** A very, very interesting observation from Catherine Clements on
Saturday. She spotted 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS [Faucon pèlerin] around 5 p.m. in the
area of Assumption Place, with one perching on the nest box there. She saw one
flying towards the Bell Aliant tower, also one gliding down towards the Hotel
Beauséjour, as well as one flying northwards towards the St. George Street area.
Great news to hear the Peregrines are back in the area. Keep your eyes on the
site for more positive reports.
** Another incident of BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal] coming to a feeder
yard where a fruit tray is supplied. Marguerite Winsor in Salisbury had one drop
by a tray of frozen black currants from her garden last fall, and also red
grapes. It enjoyed the currants contentedly but not take to the grapes.
Marguerite got some awesome photos of the bird. One very close-up of its head
clearly shows a white line below the eye only, whereas there is a white line
both above and below the eye in the Cedar Waxwing. This is a hard feature to
detect unless one has a close view like Marguerite got. I suspect that her
visitor will soon tell its kin about the booty found.
At our own yard, after the Bohemian Waxwings had cleaned every fruit saved
from the fall, and over-ripe bananas, I put out a bag of spartan apples
quartered; they were gobbled down immediately. Pat donated a cut half of a
cantaloupe, which they turned their beaks up at. Pat was not amused!
** Dave Christie reports that John Inman spotted 8 CANADA GEESE [Bernache
du Canada] on the north side of the Shepody River, from his home on Mary's Point
Road on Saturday morning. Sybil and Peter Wentzell saw a group 18 Canada Geese
in open marsh ponds at Waterside on Saturday.
In the afternoon, John Inman had a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] over
his yard, sending pigeons in all directions. This Peregrine is a new arrival
there.
Dave says that he had another SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] join the
over-wintering one in his Mary's Point yard. The two were singing to each other
in mid-afternoon.
Also, Shannon Inman in Riverside-Albert had several COMMON GRACKLES
[Quiscale bronzé] arrive in her yard on Friday.
** Kevin Renton reports that they had their first WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
[Bruant à gorge blanche] arrive in their yard on Saturday, as well as a EASTERN
CHIPMUNK [Suisse] that emerged to enjoy the feeder buffet and more.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
