Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 11 2017

NATURE MONCTON’S INFORMATION LINE – February 11, 2017 (Saturday)

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: Catherine Clements

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

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**Audrey Goguen at 16 Northview Street in Moncton reports she had a large flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] arrive to their FLOWERING CRAB TREE [Pommetier] clinging fruit on Friday. Audrey comments the fruit seemed quite dry, and it’s the first time that she has seen these birds this winter. Interesting to hear about flocks of Bohemian Waxwing within the city; most reports so far have been in rural areas. It would appear there’s still lots of winter-clinging fruit on trees within the city to attract them. My fruit feeder, which has received little attention so far, will get topped off this morning.

**Jean-Paul LeBlanc got an interesting photo of a BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] on the Tantramar Marsh recently, showing those powerful talons in extension, to suggest something may have made good its escape from them very recently.

**Lois Budd comments her bird feeder yard near Salisbury was very lively after the storm, and shares some photos of the activity and her feeders.

**The comments on the section of tree worked on by something that we wondered about were very interesting and helpful. It should have been pointed out that this tree was dead, which probably led to comments that it was PORCUPINE [Porc-épic]. Dave Miller and John Massey commented they have seen PILEATED WOODPECKERS [Grand Pic] do exactly this sort of work, and they are probably correct. If one looks very closely at the photo enlarged, it appears there are insects of some type visible around the many holes, with no incisor tooth marks evident, to make a bird more likely. The large area excavated is also suggestive of Pileated Woodpecker. There was indeed a Pileated Woodpecker in the area, and recent excavations were present which were more typical of the Pileated Woodpecker.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton