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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Pat McLaughlin came across an
interesting scenario this Sunday. She was on a groomed four-wheeler trail near
Curry Corner in Bathurst. Sitting in the middle of the trail was a SURF SCOTER
[Macreuse à front blanc] which was several miles from water. They thought it
couldn’t fly from the ground as when they approached it, it just flopped into
the deep snow on the side of the trail. A few minutes later it came back on to
the trail and when they started the bike it started to run and managed to get
itself airborne. They hoped that it flew far enough to make it to open water.
The Scoters, like many pelagic waterfowl, have great difficulty taking flight
from land if they accidentally end up there. They are designed for life on the
water and they run on the water surface to take flight as their center of
gravity is farther back on their bodies to enable diving deeper for food.
** Peter and Deanna Gadd checked a few
spots along the coast en route to Miramichi on Tuesday and came across hundreds
of MALLARD DUCKS, a handful of Black Ducks, and 2 Northern Pintail in a
freshwater pond adjacent the Bouctouche water treatment lagoons. Among them was
a mystery entry. Peter got an excellent photo to suggest it is very possibly a
leucistic Mallard Duck among the throng of ducks. It surely does stand out and
one suspect more of us may get to see at this popular duck overwintering site
** Doreen Rossiter had a visit from a
male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] to her Alma yard on Tuesday
morning. Doreen had a male Red-bellied Woodpecker visit her yard on December 19th
so I am not sure if this may be the same one or another in the area.
** Daryl Doucet got some nice photos of
HOUSE FINCHES [Roselin familier] visiting his Moncton feeder yard showing the
variability among the males and the relatively conservatively dressed females.
Daryl also photographed several AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] in the open
water around the newly opened Cocagne bridge.
** A lot of us have been wondering
where the Red-breasted Nuthatches are this year, with so many cones available
for them. Jane Leblanc did have 2 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES [Sittelle à poitrine
rousse] show up at her St. Martins feeder yard on Tuesday for the first time
this season.
** AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique]
seem to be showing up more. Clarence Cormier had 1 arrive on Tuesday afternoon
to his Grande Digue site. This is his first sighting of a Robin since October
13th 2019. The Mountain Ash trees are still full of berries in his
area. On Monday a large NORTHERN GOSHAWK [Autour des palombes] dropped by his
feeder area in hot pursuit of a male RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide].
They fought for a few seconds then the pheasant escaped and flew off with the goshawk
in hot pursuit. Clarence comments that his daily feeder activity has increased,
but only slightly. Notable are 8 to 13 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant
hudsonien] present and 7 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide].
** A feature that helps to separate the
similar Clay-colored Sparrow and the Chipping Sparrow is the grey back area of
the Chipping Sparrow which is more brown in the Clay-colored Sparrow. There are
other clues as well but this one is helpful. My now seemingly resident, winter
plumaged CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier] gave an opportunity to get a photo
to show that feature. It seemed to take the recent cold snap fine, and I hope
it stays until spring to watch the change to breeding plumage.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
DUCK (LEUCISTIC MALLARD DUCK SUSPECTED) JAN 21, 2020. PETER GADD
HOUSE FINCH (FEMALES). JAN 21, 2020. DARYL DOUCET
HOUSE FINCH (MALE). JAN 21, 2020. DARYL DOUCET
HOUSE FINCH (MALE). JAN 21, 2020. DARYL DOUCET
HOUSE FINCH (FEMALE). JAN 21, 2020. DARYL DOUCET
CHIPPING SPARROW. JAN 21, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. JAN. 21, 2020. JANE LEBLANC
BLACK DUCKS. JAN 21, 2020. DARYL DOUCET
