Nature Moncton Nature News: April 22 2015

** John Filiter had a pleasant surprise visitor to his Cape Brule feeder yard on Tuesday when a BROWN THRASHER [Moqueur roux] arrived for brunch and cooperated for a photo as well.

** Jean Paul and Stella LeBlanc report their first WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] joined the 2 FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] on Tuesday, however up to a dozen SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant d’Ipswich] are in and out of the feeder area as well at their Buctouche yard.

** Judy Pellerin and Richard Leger made a day long birding run to Cape Jourimain via Murray Corner on Tuesday to encounter a real variety of birds.At Rue Niles Wharf in Cap Pele, they got great observations of GREAT CORMORANT [Grand Cormoran] and 2 more at Cape Jourimain showing their “white rear tail lights” clearly. On Route 955, near civic number 791, where there are mud flats easily perused, they saw GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d’hiver], BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues], NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet], KILLDEER [Pluvier kildir], and 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier]. There were significantly sized groups of very active TREE SWALLOW [Hirondelle bicolore] in the Cape Jourimain area and noted 4 AMERICAN KESTREL [Crécerelle d’Amérique] over the day.

** On an outing on Monday to Albert County, they were surprised to spot 5 HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] in the Grey Brook Marsh area.

** Jean Renton reports incredible activity at their Stilesville feeder yard - very numerous sparrows including SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur], FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve], CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier], AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] and DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé]. AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d’Amérique] are coming in numbers to blueberries and wild berries frozen from last fall. She still has a surprising flock of 75 EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] that are going through black oil sunflower seeds with gusto. She also comments she had a BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun] visit while she was at their Canaan Forks camp on the weekend.

** Jules Cormier reports his first CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier] arrived to his Memramcook feeder yard on Tuesday along with 3 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] and one SWAMP SPARROW [Bruant des marais]. Yet another feeder sporting the Swamp Sparrow this spring. This is the first one Jules has ever had at his feeder yard. Another spacial visitor for Jules on Tuesday was a PINE WARBLER.

** Brian Stone captures a picture of his first CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier] to his yard on Tuesday to remind us all of the features of this welcome-back sparrow showing the bright rusty cap, clean pale breast, and black eye line through the eye all the way to the bill. Also the RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] pair are comfortably settled in his yard.

** Louise Richard spotted 3 WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] on the side of the road on Wheeler Blvd, not far from the Target store location early Monday evening.

** The second-summer male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes] tend to follow the bright mature males in arrival. One in my own yard shows the variability of this stage where it is showing very dark plumage and little of any suggestion of the red winged patch (epaulette) that will follow. The different-again plumaged females should be arriving in numbers soon.

Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca