Nature Moncton Nature News: Jan 11 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, January 11, 2018 ( Thursday )

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Gary Dupuis got a great photo of the white morph GYRFALCON [Faucon gerfaut] that has been hunting in the area of the walkway adjacent the former Mills Seafood site alongside the Route 11 bridge at Bouctouche. Note the enlarged crop area to suggest a recent meal. Gary got his photo at 9:00 am and that full crop may be the reason that the dozen of us who waited all afternoon for an audience were not granted one.

There were consolation prizes other than the sociability of keen birders ... a lone COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d'or] kept plying the open water below the bridge and briefly came out on the ice to nicely show off those hot orange feet and legs that we don't often get to see. Another was a very cooperative adult RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] enjoying the sunshine and as often is the case Brian Stone did not miss a solar halo.

** For some reason the link on "earthshine" could not attach yesterday. I am reattaching today for those who would like to review it.

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/what-is-earthshine

** A few years ago Waxwings put on an awesome display at the Université de Moncton campus, foraging on the abundant Mountain Ash berries at the quadrangle between the Pavillion des Arts and the Pavillion Jean-Cadieux. The CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique] are back and are joined by AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique]. Louise Nichols got some photos of the action on Wednesday and comments that if the Mistle Thrush runs low on its larder in Miramichi it is very welcome there! Louise also comments that there were no Bohemian Waxwings in the troop as yet.

** Georges Brun spotted a SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des marais] near the bend of the Petitcodiac River on Wednesday at 2:35 pm., and then it flew upriver. Caroline Arsenault saw one near the same site a few weeks ago, so it would appear that it is maintaining a territory there, assuming that there is only one there which may or may not be the case.

** One of the larvae that looks like a caterpillar is the larva of the ELM SAWFLY. Susan and Fred Richards took the attached photograph of one on a trail when they visited Cape Split, N.S. in October. As it was wandering about the path it may have had pupation in mind.

** Ray Gauvin is another who is having a NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] as a regular visitor at his Shediac feeder yard. This one showed its brilliant yellow undertail for the photographer.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton