Nature Moncton Nature News: April 3 2016

** There haven’t been many reports of waxwing activity in the past week, whereas it was continuous before. Doris Brown sends a photo of some BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] fuelling up on fruit fallen to the ground at a yard in Moncton’s west end on March 26.

There was an unexpected event with waxwings in my own yard. During the week of March 21, we had 50+, predominantly CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d’Amérique], coming to cut-up cull apples and mountain-ash berries stored from fall. We were away three days on Easter weekend, but left out approximately 10 pounds of cut-up apples. When we returned not a scrap was left. The fruit supply was renewed but the waxwing and robin invasion did not return, just a few stragglers. As chance would have it, that has suddenly changed this Sunday morning, as this commentary is being prepared, when 25 waxwings arrived, approximately an equal mix of both species, acting as if they had never left.

** Aldo Dorio is noting KILLDEER [Pluvier kildir] arriving in numbers, as expected, in the Tabusintac area, still with lots of snow on the ground. He also photographed a SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] with a beak deformity. Otherwise it appears in normal condition.

** Brian Stone spotted a group of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] enjoying Saturday’s rain and using the opportunity for a bathing session. It’s easy to separate the males and females at this point. Check out the attached video link to see the goldfinches in action.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s9x25bc997ovvxv/Goldfinch%20Birdbath%20.MOV?dl=0

Brian also noted an AMERICAN CROW [Corneille d'Amérique] gathering nesting material from a lawn.

** I’m attaching some photos from a visit to Dipper Harbour on March 19 that didn’t get added due to some busy photo days on the line at the time. There were approximately 20 SURF SCOTERS [Macreuse à front blanc] there, predominantly males, some of them first-winter males not yet in adult plumage. A few females were present as well. No BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse noire] or WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS [Macreuse brune] were seen. It seemed early for scoter arrivals so wondered if they had over-wintered there. They were a fair distance from shore and no vocalization was heard.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton