Nature Moncton Nature News: April 3 2015

** Carmella Melanson captured the two Moncton PEREGRINE FALCONS [Faucon pelerine] in flight side by side in the beautiful sunny, clear sky of Thursday, and a 2nd photo of one alone in flight. Some very special photos.

** Georges Brun spotted a NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] hunting across from Hall's Creek on Wednesday morning. It successfully captured a vole and landed to enjoy it. Georges also saw a pair of HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné] and two pair of COMMON MERGANSER [Grand Harle]. They seem to like fishing at low tide, just before the tidal bore comes in. He has seen many CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada], one flock numbering 24 and several other smaller groups.

** Louise Nichols spotted a SHORT-TAILED WEASEL [Belette à courte queue] peeking its head out of a snow bank near her deck to create an eye-appealing photo.

** Brian Stone captured some very detailed photos of a HAMMOCK SPIDER that joined him in his home on Tuesday. I don't know how he got he got it to pose so co-operatively. Brian also spotted a solar halo on Thursday, possibly suggesting the weather system about to move in. He also photographed PUSSY WILLOWS with their buds starting to expose white under-insulation. These are not in bloom yet, but opening of the bud scale to show the protected bud is a start of the process to blooming.

** Roger LeBlanc reports hearing a GREAT HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d'Amérique] vocalizing the past several nights in the area of his Notre Dame residence. As Roger comments, "We tend to hear the BARRED OWL [Chouette rayée] more frequently, so nice to hear the Great-horned Owl."

** Marguerite Windsor is still getting her one very faithful BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boreal] as a regular patron to black currants. It obviously enjoys the booty in quantity as Marguerite comments she has to clean up after it a few times a day. At a visit on Monday afternoon, it stayed in the one spot at the feeder for one and a half hours to create a pile of scat that appears in the photo.

** Dave Christie noticed his first pair of NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] ducks on a saltmarsh pond at Mary's Point on Thursday and also comments the AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] are becoming more spread out on the marsh and at roadside.

** Linda Banks has placed cut-up apples in her Riverview yard and the BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boreal] arrived very happily to the booty placed out on the snow. The inexpensive 20-lb bags of culled apples from Stirlings are becoming a hot item.

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca