NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April
21, 2021 (Wednesday)
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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)
** A huge “Thank You” to Greg Stroud for taking a very large group of participants on a virtual visit to Sable Island on Tuesday night. His photos and knowledge of this unique place is incredible, only matched by his contagious enthusiasm. A great presentation and a great presenter. For those who missed it Fred Richards recorded it and it will be available as a Dropbox link on the Nature Moncton website within a few days.
** Doreen Rossiter had a WHITE-BREASTED
NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche] arrive to her Alma feeder yard, which is
a new bird for Doreen. It arrived on Monday and was still present on Tuesday.
Doreen is noting that the immense flocks of blackbirds are changing in makeup
to include female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] and first year
male Red-winged Blackbirds, as well as female COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé]
that are joining in too.
** Eric Wilson was pleased to hear a HERMIT
THRUSH [Grive solitaire] announcing its arrival to his back yard on Tuesday
morning. The Hermit Thrush is often the first to join us of the thrushes with
the exception of the American Robin. The vocalization most frequently heard at
dusk is a welcome sound of the season.
** Jane Leblanc had her WHITE-BREASTED
NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche] return on Tuesday morning and it spent
most of the day in her St. Martins yard. Jane also has a yard pond and reports
that she has had WOOD FROGS [Grenouille des bois] and SPRING PEEPERS [Rainette
crucifère] and YELLOW-SPOTTED SALAMANDERS [Salamandre maculée] active but no
photos as yet. Jane also had 3 male PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré] and 1
female present in her yard on Tuesday. This species should become more abundant
in our area at any time.
Jane is also noting that the
RED-BERRIED ELDER is well on the way to breaking out of its overwintering buds.
** Gordon Rattray reports that his
first PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré] of the year arrived, being 4 males.
There was an influx of waterfowl on Monday into the Hillsborough wetlands.
There were WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu], LONG-TAILED DUCKS [Harelde kakawi], and
8 species were at the Gray Brook Marsh along with 6 species at the Hillsborough
lagoon.
** Brian and Annette Stone had a brief,
early morning visit from a male NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] to their
Moncton Yard, very high in a back yard tree. Annette made a valiant attempt to
wake Brian from his deep slumber to do his photographic duty but ended up
grabbing the camera herself and recorded the visit the best she could in the
dim morning light. It sure is great to hear these spring Northern Cardinal
reports.
In the afternoon they drove to Memramcook to
check out the lagoon life. Visible were RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier],
AMERICAN WIGEONS [Canard d'Amérique], a BUFFLEHEAD [Petit Garrot] pair and a GADWALL
[Canard chipeau] pair, a female COMMON MERGANSER [Grand Harle], and a nesting CANADA
GOOSE [Bernache du Canada]. On the way there they noted a pair of AMERICAN
KESTRELS [Crécerelle d'Amérique] lounging on a power line alongside the Old
Shediac Rd. but the birds were in no mood to be photographed and fled before
the car could even come to a stop.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
