Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 18 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Feb.18, 2018 (Sunday)

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

Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

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

** Yolande LeBlanc reports that the two CLAY-COLOURED SPARROWS [Bruant des plaines] were back this morning, Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Many folks have dropped by to see them at Yolande’s 251 Central Street feeder yard in Memramcook. Yolande advises that visitors are welcome but should be sure not to get too close, as the birds will leave and not be seen. Yolande sent a message of instructions on how to get to see them to NatureNB, which I’m going to repeat below, for those not on the NatureNB listserv. Make sure not to scare away these two special visitors.

Quoting

”To see these birds, drive down just past the power pole halfway down the driveway and stop. Scan the two ninebark bushes with the arching branches, about 5o feet ahead, to see if they're visible. Under the right shrub is a screen cage with white panels over top. That's where they eat. Always accompanied by Tree Sparrows. If not visible, slowly and quietly advance up to the front steps and STOP there. If you go any closer they will leave and nobody gets to see them. Be patient and still, they eventually come back. Please ring the bell if we're home, as best view is from living room window. I would appreciate common sense, you can't get any closer. You may also go around the back of the house, right of carport, and see them from below. Good Luck!”
Yolande 251 Central St, Memramcook

** Caroline Arsenault was treated well on a visit to the Tantramar Marsh on Saturday afternoon. spotting the GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal] on a metal pylon on the Coles Island Road, and seen well from the green gate that leads into the Ducks Unlimited impoundment. She saw it fly down and pursue a PHEASANT [faisan] but it was unsuccessful. Then it returned to its perch on the pylon. She also saw 3 BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] and several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS [Buse pattue], being able to count 8 in one sweep of the scope, 2 dark morph and 6 light morph. A flock of several hundred SNOW BUNTINGS [Plectrophane des neiges] was also observed. A great day on the Tantramar. Caroline also detected the distant odour of SKUNK [Mouffette] in the air.

** Judy and Sterling Marsh visited the Miramichi on Saturday to successfully see the MISTLE THRUSH [Grive draine]. It was very coy in the morning but showed up after lunch to play hide and seek in the snowbank to delight the Marshes, as well as visitors from B.C., Nevada, Maryland and St. Andrews, N.B. The constant ongoing help of Peter Gadd was immensely helpful to the group, as he has been non-stop for approximately 70 days now. What a guy! and a guide Peter has been to help people enjoy this bird, being so respectful to the bird’s welfare.

** PINE GROSBEAKS [Durbec des sapins] don’t seem to be joining us in numbers so far this winter, as they have done in the past. A photo of a pair of Pine Grosbeaks at a feeder near Glaslyn, Saskatchewan, is contributed by Jill Greening, who says that there are many of them at feeders there this winter.

** Brian and Annette Stone made a run up towards the St-Thomas, Cocagne, Caissie Cape area on Saturday and got nice photos of the BARROW’S GOLDENEYES [Garrot d’Islande]decked out in their full spring finery. Note the sharp ‘piano-key’ markings and quarter moon facial markings on the males and the totally orange bill of the females. The ice floes and the ice were striking after two days of melt. COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle] were lounging on the ice, and Pointe-du-Chêne gave a beautiful sunset, although the road in there was not well-plowed and took a bit of unplanned off-roading, which did not amuse Annette.

** There is a pocket-sized book, “Animal Tracks of Atlantic Canada,” which many people fortunately have, that was very recommended at the recent track workshops. It’s out-of-print but can be found at used book sites on-line. I spotted one new copy, for $9.95, at a small bookstand at the door of Frank’s Music Store in Moncton. For someone who wants one, it’s worth a quick trip to see if it’s still there. I craftily placed it behind some of the other books so that some of track-workshop folks can get a copy.

** Heads up for the February Nature Moncton meeting which takes place this coming Tuesday evening at 7 o’clock at the Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge, across from Cabela’s. The presenter this month will be Dan Hicks, from the City of Moncton Parks and Leisure Services. Dan is responsible for Moncton’s parks and trails and has applied his arborist background to provide many interesting tree plantings within the city. Dan will go over the city’s programs and responsibilities, and talk of future plans that the City has on the drawing board. A write-up is attached.

Nature Moncton February Meeting

Moncton’s Parks, Trails, Urban Forestry, etc.

Date: February 20, 2018 at 7:00 PM

Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge (across from Cabela’s)

Speaker: Dan Hicks

Dan Hicks is Director of Parks and Leisure Services for the City of Moncton which leaves Dan to oversee Moncton’s Trail system, urban forestry, horticultural plantings, and recreational facilities.

Dan has completed advanced studies in urban forestry to make him a key person in the development of Moncton as a green municipality. Dan will touch on the present system and what the plans are for the future, and he will also touch on what the City has done in the field of wetland management that led to a recent award from Ducks Unlimited which recognized the City’s approach to managing such crucial habitat.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton