Nature Moncton Nature News: April 24 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 24, 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)

** Dave Christie got a call from Dejah and Rick Morcom, who live at 575 Route 915 at Harvey, near Riverside-Albert, who had a bird they were not sure of coming to their feeder. It turned out to be a female BLUE GROSBEAK [Guiraca bleu] and Dave got a nice photo of it on a feeder with a female BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune] for a nice comparison. Many may want to see this bird. If present it almost has to be seen from inside the Morcoms’ home. Dejah will be home Monday and Tuesday and doesn’t mind if folks drop by and knock at the door for a potential audience. Blue Grosbeaks visit New Brunswick each year but there is no breeding record.

** Rhi Edwards shares some some excellent photos she captured over the past week. The female BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune] is one that often is not recognized due to its plain plumage, so different from its appropriately named male counterpart. Two photos of RED CROSSBILLS [Bec-croisé des sapins] collecting grit off a road in Rockport are attached, showing both male and female birds. She also photographed and OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur] nest of the John A. Trenholme Road, just off Route 960 at Upper Cape. The road is also locally known as the the road to the eel farm. Rhi also saw but not get photos of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS [Macreuse brune] by a wharf in Petit-Cap on Apr. 21.

** Catherine Hamilton in Petitcodiac again shares an excellent duet of photos of an adult BROAD-WINGED HAWK [Petite Buse], perched and in flight. The flight shot shows the tail banding of the adult nicely. This hawk is arriving back in good numbers at the moment.

** Fred and Lynn Dubé had a SWAMP SPARROW [Bruant des marais] visit their Niagara Road feeder yard in Lower Coverdale on Sunday. It’s not often that we get Swamp Sparrows in feeder yards.

** Jan Tingley made a very productive visit to the ponds next to the river in Hillsborough on Sunday. She noted a lot, including a pair of BELTED KINGFISHERS [Martin-pêcheur d’Amérique], a pair of CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d’Amérique], SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur], AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien], up to 8 COMMON EIDER [Eider à duvet], a YELLOW WARBLER [Paruline jaune] pair, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] pair, a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues], and other expected species. Jan also found an adult BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] on the nest at River View Cemetery, north of Hopewell Cape. Jan said she found it chilly but from the list of birds she noted, they apparently did not mind.

** Gordon Rattray shares some photos of feeder yard action. One nicely shows the AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] male in transition to breeding plumage. A flight shot of DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé] shows the distinctive white outer tail feathers and two photos show the brownish female and slate gray male junco, and a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine rousse].

** Fred Richards noted a big splash in the Memramcook River on Sunday and realized that it was a WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie]. Susan got a photo. They said the tide was very high and fast at the time, so the deer might have ended up quite far down river, if its intent was to cross the river.

** Jean-Paul LeBlanc got a photo of a male SURF SCOTER [Macreuse à front blanc] at the Saint-Thomas wharf on Sunday to show its strikingly marked head.

** John Massey came across an interesting bird scenario, while in Cuba recently. They used a CRESTED CARACARA to scare small birds from coming into an open-air buffet hall. They would walk it through the dining hall at times as well, and it worked well, and also produced a great photo. A Caracara sometimes shows up in New Brunswick as a rare bird.

** Linda Leclerc sends a photo of a breeding pair of AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS [Huîtrier d'Amérique] that she and Kathy McAllister watched on their Fort Myers, Florida, vacation. This species has now been recorded breeding in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. New Brunswick could be next, so look at the photos closely. They have been spotted here but there no nesting records that I’m aware of.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton