Nature Moncton Nature News: Jan 16 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, January 16, 2020 (Thursday)

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

One click on a photo opens it full screen

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: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** A very pleasant sparrow surprise for Suzanne Rousseau in Sussex on Wednesday when a FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] arrived to ground feed under her feeders. The vast majority of Fox Sparrows will nest well to the north of us in summer and migrate south of us for the winter. We tend to see them in their northerly migration in the spring and in their southerly migration in the fall. It’s too late for fall migration and too early for spring migration. Has it decided to overwinter in New Brunswick? Only the sparrow can answer that question and it’s very tight billed about its plans!

** Jane Leblanc has a SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] overwintering at her St. Martins feeder yard. She also spotted a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] working on the remnants of some Mountain Ash berries in her yard. It may be interested in the seeds or the whole fruit. Jane also had an onslaught of approximately 50 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] to her yard on Wednesday. She photographed 2 that were foraging on remnant flowers of the late blooming shrub Witch Hazel while another was in a Birch tree enjoying the open catkins with likely potential seed under the scales.

** The 2 CAROLINA WRENS [Troglodyte de Caroline] continue to be in the Court St. area of Riverview. I was treated to excellent views of them and heard the very loud vocalizations of one, all this about 10 days ago. I couldn’t stay that day for photos and recording vocalizations but with this show felt that it would be easy for a repeat performance. Will not admit how many times I have been back for that repeat performance, without the repeat, but finally during a visit in the snowfall on Wednesday I had one settle down at a distant suet feeder briefly. They are very vocal and it is easy to know when they are around. They seem to circulate between several suet feeders in the area. There are 2 of them in the area which could mean a pair. They are not common in New Brunswick but several breeding records exist.

I was also able to catch my visiting CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier] on the same feeder as an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] on Wednesday. The flesh-coloured legs of the Chipping Sparrow in all plumages contrast with the dark legs of the American Tree Sparrow. The Chipping Sparrow is the smaller of the two but one has to use binoculars most times to separate it from the 4 American Tree Sparrows patronizing at the moment.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton