NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Dec 12, 2024
Nature
Moncton members as well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and
descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition
of Nature News
To respond
by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
Please
advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and proofreader Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any
errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .
Proofreading
courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**Shannon Inman spotted a Hermit Thrush just down the road from their Harvey home -- and at
home, John photographed a second Fox
Sparrow, a new Dickcissel, and five White-tailed Deer in their backyard starting to bed down for the
evening.
(Editor’s note: the breeding range of the Dickcissel
is in the middle range of the US from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico
and it winters to the south of that which makes it a welcome visitor to winter
birdfeeder yards. It is an uncommon but regular visitor of New Brunswick feeder
yards in winter.
Take a close look in John’s photo for the three ID clues, which are the yellowish eyebrow [supercilium], thick bill, and
chestnut wing coverts which are muted but present and arrowed in this individual. This
individual does appear to be a female.)
**Doreen Rossiter reports she has
approximately 30 ground-feeding birds in her Alma yard. It is interesting to
note that the group includes four Fox Sparrows and one Savannah Sparrow.
(Editor’s note: it is interesting to note the
number of Fox Sparrows coming to feeders in December this year. In the past, this species
usually appeared at birdfeeders earlier in the fall on their migratory route
south -- at least as the editor recalls.)
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
