NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, January
14, 2021 (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)
** It is looking like we may have been
mistaking the gender on the EASTERN TOWHEE [Tohi à flancs roux] that Daryl
Doucet has been hosting. We have been calling it a male as in earlier photos it
seemed much darker, suggesting a male, but recent photos are showing it to be
much more brown on top than the darker backed male. Roger Burrows feels it to
be a 1st winter female bird which may have contributed to the error. Gilles
Belliveau agrees and comments that a first winter male would look more like an
adult male and the photos Gilles has compared it to shows the similar darker
tertials of a 1st winter bird.
**Jim Carroll got a nice photo of a
COMMON LOON in non-breeding plumage at Dipper harbour. It is a great photo of
the loon but what may be most interesting is what it has as prey. A
consultation with Alyre Chaisson gave a definitive answer responding:
“This is an easy one, very distinctive. It is an Atlantic lumpfish. I have seen the males in breeding coloration, a wonderful rosy red. They are a source of less expensive caviar; you can probably buy it at Superstore. More can be found here on the species at the link below: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/lumpfish-lompe-eng.html
** GREY SQUIRRELS [Ecureuil gris] seem
to be becoming more widespread to get some mixed reviews at birdfeeders. The
much smaller RED SQUIRREL [Ecureuil roux] is not amused and will sometimes put
the run to the much larger Grey Squirrel. Ray Gauvin photographed a Grey Squirrel,
but it was what happened after that caught his attention. A Red Squirrel put
the run to it across almost 60 feet of lawn, like a bullet, up and down, round
and round a yard pine tree. The Grey Squirrel darted across the street while
the Red Squirrel stayed in the Pine tree, having completed his mission!
Ray also got another photo of an adult female COMMON EIDER off the Pointe-du-Chene wharf.
** Gordon Rattray made a run over
Caledonia Mountain a few days ago and got to see all the ice covered trees
looking like a fairy land. Gordon stopped by Caledonia Gorge for a winter view
that many of us never get to see. Gordon also stopped by John Inman’s Mary’s
Point Road feeder yard for a photo of the RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à
épaulettes] that is suspected to be a young-of-the year male, and EVENING
GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant].
** As mentioned yesterday, heated water
dishes are a magnet to birds in winter. Sterling Marsh sends a photo of one his
patrons enjoy. It is actually a heated dog waterer that Princess Auto sells. A
lot of folks use them for bird waterers. A stone or brick cap in the center helps
to have a second perch area.
** The RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de
Colchide] is always a popular visitor to winter feeder yards. Lois Budd was
pleased to see her handsome male return for its first visit of the season to
sample the menu.
** Mac Wilmot also took note of the
frost coating of the thick, long needles of an Austrian Pine Tree to make
another special effects photo.
** Temperatures have been hovering
above and below freezing and it has created lots of frost/icicle formations
that one may be begrudging to say are rather striking. John Massey shares a
photo of his Dieppe home’s roof line with an icicle display.
** Brian Stone paid a visit to
Bell/Wilson Marsh on Wednesday. Brian, as well as others, took some great
photos of the winter ice formations that many are appreciating at the moment.
One photo is a duo of BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] showing one that
would appear to be a young-of-the-year bird with no tinge of yellow at all on
the bill as yet and having very dark plumage, and an adult beside it with the
red silt of the Petitcodiac River on its tail. A flock of 100 plus COMMON
REDPOLLS [Sizerin flammé] moved about in the snow covered trees.
A loaded HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY shrub was waiting for some wildlife winter fruit connoisseurs to enjoy.
** Krista Doyle got a nice flight photo
of pair of adult BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] effortlessly floating
over her Lewis Mountain home. This species has surely done well since it was
almost decimated by the effects of DDT in the 1970’s.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
