Nature Moncton Nature News: Jan 21 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Jan. 21, 2017 (Sunday)

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Please advise if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

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

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

Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

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

** Nature Moncton activities chairperson Louise Nichols reports that they had an excellent field trip on Saturday, guided by Roger LeBlanc. They didn’t see the GYRFALCON [Faucon gerfaut] but did have some very nice moments. They started with a good sighting off the Shediac bridge, with two RED-TAILED HAWKS [Buse à queue rousse] on the ice feeding on a duck. Note one ‘mantling’ the prey. Roger noted that he had never seen this sort of thing before, since Red-tailed Hawks normally prey on rodents.

They travelled to Bouctouche and checked the Gyrfalcon site along the lagoon. Some people in the group were fortunate to see a pair of AM. BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] in the act of copulation. Hard to believe, on a cold day! The NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet] remains on site there. They stayed in the Bouctouche area for a while, seeing a HOUSE FINCH [Roselin familier] which was an orange variant, at feeders near the lagoon. They travelled to the Bouctouche Dunes where they could find open water and saw a flock of COMMON EIDER [Eider à duvet], very close together in a tight circle, which was another odd behaviour. They also paid a quick visit to Jean-Paul and Stella LeBlanc’s, to view their feeders.

Eventually they made it back to the Cocagne bridge, where a GLAUCOUS GULL [Goéland bourgmestre] greeted them, flying over the water just a few feet from the vehicles and landing on the ice where it stayed very cooperatively for photos. The day started with the interesting Red-tailed Hawk sighting and ended with good views of the Glaucous Gull. Louise shares some nice pictures.

Thanks to Mitch Doucet for taking the time to list the 29 species seen on the field trip. Mitch placed a series of 39 photos of the day and the birds seen, at the attached link. https://www.flickr.com/gp/mitchphotography/W0p261

Click on the first photo to enlarge it and then click on the right or left arrow to move to the the next or the previous photo, an excellent recount of a special day with memorable moments of the group enjoying the day together. All thanks to Roger LeBlanc for leading it, the activities committee for arranging it, and to Mitch and Louise for the photo record. Only one problem remains; I could not be there!

** Dale Halfpenny got some excellent open-wing photos of a BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] subadult near Shepody Cemetery on Friday. It was not far from where a suspect GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal] was possibly seen recently. However, the extent of white under the wings, the lack of feathering right to the digits, and the lack of golden nape help to rule out Golden Eagle.

** There have been several comments from Nova Scotia birders about a sudden influx of DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé]. Dave Christie reports that the usual 6 to 10 at his Mary’s Point feeders jumped to 35+ on Saturday.

** Brian Stone was at Sullivan’s Pond in Dartmouth on Sunday to get some photos of gulls that we can see in New Brunswick as well. He got photos of a BLACK-HEADED GULL [Mouette rieuse]. Note the red feet and bill which distinguish it from a Bonaparte’s Gull [Mouette de Bonaparte], which would also be approximately 3 inches smaller. Also, he photographed an adult ICELAND GULL [Goéland arctique]. It does have some gray banding on the primary projections, which some adult Iceland Gulls do have instead of complete transparency there. He also photographed an immature Iceland Gull, which appears to be in its first winter due to the nearly all-black bill and dark eye.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton