Nature Moncton Nature News: March 1 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, March 1, 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)

** Richard Blacquiere lives near the Hampton sewage lagoon and is able to monitor it regularly. On Saturday, he saw and photographed a BARROW’S GOLDENEYE [Garrot d’Islande] at the lagoon. Richard points out that this species is very uncommon there, recalling only a few at that location over the past several years. It was in the company of three COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d’or].

** Louise Nichols came across some very cooperative CANADA JAYS [Mésangeai du Canada] in her Aulac backyard wooded area on Saturday and got some very detailed close-up photographs of one of Canada’s national bird symbol.

Louise also got a video recording of a loudly vocalizing male WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL [Bec-croisé bifascié]. Brian Stone got a similar video near Midgic. Take a look and listen at the two attached links:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ow3wbttnlusrc8l/WHITE-WINGED%20CROSSBILL%20SINGING.%20FEB.%2029%2C%202020.%20LOUISE%20NICHOLS.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fplgx98z0yv87hm/White-winged%20Crossbill%2001%20.MOV?dl=0

The fact that the two male birds that Louise and Brian got were not in a flock, but both vocalizing loudly from the leader tip of a tree alone raises thoughts that make one wonder about the possibility of a nest nearby, with the male broadcasting its territory to other males, to but out. You may or may not be able to hear the birds singing, as the crossbill song is at a frequency that some people may not be able to pick out. Many of us recall dueling banjos. Let’s call these two dueling crossbills!

Louise also got a nice photo of a female White-winged Crossbill.

** When we talk about zoom lenses getting very close, quality photos without the need of being close to a bird, Jane LeBlanc demonstrates that with New Brunswick’s bird symbol, the BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE [Mésange à tête noire], in a photo showing some very minute details, with zoomed-in lens.

** Brian Stone and I made a loop around Donald Harper Lane in Middle Sackville, to Midgic and Shemogue, travelling via Route 940 on Saturday. The HORNED LARKS [Alouette hausse-col] put on a stunning show, as they did for Louise Nichols the day before. There were at least 75+ Horned Larks. It was very interesting to note how they would lodge themselves in cavities in the ice on the gravel road to make only a head or shoulder visible. I would assume that this very effective camouflage technique, also lets the crisp, cold wind pass over them, leaving them in the warm layer at ground level.

We were not able to locate any Lapland Longspurs [Plectrophane lapon] as Louise did, but did see good-sized flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS [Plectrophane des neiges] that were much less cooperative for observations than the Horned Larks were.

Probably by now, most birders are familiar with the life-sized carved bird on a post in Lillas Fawcett Park on Silver Lake. We were not, and the expletives “What was that?” made for a fast turn-around to find it hadn’t even moved! Let the birder who has not thrown up binoculars to look at an artifact laugh last.

As always Brian spotted and photographed a solar halo. We noted a WITCH’S-BROOM (a bushy deformation of trees or shrubs caused by bacterial, fungal or other infection) seemingly much larger than normally encountered, which needs more study.

Nelson Poirier <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Nature Moncton