Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 3 2016

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, November, 2016 ( Thursday )

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
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Edited by : Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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** Carmella Melanson found a group of six HARLEQUIN DUCKS [Arlequin plongeur] on Wednesday afternoon near the Cap Pele wharf at Rue Niles. Carmella saw them on the left side of the wharf, by the rocks. The group consisted of two very handsome males in full breeding plumage and four females.

** Louise Nichols visited the Dorchester/Johnson’s Mills area on Wednesday to see some of the advance guard winter visitors arriving. She saw her first small flock of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien] to get a documentary photo and also her first BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] of the season. Moving into Johnson’s Mills Louise noted that the Mountain Ash trees were alive with CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique] foraging on the berries. A few Bohemian Waxwings were with that group, as well as a few PURPLE FINCHES [Roselin pourpré]. A pleasant surprise was a BOREAL CHICKADEE [Mésange à tête brune] that appeared along the trail. Louise suggested that this will be a nice area to watch as the Mountain Ash crop is very abundant there.

In the afternoon Louise met Kathy Popma in the area behind the Sackville town garage to spot a flock of forty to fifty BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS [Pluvier argenté] and a few SNOW BUNTINGS [Bruant des neiges] on the river near the dyke. Louise also comments on seeing a number of RED-TAILED HAWKS [Buse à queue rousse] in the Dorchester/Johnsons Mills area. It would seem that this hawk is particularly abundant in that area this year from recent reports.

** Jamie Burris and grandson Isaac had a great day around the Ducks Unlimited ponds at the end of Tucker St. in Upper Coverdale. They got an elusive AMERICAN BITTERN [Butor d'Amérique] that surprised them when it flew up in front of them. They got great observations of HOODED MERGANSERS [Harle couronné], BUFFLEHEADS [Petit Garrot], RUDDY DUCKS [Érismature rousse], COMMON GOLDENEYE, and LONG-TAILED DUCKS [Harelde kakawi]. It's very interesting to compare some photos that show these birds in proximity to note what subtle differences there can be. Jamie again got a Long-tailed Duck in its impressive dive style. It would seem quite unusual to capture Ruddy Ducks that prefer fresh water and Long-tailed Ducks that usually are seen in salt water in the same frame in a fresh water pond. These Ducks Unlimited ponds surely do host a variety of species.

** Just after the Tidal Bore came up the Petitcodiac River on Wednesday Georges Brun noted six BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] were aloft as they checked the Riverview ponds and two of them headed over to the Jones Lake area. There are often two to three hundred gulls there with the water drawn down due to construction at the gate area. East of the fire station a sharply dressed HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné] was very actively diving and a GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] was fishing. He also got a photo of a SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] in the traffic rotary area of the causeway that was probably in no rush to head south, if at all, with the mild weather.

** Fred and Lynn Dube recently noted a coral coloured mass in their yard Koi pond. It turned out to be a tight mass of SPRINGTAILS on the water surface film. On examination under a stereoscope the coral colour appears to be a juvenile stage with the adult molt turning dark in color. We are more accustomed to seeing Springtails in the melting snow of Spring looking like masses of pepper on the snow, however they are indeed present under the snow in Winter and widely distributed but often not noticed in Spring, Summer and Fall except when they concentrate in masses on the surface film of water like this. Brian Stone was able to zero in with a photo to show the darker adults above the coral colored juveniles.

** Aldo Dorio photographed a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER [Macreuse brune] off the Hay Island coastline on Wednesday. The white patch on the secondary wing feathers is obvious, but no eye area ornamentation is apparent. I am assuming this is an immature bird, probably a male..

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca