Nature Moncton Nature News: Jan 26 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, January 26, 2020 (Sunday)

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Edited by Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

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

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

** To add more information to the Honeybee [Abeille] discussion yesterday, Louise Nichols shows a photo of the snow around one of Glen Nichols’ beehives that shows some dead bees, as well as “cleansing” marks on the snow, all of which is a normal scenario.

Louise also shares a photo of a male and female WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL [Bec-croisé bifascié], commenting that males are in full vocalization in the woods adjoining their Aulac home, creating a very pleasant winter symphony.

** Wendy Sullivan sends a photo of a pair of BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] that regularly use a perch tree in the Court Street area of Riverview that locals refer to as “the eagle tree.” This pair usually leave the tree in March to head off housekeeping for the season. Note that the male is smaller than the female.

** The Nature Moncton bird field outing went well on Saturday under mostly sunny skies and pleasant temperature. Some morning surprises were a COOPER’S HAWK [Épervier de Cooper] and a RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse].

The afternoon rendition along the coast in the Cocagne to Caissie Cape area netted a pleasant supply of COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle], BARROW’S [Garrot d’Islande] and COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d’or] to give good comparison of differing gender plumages of each species, BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] and a few surprise MALLARD ducks [Canard colvert] for the area, and distant views of BLACK SCOTER [Macreuse à bec jaune], WHITE-WINGED SCOTER [Macreuse brune], RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [Harle huppé], LONG-TAILED DUCKS [Harelde kakawi] and more. A lone CANADA GOOSE was also noted.

A deceased ROCK PIGEON [Pigeon biset] was noted with a live pigeon sitting right on it constantly, to make the group wonder what the scenario may be.

Trip leader Roger LeBlanc pointed out the BARROW’S GOLDENEYE that overwinter in this area are part of a larger group that nest in northern Québec. Note Wendy Sullivan’s photos of four adult gulls; the three GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS [Goéland marin] have a clear white head in winter plumage, whereas the one HERRING GULL [Goéland argenté] in the photo has a streaked head in winter plumage.

Nelson Poirier <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Nature Moncton