Nature Moncton Nature News: April 5 2015

** An excellent day of increased numbers for Dave Christie at his Mary's Point feeder yard. Sparrows were a major feature, with up to 75 SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur], 10+ FOX SPARROWS [Bruant fauve], 20 DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé], 3 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] and 1 AMERICAN TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] [the latter two species had been present in larger numbers during the winter.] Blackbirds were numerous and hard to count, with their constant movement, but he had up to 20 to 30 COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé]. 10 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] at a time, and a special new arrival, a male RUSTY BLACKBIRD [Quiscale rouilleux]. A female NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] came by, which Dave suspects may be circulating in his neighbourhood, as one had overwintered at John Inman’s, and had appeared at the Wentzell's feeder yard on Friday.

On the salt marsh across from the Lars Larsen Marsh, Dave spotted 4 GREAT BLUE HERONS [Grand Héron], not feeding, seemingly just hanging out. A pair of GADWALL [Canard chipeau] ducks were there and Dave saw an AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique] feeding along the driveway into his home, also on Saturday.

** On Friday, Roger LeBlanc and Alain Clavette were guiding a group of U de M students birding for the day. They started by surveying the gulls on the ice off Crowley Farm Road, off Wheeler Boulevard. No open water there. They spotted a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL [Goéland brun] among the gulls there and when they returned at 5:30 p.m. it was still there, so that may be a spot to look for it to be present again. They also spotted 4 GREAT BLUE HERONS [Grand Héron] on a round of the [Northumberland Strait] coastal area.

** Susan Richards had the first adult male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes] arrive incognito in her Taylor Village [Memramcook area] feeder yard, as it was travelling with a flock of EUROPEAN STARLINGS [Étourneau sansonnet]. Susan got a photo of the Taylor Village BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] nest with an adult contentedly placed in the bowl of the nest. The more distant photo is how she sees the nest from her neighbour Edith Gilcash’s driveway, readily seen from the road just before Alain Clavette’s home. There was another nest farther down Taylor Village Road a few years ago but I’m not aware of its present status.

** Carolyn VanKampen reports that DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] have arrived at her Hillsborough feeder yard, as well as BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] and AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d’Amérique]. Carolyn says that she had had to take down her feeders briefly due to raiding RACCOONS [Raton laveur], EASTERN GRAY SQUIRRELS [Écureuil gris] and WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie]. The deer were climbing over the railing onto her deck to drain near-window bird feeders.

** Brian Stone reports that his PINE SISKIN [Tarin des pins] and COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé] population swelled again in the storm, after it had been declining during recent pleasant weather.

** At my own feeder yard, the COMMON REDPOLLS [Sizerin flammé] did seem to increase a bit but are down considerably from the huge flocks of ten days ago. However, the BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] increased to well over 100 and polished off the first 20 pounds of Stirling’s apples. I was able to get another bag on Saturday. Stirling’s say that they are out of cull apples until mid week. I wonder how long the Bohemian Waxwings will stay in New Brunswick. We may have a changing of the guard, with the oncoming AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d’Amérique].

We have had COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] appear in our urban feeder yard over the past few days, but Saturday brought the first male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune].

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca