Nature Moncton Nature News: June 20 2016

** The NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE and BLOGSPOT will not be updated from Tuesday, June 21, to Saturday, June 25. Please continue to forward your observations and photos, to be entered when operations re-start. This edition will be posted as soon as there is wi-fi available.

** Dale Gaskin’s pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu de l'Est] at his Dawson Settlement yard are now tending young and being very much enjoyed by their landlord. Dale also had a TURKEY VULTURE [Urubu à tête rouge] soaring about his field on Sunday.

** Aldo Dorio got a photo of a HUMMINGBIRD CLEARWING [Sphinx colibri] moth on Sunday. The quick movements of this "gem" are hard to capture. He also got a photo of a male AMERICAN REDSTART [Paruline flamboyante] and a CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL butterfly [Papillon tigré du Canada].

** Chuck Prince shares a photo of a MOOSE [Orignal] that he got with his trail camera. They sure are relaxed when supposedly no one is watching.

** Louise Nichols has been closely watching a NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] pair nesting in her Sackville yard. There are at least two nestlings, as two heads were peeking out of the cavity on Sunday night for the first time, and Louise got some nice photos.

** RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine rousse] nest holes are often well camouflaged and not readily seen. Bob Blake has been watching a pair carrying sunflower seeds steadily and finally saw the hole where they were taking them to their nestlings. The Red-breasted Nuthatch sticky pitch at the bottom of its nest-hole to deter predators.

Mike Britton captured a photo of a Red-breasted Grosbeak at full chorus in Mapleton Park on Sunday.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton