Nature Moncton Nature News: April 18, 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 18, 2019 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 18, 2019 (Thursday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca .

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré] seem to be popping up in many feeder yards in the past days. Susan Richards reports that she had her first patrons arrive to her Taylor Village yard on Wednesday, counting 6 individuals on different feeders.

** Gordon Rattray reports that his Weldon feeder yard was invaded by approximately 50 hungry COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] on Wednesday that ate everything except the actual feeders and were very timid as they would temporarily take flight every time a car passed by. The saving grace was seven RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] and four BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS [Vacher à tête brune]. The Brown-headed Cowbirds came as two males and two females which Gordon got excellent photos of to nicely show the often challenging to many to identify female Brown-headed Cowbird beside its smartly dressed male mate. The female Cowbird has to be one of the most conservatively plumaged bird species.

** The Newcastle water treatment plant lagoon in Miramichi, just off highway 117 to the rear of the Atlantic Superstore, always seems to attract interesting waterfowl and is doing so again at the moment. Sonya Hinds found an adult male REDHEAD [Fuligule à tête rouge] duck there recently along with a leucistic NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] duck. Peter Gadd was able to get photos of both of these birds. The Redhead Duck was photographed from different angles to show the much more conservatively plumaged female with it that is so easy to overlook. The odd plumage of the female Shoveler seems to have had no effect on its finding a mate as the two seemed quite bonded. Looks just don’t mean everything!

This is a large lagoon and binoculars and scopes are often indicated to get good observations. This lagoon can be accessed by taking a road into the lagoon from the off ramp. It is a lagoon that is very worth checking when in the area and it often has a nice diversity of waterfowl species.

Dave Christie leaves some observations from Albert County. Dave has several SKUNK CABBAGE plants in a wet area near the Mary’s Point cottage that are now in full bloom with snow around them gone. In a few weeks, the huge leaves will be coming on and covering the blooms. Dave also spotted a NORTERN SHRIKE at the corner of Rte. 915 and the Midway Road on Wednesday. Dave checked 3 BALD EAGLE nests. At the River View Cemetery, an adult was deep in the nest seemingly still incubating. The Hopewell Cape nest had no adults at the nest but they may have been out foraging. The Lower Cape nest had an adult on the side of the nest doing something in the nest so hatched young is a possibility at that nest. The Lars Larsen marsh is now open and ice free and Dave noted 3 HOODED MERGANSERS in the pond below the Studio on the Marsh. Dave heard a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW singing loudly and clearly on Tuesday morning and still has 1 American Tree sparrow and 1 Fox Sparrow at his feeder yard, however, the male Northern Cardinal that has been around his and John Inman’s yard seems to have gone elsewhere, no doubt mate searching.

** Brian Stone and Kevin Balmer did a round of the Centennial Park pond on Wednesday with a Wood Duck that had been seen there on mind. No luck there, but they got some excellent photos of a pair of COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle] to show some signature ID features. In the female note the sharp white throat patch, the back head crest being quite defined and not wispy as in the female Red-breasted Merganser, showing the crest more reddish than the brown of the female Red-breasted Merganser and also the much thicker bill base of the Common Merganser vs the more slender bill base of the Red-breasted Merganser.

A BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE [Mésange à tête noire] seemed pleased to pose among blooming male Alder catkins with the smaller, female seed catkins in the background. The RING-BILLED GULLS [Goéland à bec cerclé] were firmly back for their summer vacation and some seemed to be having a few things to say about cameras on them as a photo of Kevin’s shows. All the Ring-billed Gulls photographed were adult.

Kevin Balmer also shares some nice photos of a male HOUSE FINCH [Roselin familier] as well as its female mate that visited his Moncton feeder. Some great photos to look at closely to separate them from the House Finches that are coming on at the moment. Note the lack of white stripes on the head of the female House Finch which are present in the Purple Finch female.

** A NORTHERN SHRIKE [Pie-grièche grise] made its regular drop by at our Moncton feeder yard in the rain and fog of Wednesday morning on its regular Redpoll check. The high COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé] numbers of just a few days ago seem to be declining, so they may be thinking of filing their northern flight plans along with the Shrike. The big feeder bonus of the day was a dusk visit from a female NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge]. We had a pair spend a week with us approximately three months ago but have not seen them since. She allowed a few documentary photos but acted very coy. She did check out the cedar hedge carefully so I am hoping that she may find it to her housekeeping satisfaction.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton