Nature Moncton Nature News: June 12 2016

** Louise Nichols shares an account of Saturday’s very successful sparrow workshop and field trip on the appropriately arranged first sunny day of the week. Today’s edition is loaded with photos of Mother Nature’s sparrow community, as well as lots of other things observed on the field trip.

"Many thanks to Roger Leblanc for giving a workshop on NB sparrows followed by a field trip on Saturday. Fourteen happy participants were eager to learn something about the sparrows most likely to be seen in this region at this time of year. After the workshop, the group headed out to Riverview Marsh and then proceeded to a road off Pine Glen in Riverview to search for sparrows and enjoy the presence of other birds as well. One of the highlights was seeing a couple of Nelson's sparrows doing their courtship flight in the marsh. Another highlight was seeing a possibly active Red-breasted Nuthatch cavity in a tree off Pine Glen Rd. The goal was to find 8 sparrow species and the group succeeded in finding 7 -- although the 7th species was seen on the Université de Moncton campus by only one participant after all the others went home. :-) Good scouting by Roger to find the right habitats ahead of time enabling us to locate the sparrows and put into practice what we'd learned in the workshop."

** Pat Muirhead has an adult GRAY JAY [Mésangeai du Canada] visiting her Anagance feeder yard; it is bringing along a juvenile bird, very differently plumaged from the adult. Pat got a photo and I hope she is able to get more of it as it progresses in its moult to adult plumage.

** Dale Gaskin reports that the welcome warmth of Saturday brought lots of activity in his Dawson Settlement yard. He says he has been waiting for it. A blooming HONEYSUCKLE bush was loaded with many CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL [Papillon tigré du Canada] butterflies, creating a beautiful scene. Large queen BUMBLEBEES [bourdon] were in greater numbers than he can recall noting before. He also was enjoying his EASTERN BLUEBIRD [Merlebleu de l’Est] patrons.

** Georges Brun was able to get distant documentary photos of the PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] nest at the summit of Assumption Place. He says it appears that two chicks are in the nest box. The female is more often than not on top of the box during the last week.

** Brian Stone, Louise Nichols and Sterling Marsh share some of their better photos captured during the Nature Moncton sparrow field trip on Saturday. Brian also got photos of other action, including participants, waterfowl, a distant shot of the PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] nest box, and EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR [Livrée d'Amérique], the most common tent-maker caterpillars active at the moment, also of some other birds, such as WARBLERS [parulines], SORA [Marouette de Caroline], BLUE-HEADED VIREO [Viréo à tête bleue], and more. There is so much out there right now.

An interesting find during the sparrow field trip was a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine rousse] at its nest. This species has the habit of putting a bit of balsam at bottom of the nest-hole to deter invaders; a photo shows that.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton