NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 14, 2019 (Thursday)
Please advise editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or
photo labeling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com
For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
To respond by e-mail, please address
your message to the information line editor nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all Lovebirds
flying about!
** Lots of birds must have been very happy to find
well-stocked feeders for a mid-February storm as we experienced on
Wednesday. Dave Christie reports that
the BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire] and sparrows
were in a feeding frenzy. His sparrow
line-up includes WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche], DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco
ardoisé] , one SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] and one SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant
des prés]. He was a
bit surprised to have only one BLUE JAY [Geai bleu] and one MOURNING DOVE [Tourterelle
triste] come by on Wednesday. Dave comments he did see the first flock of
75 SNOW
BUNTINGS [Bruant des neiges] that he’s seen
since December. They were foraging on
the marsh weed seeds that had been exposed after the very high moon tides. The marsh had previously been covered by
heavy snow, and no doubt will be again that way today.
Elaine Gallant was able to a photo of her Flying
Squirrel patron to her Parlee Beach feeder yard enjoying a suet block which
must have given it some great calories to get through the storm. Properties on
the photo say it was taken at 4:19 AM. A lucky in the dark photo. Obviously squirrel
and Elaine were doing the night shift!
** At my own feeders, 75+ COMMON REDPOLLS [Sizerin
flammé] with AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret
jaune] and PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] trying to work
their way in which made the feeders look like a beehive. The sparrows were content with grabbing quick
droppings below before they got covered, and the expected regulars were forced
to wait out their turn. The RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
[Pic à ventre roux] was not seen all day, so must have felt the
congestion just a bit too much for him.
** I attended the Salisbury Naturalist Club meeting
on Tuesday night when the presenter was Cheyenne Currie from the New Brunswick
Nature Trust. It was an extremely
interesting presentation that dealt a lot with the Acadian forest and its
specific trees and mammals. They have 52
protected sites, protected in various ways across New Brunswick, covering 7,000
acres. Three local ones are the 48 acres
on Grindstone Island, 74 acres of Cape Enrage Beech and Marshland, and the
Mapleton old growth forest site in Elgin which makes up part of the 1% of New
Brunswick left in old growth forest.
That site needs Nature Moncton to visit it as a group at different times
of year, but of course can be visited by individuals at any time.
nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
FLYING SQUIRREL. FEB 13, 2019. ELAINE GALLANT.
