NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, January 7, 2020 (Tuesday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Fred
and Susan Richards have had 5 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu
de l'Est] around
their feeder yard for a month now. Fred took a picture of one Monday - before
they decide to move on. Fred suspects it is the White Millet they are interested in as has not seen them taking Black-oil Sunflower seeds. The Eastern
Bluebird is a surprisingly hardy bird and, no doubt, is finding no real reason
to move on at the moment, with the mild winter weather we are now having. They
do not migrate very far south and they now seem to over-winter more regularly
in the Yarmouth, NS area for example, as it tends to have more moderate
winters.
** Gordon
Rattray comments on his feeder yard activity in Weldon; his first sparrow
arrived on Monday, an AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien]. It appears sparrows are scarce at many feeders,
choosing wild food with the light snow cover and warmer temperatures. Gordon also got a photo of an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER that appeared in bushes at the border of his property but not at feeders, however that could readily happen. Gordon
does have some specialties, including PINE WARBLER [Paruline des pins] and BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun]. AMERICAN
GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] and MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle triste] are in high
numbers, at 40 to 50 some days. He had a very healthy looking RED FOX visit his
yard; the CHICKEN [les Poules] it stole from Gordon’s neighbour may be
contributing to that healthy look!
** Mike
Plourde has a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER [Paruline à
gorge jaune] in his feeder yard
that he first spotted December 31st. He got a documentary photo of
it on Monday. Mike lives on Martin Street, in the Mill Road area. The
Yellow-Throated Warbler is quite far outside of its range, and is considered a
vagrant in New Brunswick, although one or two often show up somewhere in the
province each winter. One that showed up last year succumbed when it got very
cold. Mike’s visitor is feeding on suet from an upside down feeder.
** Quispamsis
seems to be the epicentre for NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge] in New Brunswick. Georges Richard shares some
photos of them as a predominant patron at their feeder yard. Note the rather
interesting enclosure over their feeders; it appears to be 2x4 in. hardware
cloth wrapped over a branch structure. The square opening appears to be spread
open a bit in some, enough to let MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle triste] in and
out, but not PIGEON-sized birds.
Am
attaching a photo of a feline paw print made in the perfect snow conditions of
Monday. This print was left by a domestic cat and shows the expected feline
features of the 4 toe pads with no nail impression (claws retracted), the round
overall shape, a slight but noticeable side deviation, and the C shaped raised
area between the toe pads and heal pad.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER. JAN 6, 2020. MIKE PLOURDE
EASTERN BLUEBIRD. (MALE) JAN 6, 2020. FRED RICHARDS
NORTHERN CARDINALS. JAN 5, 2020. GEORGES RICHARD
NORTHERN CARDINALS. JAN 5, 2020. GEORGES RICHARD
NORTHERN CARDINALS. JAN 5, 2020. GEORGES RICHARD
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. JAN 6, 2020. GORDON RATTRAY
RED FOX. JAN 6, 2020. GORDON RATTRAY
FELINE PAW PRINT. JAN 6, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
