** Paul Langelaan built and erected an AMERICAN KESTREL [Crécerelle
d'Amérique] box after hearing a Nature Moncton presentation by Dwaine Oakley
from P.E.I. One of the boxes went up on Monday, April 20, and an attached photo
of a patron at the box was taken on April 22. A second bird was seen near the
box, so occupancy looks good. The nest box is up by Paul Langelaan’s farm at
Second North River [N of Salisbury]. Marguerite Winsor kindly supplied the
action photo.
Paul said that some EUROPEAN STARLINGS [Étourneau sansonnet] were competing
for the box but, as per Dwaine Oakley’s experience, the Kestrels will have no
problem with them.
** Richard Blacquiere and Nancy Forbes were posted at the Point Lepreau
Bird Observatory on Friday. They spotted an uncommonly seen Kelvin-Helmholtz
cloud formation and Nancy got a photo of it. There’s lots of information on the
web, but a brief explanation of this interesting formation is at the following
link:
** Ron Steeves and Connie Colpitts are very faithful hawk-watchers at the
New Horton churchyard site and have made many trips there already this spring
but not having many productive days. However, they report Saturday was the day
to be there, despite heavy mist, low clouds, but also with some sun and ideal SW
winds. Many raptors were high and moving towards Nova Scotia. They saw many
birds they suspect were not in true migration but they give a list of the ones
believed to be in migration during their 9-hour watch:
9 Canada
Geese
12 Common
Loons
7 Red-throated
Loons
446 Double-crested
Cormorants (largest flock 93)
315 Common Eiders
(largest flock of 125)
440 Scoters (largest
flock 200)
330 Sea Ducks (lighting
gets bad by mid-morning across the bay)
3
Osprey
2 American
Kestrels
1
Merlin
10 Sharp-shinned
Hawks (one group in a string of 7)
32 Broad-winged Hawks
(largest group was 8)
55 Raptors - of which
6 were not identified. One of the unidentified raptors was strongly suspected
to be a Coopers Hawk.
** Melville Johnson and his friend Scott were travelling towards Minto on
Wednesday evening and spotted several WILD TURKEYS [Dindon sauvage] feeding in a
wooded area on a remote road. It would appear that these turkeys survived the
harsh winter. Apparently there was a release of actual Wild Turkeys in the
Minto-Chipman area many years ago. Many feel that there’s a remnant population
there that may or may not have interbred with escapee domestic turkeys. Turkeys
are frequently seen in the Minto-Chipman area. They got cellphone documentary
photos.
** Georges Brun leaves some Petitcodiac River observations: 28
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS [Cormoran à aigrettes] at The Bend on Apr. 24, 9
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS [Harle huppé] also at The Bend, and 6 were fishing at
the confluence of Halls Creek and the Petitcodiac. I presume that the smelt
[éperlan] run is getting underway.
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] is staking a claim at
Georges’ Churchill Street urban forest.
** Brian Stone took a walk in the Vaughan Harvey Boulevard area and
spotted a SMARTWEED CATERPILLAR [Acronicte souillée] (Acronicta oblinita) on the
move, a tree base possibly a winter larder for a vole, a handsome CHIPPING
SPARROW [Bruant familier], snow tunnels, a GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d’hiver],
and a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD [Moqueur polyglotte] vocalizing.
** Julie Pellerin and Richard Léger made a run to the Baie Verte area on
Saturday. They were very pleasantly surprised at the number and variety of birds
around feeders at Baie Verte and near it at the junction of the Tidnish Road,
with EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant], sparrows [bruants spp.] and PURPLE
FINCHES [Roselin pourpré], along with a very loud symphony. At Indian Point they
saw a BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique] and a nice mixture of
expected waterfowl.
** Louise Richard heard the sound of suspected migratory ducks around
midnight on Friday night, seemingly over the Petitcodiac River heading
probably towards the Northumberland Strait. She also noted a BLUE JAY [Geai
bleu] carrying nesting material and vocalizing loudly, seemingly pleased with
its find.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
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