Nature Moncton Nature News: Jan 16 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, January 16 2019 (Wednesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com.

Transcript by: Judy Marsh marshj@nbnet.nb.ca

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

** Nature Moncton Members night on Tuesday evening turned out to be a very well received event. Roger LeBlanc gave an interesting account of monitoring his trail of over a dozen NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL [Petite nyctale] boxes and interactions he has had with one Saw-Whet owl patron for sure as well as FLYING SQUIRREL [Grand polatouche] and RED SQUIRREL [Ecureuil roux) patrons.

** Fred Richards gave an account of an excellent winter and summer response he gets to a suet cake mixture he uses, which we will try and photograph the receipe and place it on the BlogSpot.

** Brian Stone introduced folks to the small world of insects, snakes, spiders, ticks, lady beetles and more he had successfully photographed.

**Nelson Poirier's introduction to a new Mason Bee box will mean twenty more yards will be welcoming Mason bee structures this coming spring. For more information on these nests and the emergence chamber for clean out visit www.pollenbeenest.com

We were able to order 24 nest units @$12 and 12 emergence chambers at $13.80 via Nature Moncton. A few are still available.

**Some feeder yards may be quiet, but others are booming. Sarah Chouninard- Horne leaves a report from her yard in Willow Grove, located ten minutes past the Saint John Airport towards St. Martins. She has 75-100 EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] devouring Black Oil Sunflower seed from three different platforms. They have been regular for six weeks. AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien],SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur], and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] now visit daily.Recently PINE SISKIN [Tarin des pins] have appeared as well as two CANADA JAYS [Mésangeai du Canada] for the first ever visit. They are coming to suet nuggets that Sarah makes up and also Black Oil Sunflower seed. A BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun] comes to the yard to glean insects from an apple tree and she sees it checking out other trees, but not to any set out food items as yet. Several other expected regulars round up the diversity of patrons. Sarah comments she enjoys her feathered friends very very much.

**Mac Wilmot still has his female RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] as a regular to his Lower Coverdale yard. It has become very attracted to a home made suet cake mix that is simply made from melted down raw suet kernels blended with oatmeal. We are hoping Mac's lady and my gentleman will find each other as spring approaches as the distance apart, via bird flight is really quite close.

** A note from Leigh Eaton who is in Florida comments that he sees the news reports from Moncton that indicate that winter is in full control and unfortunately Leigh, this is not fake news! Leigh, however comments that Florida is unseasonably cold at the moment as well . But he does notice each year at this time migration is really getting underway. Where they are in Indian River, there have been AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] and COMMON GRACKLE [Quiscale bronzé] arriving to their yard, some of our first returns , we can expect to arrive here in a few months. For the past several days, their yard has been inundated with Robins, several hundred at any one time and are decending on his bird bath. It may be difficult to appreciate, but the birds are on the way, just as Leigh will be in a few months.

** The BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] are continuing to circulate about the city. They do appear to be less in number this year even though there is an abundant supply of untapped clinging crabapple friut. Brian Stone spotted a small flock on the Gorge Road on Tuesday to get some quick documentary photos, as they moved from site to site.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton