NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May
13, 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’s time to get those
orange/grapefruit halves out! Jane Leblanc got a photo of a BALTIMORE ORIOLE
[Oriole de Baltimore] on Main St. in St. Martins on Wednesday as well as the
more uncommon oriole visitor, an ORCHARD ORIOLE [Oriole des vergers] that is enjoying
an orange section put out for it. Later in the day Jane added more to the
oriole list with at least 2 immature, first spring, male Orchard Orioles and an
adult male Orchard Oriole. St. Martins must be the oriole capital of New
Brunswick at the moment! What pleasant new arrivals. Jane also had a NORTHERN
PARULA [Paruline à collier] warbler come to her yard on Wednesday.
** Brian Stone went to Highland Park in
Salisbury to see the GLOSSY IBIS [Ibis falcinelle] that Jim Carroll had found
there earlier on Wednesday and it was there. It flew away whenever someone
walked along the trail above it on the hill and would come back about 15
minutes later. Brian walked the trail around the ponds there and found BLUE-WINGED
TEALS [Sarcelle à ailes bleues], PIED-BILLED GREBES [Grèbe à bec bigarré], RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes], TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore], BARN SWALLOWS
[Hirondelle rustique], BOBOLINKS
[Goglu des prés], SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés], COMMON GRACKLES
[Quiscale bronzé], and he heard a couple SORAS [Marouette de Caroline].
Brian then went to the Government Rd.
water treatment lagoons and the Salisbury Wetlands. In the lagoons he saw RING-NECKED
DUCK [Fuligule à collier] pairs, NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] pairs, 1 WOOD
DUCK [Canard branchu] pair, and many TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] and BARN
SWALLOWS [Hirondelle rustique]. The wetlands below were fairly empty with just
a few CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du Canada], some RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à
épaulettes] and a couple MALLARD DUCKS [Canard colvert].
** Daryl Doucette had a pair of NORTHERN
CARDINALS [Cardinal rouge] come by his Moncton feeder yard early on Wednesday
morning. It’s great to hear about pairs in the area. Daryl also had a female ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose] come by his feeders to nicely show the
white supercilium and the large beak.
** Edmund Redfield reports that the
Petitcodiac River causeway gates were permanently closed on Wednesday, May 12th,
and a link to drone footage below shows the river flow at the attached link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioZG4wQBOwk
** We’ve had a few comments on skulls
and skeletons lately. Cathy and Greg Mignault found a skull near the Saint John
River in Fredericton to wonder what it was and the photo was shared by Don
Gibson for us all to learn. In consultation with Don McAlpine we feel that it
is the skull of a young Muskellunge. This species of fish is in the Saint John
River in that area and is modestly common there. A wallet is the object beside
it to judge size. A rule out would have to be Chain Pickerel as well but the
former species is more common in that area. The Sculpins also have this type of
head, but Don points out that our fresh water Sculpins are much smaller
although salt water species of Sculpin are larger. It is an interesting
learning scenario.
** Jean Paul and Stella Leblanc noticed
a BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] perched on a swallow box located at
Cormierville Marsh on Tuesday. Surprisingly some CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du
Canada] did not seem to mind as they were calmly hanging out in front below the
eagle. It is interesting how prey birds seem to know when their predators are
not really on the hunt.
** We normally have 2 or 3 ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAKS [Cardinal à poitrine rose] come to our camp feeder yard. On Wednesday
3 males and 2 females arrived which is more than we usually get but what great
patrons to see happily feeding with their new friends. The female Rose-breasted
Grosbeak reminds me of a large female Purple Finch with a white supercilium and
a larger beak.
We have also had an AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle
d'Amérique] nest on top of one of the Nature Moncton Eastern Phoebe houses
under our deck roof in Moncton. I noticed this morning that she is starting to
stand a lot as if possibly feeding young. The male comes to visit her at the
nest and I suspect he is bringing food and he is very protective of the nest
and any other birds that come too near.
I also had a chance to photograph the
stick nest that Anna Tucker saw Blue Jays carrying twigs to recently. They have
either abandoned the nest or are going to complete it later. It’s amazing where
birds will nest. This is along the walkway to the Church Court senior’s
residence. The last one I saw was a Blue Jay nesting over the deck of Jan
Tingley’s home in Riverview.
**Doreen Rossiter reports that her
daughter Kathy Cater had a COMMON REDPOLL come to window feeder on Wednesday.
Surely seems to be getting late for this species.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
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