Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 28 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 28, 2018 (Wednesday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

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

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

Transcript by: Catherine Johnson johnson2@xplornet.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca.

**John Inman had 3 adult male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS arrive at his 225 Mary's Point Rd yard on Tuesday afternoon to give the suggestion this may be the start of the advanced guard of blackbird migration.

**Ray Gauvin leaves some comments while observing his bird feeder patrons. He had some nice close-up photos of his male and female DOWNY WOODPECKER pair with the male nicely showing its brilliant red head patches. Ray has a blend of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES coming. He notes the Red-breasted nuthatches are the most aggressive. Ray asks if male and female black-capped chickadee's can be distinguishable. Some literature says the males tend to have the larger black bib but most sites say this is unreliable and the genders cannot be separated by plumage. However this time of year it is in the male that tends to make that ‘fee-bee’ call we are hearing and feeding courtship rituals can take place where the male will give food offerings to the female and she will flutter wings in response.

**A heads up on another March Nature Moncton field trip being planned. Roger Leblanc cruised the Cocagne area on Sunday to note ice was starting to move and waterfowl are concentrating. This means the ducks will have the upcoming breeding season on their minds and more vocalizations and activity will be heightened.

A Nature Moncton field trip to take note of this happening is being planned with a firm date and write up to be available soon.

**The Nature Moncton Gull field trip will be taking place this coming Saturday at the ReCycle NB landfill site on the Berry Mills Rd lead by Roger Leblanc.

As several recent photographs of gulls sent to the Nature Moncton Blogspot has shown, the molt is just getting underway. So we can expect to see some Gulls still in their winter plumage while others in transition. Participants are asked to meet just outside the gate house gates at the ReCycle facility entrance at 1:00pm on Saturday and go in as a group. The write-up is attached below with a second reminder to come on Friday.

WINTER GULLS OUTING

Date: March 3^rd, 2018

Time: 1:00 pm

Location: Southeast ECO360 Landfill Site

Guide: Roger Leblanc

For many bird enthusiasts, talking about gulls is a bit like having a discussion about root canal treatment. But that is unfortunate. Although wading through the many varying plumages of gulls can make identification hard, it is also true that there are many reasons why we should all take a second and third look at gulls. First we are lucky in our area to have a large and varied population of gulls which is even more beneficial in winter when other birds are fewer and far between. Also, even if it is true that gulls take several years to come into their final adult plumage making the immature gulls harder to ID, it is also a fact that since we have only 5 species to contend with at this time of year, it can be done! And after all, overcoming identification difficulties is part of what makes bird watching fun. So don’t despair -- with good information and practice you too can get to know your gulls.

To help you out on that path Nature Moncton is offering a field trip to the Southeast ECO360 landfill site, otherwise known as the dump. This is THE place in the city where you are most likely to see the biggest number of gulls in one place at one time. It is also the best place to find all 5 species of gulls “possible” in the region at this time of year.

So why not join us Saturday March 3rd for a trip to this local gull magnet? The group will assemble at 1:00 pm in the parking lot of the administration building (just let the people know at the gate that you are heading to the Nature Moncton gull outing). After a very short refresher on the gull species we will be looking for, we will carpool to the nearby landfill and take in the gull extravaganza that usually numbers in the thousands at this time of year. Our own Roger Leblanc will be the leader for this outing, but other gull knowledgeable participants will also be there to help you out with nailing down both the species and age group of the birds that you see. As an added bonus other birds can be quite numerous around the landfill site, so be prepared to see dozens of Bald Eagles, for instance. The outing should last a couple of hours and help you get a handle on our winter gull population.

**Danny Sullivan and Brian Stone made a round of the Irishtown Nature Park and Notre Dame on Tuesday. The Irishtown Nature Park obviously has a population of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. They were able to see them in two locations. A few photos show how the lower mandible of the crossbill is straight while the upper mandible is the one with the signature curve. They also saw a BROWN CREEPER in the park that chose not to be photographed as Brown creepers often do.

On the trail in Notre Dame they came across a pair of GRAY JAYS which are very likely a pair in nest preparation at the moment. There were lots of of red-breasted nuthatches at both sites and heard PILEATED WOODPECKERS and lots of evidence of their work. There was some definite feline tracks at the Notre Dame site. Its suspect to be BOBCAT unless a feral house cat was in the area as no stride length was taken to be more certain. The tracks and trail left an excellent feline print. Note the rounded track, the "C" ridge across the centre, and the lack of claw marks.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton