Nature Moncton Nature News: April 26 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 26, 2017 (Wednesday)

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: Catherine Johnson johnson2@xplornet.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
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**Gordon Rattray reports he had a very rewarding trip to Harvey to successfully see the female BLUE GROSBEAK at the Morcom's on Tuesday. Gordon said their yard is a wonderland of bird life with seemingly all the expected regulars including PINE SISKIN and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS. There were SAVANNAH SPARROWS off the Mary's Pt Rd., TREE SWALLOWS and a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL were at Hillsborough.

**Brian Coyle has a RAVEN'S nest near his Upper Mountain Rd home very high in a spruce tree. They now have nestlings. They are responding to the parents return to the nest.

**Catherine Hamilton went out on the Petitcodiac Waterfowl Trail on Tuesday to see a male WOOD DUCK on the nearby lagoon and a LONG-TAILED DUCK still there, assuming it to be the same one Catherine saw there last week. She also noted a pair of adult BALD EAGLES there and wonders if anyone knows of an occupied bald eagle in the Petitcodiac area. Any comments please? It's nice to have a reporter in the Petitcodiac area as I feel this is an under birded and nature sleuthed

nearby area.

**Dave Christie noted an influx of several species at his Mary's Pt area on Tuesday. He observed 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS for the first time on the marsh at Mary's Point. Over the Lars Larson marsh he saw a group of birds lift off that turned out to have 7+ PALM WARBLERS among them, if not more. 15 TREE SWALLOWS were swooping below over the marsh foraging on an insect hatch and when passing it again later, what probably were the same group, were up around the buildings at the Studio On the Marsh where some nest boxes are and he did see 1 going into a box.

At his home Dave heard a few YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS singing as well as a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET that has been doing so for almost a week now, as well as a pair of AMERICAN KESTRELS that may have been just passing through.

**We tend to get overwintering NORTHERN FLICKERS come to suet feeders but not so much as spring comes on. Dale Gaskin had a FLICKER to his Dawson Rd yard to a suet feeder on Tuesday as well as visiting a large black oil sunflower feeder. Dale also saw 2 northern flickers coming to a suet feeder at the Chocolate River Motel on Monday.

**Brian Stone made a trip to Mapleton Park on Tuesday as always to see lots of action in nature from SWEAT BEES just around his home, GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLETS, a BACKSWIMMER insect in a pond, a very high BROAD-WINGED HAWK floating on an air current, PUSSY WILLOWS now in full bloom, a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, the WOOD DUCK pair, still on the park pond and you guessed it, another solar halo.

**OSPREY have now taken the last years nest at Hay Island. Aldo Dorio photographed the occupied nest on Tuesday as well as a lingering BLACK SCOTER near the coastline there.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton