Nature Moncton Nature News: May 2 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 2, 2018 (Wednesday)

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

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

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

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

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** Gary Dupuis spotted a GLOSSY IBIS [Ibis falcinelle] on the McCully Station Rd near Sussex at approximately 12:30 on Tuesday. It got chased by some BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche], but there were reports of it being seen around 2:00 pm, again in the area. Gary got a great photo of this bird.

** Gilles Bourque advises that Pierre Janin reported a BRANT [Bernache cravant] on the Riverview Marsh by the water treatment plant on Tuesday night. When Gilles went to see it, he also saw 17 SURF SCOTER [Macreuse à front blanc] there. There was also a report of a SANDHILL CRANE [Grue du Canada] at Bell Marsh on Sunday. These are foder to relocate today.

** A very rewarding scenario for Roger Leblanc. Roger set up 12 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL [Petite nyctale] boxes around his Notre Dame woodlot, as he has heard Saw-whets in the area in the past. Ten days ago, he was checking the boxes. Putting up Saw-whet boxes is a big job requiring a ladder to get it high enough and a ladder to check them. Roger was up a ladder and gently opened this one box and something immediately flew by his face. He assumed at first it would be a Flying Squirrel as he has had them take the boxes before, but to his delight when looking behind him, there was a Saw-whet Owl on a branch two metres away! He immediately closed the box and left the area. He did a recheck of the box from the outside recently to see a Saw-whet pop up in the hole and sink back into the nest box. So nesting appears certain. Roger will not be disclosing the location of the box to keep it private for the owls, but a Nature Moncton field trip outing is planned for the evening of June 8^th, and he hopes to be able to show participants that night from an appropriate distance. A trail camera is going to be set up, so some potentially great photos may be forthcoming.

** Karen and Jamie Burris have been noting lots of newly arriving birds at the Hillsborough Wetland Park the past few days. Some of Jamie’s great photos beautifully show the normally first arriving warblers, the YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] and the PALM WARBLER [Paruline à couronne rousse], also the early arriving flycatcher, the EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi], as well as TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore]and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] promptly taking their stations.

** There were reports that the link supplied yesterday for the site on solar power did not open for some, so we’ll repeat it today. If it does not open directly, try copying and pasting the link to your browser address bar and hit “enter.”

https://www.roof-stores.co.uk/blog/the-rise-of-rooftop-energy-storage/

** Brian Stone sends photos of a male NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] and a male NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] announcing the territories they have staked out in Dartmouth.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton