Nature Moncton Nature News: April 15 2017

NATURE MONCTON’S INFORMATION LINE – April 15, 2017 (Saturday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

**Jean-Paul and Stella LeBlanc have had some migrants that have joined them in their Bouctouche yard. A group of male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS [Vacher à tête brune] came in on Thursday. Their yard TREE SWALLOW [Hirondelle bicolore] that arrived a few days ago posed for a photo on Friday. A FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] has been dropping by their yard for four days now, and posed for a nice photo for Stella. Both genders of PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] have also arrived.

**Louise and Maurice Richard had a WINTER WREN [Troglodyte des forêts] singing around their Acadieville camp on Friday. It’s truly amazing, the loud beautiful vocalization this small bird can emit. They also had several DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] appear on Friday.

**Lots of folks are having their resident yard CHIPMUNKS [Suisse] becoming active. Brian Stone had his pose for a brief photo on Friday.

**Louise Nichols and Roger LeBlanc erected Louise’s five SWALLOW [Hirondelle] nest boxes from the Nature Moncton Swallow Box Project on Friday, at the White Birch Ducks Unlimited impoundment near Sackville. There were lots of Swallows flying over the ponds, and a few times some seemed to come close to the erected boxes and check them out. Louise feels there’s a good chance these boxes will get used. Grandson Matt got his two up on Thursday afternoon, and my four are going to be erected today. I suspect that many others on the project have theirs up, or are about to. It’s definitely time.

**Anna Tucker visited the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Friday afternoon to find the water completely open. There was lots of bird activity, with approximately 20 RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier], seemingly very predominantly male, GADWALLS [Canard chipeau], MALLARDS [Canard colvert], a BLUE-WINGED TEAL pair, CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada], many REDWINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à epaulettes] displaying, and lots of smaller birds moving about. She noted WOODPECKERS [Pic] in four different locations, and a MUSKRAT [Rat musqué] swimming. So the Sackville Waterfowl Park is back in business.

**Aldo Dorio took a photo of PUSSY WILLOWS [Saule à chatons] emerging from their winter bud to show the white fur-like winter insulation. These are not actually in bloom yet, but will soon become yellow sprays if they are male, or green sprays if they are female. Aldo also got a close-up of a DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé] showing some brown and slight grey plumage. I wonder if this may be an immature male.

**I put a few MASON BEE [Abeille maçonne] houses outside on Friday afternoon, that had been kept in a shed over winter. I was surprised to see several Mason Bees arrive to one house about an hour after it went up, and going in and out of the holes. The house was facing the warm afternoon sun. I got some photos of a few. I think the ones with white on the face are males, which are expected to be the first ones to emerge, closely followed by females.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton