Nature Moncton Nature News: July 14 2016

** Doreen Rossiter comments that only the regularly expected birds have been around her Alma feeders lately, so was surprised to see an adult, female NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] come by on Wednesday at noon. Doreen is on the watch for other potential Cardinal family members.

** David Christie made a round walking out the Mary's Point beach and across the other side on Tuesday morning as the tide was falling. As he crossed to the Shepody side a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] became very alarmed, vocalizing loudly. David was not sure what the fuss was about until he spotted a juvenile Peregrine Falcon in a tree, so then he realized it was an adult female telling him that he was not welcome there. The juvenile did fly out on to the mud flats, followed and coached by the adult.

After the Peregrine Falcon fuss subsided David did hear GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] calling on the mud flats, heard a SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER [Bécassin roux], and a LEAST SANDPIPER [Bécasseau minuscule]. While walking back he did see a Least Sandpiper to make it his first seen this year, but his third heard. Later on Tuesday at 6:00 pm at the Shipyard Park he did see five Greater Yellowlegs and one LESSER YELLOWLEGS [Petit Chevalier] along with the regular SPOTTED SANDPIPERS [Chevalier grivelé] at the river's edge.

In his yard, over the weekend, he had two adult BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu] carrying food from the feeders to some vocalizing young who were waiting in nearby trees. As of Wednesday the young were coming down to the feeders seemingly not knowing just what to do, but the parents were showing them the score.

** There are a lot of songbirds busy carrying food to nestlings at the moment. Aldo Dorio got a photo of a female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes] and a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT [Paruline masquée] warbler doing just that. Aldo also comments that there is no sign of chicks at the Hay Island Osprey nest. The adults are carrying building materials to the nests and a failed nesting would have to be suspected. Aldo also got a nice photo of an OBLIQUE-LINED TIGER BEETLE, one of our native Tiger Beetles, a CLEARWING HUMMINGBIRD MOTH at Vetch, and the VIRGINIA CTENUCHA MOTH, a dark moth we often see day flying this time of year.

** A few more butterflies to add to the list from Monday afternoon. Brian Stone got a PINK-EDGED SULPHUR [Coliade intérieur], our only Sulphur that spends its entire life cycle in New Brunswick. Two views of a DUN SKIPPER [Hespérie rurale], LONG DASH SKIPPER [Hespérie mystique] , and EUROPEAN SKIPPER [Hespérie des graminées]. Also on Monday afternoon we saw a LEOPARD FROG [renouille léopard], A CALOPOGON ORCHID showing how it folds down its upper lip as it matures, and SHEEP LAUREL in full bloom.

** Bob Blake comments that he has a family of four NORTHERN FLICKERS [Pic flamboyant] very much enjoying the bird bath and also working the lawn to feed young at his Second North River site.

** We have been placing Minnow traps in Louise Nichols's Sackville pond to see a bit of life from the pond which is a very lively community. Louise got photos of an adult EASTERN NEWT [Triton vert] and BANDED KILLIFISH before being released back into the pond.

** Brian Stone, Louise Nichols and I did a rerun of the SHORT-EARED OWL [Hibou des marais] experience on Tuesday night as Louise had missed it on Monday night. A few came out a bit earlier for a photo with fading light, but the real action was at dark. We heard them making a loud, hissing sound that was not in any of our apps of bird vocalizations for Short-eared Owls. Louise found that on a website http://www.arkive.org/short-eared-owl/asio-flammeus/video-01.html

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca