Nature Moncton Nature News: March 13 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, March 13, 2018 ( Tuesday )

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** At 8:15 pm on Monday evening David Christie heard the very distinct call of a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL [Petite nyctale] seeming to originate near his Mary's Point driveway. It is the first David has heard this spring. The vocalization of the male Saw-whet Owl is usually a prolonged "toot-toot-toot" sounding like the alarm of a truck backing up. Most of our Saw-whet population move more southerly during the winter so this is potentially a recent arrival.

** Carmella Melanson found her first AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique] of the season in the Harvey area of Albert Co. on Monday. Woodcock are normally very early arrivals and when snow levels are covering wooded areas they will often get on exposed roadside banks in search of earthworms and it is a great time to see them closer. They can be very cryptic. Another older name that the Woodcock sometimes gets is "Timberdoodle".

** It was interesting to note several reports of PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré] showing up at feeder yards for the first time since fall on nature listservs in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. over the past few days. Danny Sullivan had a pair of Purple Finches show up at his Communication Rd. feeder yard on Monday. The fresh, wet snow also left some very clear prints of what is strongly suggestive of a WEASEL . Note the five toe pads on the front and hind feet.

** Both the planets Venus and Mercury are now visible just after sunset, low over the western horizon where the sun has set. Clear skies and a clear horizon are needed to view them. Mercury will reach its highest and brightest point on Thursday, the 15th, and will then slowly begin to descend towards the sun and get lost in its glare by the end of the month. Venus will continue its slow rise up and away from the sun for the next few months and will be brighter and better visible as spring and summer progress. Brian Stone photographed two versions of the lineup on Monday evening, one a bit brighter than the other. Venus is the brightest object in our sky except for the sun and moon.

** Brian Stone and I joined the Nature Sussex group on Sunday afternoon for a visit to the Irving research and development facility and tree nursery in Sussex. Greg Andrews and Andrew McCartney explained lots of in progress activity at the center that was a real eye opener into the modern techniques being employed growing trees and also potato farming. It all gave quite an insight into the future of forestry and agriculture. Andrew pointed out that a major outbreak of Spruce Budworm is expected to hit N.B. this summer as it moves in from Gaspé Quebec and discussed what it will mean for N.B and how they intend to meet it. It can be a threat for forest fires if large swaths of Fir and Spruce are left dead to create tinder. It may make some birds like the Tennessee Warbler and Evening Grosbeak very happy as there will be an abundance of food for them. Unfortunately there are not enough birds to balance the damaging effects of an invasion.

En route to Sussex we noted many BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] at the Caldwell Farms composting facility. Thirty plus were counted just perched on one berm and suspect that many more were perched and flying out of view. Many were adults and I thought that most adults would be out on territories right now but if they were, then many were returning for lunch.

** I always place some winter deciduous branches in a vase of water to experience some winter greenery in March. The four selected this year were White Ash, Red Oak, Purple Lilac and English Ivy from the Memramcook Institute. The English Ivy has declined to show itself as has the Red Oak as yet. The Purple Lilac was starting to sprout lots of potential blooms after eighteen days. The White Ash is a tree that has its female flowers and its male pollen flowers on different trees. The branch I placed in water was from a male tree and has just started showing its pollen flower emerging after 18 days ( started on Feb. 19 ) and 22 days later started dropping pollen. A photo of the male flower as it appeared first on day 18 and then opening up and shedding its pollen on day 22 is attached.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton