Nature Moncton Nature News

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 13 March 2021 (Saturday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

**The past few days have surely welcomed the RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS

[Carouge à epaulettes], COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé], and AMERICAN

ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] to New Brunswick. Jean-Paul and Stella LeBlanc were

pleased to have their first adult male Red-winged Blackbird arrive to their

Bouctouche feeder yard on Friday. Normally, the adult males are the advance

guard, followed by sub-adult males and females. Common Grackles are normally

with them, but most early reports this year seem to be favouring Red-winged

Blackbirds, with the exception of Yolande LeBlanc’s report, to follow. Jean-Paul also

photographed a male HOUSE FINCH [Roselin familier] which they have had a pair

of as regular patrons over the winter.

**Yolande LeBlanc in Memramcook as well had her first blackbirds arrive, but for

Yolande the Common Grackles outnumbered the Red-winged Blackbirds, with 5

Common Grackles and 1 Red-winged Blackbird.

**Ray Gauvin had a pleasant surprise when 2 RED CROSSBILLS [Bec-croisé des

sapins] dropped by for lunch on Thursday. It was the first time he has seen them

all winter, and they only stayed for 15 minutes. He did not see them return on

Friday. Ray also has two RED SQUIRRELS [Écureuil roux] that seem to be constantly chasing each other and paying less attention to chasing away the GRAY SQUIRRELS [Écureuil gris], which seemed quite content to just stay quiet with each other. He has both DOWNY [Pic mineur] and HAIRY WOODPECKERS [Pic chevelu] as regulars, but he doesn’t often see them feeding at the same feeder at the same time, as he noted them on Thursday. His six MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle triste] are regulars. Ray also has approximately 20 COMMON REDPOLLS [Sizerin flammé], but is noting a HOARY REDPOLL [Sizerin blanchâtre] as well, with the paler plumage, short stubby bill, and the hoary effect of the plumage. He finds it tends to be a loner and will stay at the nyjer feeder for up to 20 minutes unless disturbed.

**Georges Brun reports that catkins on Alders [Aulne] are already stretching out

on the Salisbury Road, and PUSSY WILLOWS [Saule à chatons] are now breaching

their bud scale envelope. Ice breakup along the lower sections of the Petitcodiac

River have been breaking now for the last three weeks. Georges comments it will

still be cold, and most likely there is more snow to come, but already he feels

spring in the air. Georges has not seen a SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des marais] in

the last little while (Editor’s note: Les Ami.e.de la Nature Sud-est saw one on Thursday), but lots of Gulls [Goéland] on the west side of the causeway

close to the river. A flock of 40+ DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] were feeding

in the neighbourhood. They seem to enjoy this type of ground cover. They are

seemingly joining us at the moment as well, to see that number in one spot.

**Gordon Rattray and I made a run over Caledonia Mountain Road, then down to

Harvey and Waterside on Friday. We went to a high site overlooking Shepody Bay

that surely gave an incredible view of Shepody Bay. Gordon got some great photos that show Rockport, Grindstone Island, and Mary’s Point aligned. Daniel’s Marsh and Shepody Marsh are in the foreground, and the mainland of Nova Scotia in the Parrsboro/Joggins area is in the background. A site view that will be long remembered!

Make sure to click on these to bring them full screen to appreciate the real vista.

The River View Cemetery Bald Eagle nest had the pair at the nest. They did not appear to be incubating but retooling the nest. The larger female has prey in her talons that appeared to be a duck-sized bird.

A stop at John Inman’s 225 Mary’s Point Road location netted a

large flock of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à epaulettes] with a few

COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé], but we did not see blackbirds elsewhere.

AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] were in small numbers at several sites.

A large flock of seabirds of approximately 200 birds wheeled about the Waterside

area at very high speed and distant quickly. Gordon was able to get some fast

documentary photos that identified the flock to be COMMON EIDER [Eider à

duvet].

Water was flowing in many ditches, which made for a few attractive

waterfalls around the Harvey dam. We met Sybil Wentzel, who said she had just

seen a KILLDEER [Pluvier kildir] and and an AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique], but we did not see any.

Sybil later was able to capture a great photo of this special bird that is attached.