Nature Moncton Nature News: Dec 24 2016

NATURE MONCTON’S INFORMATION LINE – December 24, 2016 (Saturday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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

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**Louise Nichols suggests that a great spot to visit for birds at the moment is Johnson’s Mills. Take the road around the bend and keep on going. Louise visited there Friday afternoon to experience 1,000+ BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boreal] enjoying the very abundant fruit crop there. Louise comments that when they took flight, going from one side of the road to the other, it sounded like a wave washing along the shore, in formation reminiscent of the shorebirds of summer. She also saw approximately 16 PINE GROSBEAKS [Durbec des sapins], with some AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] blended in. Another pleasant surprise was a flock of 7 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS [Bec-croisé bifascié] foraging on seed cones high in a tree.

**Four of us made a run to the Tantramar Marsh in the sunshine of Friday afternoon. The raptor action continues seemingly non-stop all over the area, with BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche], ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS [Buse pattue], and RED-TAILED HAWKS [Buse à queue rousse], seemingly seeing three or four all the time, either perched or hunting. No sign of the GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal] while we were there. A few of Brian Stone’s photos nicely show that “hockey puck” carpal joint patch on the inside wing of the Rough-legged Hawks. One very interesting observation was a pair of RED FOXES [Renard roux], one of the expected red pelage and one in dark pelage. It appeared they may have been a pair, as the red one seemed to be following the dark one. Red Fox mating should be underway soon, and this could have been a possibility. I’m assuming that the dark pelage individual would be from genetically blended remnants of a farmed Fox escapee. The area was also teeming with RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide]. Brian was able to capture a photo of one dark-plumaged individual, and another with predominantly reddish plumage. Just as we left Moncton on Route 15, a huge flock of GULLS [Goéland] seemed to fill the sky as they moved to another roost, and the sun, which had been hiding behind the cloud cover, lifted to leave the beautiful afternoon of Friday.

**We’ve noted a marked decrease in the high numbers of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] coming to our feeder yard. The SPARROWS [Bruants], MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle triste], and others seem to be in former numbers. Early Friday morning I noted a female MERLIN [Faucon émerillon] perched high in a distant tree, and wonder if it may not be the reason. I’ve seen no attacks, but Merlins don’t take long to make their pass, and an attack could easily be missed.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton