May 9 2015

**The Hummingbirds [Colibri] are coming on strong at the moment and

moving northward quickly. Aldo Dorio in Neguac had one visiting

already, and one arrived at our Miramichi camp feeder on Thursday: a

lone male. Bob Blake also had first visits on Saturday at his Second North River yard..

 

**The SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés] is a Sparrow [Bruant] species

that shows considerable variability. Richard Blacquiere's recent

sharing of a collage of subspecies demonstrated that nicely. Dave

Christie noted a pale Savannah Sparrow on April 23rd at his feeder

yard at Mary's Point, and felt it was just that, until closer looks at

the photo, to suggest it to be the Ipswich subspecies of Savannah

Sparrow [Bruant des prés, sous-espèce Ipswich] that breeds on Sable

Island, Nova Scotia.

 

**Maria Allain also shares a Savannah Sparrow photo, that had her

wondering, that shows this variability as well. Anne Marsch is getting

several Savannah Sparrows to her yard at the moment, to show one of

the more common renditions. Anne also continues to get the EVENING

GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] dropping by to her Lower Coverdale yard,

and PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] very much moving in, with a

predominance of females.

 

**The ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose] surely seem to

arrive back as a wave. Bob Blake had their first male appear on

Friday, May 8th, which is four days earlier than the first one that

appeared in their yard last year.

 

**Clarence Cormier's Grande Digue site continues to swell with

activity. The two AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] he had has

swollen to 20, and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire] that

greeted him on his return home a week ago have swollen to ten from

two. Clarence experienced a wave of 20+ YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS

[Paruline à croupion jaune] that appeared to be moving through his

property on Friday. It would appear a pair of HERMIT THRUSH [Grive

solitaire] have a territory nearby as well. Clarence watched them for

some time on Friday.

 

**While three of us were at the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Wednesday,

we noted dense concentrations of Minnows [Méné] in some of the shallow

areas that were assumedly warmer as well. Brian Stone got some photos

of them clear enough to identify as BANDED KILLIFISH [Fondule barré].

They may have been young of the year, as the ones in the shallow pool

groups were approximately 5-6 cm in length at the most. Also on

Wednesday we noted several Bees [Abeille] on freshly opened Snowdrop

[Perce-neige] flowers. Brian got a close-up photo. They appear to be

the same Bee that Anne Marsch photographed last week on Crocus

[Crocus] that we had Dave McCorquodale identify as the Mining Bee

[Abeille des sables], a Bee that is seen in early spring and summer.

 

**To correct an error of a few days ago, I mentioned that Hay Island

Nature Park [Parc de l'Île-aux-foins], where Aldo Dorio took photos,

was near Val-Comeau. The park is actually near Neguac, and it's a

great nature spot to visit when in that area.

 

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH MAY 8,2015 ANNE MARSCH

SAVANNAH SPARROW.MAY 3, 2015.MARIA ALLAIN

EVENING GROSBEAK MAY 8,2015 ANNE MARSCH

BANDED KILLIFISH. MAY 06, 2015. BRIAN STONE

MINING BEE. MAY 06, 2015. BRIAN STONE

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (ADULT MALE)MAY 7,2015.ALDO DORIO

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.MAY 7,2015.ALDO DORIO

SAVANNAH SPARROW (IPSWITCH).APRIL 23 2015.DAVECHRISTIE

SAVANNAH SPARROW MAY 8,2015 ANNE MARSCH