Nature Moncton Nature News: April 15 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 15, 2020 (Wednesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Sybil Wentzell saw a bright, male YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] in her Harvey yard approximately 4 days ago but did not see it again for a few days until Tuesday morning when she spotted it again, or a kin, and was able to get incredibly pleasant photos from different angles to share to refresh us all of this early arriving warbler species and just how striking it is.

** Brian Coyle was able to capture some photos of the SANDHILL CRANES [Grue du Canada] that are moving about in corn fields on the Homestead Rd. They were at quite a distance but Brian’s zoom camera was able to see them nicely without disturbing them. There were 3 birds, and all 3 were adult.

** Rick Elliot photographed 2 TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] foraging on a washed up, dead seal on Tuesday. The seal appears to be a small one comparing it to the vultures. Rick photographed a similar scene on April 07 when 4 Turkey vultures foraged on washed up carrion until the tide moved after which was followed by a pair of adult BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] and a duo of immature BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche]. This was all along Long Marsh Creek from Rick’s Waterside home. The photos are zoomed from a distance. Rick points out a news item out of Nova Scotia about dead seals being washed ashore there. The link is attached below.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hundreds-of-dead-seals-washing-ashore-in-nova-scotia-1.5530221

** Daryl Doucet and Gail Mills were in the coastline area between Bouctouche and Shediac on Tuesday to get some interesting photos. One photo shows a pair of BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse noire] and two of Gail’s that show a flight photo of a GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] and a flight photo of a BLACK SCOTER [Macreuse noire]. Note the pale areas of the primary wing feathers of the Black Scoter in flight to easily distinguish it from the Surf Scoter and White-winged Scoter. Daryl got 2 handsome adult male COMMON EIDER [Eider à duvet] from two views as well as a male SURF SCOTER [Macreuse à front blanc].

Aldo Dorio photographed a lone Snow Bunting at Hay Island on Wednesday morning. It would be assumed most of this species would have started wending their way to their northern summer breeding grounds by now.

** David Christie reports that he saw his first SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés] of the year on the salt marsh out beyond Fox Island at Mary’s Point on Tuesday. John and Shannon Innman saw a SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés] on Sunday, roadside at the Lars Larson Marsh area and also saw a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] and a PALM WARBLER [Paruline à couronne rousse] on Sunday. David comments on a NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] that is vocalizing very loudly in a tree near his home apparently announcing a territory to would be intruders.

** Mac Wilmot watched a female MALLARD DUCK [Canard colvert] spend quite a while examining a derelict, roofless Wood Duck box on his Lower Coverdale property. The drake stomped around on the ground below muttering in disapproval!

** Brian Stone got some great photos of some bees that were attracted to the cultivar bulb plants blooming at the moment offering their pollen to some very content bees. Brian comments that the bees seemed to be a bit lethargic so it may be some of their first days out. The bees Brian photographed are in the early emerging Andrena group of bees, one of the common names of which is MINING BEES. They are ground nesting bees. Note how they are so effective at collecting pollen on their hairy bodies. Brian also photographed one of the emerging Tulips seeming to gather pitchers of water in their lower leaves from yesterday’s rain.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton