Nature Moncton Nature News: March 5 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, March 5, 2017 (Sunday)

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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)

** Doreen Rossiter reports a flock of 50+ RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] arrived in her Alma yard on Saturday. They were practically all adult males, as expected in the advance guard, but one immature male was travelling with them. [Transcriber’s note: Blackbirds in John Inman’s yard at 225 Mary's Point Road built up to about 50 Red-winged, plus almost 20 COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] late Friday and early Saturday. He also spotted a male HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné] in the Shepody River on Saturday morning.]

** Kevin Renton reports that they have 21 PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] visiting their Stilesville feeders, which seems like a large contingent compared to what other recent reports have been. Their FIELD SPARROW [Bruant des champs] continues to be a patron, and an AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] showed up on Saturday morning, to feed on clinging apples.

** Audrey Goguen reports that she still has the large flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] coming to her 16 Northview Drive location in Moncton, to glean winter hanging fruit. They have been there for over a week now.

** Lois Budd had her first arrival of a PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] at her Salisbury feeder yard on Saturday. She had COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] arrive a few days ago but they seem to have moved on. Lois’s feeders seem as colourful as the male finch.

** Brian Stone paid a visit to Mapleton Park on Saturday. He was not able to spot any of the duck specialties previously noted among the MALLARDS [Canard colvert] and AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] present there. He did find a tree off the path with lots of AM. PORCUPINE [Porc-épic d'Amérique] scat on the ground, but no sign of the Porcupine.

** Danny Sullivan came across a busy PILEATED WOODPECKER [Grand pic] on a trail by the university.

** Grandson Matt and I spent a cool weekend at Fundy National Park with some interesting observations. We noted along the highway through the park that groups of birds were gathering at roadside, presumably after grit or salt. I expected them to be crossbills [bec-croisé] but 90% were RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES [Sittelle à poitrine rousse], a situation that I had not noted before. I could only spot one crossbill among the groups, which did allow a quick photo.

The Caribou Plain Trail was icy trekking; most interesting thing was noting BOBCAT [Lynx roux] tracks and trail, and SNOWSHOE HARES [Lièvre d'Amérique] but very little bird life.

We took note of the very large number of MUSKRAT [Rat musqué] lodges at the Calhoun Marsh Ducks Unlimited impoundment, near Riverside-Albert. There must be a huge number of these animals there.

I was amazed at the cone crop between Waterside and Alma, but saw no crossbills [bec-croisé] I was sure of. There surely is a major food supply, if crossbills move into that area. Red-breasted Nuthatches were using the cone crop, but not in flocks.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton