Nature Moncton Nature News: Dec 30 2017

Nature Moncton Information Line (Saturday) December 30, 2017

To respond by email, please address your message to the Information Line Editor, nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Please advise the Editor if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

**Caroline Arsenault and Joel Daigle took a drive down the lower marsh road (aka Anderson Marsh Road) on the Tantramar Marsh at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, when they spotted a raptor flying close to the 90-degree sharp turn, that turned out to be a SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des marais]. Not long after, they saw a second Short-eared Owl, and were able to get a few photos as it tarried on a post. As they continued on the same road, there were two owls on fence posts that were very cooperative with them. They watched them fly about and pounce on prey. They were then joined by two more owls, so there were four for sure and possibly more. Caroline comments how wonderful it was to watch the show in the light of day.

**Brian Stone and I made a second unsuccessful attempt to locate the MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu azuré] in Beresford Friday morning. If they are still there, they were successful in evading us. It was a very cold stakeout! A quick stop in Miramichi en route home found the MISTLE THRUSH [Grive draine] feeding at the end of MacMillan Drive. A stop was made at Rudolph Lirette’s home near the MacDougall Road end of the Falconer Road that made for great observations of up to a dozen RUSTY BLACKBIRDS [Quiscale rouilleux] at Rudolph’s feeders and his son’s, just up the road, which the birds are going to as well. The greatly diminished number of this species makes them hard to find in breeding season, so a pleasant surprise to see this many at a few neighbouring feeders. They say they have never had them before. It was a real unusual Blackbird winter mix, with an adult female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à epaulettes] and a male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune], along with the Rusty Blackbirds. With that many Rusty Blackbirds in one spot, the variability of winter plumage is striking, showing differences in gender and possibly juvenile plumages as well. One photo of Brian Stone’s in a tree nicely shows the club-shaped tail of the Rusty Blackbird to help distinguish it from the Red-winged Blackbird’s squared-off tail.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton