Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 17, 2018

Nature Moncton Information Line. Saturday, February 17, 2018

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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

**A Saturday morning update of the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW [Bruant des plaines] at Yolande LeBlanc’s 251 Central Street location in Memramcook: one was feeding at 7:15 a.m., and Yolande reports it was in and out all day on Friday. It is ready for cautious weekend visitors. A later today update…..Yolande and some visitors spotted two Clay-colored sparrows feeding together at the same time. This raises interesting possibilities. Are these two Memramcook birds travelling together as they are the same species or has approaching spring caused a potential pair to be taking a second look!

**PINE SISKIN [Tarin des pins] visits to area feeders have been sparse this winter. Lois Budd was pleased to have a group of seven come by her feeder yard near Salisbury on Friday. Lois took part in The Great Backyard Bird Count going on this weekend, and was able to report a real diversity of expected regulars, including a BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun], two PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré], and a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche].

**Doreen Rossiter reports that she had 12-15 CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique] come by her Alma yard on Friday, with no BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal] tagalongs. They cleaned up the remaining HIGHBUSH CRANBERRIES [Viorne trilobée] in her yard bush. Doreen comments she is noting a male RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] in courting mode, with two hens.

**Danny Sullivan and Brian Stone made a woods hike in the Notre-Dame area on Friday. They went into a BEAVER [Castor] dam area that seemed quiet for the winter on the outside, but was very likely not so on the inside. They saw evidence of PORCUPINE [Porc-épic] bark-feeding but no sign of the perpetrator, a few HEMLOCK [Pruche] trees riddled with the sap holes of YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER [Pic maculé] efforts, as well as the expected BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire], RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES [Sittelle à poitrine rousse] and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS [Roitelet à couronne dorée]. They came across two BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu] violently interacting, possibly in spring activity, but potentially dueling males.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton