Nature Moncton Nature News: April 8 2015

** Roger Leblanc, Alain Clavette and Marc-Andre Villard spotted an adult EAGLE on the nest in a large white pine tree that is along the creek of the Crawley Farm Rd. on Friday, April 03. This nest was occupied last year and appears to be active again this year.

** Andrea Buckingham had a FOX SPARROW visit her Lower Coverdale feeder yard on Tuesday. Nice to hear that this species is moving up from Albert County and into urban feeder yards.

** Brian Stone noted a red squirrel licking the barred bark off of a tree in Mapleton Park on Monday, very possibly getting sap that has started flowing.

Brian's cock pheasant was putting on a major spring display on Tuesday as well.

** Dave Christie comments four male BLACK SCOTER were in the water just off Mary's Point beach at high tide on Tuesday which was the first that he had seen in that area, however lots of scoter movement elsewhere.

A MERLIN created a turmoil for birds on the salt marsh there when it put its attention on the ROBINS there, putting up approximately 50 Robins into flight along with some KILLDEER. The numerous BLACK DUCKS presence simply froze to monitor the action.

** The NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD has returned to chow down on cull apples when the BOHEMIAN waxwings are elsewhere in our Moncton yard. It had given up trying to defend the fruit tray. Louise Richard reports their mockingbird is back to their nearby yard again to grapes after being away several days.

Maybe our two mockingbirds were out checking the singles bars!

** George Forsyth in Nova Scotia is very experienced with nest boxes. He shared some very interesting comments and a website that folks building SWALLOW boxes may find interesting. Am adding George's note to this transcript that appeared on Nature Nova Scotia yesterday.

“ There are a number of boxes at the Port Williams Sewer Treatment facility. I've had success with oval holes, drill two side by side 1" or even 7/8", then rasp the small triangles to create an oval hole. The tree swallows seem to go in easily, the hole is the shape of their body contours. Also when the young are begging at the door two can be fed at the same time without the adult entering the box.

http://www.fraservalleybirding.com/Articles/Nest%20Boxes.htm

George Forsyth”

>> >> Nelson Poirier,

>> Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca