Nature Moncton Nature News: March 21 2016

** Dave Christie sent out a Nature Moncton bird alert on a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE [Oie rieuse]. Hank Scarth and Paul Mansz spotted it Sunday afternoon, with CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] on the Tantramar Marsh. They found them, on the Folkins Road, on the stream side, approximately 800 metres from the red Prescott barn.

** Gilles Belliveau identified a special bird on Sunday, a BLACK-HEADED GULL [Mouette rieuse] at the Hampton lagoon. He spotted it late Sunday morning and got the word out, so lots could get to see it during the beautiful sunny day. It is an immature gull, showing a black tail band and still some brown on the mantle. However, its bill is predominantly orange-red in colour with a black tip, indicating that it is moving towards adult plumage. Pat and I, with several others, saw it in mid-afternoon at the third impoundment, with RING-BILLED GULLS [Goéland à bec cerclé], and many of the group got great photos.

I’m adding some of my own to the blog, also a photo of a male NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] there, that shows its huge shovel bill. Other ducks were enjoying the lagoons and there were also several TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] floating about overhead.

Earlier in the day, Pat and I visited Maces Bay, Dipper Harbour and Chance Harbour. The BRANT [Bernache cravant] have not arrived in Maces Bay as yet. A BLACK GUILLEMOT [Guillemot à miroir] in breeding plumage was noted at Dipper Harbour, as well as several SURF SCOTERS [Macreuse à front blanc].

** Ron Arsenault joined the Chignecto Naturalists’ Club on Sunday to visit the SKUNK CABBAGE patches at Upper Cape and shares a photo of one popping through the snow. Ron was also in the Moncton area briefly, and saw a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] on the nest box perch at the summit of Assumption Place at 6 p.m.

** MAYFLOWER [Fleur de Mai] is a very early-flowering plant, and Anna Tucker found them in bloom at Sackville last week. I don’t believe that it’s on the Plantwatch list.

** John Filliter had a RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] come to his Cap-Brûlé yard on Sunday to enjoy suet, a food that pheasants don’t often choose.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton