NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, December
20, 2020 (Sunday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** The Moncton Christmas Bird Count
went off Saturday with cloudy but pleasant conditions. A lot of reports are to come as Covid-19
restrictions prevented a get-together tally-up.
The significant birds got on count day that I am aware of now are EASTERN
TOWHEE [Tohi à flancs roux], a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à
ventre roux], SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des
marais], NORTHERN CARDINAL
[Cardinal rouge], to name
a few. I was out with Brian Stone. We made no spectacular finds, but a pair of CANADA JAYS [Mésangeai du
Canada] are always
a treat, as well as a pair of WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES [Sittelle à poitrine blanche] that co-operated nicely for Brian’s
camera.
** Great feeder day for Jane Wood in
Riverview on Saturday. Her yard was busy
which has been a bit unusual for her.
There were 3 NORTHERN CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge] (one male, two female) there for a few minutes,
about 6 to 7 EVENING
GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] (the
first that she’s had this year), a HAIRY WOODPECKER [Pic chevelu], MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle
triste], BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu], EUROPEAN STARLINGS [Étourneau
sansonnet], a pair
of RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCHES [Sittelle à poitrine rousse] and a CAROLINA WREN [Troglodyte de
Caroline]. None of them stayed more than a couple of
minutes, and they kept disappearing behind trees etc., so no chance for a
photo. It sure is great to hear about
the Carolina Wren as little has been reported since last winter when a pair was
so active in Riverview. Jane comments
the cardinals have been showing up two or three mornings a week, very early,
for the past few weeks, just before daylight.
Saturday was the first time she has been able to see them in good
lighting, and so beautiful, as she comments.
Three to four weeks ago, Jane’s neighbour had
a GREAT
HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d'Amérique] calling one evening, fairly steady for about 20
minutes, but nothing since then. She’s
hoping they may come back this winter as they did last winter.
** Jane Leblanc got a nice photo of an
adult COOPER'S
HAWK [Épervier de Cooper] that is
monitoring a feeder yard in St. Martins.
The yard’s owner saw it trying to take a MOURNING DOVE [Tourterelle triste]
which made good its escape. It is the same feeder yard that a BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole
de Baltimore] is
patronizing. It is taking orange
sections and the person supplying the oranges changes them periodically during
the day to keep them from freezing. Jane
sends two more nice photos of the Baltimore Oriole, looking quite content.
** Georges Brun got photos of a NORTERN
HARRIER over the Riverview Marsh on Saturday. A PEREGRINE FALCON was perched on
the Assumption Place logo. Both nice to include on Moncton CBC day.
**Andrea Buckingham has also joined the
swelling ‘cardinal club’ with a male NORTHERN CARDINAL having been a regular
patron the past 3 days. Andrea got two striking photos of it posing with Christmas
lights. A Christmas Card quality image!
** Daryl Doucet’s feeder day on
Saturday was very active. The EASTERN TOWHEE [Tohi à
flancs roux] and two NORTHERN CARDINALS
[Cardinal rouge] showed up
at daybreak to get on the Moncton Christmas Bird Count. He had a huge flock of EVENING GROSBEAKS
[Gros-bec errant] that
arrived around noon. They were all over
the feeders and adjacent trees. Daryl
suspects numbers may have been up to 200.
The towhee and cardinals also returned later in the day, but the towhee
continues to insist on branch-bombing photos.
Daryl also had a few PINE GROSBEAKS [Durbec des sapins] visiting a neighbourhood flowering crab tree on
Saturday.
** The Rentons have commented on being
fascinated by a pair of COMMON RAVENS [Grand Corbeau] frolicking in the snow. John Massey got a video of the same thing
happening in his Dieppe yard. Take a
look at the action at the attached link.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/935biifxpkonzbi/MVI_0292.MOV?dl=0
**Clarence Cormier as well had a good
feeder response on Saturday.
Approximately 30 EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] descended on the sunflower seed in feeders on the
ground and patio railing. Approximately
20 AMERICAN
GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] were
enjoying sunflower chips. He had over 50
a few days ago. Fifteen AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS
[Bruant hudsonien] were enjoying
mixed seeds which was up from 10 to 12.
Ten BLUE
JAYS [Geai bleu] and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES
[Mésange à tête noire]. Eight MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle
triste] being up
from 6. Three AMERICAN CROWS [Corneille
d'Amérique], two male RING-NECKED PHEASANTS
[Faisan de Colchide], two HAIRY WOODPECKERS [Pic
chevelu] at suet
and two DOWNY
WOODPECKERS [Pic mineur] at suet
and the bird feeder box.
** I have been hearing a GREAT HORNED OWL
[Grand-duc d'Amérique] hooting in
the evenings near our urban Moncton home several times lately, being especially
vocal Saturday night. I am wondering if they
is establishing an urban territory like a pair did in Riverview last year.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
