see were two SWAMP SPARROWS [Bruant des marais].

** It is nice to hear of two MOURNING CLOAKS [Morio] on Sunday. This butterfly overwinters as an adult, so it can be on the wing very early. The COMMAS [polygones] often are close behind them, if not at the same time.

** Marlene Hickman reports a lively yard in Dorchester. She now has approximately 12 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] doing some lively scratching to collect some of the winter-placed millet seed that overwinters so well. Some vocalizing YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] arrived in her yard on Sunday.

** Georges Brun got a photo of a HERRING GULL [Goéland argenté] that got hold of a GASPEREAU (Alewife) [Gaspareau], which now are running up the Petitcodiac River to spawn. The fish seems to be almost half the size of the bird.

** Bob Blake maintains a record of daily morning low temperatures, daily highs, and monthly precipitation from his Second North River home. He compares April 2015 and April 2016 to show that April 2015 was a cooler month overall than April 2016 with much less snow for April 2016, more precipitation as rain, and a warmer month than last year.

APRIL 2015:

17 mornings -1 ° C and below (lowest morning -17°) 11 mornings above 0 °C (highest morning 3°) the highest daytime temperature recorded was 19° C. Precipitation was 17 cm snow, 78 mm rain.

APRIL 2016:

13 mornings -1 ° C and below (lowest morning -10°) 14 mornings above 0 °C (highest morning 10°) The highest day temperature recorded was 23°C with a few others close to that. Precipitation was 4 cm snow, 43 mm rain.

If the days don’t add up correctly for one month, it is due to Bob not being available those days however the general trend can be seen.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton