Nature Moncton Nature
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**The winter solstice
arrived yesterday, meaning today has an oh-so-slightly longer period of
daylight. It’s all downhill from here!
**Judy Cairns shares two portraits of birds tallied during the Moncton Christmas Bird Count.
The dark-eyed junco
was seen in good numbers; however, the normally high numbers of red-breasted
nuthatch were surpassed by 24+ white-breasted nuthatch, which was
unexpected.
**Louise Nichols sends
some photos from Saturday's Christmas Bird Count in Moncton. She covered
Zone H, which includes the university campus, and the team was happy to find a
group of bohemian waxwings and several female pine grosbeaks
working on a mountain ash tree next to the Arts Building. She also
includes a photo of one of four brown creepers seen throughout the
day, this one in Irishtown Park, and finally a white-breasted nuthatch,
one of five that were seen in Irishtown Park and along the Tankville trail.
Despite the cold, windy conditions, the day yielded some nice birds and lots of
fun in good company.
**George Brun photographed five bald eagles. Three of the eagles were just around the Bend of
the Petitcodiac River. Two more were on the south side, downriver of the
Riverview Marsh. He also counted 79 Canada geese. With
warmer temperatures, it becomes possible for avian species that
frequent water to rest along the edges of the Petitcodiac River. A
week or so past, it would take two hours after tidal bore arrival for
floating ice to pass by Halls Creek; then the water was without ice.
The number of ducks
is in the 100+ range. The number of rock pigeons is the same. Not
as many European starlings have been around the area these last few days.
It appears to be a young
male as the crown is a bit short of being completely red, and the belly seems
to have no trace of a red blush. So far, it is coming to ground scattered mixed
seed, and is very impressed with knots left from pruning a yard heartnut tree.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
