Editor & Proofreader

Editor: Nelson Poirier    Proofreader: Louise Nichols

Saturday, 9 December 2017

Dec 9, 2017

NATURE MONCTON’S INFORMATION LINE – 9 December 2017 (Saturday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: Catherine Clements
Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

**Daryl Doucet still continues to have a female NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] drop by his feeder yard just off Frampton Lane, but not regularly. It was there Friday morning and usually visits early mornings. Hope she pops by on Moncton Christmas Bird Count Day, December 16th.

**It’s a great time to take those second looks at GULLS [Goéland]. The young of the year have now moulted into their first-winter plumage, and year old birds and older are moulting to their next cycle. I checked a group of Gulls at a Fredericton Riverside Park on Friday. Lots of adult RING-BILLED GULLS [Goéland à bec cerclé] were there. They often fly south when winter gets a bit colder. One first-winter plumaged Ring-billed Gull was present, showing the black bill tip, some grey on the mantle, and a distinct black tail band (the black tail band does not show well on the photo). A second-winter HERRING GULL [Goéland argenté]
was present that showed the black tail band still very obvious, black front half of the bill, eyes starting to yellow, and some grey on the mantle. Two
first-winter ICELAND GULLS [Goéland arctique] were present, showing their complete black bill, pinkish legs, translucent wingtips, and a long primary projection, in contrast to the less common GLAUCOUS GULL [Goéland bourgmestre] that visits us in winter, that has only half of the bill black in its first winter, a notably shorter primary projection, larger bill, and is larger in body size. Also noted near the Gull group was a female WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] along with a group of MALLARDS [Canard colvert], showing its smaller size. A PILEATED WOODPECKER [Grand Pic] was working hard on the base of a tree. A man-made nest box designed for Mallard Duck use, and a BEAVER [Castor] lodge with its cache of winter forage stashed beside it.

Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton



BEAVER LODGE AND WINTER CACHE.DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER


HERRING GULL (SECOND WINTER).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

ICELAND GULL (FIRST WINTER).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

ICELAND GULL (LEFT) RING-BILLED GULL (RIGHT).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

ICELAND GULL (FIRST WINTER).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER


ICELAND GULLS (RIGHT) RING-BILLED GULL (LEFT).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

MALLARD DUCK NEST STRUCTURE.DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

PILEATED WOODPECKER (FEMALE).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

RING-BILLED GULL (FIRST WINTER).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

WOOD DUCK (FEMALE) AND MALLARD DUCKS.DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER

WOOD DUCK (FEMALE).DEC 8, 2017. NELSON POIRIER