Nature Moncton Nature News: March 22 2015

** On a tip from Ina Freeman, Rhonda MacKenzie sent three photos of a male EASTERN TOWHEE [Tohi à flancs roux] that she photographed on February 14 in the Valhalla Estates subdivision in the north end of Moncton. This bird is coming to a deck feeder at the home of Shelly Furze. He resides under the deck and she watches him come and go almost every day, but always on storm days. This bird has obviously survived the coldest period and it’s all downhill from here. Shelly says that it does not mind the the brisk winds and blowing snow. It burrows holes in the snow and will sit in the hole.

I touched base with Mike Plourde and he still has his male Eastern Towhee daily on Mill Road. It is starting to make weak vocalizations now. So, there are two towhees in the city at the moment.

** In follow up to Eric Wilson’s NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] observations mentioned yesterday, Colin Pyette reports that they have had a female Northern Harrier overwinter in the Sussex area and see it hunting along Wards Creek there. They saw it first in January and most recently yesterday, appearing to be quite healthy. It perches in trees in Colin’s backyard.

Also, John Massey mentions that he saw a Harrier a few weeks ago in the area of the Gunningsville Bridge, so it may have been overwintering in the area and be the one that Eric saw. John also mentions seeing a RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] in the Rockport area a few weeks ago. I saw an adult Red-tailed Hawk cross the highway near the Moncton Airport on Friday.

** Louise Nichols got some photos of a male EURASIAN WIGEON [Canard siffleur], an AMERICAN COOT [Foulque d'Amérique] and a kiting ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK [Buse pattue] during a visit to the Dartmouth area on Friday. The wigeon was accompanied by a female. After consultation with other birders, it has identification features that suggest it to be a true Eurasian female, not an American Wigeon. Separating the females of these species can be challenging, so we all stand to be corrected. What a nice consolation prize for Louise, as the EURASIAN KESTREL [Faucon crécerelle] that had been present there had been taken by an unknown predator just before Louise and Carmella Melanson visited the area together.

** Dave Miller got a photo of an apparently sick COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé] on Saturday in his Salisbury feeder yard. Redpolls are susceptible to salmonellosis, and infected birds appear as in the photo, simply puffed up and lethargic. I spotted a similar looking Redpoll in my own yard and captured it to send to the Atlantic Veterinary College on Monday for necropsy. The diagnosis can take time to complete. Two birds do not constitute an outbreak by any means. However, a proper diagnosis is indicated. If it is indeed salmonella, I’m sure glad that it held off until this late in the season.

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca