Nature Moncton Nature News: April 20 2016

**A big thank you to Mac Dunfield for coming to Nature Moncton on Tuesday evening to provide all the inner workings of Ducks Unlimited with a lot of information on the development of this very successful NGO that has done so much for waterfowl population numbers in Canada and here in the Maritimes with some species like GADWALL, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON, RING NECKED DUCKS now common to us that once were not. His visit was very appreciated by a full house. Mac advised WOOD DUCK boxes can be supplied free to anyone who has good sites to place them. Mac suggests anyone interested in getting wood boxes to leave their name in an email response to the daily information line and their names will be passed on to him and the boxes will be set aside for them.

**Carmella Melanson revisited the spots stopped on the Nature Moncton owl prowl a few weeks ago. On the second stop she played a SAW WHET owl call to have a BARRED OWL arrive perching 15-20 ft. from her to give 4-5 who-cooks-for-you hoots with a nearby second one answering back.

At the first stop Carmella was able to see an AMERICAN WOODCOCK displaying several times before it got dark. It kept going up and down doing its mating ritual all the 30 minutes they stayed at the site. There was lots of SPRING PEEPER vocalizations at that location as well over for the beautiful calm evening.

**Gabriel Gallant saw his first WOOD FROG and salamander egg masses on Tuesday at a pond in Coates Mills. Gabriel also saw and got a photo of a HERMIT THRUSH, one of our first expected wood thrushes to return after the ROBIN, which is as well a thrush.

**Another apparently partial albino bird has appeared. Dale Gaskin reports he is seeing what appears to be a nearly all white DARK-EYED JUNCO coming to seed under his feeder at his Dawson Settlement Rd. yard.

**Dave Christie reports a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in full song on Tuesday around his home in addition to the 3 he has had overwintering. He spotted his first BLUE-WINGED TEAL of the season at the Lars Larson marsh and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in full song in Harvey that may or may not be the same one that was singing later in the day at John Inman's yard.

On dropping by Grey Brook marsh Dave noted 4 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 4 TREE SPARROWS, an OSPREY and a nice selection of dabbling ducks including 18 RING-NECKED DUCKS.

**Brian Stone got some nice photos of an OSPREY, a raptor that is rejoining us fast at the moment. This osprey seems to be very settled deep in the nest. It went fishing on a nearby waterway with success. It appears to be possibly a pickerel in its talons.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton