NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
May 4 2025
Nature Moncton members, as
well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond, are invited to share
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To
view the live feed of the Peregrine Falcon nest cam on the summit of Assumption
Place in Moncton, go to:
**The sparrow guests at Peter and Deana
Gadd’s feeder yard in Miramichi received a special visitor Saturday morning
from a male eastern towhee that seemed to enjoy what food was on offer, but perhaps not the company! This was a first time visit of this sparrow species to
their home.
Later in the day, Peter and Deana travelled for 24 kilometers on a wood road in
the Beaver Brook area just north of Miramichi. Their purpose was to check
out road conditions for an upcoming owl survey. They were pleasantly rewarded
with some good bird sightings which included a red-tailed hawk, a hermit
thrush, an up-close-and-personal encounter with a male spruce
grouse, a fly-by from a merlin and at the end of the wood road where it met
Hwy 8, a blue-headed vireo, a pine warbler, a palm warbler, a
ruby-crowned kinglet (a species that seems in abundance this spring) and a
northern flicker.
(Editor’s note: The spruce grouse is known
for its bold, incautious attitude around humans compared to its more common kin,
the ruffed grouse, and this allowed Peter to get these excellent photos out of the
open window of his car that could make National Geographic blush!)
**Shannon Inman checked on the bald eagles
in the Shepody River/Marsh area again on Saturday, and over 50 were
gathered for the feast of gaspereau. The majority were in distant groups, but
some were closer, and great blue herons and gulls
were joining in.
(Editor’s note: One has to wonder about the
real scenario behind what is taking place at this site. Is this something new,
or has it happened in years past and not been noticed? It is suggestive that
the gaspereau are getting stranded on the falling tide, but again, is this a
new scenario? Could it have something to do with the water flow being
constricted at the Harvey Dam?)
The bald eagles were also fishing the
river behind the Inman’s home, and some were bringing their catch to trees in
the backyard to eat.
Also,
an orchard oriole arrived at their yard and was interested in daffodil (narcissus) pollen before checking out the hummingbird feeder.
**Saturday was a good day to be looking out
the window for Doreen Rossiter in Alma. Doreen’s first male ruby-throated hummingbird
showed up at a window feeder, possibly attracted to the red plastic. They
weren't long getting a hummingbird feeder up. This is the earliest date that
Doreen has had a ruby-throated hummingbird arrive!
At the same time, a male Baltimore oriole
flew past the window and landed nearby.
Then a white-crowned sparrow was spotted picking on the ground
under a feeder. A good day for new arrivals, for sure.
**Jane LeBlanc joined a Saint John Naturalists
bird walk around 'the rez' in Saint John on Saturday morning. Foggy but still
conditions made birding a challenge. Warblers had appeared overnight, including
black- and-white warblers, northern parula warblers, and black-throated green
warblers. Yellow-rumped warblers were also present, as well as golden and
ruby-crowned kinglets, blue-headed vireo, and a sharp-shinned hawk.
**While doing gardening, Lynn Dube came
across a red-backed salamander about 2 inches underground. It was very
active once it was found, but allowed a quick photograph.
Nelson Poirier.
Nature Moncton
