Nature Moncton Nature News: March 25 2017

NATURE MONCTON’S INFORMATION LINE – March 25, 2017 (Saturday)

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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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**A good morning for Dave Miller on the Taylor Road near Salisbury. The BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS [Pic à dos noir] were out in good form; Dave saw four of them on Thursday morning, and they were calling and drumming often, until a NORTHERN GOSHAWK [Autour des palombes] flew in, and everything went very quiet. He heard many DOWNY [Pic mineur], HAIRY [Pic chevelu], and PILEATED WOODPECKERS [Grand Pic], and also saw two GRAY JAYS [Mésangeai du Canada], getting some nice photos.

**Rhéal Vienneau reports a busy feeder yard at his Dieppe site on Friday morning, with a dozen-plus RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide], pairs of DOWNY [Pic mineur] and HAIRY WOODPECKERS [Pic chevelu], two BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu], a half-dozen BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire], and the resident CHIPMUNK [Suisse] out and about.

**Dave Christie comments on some of the spring arrivals in the Mary’s Point-Harvey area that seem to have come to a bit of a standstill, but that is very likely to promptly change. John Inman has had lots of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à epaulettes] and COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] for 10 days plus now; however, it was nice to have a RUSTY BLACKBIRD [Quiscale rouilleux] come by his feeder yard on Friday. This is always special, as this species seems to be becoming more and more uncommonly seen. A few SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] arrived for both John and Dave, but seemed to stay only one day. They both had noted flocks of CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] in the area, but they seem to be relatively small flocks so far. Some come up the bay, and are noted to veer off and head up the Shepody River, assumedly to the dykelands there.

**The female BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] at the Crowley Farm Road nest appears very much as it has the past 10 days, with the Eagle deep in the bowl of the nest, presumably incubating. The head comes up every now and then for a surveillance view, then will disappear into the nest for a time. Anna Tucker took a photo of it on Thursday.

**Danny and Annette Sullivan and Brian Stone took a walk into Mapleton Park on Friday to enjoy the BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire] coming for hand-fed tidbits, as well as a handsome PILEATED WOODPECKER [Grand Pic] moving about. Brian closely looked at his photos of the WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] pair still there, to compare photos of the male there now with the one that had been there previously. Brian did note a difference in the bill of the two birds, and did a composite photo to compare them that does show some differences that may indicate they are indeed two different birds, unless natural changes did occur. Brian is always quick to pick up on SUN HALOS [Halo solaire].

**I placed some LILAC [Lilas] branches in a vase of water a few weeks ago. The first sprigs of blooming lilac started to burst forth in the past few days, to make that spring feeling come just a bit early. NORTHERN CATALPA [Catalpa remarquable] branches have also burst into leaf.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton