NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May
9, 2021 (Sunday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Yvette Richard tried for the GARGANEY
[Sarcelle d’été] at Hay
Island on Friday and comments she is convinced that she’s the only one that
didn’t see it as everyone she’s talked to seemed to comment they’d just seen
it, so she is going to try again if it remains, but it seems to be moving
around a lot more. Yvette shares a photo
of a GREAT
BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] in prime
breeding plumage as a consolation prize.
** Jane LeBlanc had at least a dozen AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
[Chardonneret jaune] to her St.
Martins’ yard on Saturday, signalling a significant increase from earlier in
the season. They seemed to prefer the
black-oil sunflower seed more than the niger seed. It is that time of year when the desirable
edible OSTRICH FERN fiddleheads appear as well as the inedible CINNAMON and INTERRUPTED
FERN fiddleheads. The latter two should
be easy to differentiate from the Ostrich Fern fiddlehead. Jane sends a photo of a Cinnamon Fern
fiddlehead, identifying it as she knows it from its location last season. It will be a few days before they (Cinnamon
and Interrupted) can be separately identified for sure.
** Lois Budd comments it seems like her YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
[Paruline à croupion jaune] are
hungry on their arrival as it is very cold and there are not many insects. Her visitors are enjoying several places she
has suet. Lois’s photo shows three of
them enjoying suet.
** Lisa Morris came across several BALSAM
FIR trees that were polished clean of bark in the Richibucto area. It strongly suggests PORCUPINE [Porc-épic
d'Amerique] as teeth
marks do seem to show and it would be quite unlikely for a woodpecker to strip
so many trees this cleanly and completely, and a squirrel would leave more
strips and would be unlikely to work on so many trees anyway. It sure stripped the bark clean. Any alternate suggestions are welcome.
** Debbie Batog came across skeletal
remains that had us fooled until promptly cleared up by Don McAlpine. It is not a skull at all but shows the broad
ilium ( the bone that includes the fused pelvic bones and the lower back from a
bird). Don feels that it is maybe a
gull-sized bird. Those round openings
that look like eye sockets are actually where the hip joint (femoral head) fits
onto the body. A good learning scenario.
** I suspect others are noting them now
as well, but I noticed the first BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à
tête brune] female at
our feeder on Saturday. This very
plainly plumaged bird is so different from its mate that it often takes some
second looks to identify it. The same
applies to the RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes] genders, and just so happened each
female arrived together to a feeder to allow a photo for comparison.
** A heads-up on a warbler field trip
planned for next Saturday May 15th to the Hillsborough area. The complete write-up is attached below.
NATURE MONCTON
FIELD TRIP
AN OUTING ON
SPRING WARBLERS
HILLSBOROUGH
DATE: Sat. May 15
(rain date: Sun. May 16) from 9:00 to noon
(Early start as
warblers are most active early)
Meeting Place for
Outing: Kiwanis Parking lot on Mill Street, near end on right. Mill St.
is first street on left after passing the Irving on main street
Guide: Gordon
Rattray
Spring Warblers
are very colorful and active as they arrive to our area. This location in Hillsborough is known to
have many warblers present at this time of year. One outing at this spot produced a sighting
of 10 warbler species. If time allows we
will also check the nearby trails in the Hillsborough Wetlands. There will be many more species than just
warblers.
The walk will be
on flat dry ground, and may have wet grass.
The first location will be about 1.5 Km total, the second trail if we
get that far will be about 2.5 Km.
In keeping with
Covid-19 restrictions, please register for the outing with Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca.
All are welcome,
Nature Moncton member or not.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
