Nature Moncton Nature News: April 3 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 03, 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)

** David Christie had a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW flying around the Canadian Wildlife Services house and the under construction new visitor's center at Mary's Point between 1:45 and 3:30 pm on Monday afternoon, and he got a nice photo. Note that the brown underparts change gradually to the white upper parts instead of the abrupt change of a Tree Swallow. He could also see the rough, sawtooth pattern on the outer edges of the primaries. Viewers of the blogspot can double click on the photo to see those rough edges. Note also that the Rough-winged Swallow does have an appearance similar to the later arriving Bank Swallow but lacks the neck cummerbund and the light brown rump of the Bank Swallow. It is very appropriate to be able to peruse Dave’s photo on the heels of the swallow workshop.
It was cold last night, but when it gets warmer David will be checking to see if it is still there and he will get the word out if it is.

David has also been hearing that beautiful nightly chorus of AMERICAN WOODCOCKS [Bécasse d'Amérique] doing their "peent" calls and twitter nuptial flights.

** Carolyn Arsenault advises that there was a EURASIAN WIGEON [Canard siffleur] seen later in the day at the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Monday. The duck arrival is bringing in some interesting tagalongs.

** Yolande Leblanc advises that the two CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS [Bruant des plaines] are still present in her 251 Central St. feeder yard in Memramcook. She has seen them every day. This could be leading to an interesting scenario, especially if the genders are right.

** Georges Brun advises that two PEREGRINE FALCONS [Faucon pèlerin] were either in the nest box atop Assumption Place or on the middle of the big "A" logo on Tuesday morning.

Other arrivals to the Petitcodiac River were a half dozen AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] and one male NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet]. Georges has heard that the Northern Pintail is also being seen behind the Shoppers Drug Mart location on Champlain St.
Georges checked out the Waxwings that Audrey Goguen had reported in the Northview Ave. area recently to find them to be, as Audrey had reported, CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique] but he did find a few BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] among them going back and forth between some nearby Tamarack Trees. Georges had a male AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] show up on Thursday and a female on Saturday along with a dozen COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé]. The birds are flipping leaves around open trunk trees bases to forage. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire] are coming to check out the sweet sap at his yard Maple Sugar tree.

** Barb Curlew has been enjoying the spring migration near her Waterside home. Like Ron Steeves she has been seeing the rafts of COMMON EIDERS [Eider à duvet] and BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse noire]. There was a steady stream of AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] coming into Waterside and the numbers of SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] were very notable on Monday. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique] waddled down their driveway on Sunday evening to make for some smiling human faces. She saw an AMERICAN KESTREL [Crécerelle d'Amérique] on Wednesday morning and FOX SPARROWS [Bruant fauve] have been around her feeders for the last four days. There also were a few HOODED MERGANSERS [Harle couronné] at Calhoun Marsh, proudly displaying their beautiful head crests. Barb comments that it is the best time of the year for her!

** Louise and Maurice Richard report that things got very lively around Jones lake and their home on the lake on Monday. The one NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD [Moqueur polyglotte] that has been seen in the area over most of the winter was spotted with a second Mockingbird in its company which is great news as it is probably a bonded pair at this time of year. EUROPEAN STARLINGS [Étourneau sansonnet] were trying to get into the Swallow boxes on the lake, which hopefully the hole size will make it just wishful thinking for them as the Tree Swallows will soon be arriving. A GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] was seen flying over the lake and a HAIRY WOODPECKER [Pic chevelu] was busy working on a nearby tree in its recycling stages.

** Carmella Melanson and Rose Alma Mallet birded Albert Co. on Monday to tally a great spring showing. They estimated seeing over a thousand AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique], a very large number of COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé], RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] and SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur]. One BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune], seven FOX SPARROWS [Bruant fauve], two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche], ten WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu], one NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin], one KILLDEER [Pluvier kildir] and seven TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge].
As usual John Innman's 225 Mary's Point Rd. yard was bustling with activity. They were able to add RUSTY BLACKBIRD [Quiscale rouilleux] and RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] to their bird tally of the day. They also saw an EASTERN CHIPMUNK [Suisse] at John's place and a GROUNDHOG [Marmotte commune] off the Shepody Dam Rd.

** En route to Moncton on Monday Brian Stone got some closer GREATER SCAUP [Fuligule milouinan] photos, some BUFFLEHEAD [Petit Garrot], some male and female plumaged PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré] and WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] explaining to him why they got the name White-tailed.

** The RIVER OTTER [Loutre de riviére] is a common New Brunswick mammal, but due to their secretive life style we don't often get to see them. Aldo Dorio was in the right place at the right time to photograph one on the ice off Hay Island on Monday. He also photographed five male COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle] surrounding a female.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton