Nature Moncton Nature News: April 7 2015

** Jocelyne Ross got a few photos of a male NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] taking a MOURNING DOVE [Tourterelle triste] which would seem unexpected Harrier prey, but suspect the favoured rodents are very hard to come by at the moment. Jocelyne photographed this action between Shediac and Barachois on Route 133.

** I had a very determined SHARP-SHINNED HAWK [Épervier brun] take a strong interest in my BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal] group on Monday. It did what I’ve seen immature hawks do before: perch on the feeder area waiting for a bird to come. Not a very successful strategy, but did allow some back and side photos. The Waxwings also got hot reaction but certainly less lethal from some of the male AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] that seem more interested in chasing the Waxwings than taking the time to eat the abundant supply of apples. I also noted some AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] starting to take on brighter yellow areas on their plumage with some of the remaining male COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé] becoming very bright as well.

** John Massey was in Riverside Albert at the height of Saturday’s storm to note 12 TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] very zoned in on a certain site assuming there was carrion of some type in the area. John also still has EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] coming to his Dieppe feeder yard as well as his herd of WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie].

** Dave Christie reports his 2 new birds noted on Monday were a NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] and an AMERICAN KESTREL [Crécerelle d'Amérique]. Dave comments on Monday being a BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] day for him noting 2 Bald eagles, 2 adults circling over Shebody Bay that were chased off by a 3rd adult suddenly appearing on the scene. He later saw 2 sub-adults come along the shore to the tip of Mary’s Point to be joined by another sub-adult. He wondered if they may be migrating. A RACOON [Raton laveur] raided his peanut butter log twice during the day and he noted 9 WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] heading across the marsh out to the wooded area on Mary’s Point.

** Many folks are experiencing the arrival of SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] at their feeder yards this week. Brian Stone got some nice photos to remind us of this common summer sparrow.

Brian also photographed a group of RING-BILLED GULLS [Goéland à bec cerclé] at Mapleton Park on Sunday and Monday. I assume these are newly arrived spring migrants as we have few of this gull species remaining in Moncton over winter. Their heads are normally very streaked brown in winter plumage - note the clean white heads of these birds. Brian also got a photo of a female MALLARD [Canard colvert] duck in flight to show the colourful purple speculum on the wing with its white border.

** Another item to add from the snow-shoe hike from Sunday, Holly Fraser, the host of the day, had a mounted specimen of a RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] in flight to nicely show it as an immature bird by the barred tail, and that dark bar called the patageal line on the underwing next to the body, which is present in all stages of the Red-Tailed Hawk and an identification feature specific to the Red-Tailed Hawk. The Red-Tailed Hawk does not take on the red tail until its second fall of life. Some photos are added.

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.symparico.ca