NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, December
16, 2020 (Wednesday)
To respond by e-mail, please address
your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any
errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .
Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** The Christmas Bird Count Day for
Moncton is scheduled for this coming Saturday, December 19th, but it
is very important to note that count week starts 3 days before and runs to 3
days after meaning count week will start today, Wednesday, December 16th,
and go to Tuesday night, December 22nd. It is therefore important to
keep a record of any possible unexpected or uncommon birds so they can be
tallied for count week.
** Thane and Jane Watts in Hopewell Cape
have had a BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de Baltimore] patronizing their yard for
the past few weeks. It is not a common species seen this time of year but it
occasionally occurs in feeder yards. It is very skittish about close approach
so Thane has been able to get documentary photos only so far. It has been
coming to black oil sunflower seeds. They are going to put out fruit and try
bird pie that seems to have interested Baltimore Orioles in the past.
**Louise Nichols did the Memramcook CBC Tuesday with Jason Gallant --
a very cold and windy day! They did the Dorchester section of the
circle. Quite a few Bald Eagles (8 altogether), a couple of Rough-legged
Hawks and a Red-tailed Hawk. Some notable species were missing from their
count -- i.e. did not see one Blue Jay all day! But the prize of the day
was a CAROLINA WREN -- a real shock when they spotted that one in the trees.
** David Cannon photographed a pair of AMERICAN
WIGEONS [Canard d'Amérique] at the lake at Irishtown Nature Park on Saturday.
It’s starting to get late for this species as most will have moved more
southerly. It is getting close to Christmas Bird Count Day and count week.
** Gordon Rattray made a run to check
for the Harlequin Ducks at Pointe-du-Chene but did not locate them but did get
several nice consolation prizes. A photo shows BARROW'S GOLDENEYE [Garrot
d'Islande] at Cormierville wharf suspecting that they are first year birds.
Note the sharp slope of the front of the head to suggest Barrow’s Goldeneye. The
LONG-TAILED DUCKS [Harelde kakawi] are still in the Pointe-du-Chene wharf
marina as well as a winter adult RING-BILLED GULL [Goéland à bec cerclé]
showing its streaked head of winter. At Cassie Cape wharf was a RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER [Harle huppé] and LONG-TAILED DUCKS [Harelde kakawi] at scope
distance. At St. Thomas wharf a COMMON EIDER [Eider à duvet] gave a really nice
photographic show and BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse noire] were mainly at a distance.
Noting the pink blush on the breast in one of Gordon’s photo suggests this may
be the Somateria dresseri subspecies that can show this feature.
Gordon also got a flight photo of a 1st
winter ICELAND GULL. Note the near completely dark bill to help separate it
from a Glaucous Gull.
** Brian Stone made a run similar to
Gordon’s on Tuesday and also noted the absence of the Harlequin Ducks in the
Pointe-du-Chene marina area. He did get a photo of a small raft of AMERICAN
BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] there with a single male MALLARD DUCK [Canard
colvert] present for diversity. At the Cassie Cape wharf he spotted what might
have been Gordon’s RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [Harle huppé] standing idle on the
beach behind the big rocks. He also photographed the dramatic snow flurries in
the distance that were impressing Moncton residents at the time.
** Jane Leblanc had to do her St.
Martins bird count from her home while quarantining after a necessary visit to
Ontario. She was able to tally a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge], a
SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur], PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins], and RAVENS
[Grand corbeau] and got a photo of a male Northern Cardinal checking out a male
DOWNY WOODPECKER [Pic mineur] on her clothesline.
** It’s nice to hear the diversity of
feeder reports. Lois Budd reports that her Tuesday morning view from her dining
room window had EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant], AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS
[Bruant hudsonien], BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire], AMERICAN
GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune], PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins], DOWNY WOODPECKER
[Pic mineur] and HAIRY WOODPECKER [Pic chevelu], and ‘both’ species of
nuthatches, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine rousse] and WHITE-BREASTED
NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche]. Lois comments that the song of 40 plus
Evening Grosbeaks in the maple tree was delightful, as well as the call of a
PILEATED WOODPECKER [Grand pic] before
it stopped for a bite of suet.
** I was pleased to spot a male RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] visiting my Moncton feeder yard on Tuesday
morning. We had to leave for 3 days so I hope it will make the yard one of its
home bases. It sampled unsalted, roasted peanuts, sunflower chips, and black
oil sunflower seeds but gave no time for a photo.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
