Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 19 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, updated for Feb. 19, 2018 (Monday)

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.co

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

Yolande LeBlanc advises the two Clay-colored Sparrows were enjoying their breakfast together at her 251 Central Street location (Memramcook) at 7:20 a.m. on Monday morning, being Family Day and all. Most visitors were able to see them yesterday when able to look from inside the house when Yolande was home. They seem skittish about people outside the house.

** Louise Nichols has taken a few hikes on some of the trails around Sackville recently. She comments that that there are good numbers of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS [Bec-croisé bifascié] in that area, seeing them, getting a few nice photos, and hearing them. She was treated to three GRAY JAYS [Mésangeai du Canada], which is often the case, where the adult pair often allows one young of the year to travel with them. The Gray Jay can be expected to be nesting very soon, if not already. Louise comments on how silent the flight of the Gray Jay is, much like an owl. There were also a lot of SNOW FLEAS [puce des neiges] on the snow, preferring to get in the imprint of her tracks, They do this due to the warmth below the more drafty surface of the snow.

Louise also mentions that copies of the out-of-print “Animal Tracks of Atlantic Canada” are available on-line, at the attached link:

https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Animal+tracks+of+Atlantic+Canada

** Peter and Deana Gadd made a run on part of the Renous Highway, Route 108, on Sunday. This is a very densely forested part of New Brunswick, but also heavily harvested. Marc-Andre Villard, formerly of the University of Moncton has done research in the area’s forest birds and located nest sites of BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER [Pic à dos noir] and AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER [Pic à dos rayé]. Peter got a nice photo of a male Black-backed Woodpecker along Route 108 on Sunday. Note the yellow patch on the head that indicates it to be a male. The female would lack the yellow head patch.

** In response to yesterday’s comment on PINE GROSBEAKS [Durbec des sapins], Brian Coates, now living in England, recalls that during the Quebec ice storm in 1998 he had upwards of 20 Pine Grosbeaks coming daily to his Mollins Road feeder near Salisbury, with a maximum of 45 birds one day. The Pine Grosbeak is known for its docile nature. Brian comments that one day a male landed on his wife Pam’s shoulder, waiting as he spread out the morning food supply. This bird is named “mope-bird” in parts of Newfoundland, due to its moping about nature.

** Annette and Brian Stone made a trek across the Riverview Marsh to the Trans-Aqua fenced in area on Sunday. Just as they started out, they briefly spotted a NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] hunting. They encountered a large group of AM. CROWS [Corneille d'Amérique] in the first group of trees on the trail, where they noted approximately 90 Crows, but by the time they left 200+ crows had assembled. A video clip of the crows can be viewed at the attached link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zvu9yq5k6tgv4h0/Crows.MOV?dl=0

As they got past the trees, they spotted one SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des marais] on a perch near the river at a considerable distance. It lifted off, seemingly hunting, then landed in some tall grass, not to be seen again. Soon after, they spotted the COYOTE [Coyote] walking along the marsh close to the river. Brian suspected it spotted them, as it moved slowly away, approaching a group of Crows which seemed to ignore it.

** Heads up for the February Nature Moncton meeting which coming up this 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 present programs and responsibilities, and talk of future plans the city has on the drawing board.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton