Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 23 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 23, 2020 (Sunday)

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

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

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

** Bill Wood leaves a heads-up that a Land & Sea program will air at 11:30 a.m. today, Sunday morning, on a visit with a Christmas Bird Count crew. I think this was done in Sackville. Also, Bill suggests a display that is running at Resurgo Place, with mounted mammals and other wildlife, and also their vocalizations. Bill recommends it very highly.

** Nice to hear that the duo of CAROLINA WRENS [Troglodyte de Caroline] are still contentedly occupying a quite large area at Court Street, in Riverview. The les Amies de la Nature group saw both of them on their weekly outing on Friday, Feb. 21. They seem to be staying in close proximity to each other, popping in and out of cedar trees. Vocalization was active, as has been reported recently, as the days lengthen.

** Mac Wilmot came across a relatively comfortable looking snowbed of a WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] down the bank of the Petitcodiac River in front of his Lower Coverdale home. It rose from its night site to come up a 40-foot bank and promptly prepare its morning boudoir, leaving a calling card of scat. White-tailed Deer scat is easily recognized by the point at one end and depression at the other end of the pellet.

Mac also has a one-half mile loop on his property that he enjoys. There are two well-used BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] perches that monitor river activity from a large White Pine tree as well as a large aspen tree on the bank.

** In follow-up to recent comments on birds with deformed bills, for several weeks now in Sackville, Kathy Popma has been having an AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] visiting their feeders among a rather large flock, up to 70 some days, that has a rather long upper mandible, almost looking like a crossbill. She didn’t think it was going to manage, but watching it she sees that it has adapted its feeding behaviour by turning its head sidewise and scooping up the seed that way.

** Brian Stone and Carol Shea paid a visit to NORTHERN HAWK OWL [Chouette épervière] headquarters at Gagetown on Saturday. It was seen in that area on Friday, but was a no-show on Saturday, at least up until late afternoon. Other folks were scouting the area as well.

Brian did get interesting photos on his travels, of a TURKEY VULTURE [Urubu à tête rouge], perched and in flight, a distant NORTHERN SHRIKE [Pie-grièche grise], which seems to be present in low numbers this winter, some interesting HAIRY [Pic chevelu] and DOWNY WOODPECKER [Pic mineur] photos, and shrew [musaraigne] or MEADOW VOLE [Campagnol des champs] trails which have been very obvious this year, with low snow levels.

Nelson Poirier <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Nature Moncton