NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Jan.26, 2021 (Tuesday)
Please advise editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or
photo labeling.
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Susan Richards susan_richards@rogers.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
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**Pierre Janin came across a PURPLE SANDPIPER [Bécasseau
violet] at a site I’m sure will interest many people. He took a walk on the Riverview Marsh this
past weekend around 10 a.m. and followed the trail that goes towards the fenced
area to find some SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des marais]. As he was getting closer to the fence and to
the river, he started seeing a lot of AMERICAN BLACK DUCK [Canard noir], approximately 50, so kept
walking to see if there was anything more interesting. He went around the fence to the north but
closer to the river and noticed that there were big boulders where the sewage
pipe was releasing the wastewater from the treatment plant. He thought that it would be a good place for
a Purple Sandpiper to rest; the water was quite rough and there were big rocks,
just like what they like. Pierre decided
to go a little closer to the pipe, it was not dangerous and there it was, a
nice Purple Sandpiper on a rock by the cascade.
Pierre comments ‘what a lucky find’ and a great ‘lifer’. He had been going to Cap Lumiere a few times,
Cassie Cape and other wharfs to get this ‘lifer’ and never got lucky although
they had been seen the day before.
Pierre got an excellent photo of this gem sandpiper.
**Following the report by Brian
Stone last Saturday about the presence of the NORTHERN SHRIKE
[Pie-grièche grise] at the Riverview Marsh, Yves Poussart decided to check for himself the
site on Monday morning. Luckily, it was
possible to locate the shrike within 30 minutes. Several photos were taken at two different
locations along the main trail. It was
indeed a rewarding visit, as it was the first time Yves could get some photos
of this species. On the other hand, Yves
tried a few times last week to encounter the Short-Eared Owl but the attempts
were unsuccessful, yet he did get some fantastic photos approximately three
weeks ago when the owls co-operated for photo ops.
**After seeing the photo of the
SHARP-SHINED
HAWK [HAWK SHARP SHINNED] killed from a window strike on the Blog spot, Pam Watters shares methods
that she used at their Miramichi home to protect birds from window
strikes. I am going to quote Pam’s comments below, as it is explained so well
along with photos of what her different methods look like. ‘Feather
Friendly’ is a Canadian company and is easily ordered by entering it in Google
to order online if wished.
“After seeing the photo of the Sharpie killed from a window
strike on the Nature Moncton BlogSpot, I thought I would share methods I used
at my house to protect birds from my windows.
We’ve had many window strikes at our home over the years,
even though we have used hawk decals, UV decals, etc. on our windows. In 2019,
I had 4 fatal strikes (that I know of), and several strikes where the bird was
stunned for quite a while but then managed to fly off. After reading the
following on the All About Birds website, I decided that I really needed to
address this problem:
Sadly, the bird often dies, even when it is
only temporarily stunned and manages to fly away. Many times these birds die
later from internal bleeding or bruising, especially on the brain.
Last spring, I put bird protection on most of our windows
using 3 different methods. The method I like the best is “Feather Friendly”
– it is a tape applied to the outside of windows, which leaves small squares
spaced 2 inches apart (photo attached). I also used Acopian bird savers on some
windows. Another method (which is probably the fastest and easiest) is to draw
vertical lines spaced 2 inches apart on the outside of the window using markers
which write on glass.
Since using these methods, we have not had a window strike!
The American Bird
Conservancy and Flap Canada
websites have great information about how to collision-proof your windows.”
**Karen Vickers McCavour in
Lorneville just outside Saint John had an interesting GREY SQUIRREL [Ecureuil
gris] visiting her feeders. She finally managed to capture close-up
pictures of this curiosity. It has long
tufts of hair projecting upward from its ears.
It may seem like an aberration at first but maybe not. Don McAlpine at the NB Museum took time to
look through museum specimens and did locate a similar scenario...am quoting Don’s generous response below.
“I
think this (furry ears) is a feature of (some?) Grey Squirrels in winter
pelage. I cannot say I have noticed it
before, but I will look for it in future.
I checked the NBM collection and did find one specimen with similarly
furry ears (Coles Island, 1960's, no month).
We have had some building renovation work underway here for the past
year and that had made getting at some of the collection difficult. I therefore could not check most of the Grey
Squirrel skins, but that one skin suggests the observation is not an
aberration. Don.
Donald
F. McAlpine, Ph.D.
Head,
Department of Natural History
New
Brunswick Museum”
**Carol Shea in Upham is very
fortunate in having 2 CANADA JAYS [Mésangeai du Canada] visiting her feeder yard and captured some photos of them. A special species to have as a yard bird! She also has nice diversity of other species
and the OVENBIRD [Paruline couronnée] she photographed some time ago in her yard, still is seen occasionally,
and here it is late January.
**Brian Stone took a walk down
Gorge Road to note the new Beaver Dam is still very much in place with a pond
the BEAVER
[Castor] made now frozen over. While he was
perusing the pond, a raptor flew over to get some documentary photos of what is
suspected might potentially be a COOPER'S HAWK [Épervier de Cooper].
Gilles
Belliveau gave an excellent commentary on his thoughts that is quoted below:
“Looking at the length of the
tail on this bird and the thickness of the pale bands in the tail being thicker
than the dark bands, would suggest an accipiter such as Cooper’s Hawk or
Sharp-shinned Hawk over a Red-shouldered Hawk or Broad-winged Hawk (not
expected at this time of year).
As for species, I am leaning more
towards Cooper’s Hawk, but I am not confident on that ID. Many of the
tips of the tail feathers are worn and broken but it seems to show
progressively shorter feathers in the tail. The front of the wings seems very
straight rather than pushed forward at the wrist (but this can be misleading as
Sharpies can sometimes glide/soar with wings straight like that) and the head
seems large.
The combination of the rusty
reddish underparts, long tail and that banding pattern in the tail (as well as
several other features like shape, pattern of the underwing, etc) are what make
it an adult accipiter or more specifically, an adult Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned.”
**There is a webinar happening tomorrow
January 27th on the MONARCH BUTTERFLY in Mexico. It is short notice but the registration link and write-up is attached below. There is still time to register and there is
no charge. It is listed as at 6:30 p.m.
Central Time so I am assuming this will be 7:30 AST or Eastern Time - hope I am
correct on that.
Registration
is now open for our exciting January 27th MONARCH BUTTERFLY
FUND
webinar: "MONARCHS IN MEXICO - PEOPLE CARE!" - special online event
with
first-hand accounts of monarchs wintering in Mexico, given by
individuals
who study and work to save them. Please share with your friends
and
colleagues who also care: Register here:
https://monarchconservation.org/monarchs-in-mexico-people-care-mbf-webinar/
Don
Davis
Toronto,
Ontario, Canada
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BBarrow’s Goldeneye Survey 2021
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Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
