Dec 3 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, December 3, 2018 (Monday)

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Editor: Nelson Poirier  nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: David Christie   maryspt@mac.com

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

** Jane LeBlanc shares a photo of what the early morning sky looked like at 6:15 a.m. over St. Martins and East Point.

Brian Stone points out Jane’s photo shows the Moon and Venus close together (maybe not quite a conjunction) near the bright star Spica in the constellation Virgo just south of east. The Moon will have moved on past by tomorrow.

Brian adds two screen prints from Stellarium to show the bigger picture.

** Gordon Rattray comments that his Weldon feeder yard patrons have dropped off some in numbers in recent days. However, he still has some nice species, including a BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun], FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] and a PINE WARBLER [Paruline des pins]. The Pine Warbler is visiting the shelled peanut feeder. Note the large bill for a warbler and the white eye-ring in Gordon’s nice photo.

** Georges Brun noted three large flocks of AMERICAN CROWS [Corneille d’Amérique] on the salt marsh of the Petitcodiac River on The Bend from Dieppe to the Gunningsville Bridge, estimating approximately 1000 birds. It is presumably that time of year that the crows are assembling to form night roosts.

Georges also noted many gulls attracted to the area near the Petitcodiac River control structure. The TOMCOD [Poulamon atlantique] should be starting their spawning run soon. I would wonder if that may not be the interest. Georges took a photo of a surfer, braving the December 1st temperatures, to surf the tidal bore.

** Clarence Cormier has had a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD [Moqueur polyglotte] that has been dropping by his Grand-Digue yard at least every other day for a few weeks now. It came on Sunday afternoon and co-operated for a photo. Clarence also shares a photo of one of 15 PINE GROSBEAKS [Durbec des sapins] that were feasting on the seeds of Highbush Cranberry [Viorne d'Amérique] near his home last week. Also there last week was what he suspected to be a NORTHERN GOSHAWK [Autour des palombes] that was trying to get a RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] into the open. Unfortunately the photo of the suspected Goshawk got “branched off.”

** Dale Gaskin came across a lone PINE GROSBEAK near his Dawson Settlement Road home on Sunday. It completely ignored his nearby presence in true Pine Grosbeak fashion. He came by the bush later in the day to find the ground laden with berry pulp. Apparently the lone bird went off to advise his kin of the booty.

** We spotted a group of approximately 20+ BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse à bec jaune] on the water off Cap-de-Cocagne on Sunday afternoon. They were predominantly male. One SURF SCOTER [Macreuse à front blanc] was noted and a few COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d’or] with them. They were quite a distance from shore but identifiable.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

 

BLACK SCOTER (MALE AND FEMALE). DEC 2, 2018. NELSON POIRIER

BLACK SCOTER (MALES). DEC 2, 2018. NELSON POIRIER

BLACK SCOTER AND ONE SURF SCOTER. DEC 2, 2018. NELSON POIRIER

BROWN CREEPER. DEC 2, 2018. GORDON RATTRAY

BROWN CREEPER. DEC 2, 2018. GORDON RATTRAY

CROWS. DEC 1 2018. GEORGES BRUN

EARLY MORNING SKY IN ST. MARTINS. DEC 3, 2018. JANE LeBLANC

EARLY MORNING SKY IN ST. MARTINS. DEC 3, 2018. JANE LeBLANC

EARLY MORNING SKY IN ST. MARTINS. DEC 3, 2018.SCREEN SHOT FROM STELLARIUM

FOX SPARROW. DEC 2, 2018. GORDON RATTRAY

GULLS AND MALLARD DUCKS. DEC 1 2018. GEORGES BRUN

GULLS. DEC 1 2018. GEORGES BRUN

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (SUSPECTED). NOV 2018. CLARENCE CORMIER

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD. DEC 2, 2018. CLARENCE CORMIER

PINE GROSBEAK. DEC , 2018.CLARENCE CORMIER

PINE WARBLER. DEC 2, 2018.  GORDON RATTRAY

PINE WARBLER. DEC 2, 2018.  GORDON RATTRAY

RING-NECKED PHEASANT AND SUSPECTED NORTHERN GOSHAWK. NOV 2018. CLARENCE CORMIER

SURFER MICHELLE RICHARDS DEC 1 2018 GEORGES BRUN