Nature Moncton Nature News: April 6 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 6, 2020 (Monday)

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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)

** Louise Nichols had an excellent day checking wharves along the coast. Cocagne Bridge netted 14 waterfowl species, including both expected goldeneyes, COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d’or] and BARROW’S GOLDENEYE [Garrot d’Islande], both expected mergansers, (COMMON MERGANSER [Grand Harle] and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [Harle huppé]), BUFFLEHEAD [Petit Garrot], BLACK SCOTER [Macreuse à bec jaune] and SURF SCOTER [Macreuse à front blanc], NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet], RING-NECKED DUCK [Fuligule à collier], GREATER SCAUP [Fuligule milouinan] and other expected regulars. Some were close enough in the calm sea to get very nice photographs and a few lively videos. Check out the action at the attached links. The beautiful vocalization of the Black Scoter can be heard in both videos, even in the background of the lively Surf Scoter.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ks2556ourxbf4fz/BLACK%20SCOTERS.%20APRIL%205%2C%202020.%20LOUISE%20NICHOLS.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hfie8qo8h6f75q2/SURF%20SCOTERS.%20APRIL%205%2C%202020.%20LOUISE%20NICHOLS.MOV?dl=0

** Mac Wilmot has 2 GREAT HORNED OWLS [Grand-duc d’Amérique] vocalizing behind his house in Lower Coverdale, almost every evening and sporadically through the night. They start to call well before dark. Sometimes in the daytime the CROWS [Corneille d’Amérique] and RAVENS [Grand Corbeau] lead them to their roost with their angry mob harassment. The calls are distinctly different in tone; apparently the male’s voice is deeper. Mac mentioned in an earlier post that the number of GRAY SQUIRRELS [Écureuil gris] present in his area is much more than usually expected. One has to wonder if this is not the attraction in Lower Coverdale and Riverview. Great Horned Owls like the SNOWSHOE HARE [Lièvre d’Amérique] as prey, but I’m not sure of the status of the Snowshoe Hare population at the moment.

** Richard Blacquiere reports all 3 ponds at the Hampton Lagoon are now ice free. Green-winged teal have returned with the first 2 on Sunday. They were approximately 150 m away and Richard got documentary photos. A curiosity is one which shows features that suggest it is a hybrid of the 2 subspecies. It has a bold vertical stripe on the breast, but also a noticeable horizontal stripe. It seems to have a facial pattern more in line with a Eurasian. It would be very interesting to know where it was hatched!

** Doreen Rossiter had her first arrival of two male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS [Vacher à tête brune], among a large flock of blackbirds and also a first visit from a female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes], as well as first-year male Red-winged Blackbirds on Sunday to her Alma yard. Her first male NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] dropped in on April 2^nd. The first large flock of AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d’Amérique] touched down on Sunday, and AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d’Amérique] are being heard near her Alma home in the evenings.

Doreen comments “isn’t it wonderful that birds and animals know nothing about COVID-19 and closed borders, and isn’t it wonderful that we can just get out and enjoy nature and its calming effect.”

** In this period of isolation, yard birds are really getting noticed. Brian Coyle has a flock of 20 CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d’Amérique] that are staying and foraging on Highbush Cranberry [Viorne d’amérique], which is often a clinging fruit of last resort, but they seem to enjoy it. Brian also got a photo of a female PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré], showing the white supercilium above the eye nicely. He is also enjoying the SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] that seem to have arrived in good numbers now and are singing heartily. A close-up mugshot of a HAIRY WOODPECKER [Pic chevelu] shows nice detail.

** Hay Island roads are opening up. Aldo Dorio paid a visit on Sunday to get a photo of a pair of COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle]. All three mergansers can potentially occur at this site. The white throat of the female, bordered in brown shows nicely, in contrast with the female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [Harle huppé] with a white throat and neck area.

** The SEALS [phoques] on the ice floes in the area north of St-Thomas continue to be present. Jean-Paul LeBlanc counted 14 on one floe on Saturday. Unfortunately, photos continue to be distant, but showing the increased number of animals. Jean-Paul got a video that the breeze made quite shaky but shows some of the action. Check it out at the attached link.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f3q62hcb2u2vec0/DSCN5286.MOV?dl=0

** Anna Tucker enjoyed lots of action in the sun outside at Church Court on Sunday. She got a nice photo of a pair of HOUSE FINCH [Roselin familier], but lots of other birds were active. A few CROCUS that had not been open for the last three days were smiling with the sun out.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton