Nature Moncton Nature News: April 4 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 04, 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 .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling. Note that corrections, deletions, or delayed additions may not always appear on the Info Line and email transcript but will always appear on the BlogSpot. For this reason, it is recommended that those wishing to look at historical records use the BlogSpot rather than the email transcript. The BlogSpot can always be accessed from the website.

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)

** Early on Wednesday evening Richard Blacquiere saw TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] gathering at the Hampton lagoon. He took his camera and went to check the group with the hope of seeing a particular vulture with a wing tag. He was pleased to find it among the approximately 75 congregating there. He managed to get a documentary photo of the bird in flight and was able to read the ‘HTP’ on the tag and was able to confirm that it is the same bird that has returned to the Hampton lagoon for the fifth consecutive year.

** There is a tree in the Court St. area in Riverview that local folk call the “Eagle Tree” as it is a very popular roost for a pair of Eagles. Sue Berube got a nice photo of what appears to be a probable bonded pair, with the large female at the top of the branch and the smaller male lower down on the branch. Shirley and Bob Childs can watch the Eagle Tree from their yard. This photo was taken on March 6^th, so the pair may be tending a nest at the moment.

** The snow has certainly not deterred the black invasion from arriving in Miramichi. Peter Gadd reports that he has had RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] since March 26^th. Twenty five males showed up one day. In addition they have had COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] since then as well, numbering now about 45. On Monday two male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS [Vacher à tête brune] arrived. They didn’t think too much of the 15 cm of heavy snow that Miramichi received on Wednesday, but on the other hand some species were right at home. He has had a good sized flock of COMMON REDPOLLS [Sizerin flammé] for a couple months and on Wednesday there were 100 +, many finding the access to the nyjer seed feeders to be the easiest way to get a bite to eat. Peter said that he has never seen the level of seeds in a nyjer feeder go down so quickly.

Jim Carroll came across a very confusing duck on March 2 in Courtenay Bay, Saint John with unusual plumage that gave suggested plumage of both genders. Jim felt it to be a hybrid as am sure most of us would expect but an interchange with ebird gave a very interesting explanation. The expert reviewers however recognized it as an “Intersex Mallard” and gave an excellent website of explanation as follows with their commentary.

From the ebird reviewers:

"The duck in question is actually an intersex mallard or "old hen" mallard. It is well documented that some females lose estrogen and gain testosterone, hence the female bill pattern but the semi-male plumage. https://birdhybrids.blogspot.com/2015/01/intersex-birds-and-their-confusion-with.html"

I suspect many of us would think of hermaphrodite (has some or all of the primary sex characteristics of both genders) for this specimen but the site uses the intersex terminology. A very interesting exchange of information to consider next time we see a “confusing hybrid”

** Maybe lots of times bird feeding is as much for the pleasure of we bird feeder yard operators, but on days like Wednesday’s spring storm those early arriving species, as well as those getting fueled up to file flight plans north, must very much appreciate full bird feeders as feeders photos show.

** Aldo Dorio forwards a few photos of a flock of 15 SNOW BUNTINGS [Bruant des neiges] at Hay Island on Tuesday. Note the brilliant breeding plumage ready for the oncoming breeding season.

** Audrey Goguen had two AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] arrive to her yard at 16 Northview Dr. in Moncton on Wednesday. One flew right to the Flowering Crab Tree while another foraged on the ground under shrubs.

** I brought in my apple tray due to the snow, but it goes right back hoping to welcome some Robins.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton