Nature Moncton Nature News: Dec 10 2016

NATURE MONCTON’S INFORMATION LINE – December 10, 2016 (Saturday)

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

For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

**We are surely having a great start to the winter with Raptors [Rapace]. Jamie and Karen Burris drove along the Petitcodiac River from the corner of Trites Road in Riverview to just past the Ritchie Road, on Friday afternoon. In that short distance they encountered 12 Raptors that included 10 BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] (2 adult and 8 juvenile), 1 immature RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse], and 1 light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK [Buse pattue]. The flight photos Jamie got are great, but the flight shot of the Rough-legged Hawk is awesome and shows some really nice field marks. They also noted 20 CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] heading up the river to Turtle Creek. The MERLIN [Faucon émerillon] must be still doing its excellent sentry job at Jamie’s Riverview yard, as PIGEONS [Pigeon] made their first return visit for a scouting trip on Friday, but elected not to stay and feed.

**Elaine Gallant reports she had a male NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] visit her Parlee Beach suet feeder for the first time that she is aware of on Friday, but she has been seeing it around the neighbourhood. Elaine also spotted a flock of approximately 50 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boreal] just off the Parlee Beach Road near where the tollbooth used to be.

**A nice bird feeder surprise for Dave Christie on Friday morning, although very brief: an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER [Paruline verdâtre] dropped by to see what some AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] were up to at the nyjer feeder; the Warbler checked it out quickly and off. Hopefully it will re-check the buffet items and hopefully provide a photo. Dave’s DICKCISSEL [Dickcissel d'Amérique] only made three visits he’s aware of the past week. He saw it twice on Thursday to millet-cracked corn mixture and once on Monday. Dave is noting that DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé], AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien], and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] are swelling in number with the drop in temperatures.

**John Inman reports a MERLIN [Faucon émerillon] has arrived to his 221 Mary’s Point Road feeder yard, to join a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK [Épervier brun] and NORTHERN GOSHAWKS [Autour des palombes], to very much reduce smaller bird traffic around his feeder yard at the moment.

**Ray Gauvin came across an interesting YouTube video on the BLUE JAY [Geai bleu]. It is very well done, and can be viewed at the attached link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QADW6AgWxp4&feature=em-share_video_user

**The Raptor [Rapace] survey scheduled for tomorrow morning on the Tantramar Marsh, as announced in the Thursday and Friday editions, will take place as scheduled.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton