Nature Moncton Nature News: March 29 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, March 29, 2019 (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)

** Jim Carroll was in the right place at the right time to get three excellent photos of the IPSWICH subspecies of the SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant de prés] at Lorneville on Saturday. This pale version of the Savannah Sparrow is on its migratory route to nest on Sable Island and gives us a short time window to see it. It winters on the east coast beaches of the U.S.

** Rose-Alma Mallet reports that things really came to life in the Shediac area on Saturday. She checked out the Pointe-du-Chêne area to note a very significant number of BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse à bec jaune], a few SURF SCOTERS [Macreuse à front blanc], 20-plus SCAUP [fuligules], and both COMMON [Grand Harle] and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS [Harle huppé]. A pair of HOODED MERGANSERS [Harle couronné] were at the Foche Bridge area. A visit to the Cap-Brulé lagoon was very productive, with a lot of BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] in the marsh area. The lagoon had two RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier], approximately 20 LESSER SCAUP [Petit Fuligule], 4 BUFFLEHEAD [Petit Garrot], 10 BARROW’S GOLDENEYE [Garrot d’Islande] with only 2 COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d’or], and as she was there 5 KILLDEER [Pluvier kildir] dropped down. Quite a day for sure! Rose-Alma also reports that the ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER [Paruline verdâtre] that she has had at her Boudreau-Ouest feeder yard since December is still present and looking in great shape, as well as 3 NORTHERN FLICKERS [Pic flamboyant] that she has had all winter, are continuing to patronize.

** Elaine Gallant saw 3 SNOW GEESE [Oie des neiges] in a field at the Jones farm in Upper Coverdale on Saturday. One has been there recently but appears to have swollen to 3. Elaine saw them on the farm side of the road.

** The COOPER’S HAWK [Épervier de Cooper] is becoming a much more commonly seen raptor in New Brunswick. Yvette Richard got some very quick photos of a strongly suspected Cooper’s Hawk taking a ROCK PIGEON [Pigeon biset] and carrying it away like a sparrow, in true Cooper’s Hawk style. The salient field marks do not show well, but the very thick legs of a Cooper’s Hawk compared to a Sharp-shinned Hawk [Épervier brun], seem obvious and the size of the prey is also highly suggestive.

** Dave Christie reports that he has been hearing two displaying AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d’Amérique] at Mary’s Point since Wednesday evening, doing their flutter flights and ‘peent’ calls on schedule at 8 p.m. The SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] around his home are now vocalizing loudly, but the WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] have not started vocalizing yet.

Dave checked the River View Cemetery and Lower Cape BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] nests on Saturday and found that each had an adult bird sitting low in them. These nests are visible from Route 114, the Lower Cape nest on the west side of Demoiselle Creek and the cemetery nest south of Edgetts Landing.

At Hillsborough, Dave dropped by the Gray Brook pond, which is still mainly iced over, but open areas in the creek at the western end revealed 5 male HOODED MERGANSERS [Harle couronné] and three suspected females.

** Judith Dewar’s sound byte of a bird that sounded like a NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline å collier] brought some interesting comments. Bev Schneider wondered about the possibility of a BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun] and noted that she had seen a Northern Parula on a Christmas Bird Count day one year, to suggest that it may be more hardy than we think. Andrew Olive felt it could be a PINE SISKIN [Tarin des pins], and after listening to my Sibley app of vocalizations of Pine Siskins it sure suggests that Andrew may be spot on. The similarity of some the Pine Siskin vocalizations compared to the Northern Parula are indeed similar. It’s definitely something to keep in mind when birding by ear.

** After a lot of research and deliberation, WILD TURKEYS [Dindon sauvage] have been accepted as an official wild species in parts of New Brunswick by the N.B. Bird Records Committee. They have had status in Quebec for some time. Sherrill Owen of Low Quebec ( in the Gatineau valley, north of Wakefield, Québec) has a neighbour, Robert Ledoux who has been offering food to a flock of Wild Turkeys all winter. On Friday, one of the young males burst into plumage bloom and as Sherril comments it seemed a bit surprised itself. It could barely waddle about in its splendour. Note the brown tail tips that are a feature of the truly wild turkey.

** Gordon Rattray shares some photos of his yard visitors. A male MERLIN [Faucon émerillon] made a pass through his Weldon yard on Friday, but perched long enough for a nice photo. Gordon also photographed a visiting COMMON GRACKLE [Quiscale bronzé] showing its spring brilliance, as well as two male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes], one being a first-spring male while the other does not seem to be in complete mature male plumage yet; it probably soon will be.

** A flock of 8 GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d’hiver] arrived in the St, Martins marsh area on Saturday morning. Jane LeBlanc got a photo of a pair and of a few adult males to freshen us all again for their return. Jane also photographed two CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] flying past a perched BALD EAGLE. Jane confirms that the female eagle is now on its nest.

** Aldo Dorio shares a photo showing two spring scenarios, a newly arrived COMMON GRACKLE in his Néguac yard RED MAPLE [Érable rouge] tree, the buds of which are obviously starting to swell, in preparation for real spring.

Brian Stone ventured out Saturday evening and get a photo of Venus and the 20% waxing crescent Moon close together in the evening western sky in the 9:55 pm to !0:11 pm time slot.

He took a close up of Venus to show its phase, but not sure if it was waxing or waning, He thought waning, and inserted it into a shot of the crescent Moon.

** Pat and I made a spring pilgrimage to check on the SKUNK CABBAGE [Tabac du diable] on route 960, towards Cape Spear. They were just starting to show, looking like lobster claws heating up the snow around them to create their stove-pipe holes in the snow. A few plants were just starting to let their spathe open to just show the developing spadix inside. This unique plant does not occur in too many places in New Brunswick, but this area seems to have several very productive sites.

A RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] was perched on the top of a spruce tree in the middle of a traffic circle near the city, showing no concern about the traffic all around it.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton