Nature Moncton Nature News: April 23 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 23, 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)

** Julie Pellerin reports the GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] arrived in the Cap-Brûlé Marsh behind her home at 6:30 Saturday evening. It had not been present the past few days after she had first reported earlier, and several folks did try to see it. However, as of last evening it is back.

** Jean-Paul LeBlanc noted an OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur] nest in St-Joseph-de-Kent; it is accessible from the Ryan Road in Bouctouche and can be seen close-up from Linda Street. It is on a power pole and Jean-Paul wonders why they have constructed it so large compared to one by the System Air plant in Bouctouche. They were still bringing twigs to the seemingly over-sized nest on Saturday afternoon.

Jean-Paul noted a male WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] at the Saint-Antoine lagoon on Saturday afternoon and also includes a picture of a NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] on a nest box in their Bouctouche yard.

** Aldo Dorio is noticing OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur] back at Hay Island. A nest there last year appeared to fail for some reason.

** Doreen Rossiter comments that there was a noticeable arrival of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] to her Alma yard on Saturday, and from notes that she keeps, it was exactly the same date that their arrival was recorded last year. Doreen also says that there seems to be a larger number of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS [Vacher à tête brune] in her yard this year, with both males and females present now.

** A lone FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] continues its stay at our Moncton, with the still present AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien]. It seems to be becoming much more comfortable coming out for a photo on Saturday that shows the rich rufous tail and plumage, with a bicoloured bill similar to its Tree Sparrow cousins.

I stopped by the home of Brian Pond and Kathy MacDonald in McKees Mills on Saturday. They have had a WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] pair that have occupied a cavity in a tree that is just 40 feet from their door, for the past four years. They are seeing the pair around the area again this year. A photo of the cavity is attached. They are going to try to get photos of the ducks. The birds seem at ease so near the house with a dog and human traffic, not an expected situation for the wily Wood Duck.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton