Nature Moncton Nature News: May 21 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 21, 2020 (Thursday)

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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)

** An update on David Christie’s female SUMMER TANAGER [Tangara vermillon] that he had to his Mary’s Point feeder yard on Monday … he did not see it return on Tuesday, or Wednesday morning, but when he returned from being away on Wednesday there it was, back at the sunflower seed feeders. It may well be still in the area and David comments that he will not be surprised to see it pop in again with the schedule that it seems to keep.

** Mac Wilmot shares some photos of his GREAT HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d'Amérique] that he sees regularly on his morning walks about his Lower Coverdale property. The nest is atop a pine tree with at least 1 owlet. It is a quiet nest at the moment. The female owl quietly speaks to him as he goes by with a soft, croupy moan. Mac has found regurgitated pellets and some feather remains of prey that we are still working on identification of.

Mac also had to act as midwife for his Mallard Duck hen that decided to nest in a derelict, roofless duck box on his property as the hatched ducklings could not navigate their way out. Mac put up a ladder and “bucketed” the ducklings out to safety even though the mother felt that he was up to no good! Take a brief look at the action at the attached link. The results of the midwifery effort are now out on the pond as Mac’s photo shows. Wednesday seems like Mallard Duck hatch day as in Brian Stone’s case as well.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vysyvlu51vycfsf/IMG-9663.MOV?dl=0

** Gordon Rattray’s Wednesday started with a male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose] at his Weldon home that ate there the whole day. He visited the Gray Brook Pond to see a SPOTTED SANDPIPER [Chevalier grivelé]. Gordon went to the White Rock Recreation Area and found several birds. The forest was alive with bird songs on Wednesday. Besides the birds photographed he saw a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER [Paruline à flancs marron] and heard the OVENBIRDS [Paruline couronnée]. He was able to photograph a BLUE-HEADED VIREO [Viréo à tête bleue] that nicely shows the white spectacles, a NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] warbler, a male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER [Pic maculé] and a very cooperative HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] that shows the reddish-brown tail that is so often flicking and the white eye ring.

** Jane Leblanc got some nice photos of the measured, smooth flight of a GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] that sailed over the St. Martins beach on Wednesday morning. Jane also photographed a cooperative HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire].

** Aldo Dorio photographed a NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] warbler at Hay Island on Wednesday nicely showing its split white eye ring. The zipper-like vocalization of this bird is now being very commonly heard. Aldo also photographed a male NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] showing the black moustache, that the female lacks, clearing out its nest cavity. Aldo also photographed some BALTIMORE ORIOLES [Oriole de Baltimore] at Isiae Comeau’s place showing some different plumages.

** Ray Gauvin has had 4 CHIPPING SPARROWS [Bruant familier] at his mixed seed feeder steadily for about 2 weeks now and got a photo to show 2 from differing angles.

** Bob Blake comments that his first female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose] arrived to join the males on Wednesday. Our first female as well arrived to join the 2 males on Tuesday.

** Brian Stone had a very interesting nature visit to a pond behind Crandall University on Wednesday. There were lots of CADDISFLY larvae moving about in their underwater stick nests and many other pond critters including WHIRLIGIG BEETLES. A MALLARD DUCK [Canard colvert] and her duckling family were in another pond. She sure has a huge family if they are all hers and will be a very busy mother for a few weeks. Brian got a nice photo of a LEOPARD FROG [Rana pipiens] to show that signature spotting on the back. Brian also got some nice views of a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER [Paruline à flancs marron] and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune]. He noted a hole that was so choked with ants coming in and out that you could not even see the hole. I noted the same scenario on Wednesday evening with thousands of ants going and coming from 2 small holes in a tree. Approximately 1/3^rd of them were winged so I assumed a swarm was about to happen. Take a look at some of the video action Brian got at the attached links below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ofy3yoa3ylnylov/Caddisfly%20Larva%2001.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9e4g7cuk2ynkhk9/Caddisfly%20Larva%2002.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ciwgpu9yrzr865/Ants.MOV?dl=0

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton