**
Ron Steeves was doing a hawk watch Thursday at New Horton when he spotted an
ORIOLE along the nearby roadside foraging on the seeds of last years meadowsweet
heads and had the chance to study it closely and feels it was very possibly a
female HOODED ORIOLE. It looks similar to a female ORCHARD ORIOLE but much
longer tail and a longer slightly curved bill. It later moved to the north east.
Dave Christie cruised the area looking for it but was not able to relocate it.
So anyone in the area watch for a yellowish, long tailed oriole, which would be
a real catch!
** An early report at line make up time. On Friday morning Dave Christie had a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER that appear in his yard. Dave did not locate it later. It was fly catching on the side of his home.
** Doreen Rossiter had some new arrivals on Thursday that included a male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and also a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER that came to the waterer for refreshment. Doreen also had a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH and a partial albino COMMON GRACKLE showing cream colour saddle markings on the back and two lines running down each side like stirrups.
** Nice to hear the WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS are moving through and stopping for some refuelling at feeder yards on their route to breed to the north of us. Bob Betts had his first drop by his Grande Digue yard on Thursday and Elaine Gallant also had her first WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW for the season come by her Parlee Beach yard on Thursday.
The WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW must be moving through at the moment as am noting reports quite suddenly elsewhere in NB and in the Maritimes.
** Dawson Settlement always seems like a hot spot for EASTERN BLUEBIRDS. Dale Gaskin had a report from a neighbour of seeing one in the area on Thursday.
** Debbie Batog had her first HUMMINGBIRD visit on Thursday in McKees Mills and it was a female. So it appears the females are promptly following the males.
** Brian Stone had a visit from a groundhog in his Moncton yard on Thursday, a high-traffic area for it. It appeared to be foraging on emerging leaves.
** Dave Christie had RUBY-THROATED Hummingbird visits on Wednesday and Thursday to his Mary's Pt. yard.
John Inman had two ruby-throated hummingbirds at once at the same time and John also had a female BALTIMORE ORIOLE come to orange sections.
Dave noted BLUE HEADED VIREOS around on Wednesday and birds of the day that seemed in very swelling numbers were PURPLE FINCH, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS that seemed to be everywhere. He comments SPRING PEEPERS were very loud but not hearing WOOD FROGS which he comments may be getting drowned out by the peepers.
** Shannon Inman in Riverside-Albert had a male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK arrive on Thursday as well to her feeder yard.
** Clarence Cormier comments female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS have arrived to his feeder yard on Thursday. They joined several expected regulars he is now having. The YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are indeed a very common NB warbler but there does seem to be a very high number reported this past week. Clarence has three around his home.
** Bob Blake comments that he has had several large MOTHS at his window on Wednesday night come to a bright energy efficient light. He also commented on the huge patches of coltsfoot along roadside in the Second North River area.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
Nature Moncton
