Nature Moncton Nature News: April 15 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 15, 2019 (Monday)

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Edited by Nelson Poirier <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Transcript by David Christie, <maryspt@mac.com>

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

** A reminder of the Nature Moncton meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, on the subject of spring wildflowers. Check out all the details at <www.naturemoncton.com> under “coming events.”

** Jane LeBlanc had a pair of PALM WARBLERS [Paruline à couronne rousse] drop by her St. Martins yard on Sunday and was able to get a quick photo of one. The Palm and the YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] are normally our first warblers to arrive in the spring. Jane also photographed a pair of RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier] near the St. Martins beach on Sunday. Note the bright yellow eye of the male that the female does not have, with her much more drab plumage.

** Everyone seems to be getting into swallow box cleanup and ready for the TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolor], and not a moment too soon. It is also time to have MASON BEE [Mégachile hypocrite] houses up and ready, as Mason Bees could become quite active any time for the next month and are so important for the successful pollination of any of the plants that Dave Mazerolle will be talking about tomorrow night.

** Fred Richards, CEO of the Nature Moncton swallow box assembly line, was also out doing spring cleaning of his own nest box line-up in Taylor Village on Sunday. As he was doing so, a large flock of COMMON EIDERS [Eider à duvet] did a fly-over, probably moving from the Bay of Fundy to Shediac Bay.

Gordon Rattray went to Gray Brook Marsh on Sunday, to check and clean out a swallow box from last year that had been occupied and successful. He had it nearly cleaned out when one of the TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] flying about went right to it, to check it out.

Gordon noted approximately 50 RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier] on the water and got a nice photo to compare the nicely dressed males with the much more conservatively plumaged females. A BELTED KINFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d’Amérique] also did a fly-by.

** Jim Johnson had 11 swallow nest boxes set out near his Scotch Settlement home for the 2018 season. He recently did his clean out and added 3 more. All 11 were occupied in 2018, a very rewarding success rate.

** Clarence Cormier reports that he had no COMMON REDPOLLS [Sizerin flammé] visit his Grand-Digue feeder yard on Sunday. However, his first FOX SPARROW did, as well as a few female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] joining the earlier arriving flock of adult and juvenile males.

I still have approximately 75+ Redpolls at my Moncton feeder yard and they are not showing any plans of going anywhere soon.

** Irene Doucet has been enjoying a female HAIRY WOODPECKER [Pic chevelu] that has been faithful to her Moncton feeder yard, fueling up with peanut butter twice daily since November. Irene noted that it fed on suet during the very cold periods, but preferred peanut butter if the weather was not in a deep freeze. She is now back to enjoying the peanut butter and always announces her arrival with sharp “peeks,” before she dines.

Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Nature Moncton