NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 9, 2020 (Sunday)
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Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Seeing a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER [Pic à dos noir] is always a treat, but the evidence of one foraging is a great clue that one has a territory in an area. Jim Saunders came across foraging work that is typical of a Black-backed Woodpecker in Miramichi. Note the fresh chipped tailings on the fresh snow and the stripping of bark showing the red cambium layer. The Black-backed Woodpecker often favours foraging on conifer trees.
** Jean Renton reports that there are large numbers of SNOW BUNTINGS [Plectrophane des neiges] on the Cherryvale Road, off Route 112. As one turns onto the Cherryvale Road, going in, there are grain fields, where they are congregating in large numbers.
Jean also comments that a neighbour near their Canaan Forks camp had a flock of EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] visit her feeder yard for one day recently. Jean notes that she had good numbers of Evening Grosbeaks the past few years in their Stilesville yard but none this year as yet.
** A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK [Épervier brun] paid a visit to our Moncton yard on Saturday and stayed for approximately 15 minutes to give a few photograph opportunities out the window. Its wait was in a nearby cedar hedge, or just on the edge of it, waiting for prey, but it did not pay off. It was a large Sharp-shinned Hawk so assumed it to be a female. Its dark gray crown and nape show clearly in the photo, giving it a hooded look, to distinguish it from a COOPER’S HAWK [Épervier de Cooper]. Also, its legs appear smaller than they would on a Cooper’s Hawk, and more laterally compressed, which gives the Sharp-shinned Hawk its name. She was welcome to come searching for lunch, for raptors have to eat as well, but don’t have it laid out for them like our feeder patrons do. However, I’m glad she did not choose to check out my winter CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier].
** Dave Christie reports notably more activity in his Mary’s Point feeder yard on sunny Saturday than during the wet snow, freezing rain, ice pellets and heavy rain of Friday, when birds were apparently mostly sheltering in the woods. A female or young male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes] made its first appearance since Jan. 26 and a FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] spent more time in the yard than it has in recent days. Evidently, the supply of food in wild habitats is mostly less accessible for ground-feeders than where people are scattering it.
AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d’Amérique] were conspicuous at Mary’s Point on Saturday morning, when 40-50 (or more?) were fluttering and calling in the woodland along the Grouse Trail, NE of the wildlife area’s visitor centre. At the same time there was a noisy flock of about 20 in the woods near Dave’s driveway. Later, a flock of 30 flew across Route 915 in New Horton, 7 km to the west.
Nature Moncton
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER TAILINGS. FEB 8, 2020. JIM SAUNDERS
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER WORKINGS. FEB 8, 2020. JIM SAUNDERS
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (FEMALE). FEB 8, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (FEMALE). FEB 8, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (FEMALE). FEB 8, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
