Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 16 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 16, 2017 ( Thursday )

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Brian Coyle made a snowshoe trek across an open field area off Upper Mountain Road on Wednesday to find lots of evidence of a COYOTE [Coyote] action where he had seen one a few days earlier but was now in much deeper snow. He noted it was urine marking to create scent posts approximately every fifty feet. The Coyotes are in mating mode at the moment and this is presumably a male. He also noted where it was digging down to the ground for prey.

Brian also comments that the SNOWSHOE HARES [Lièvre d’Amérique] appear to be very much enjoying the high snow levels, being able to reach lots of birch tree twigs to forage on. Brian also heard a RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] vocalize which is the second time he has heard it do so as it flew from the top of a tree.

** Jules Cormier leaves a report from his Memramcook feeder yard and area. He comments that this winter so far has been slow at his feeder area but things changed after the storm. Tuesday brought three new first timers for this winter being SNOW BUNTINGS [Bruant des neiges], an AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux]. The Red-bellied Woodpecker did not seem to stay long, but this now makes eight out of eleven winters that a Red-bellied Woodpecker has visited Jules’ feeder yard.

Jules also has a regular WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche], twenty to twenty five AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien], five overwintering SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] and lots of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune]. Jules comments that Blue Jays have been very scarce this winter. An adult BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] makes a daily pass by his home approximately three quarters of an hour before sunset heading to a wooded area.

Jules had a surprise encounter with a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] chasing a flock of Starlings in Jolicure recently when the target Starling flew underneath his car to make good its escape!

** Marlene Hickman has had a RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] around her Dorchester feeder yard several times. It was perched atop a bush pile next to the birdfeeder tree approximately fifty feet from her window on Wednesday to cooperate for a nice photo.

** Anna Tucker shares a few photos she took on February 12th, 2016 at the Sackville Waterfowl Park to show that there was lots of snow there then, but suspect that there is a lot more there this year with recent storms.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton