Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 4 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 04, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Catherine Johnson johnson2@xplornet.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
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**Mitch Doucet made a very early morning run to Shepody on Tuesday morning to successfully spot the CRESTED CARACARA in flight at approximately 7am as it flew over his car flying east from the area of civic #5000. It was still quite dark so he was not able to relocate it but was very fortunate to get two documentary flight photos in the dim light.

Catherine Johnson located it at noon in its Hopewell Hill area on a farm road located on route 114 between civic #5141 and civic #5133. It was seen perched on the fence post on the left and later seen flying and landing in that general area.

**Brian Stone returned to Mapleton Park on Tuesday afternoon to again note the changes in just a few days. A WOOD DUCK was present, a GREAT BLUE HERON that appears to be a young-of-the-year was foraging, the fall colours are coming on beautifully at this popular city park, the MALLARDS ducks are in a blend of remnant breeding plumage and an unexplained mass of leaves welded together about fist sized. Comments welcomed.

Brian also photographed a GULL that had some different features. On consulting with Gilles Belliveau he feels it is indeed a RING-BILLED GULL going into its second winter plumage. The dark eye color should have gone to yellow by now but Gilles comments he has seen this late change before. There should be some yellowish appearing on the legs as well so this is obviously delayed as well. Probably in a month or so it will have more RING-BILLED GULL features of this age.

**Aldo Dorio got a photo of a HERMIT THRUSH on Tuesday to nicely show the eye ring that does not form a spectacle as it does in the SWAINSON'S THRUSH and the hint of rusty tail. This is often the last of the wood thrushes to leave us in the fall and the first to return in the spring.

Aldo also got a photo of a SAVANNAH SPARROW that was showing much more yellow in the head area than most of Savannah Sparrows would so chalking this up to species variability unless others thoughts arise.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton