NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
November 30,
2022
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Edited by
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**John
Inman has had a female Brown-headed
Cowbird join the blackbird troupe the last few days. It seems to be buddying
up to John’s resident Dickcissel.
John is noting the Dickcissel had become interested in
eating a lot of cedar cone seeds.
Yet another differently marked Rusty Blackbird has
arrived as well.
**Louise Nichols is noting her feeders are busy this
year with all the regular species. She did have her first Northern
Cardinal male and saw a female with the male one time, but neither have
been seen now for several days. She is getting anywhere from a dozen to
two dozen Evening Grosbeaks every morning. One female took special
interest in a nest from last summer, even getting in to feel it out, possibly
looking for decorating ideas for the spring. Yesterday, Louise had a lone
Common Grackle show up who dominated one feeder for a while, not letting
the Blue Jays near. On Tuesday morning, she noted several Pine Siskins
who came for a snack. So far, the number of birds seems to be greater than
in other years as is the number of species, but Louise has not seen many Hairy
or Downy Woodpeckers which is unusual.
**In the pre-dawn light of Tuesday
morning outside Peter Gadd’s window (in Miramichi) the Mourning Doves were
no doubt mourning the loss of one of their own. Quite a tussle for a few
minutes, observing what Peter suspects was a juvenile (vertical chest striping) female
Sharp-shinned Hawk that snatched one of their regular Mourning Doves as
it was enjoying its own breakfast. The hawk took about 45 minutes to fill its
belly; this allowed the light to improve so Peter was able to get a few photos
(trial and error) and a video clip. Peter went on Friday evening to examine the
corpse but all that was left was a spot of blood and a few feathers. (Editor’s
note: a Mourning Dove is large prey for a Sharp-shinned Hawk suggesting it is a
larger female as Peter pointed out. Raptors very efficiently waste nothing).
Looking at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Feather Atlas confirms the victim’s identity.
Short video clip https://flic.kr/p/2o34THP
**Aldo Dorio photographed what appears to be Witch’s Butter mushroom on decaying hardwood on Tuesday. One would suspect this jelly mushroom to be frozen hard at this point, but it does not seem to be from the photo
Nelson
Poirier
Nature
Moncton