NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, March 27, 2017 (Monday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Mike Plourde got an excellent photo on his trail camera of a
LONG-TAILED WEASEL [Belette à longue queue] in Irishtown on March 14. It can be
viewed at the
. Mike comments that Long-tailed Weasels are at the northern limit of their
range in this area.
** Richard Léger saw his first GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] of the
season at the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf on Sunday. It may or may not have been the
one that Brian Stone and I saw in the creek before the wharf.
** Brian Stone and I made a quick afternoon run to Shediac and Cap-Pelé on
Sunday afternoon. The KING EIDER [Eider à tête grise] that Gilles Belliveau had
seen on Saturday at the rue Niles wharf in Cap-Pelé was the target. The ice had
come in on shore and we were able to see COMMON EIDERS [Eider à duvet] in the
scope, far out, but were not able to pick out the King Eider, although it may
well have been there. Nice consolation prizes were several seals, all suspected
to be GRAY SEALS [Phoque grise], on the ice off Pointe-du-Chêne wharf, with
GREATER SCAUP [Fuligule milouinan], BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse noire] and
LONG-TAILED DUCKS in the open water. Our first GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] of
the season was in the creek by the road to the wharf. Note the ornate plumes on
the head, neck and back of the breeding adult. A group of 8 adult RING-BILLED
GULLS [Goéland à bec cerclé] were on the ice on the inside of the wharf, very
likely having recently arrived from the south.
** We had a good number of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] earlier
in the winter at our Moncton feeders, then the numbers suddenly dropped. They
are now returning and I’m noting, as I suspect others are, the moth-eaten look
of the returning bright yellow plumage of the males beginning their seasonal
change.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
COMMON MERGANSER (FEMALE). MAR. 26, 2017. BRIAN STONE
COMMON MERGANSER (MALE). MAR. 26, 2017. BRIAN STONE
GREAT BLUE HERON. MAR. 26, 2017. BRIAN STONE
GREAT BLUE HERON. MAR. 26, 2017. BRIAN STONE
RING-BILLED GULL. MAR. 26, 2017. BRIAN STONE
RING-BILLED GULL. MAR. 26, 2017. BRIAN STONE
