Nature Moncton Nature News: May 19 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 19, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: david.cannon@rogers.com

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

** Another nice drop-by visitor to New Brunswick! David Christie had a female SUMMER TANAGER [Tangara vermillon] drop by his Mary’s Point feeder yard at approximately 9:15 Monday morning; a RED SQUIRREL [Ecureuil roux] put the run to it quickly. David also noted a BLUE JAY [Geai bleu] migration on Monday with his 2-4 regulars jumping to 15.

** John Inman, like Dave, had a fallout of Blue Jays as well, and also a BLUE GRAY GNATCATCHER visit his yard on Monday.

** Jane LeBlanc checked out her friend’s yard again, in St. Martins, that had the BALTIMORE ORIOLES [Oriole de Baltimore], to find a handsome, adult male ORCHARD ORIOLE [Oriole des vergers] with them, another special visitor to New Brunswick. Jane also got a nice photo of a male BOBOLINK [Goglu des prés] and a male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose]. She also got a CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier], a HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] and a RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] to co-operate for her zoom camera.

** Richard Blaquiere on Monday morning was surprised to find a GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER [Tyran huppé] in a small wooded area near the Hampton sewage lagoon. They used to be a regular presence in Hampton, especially in trees along the Kennebecasis River but they have become uncommon in the last several years. Richard was able to capture a great photo to show the field marks of this large flycatcher including the signature crest.

** While out on a nature walk on Monday Jamie and Karen Burris spotted 3 BALTIMORE ORIOLES, 2 males and a female. He wasn’t able to capture a photo of the female, but a male seemed to be gathering nesting material.

** Aldo Dorio got a photo of a Baltimore Oriole in Tabusintac on Monday. It seems to have a fluffed, discontented appearance but this week’s pleasant sunshine should change its mood like it will all of us.

** Carol Shea has had a large male buck WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] visiting her yard in Upham that appears to have a few war wounds possibly from male disputes from past seasons. A close-up of the head shows the pedicels just started that will become a set of antlers by fall ready for the rut.

** Chris Antle updates her WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] box action. At 5:30 a.m. a male arrived with 2 females. The females fed constantly, much like chickens would. All the while, the male followed them around eating very little himself. After a half hour they moved out of sight and never once gave the box a brief glance.

While Chris was breakfasting in her garden a GRAY CATBIRD [Moqueur chat] arrived. She watched him forage for about an hour before she moved on to garden chores. An EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi] is on her nest but has chosen a neighbour’s garden this year.

NORTHERN AZURES accompanied her as the TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] were checking out Chris’s Eastern Bluebird nest boxes on the garden fence posts. Chris commented “it’s wonderful to have such diversions away from COVID-19.”

** Magda Kuhn and Grant Ramsay walked around the John Howard Trail at the Irishtown Nature Park on Wednesday with a few sightings. The resident COMMON LOONS [Plongeon huard] are back but were not interested in coming closer. There were a number of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune], and a BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique] who very quickly flew over the water. A pair of CANADA JAYS [Mésangeai du Canada] were hopping in the branches, stopping just enough to catch a photo. A GARTER SNAKE [Couleuvre rayée] slithered across the trail. Grant was able to get several photos.

** Clifford Twist made a visit to Jemseg on Monday morning to tally lots of warblers. He spotted one YELLOW WARBLER [Paruline jaune], at least one NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH [Paruline des ruisseaux], COMMON YELLOWTHROAT [Paruline masquée], lots of BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS [Paruline noir et blanc], and lots of AMERICAN REDSTARTS [Paruline flamboyante]. In Lower Jemseg he saw a BALTIMORE ORIOLE, a WEASEL, and lots of OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur] nests occupied.

** Clarence Cormier spotted one BOBOLINK checking out both fields in front and behind his Grand Digue home on Monday. He also saw a YELLOW WARBLER Monday afternoon and the last sighting of any bird species returning from the south was on April 30^th, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. As per his bird journal migration, his area is much later than in previous years. It looks like that is all going to change from all of today’s reports!

**Yves and Suzanne Poussart visited the Highland Park in Salisbury on Monday after having stopped at the Wilson Marsh to check for Canada Geese Goslings. No gosling had been seen during the previous visit last Thursday. It was easy to locate a first family with 10 goslings and it can be anticipated that many more will soon be present in the site. The Highland Park in the Village of Salisbury offers an interesting environment and this visit provided several nice observations. The YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (Paruline à croupion jaune) were numerous as were the RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (Carouge à épaulettes) among the CATTAILS (Quenouille). No other species of warblers were spotted. A pair of BLUE-WINGED TEALS (Sarcelle à ailes bleues) and a pair of PIED-BILLED GREBE (Grèbe à bec bigarré) were observed. As reported recently on the Info Line, the BALTIMORE ORIOLES (Oriole de Baltimore) have arrived in the region and one male was seen but it was not possible to get a photo this time.

**Barb Jennings got a nice portrait of a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK at the Salisbury marsh on Monday as well is a GRAY CATBIRD at Wilson’s marsh checking out orange sections.

**Gordon Rattray visited the trails around Hillsborough and found three more warblers on Monday: American Redstart, Wilson’s and Black and White Warblers. There were also many Yellow-rumped and Common Yellowthroats who remained mostly unseen.

Gordon found 2 of our early violets: Northern White Violet and Wooly Blue Violet.

At his Weldon yard he had a Northern Parula Warbler try the orange slices. He have had 2 male and 2 female Purple Finches coming constantly to the feeders for several weeks and today I observed a pair doing mating ritual; it would be great if they nested there.

The Yellow-rumped Warblers, that have numbered 10-12 over the last week dropped Monday to 2 or 3. In that period they consumed 3.5 of the Dollarama suet blocks.

**Mac Wilmot’s Mallard duck hen took a break from housekeeping on Monday to have a wondrous splash-fest in the nearby pond. Also a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak serenaded on Monday morning sampling a suet block, which is not regular fare for a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

**Louise Nichols went out to White Birch Rd. near Sackville on Monday morning. She counted 34 species in a couple of hours. It seems as though a lot of warblers arrived overnight because she saw 9 warbler species today (no unexpected species) as opposed to only two when she was there a couple of days ago. She also saw and heard her first-of-the-year Least Flycatcher.

Louise also saw about 10 Bobolinks very close to the road. She took a video of one singing which is attached below. She been seeing quite a few Bobolinks lately in different places, so hopes that means they're doing well. In fact, several showed up in their front yard this afternoon -- a new yard bird.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8h694zy369j4d92/BOBOLINK%20video.%20MAY%2018%2C%202020.%20LOUISE%20NICHOLS.MOV?dl=0

Louise also saw one Black Tern flying over one of the impoundments off White Birch Rd.

** Brian Coyle and Brian Stone visited the area behind Crandall University where Brian Stone noted what appeared to be a fresh mammal den. Brian Coyle felt it appeared to be a fox den. It’s a very big area and they had no problem physical distancing in conversation. The warblers were very active in the trails around the area. They saw NASHVILLE WARBLERS [Paruline à joues grises], WILSON'S WARBLERS [Paruline à calotte noire], and many NORTHERN PARULA WARBLERS. A GRAY CATBIRD followed them about and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER [Chevalier grivelé] was on a shoreline. They noted YELLOW- SPOTTED SALAMANDER [Salamandre maculée] eggs that had hatched out. All were in a water-filled tire rut.

Brian got two videos. One features a Gray Catbird and the other of the Spotted Sandpiper are attached below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pb9jh90aujwlwg0/Grey%20Catbird%20.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ew7o73doiz9tybm/Spotted%20Sandpiper%20.MOV?dl=0

** Sherman Sherrard pointed out a GRAY CATBIRD nest to me from last season on Monday. It was in a tangle of shrubbery and approximately 2 feet off the ground (54 cm), suspended in a crotch. The exterior was larger twigs with a finer twig lining. Gray Catbird nests are very hard to locate when the leaves are on the shrubbery and they are very secretive around their nest site.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton