Nature Moncton Nature News: May 23 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 23, 2020 (Saturday)

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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)

** Roger Burrows can't identify an oriole which turned up at his feeder and that of Debbie Morin (#120 & 123 White Head Road) on Whitehead Island. Debbie and Irene Doyle have photographs that Roger comments clearly show it is too big and heavy for an Orchard Oriole and too yellow and green for a Baltimore Oriole. The closest oriole he can find in Sibley Birds is a female SCOTT'S ORIOLE as the plumage is right and the bill curved with blue at the base, but it also has features like that of an adult female STREAK-BACKED ORIOLE. Hopefully it will stay around so I can see it and other birders, too. Comments welcome and will be distributed pronto.

** Suzanne Rousseau in Sussex had some great days observing Mother Nature’s community in her yard. A Pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge] came by a few weeks ago with the male feeding the female in courtship behaviour, a great sign for Suzanne’s yard. She also had a BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de Baltimore] come by and as well a bright male adult INDIGO BUNTING [Passerin indigo]. A RED TRILLIUM is in full bloom in her yard, commenting that she will enjoy it until the White-tailed Deer get it. The Red Trillium is a real beauty but has an offensive odour, especially when picked, that attracts pollinating flies. This has led to its other nickname of “Stinking Willie”… a very degrading name for such a beautiful plant.

** St. Martins seems to be the Oriole Headquarters of New Brunswick. Jane Leblanc got a photo of a female ORCHARD ORIOLE [Oriole des vergers] in the same area that she photographed a male Orchard Oriole recently. BALTIMORE ORIOLES [Oriole de Baltimore] are there as well. Jane got another photo of a handsome male and another that may be a first spring male or possibly a female. Immature plumages of Baltimore Orioles can be variable and confusing. The Orchard Orioles usually run about an inch smaller than the Baltimore Orioles which can be another helpful clue.

** Dale Gaskin at Dawson Settlement has lots of female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS [Colibri à gorge rubis] as of Friday. He also has an EASTERN BLUEBIRD [Merlebleu de l'Est] family nesting on the west side of a field by his home and a flock of 20 to 25 EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] arrived which was a real surprise. Dale had a few WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] in a field near his home to be joined by a RED FOX [Renard roux]. One of the White-tailed Deer chased the Fox back into the woods in no uncertain terms! Dale also comments that the BLACKFLIES have arrived in full force.

** Louise Nichols had an interesting Swallow box scenario. She has one box on the side of her pond closest to the house. Last year Chickadees nested in that one. This year too Louise saw a BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE [Mésange à tête noire] carrying in nesting material a couple weeks ago and then a few days ago she saw a Chickadee approach the box and feed another adult Chickadee that was in the box. She assumed that one must be on a nest incubating but on Thursday the TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] were all around the box. A chickadee tried to approach the entrance but was chased off by a Swallow. Friday morning a Swallow was sitting on top of the box. She is not sure what’s going on there or who is winning the war. She felt bad for the poor Chickadees.

** Brian Stone visited one of his now favorite nature sites behind Crandall University on Thursday to see his first DREAMY DUSKYWING BUTTERFLY [Hespérie givrée] of the season, a NORTHERN AZURE BUTTERFLY [Azur printanier], a very sharply dressed YELLOW WARBLER [Paruline jaune], SERVICEBERRY shrubs were in full bloom, a female PUSSY WILLOW catkin that had gone to seed and male pollen catkins that were still shedding pollen.

** GRAY CATBIRDS [Moqueur chat] seem to have really moved back in over the last few days with several reports of them. Aldo Dorio photographed some in Tabusintac and my own pair arrived on Thursday as did a pair to a neighbor’s yard.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton