Nature Moncton Nature News: May 5 2016

** Julie Pellerin updates on the GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] that had come to the Cap Brule marsh behind her house to stay three days, several days ago. It's back in the Cap Brule marsh as of Wednesday morning. It had flown to the lagoon area but has returned. Julie comments that the GREAT BLUE HERONS [Grand Héron] sometime seem to try to put the run to it. Julie has a yard pond near her house. She comments that ducks from the marsh are often in it, as well as Great Blue Herons.

** Georges Brun spotted the PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] on the lower platform of the Bell Aliant tower on Wednesday evening.

There is a pond by Pollinator Park, and this pond is located beside a number of trees planted by the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance friends, and it has attracted a lot of wildlife as it is maturing. It is loaded with MINNOWS for fish eaters, and with the cattails present MUSKRATS [Rat musqué] have moved in. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] and SWALLOWS [Hirondelle] are around the pond. Pollinator Park is just before crossing the new Gunningsville bridge on the left, coming from Moncton. Georges shares a few photos from there on Wednesday of a muskrat.

Georges is noting a number of CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du Canada] on their nest in the Petitcodiac Riverview Marsh area.

** Louise Nichols comments she is experiencing the same WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] scenario in her Sackville yard, having a lot more around her feeder area than ever before. Some of the other expected sparrows are present as well, but are very much dominated by the White-throated Sparrows. Louise also still has PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] that came in early spring.

** It's a different scenario with Pine Siskins this year as well. I recently put feeders out at our Little Southwest Miramichi camp and was very surprised to find that Pine Siskins are the most numerous patrons by far, which I do not recall ever seeing here before in any number. Another pleasant surprise was approximately twelve EVENING GROSBEAKS [Gros-bec errant] which I usually only see a pair of, if at all.

** It seems that many folk are being treated to a variety of Sparrows in their feeder yards this year. Mac Wilmot had a SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés] come by his Lower Coverdale feeder yard on Wednesday. One would think that with the snow all gone so early sparrows would tend to head to weedy fields. There are either a lot of sparrows this year, or there is no rush to get to natural feeding areas.

** We commented a few days ago that BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] seemed to be leaving ... not yet. Aldo Dorio spotted a flock of twenty at Hay Island chowing down on some type of red berry. Aldo also got nice photos of a male and female NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet]. Note the similarities at first glance of the female Northern Pintail and the female Gadwall if the bill color is not noted.

It seems to be staying cool at night but a few of the early moths are out. The medium sized SCRIBBLER MOTH was at my moth light on Tuesday Night.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca