Nature Moncton Nature News: April 13 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 13, 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)

** Clarence Cormier had a special drop by Blackbird visitor to his Grande Digue yard when he noted a male RUSTY BLACKBIRD [Quiscale rouilleux] there along with RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes] on Monday. Clarence comments that the Rusty Blackbird's behavior was different from the Red-winged Blackbird's and that drew his attention to it. It walked much more rapidly, reminiscent of the way a shorebird would act. It's a pleasant surprise to have a Rusty Blackbird drop by. This species is really in trouble with a reduction in numbers of over ninety percent. I am including four of Clarence's photos to peruse. The blue sheen can be picked up in some. Clarence suspects that a female may be present as well, and is trying to discreetly get a photo of it to confirm that.

Clarence also had three BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS [Vacher à tête brune] drop by on Wednesday, an AMERICAN WOODCOCK [Bécasse d'Amérique] on Tuesday and three TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] earlier in the week.

** Brian Coyle captured a video of a COYOTE [Coyote] on his trail camera. Go to the attached URL https://www.dropbox.com/s/zj358913kh5vfhp/COYOTE%20VIDEO.BRIAN%20COYLE.AVI?dl=0 to view it. While en route to his trail camera he and his brother encountered a cow MOOSE [Orignal] and a yearling calf at close quarters. They casually followed Brian while he was heading to collect the SD card from his camera. Brian also had an EASTERN KINGBIRD [Tyran tritri] visiting his yard the past few days. He also saw five TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] soaring together in the Gayton Rd. area on route 106 near Dorchester. He also saw large flocks of what appeared to be COMMON EIDER [Eider à duvet] heading up the Memramcook River.

** Danny Sullivan got a photo of an Compton Tortoiseshell butterfly on the Humphrey Brook trail on Wednesday. This is another of the butterflies that overwinters as an adult and this is the reason that we can see adults at the first sign of warmth in the Spring. This specimen is very worn after its long winter siesta but shows nicely the two white marks on the wing this species exhibits.

** It's nice to have more bees reporting in over the last few days. Jamie Burris spotted two MINING BEES in his Riverview yard on Wednesday. They were on Parsley plants, which may have been just coincidental. Jamie and Karen found some COLTSFOOT in bloom in the Turtle Creek area. There were two photos and if one looks closely they are in different stages of development. Jamie also captured a comical photo of a CANADA GOOSE [Bernache du Canada] skiing in for a landing on an ice covered pond.

** Gordon Rattray made a quick stop at Gray Brook Marsh on Wednesday, commenting that there appeared to be lots of RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier] and CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du Canada] building up there. He heard a BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique] a few days ago, but on Wednesday got a photo of it which is feat in itself with a Kingfisher. The red chest band indicates it to be a female. Gordon also saw his first COLTSFOOT in bloom of the year across the road from Grey Brook Marsh, and also more of it on his drive back to Albert Mines.

** As part of a big, sudden arrival of NORTHERN FLICKERS [Pic flamboyant], Doreen Rossiter had some arrive to her Alma yard on Wednesday. Doreen comments that they were in Sussex on Wednesday, enjoying the 21 deg. Celsius temperature, but as they headed back to Alma the temperature dropped to 17 deg. at the motel on the hill and then down to 8 deg. at home in their driveway. What a difference elevation can make with thermals.

** Aldo Dorio got an interesting photo of a male HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné] beside a pair of COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle] on Wednesday at Hay Island. Being out on the ice nicely shows the different leg color of these Merganser species as well as the significantly smaller size of the Hooded Merganser.

** To correct an error in yesterday's edition, Ron Steeves did not say that the GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal] they spotted at New Horton was a male. The gremlins slipped that word "male" in by accident. It would of course be impossible to separate genders with just one bird flying over. The blogspot has been corrected. Thanks to Todd watts for pointing out the error.

** Brian Stone was in Mapleton Park on Wednesday to see lots of Spring activity. Buds were opening in the warmth. RED-BERRIED ELDER buds were swelling, COLTSFOOT was in full bloom, an ANT hill was very active, a Pileated Woodpecker had left some tailings under a large foraging hole, a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne dorée] posed as did a CEDAR WAXWING [Jaseur d'Amérique].

** We are still getting flocks of Waxwings to our fruit feeder in our Moncton yard. For the past five days they have consisted of CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique] only, and the flock sizes are down considerably to a few dozen. The only fruit available now is cut up apples in a large tray with some impaled on nails on a tree.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton