Nature Moncton Nature News: May 6 2017

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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**Susan Linkletter had a visit from a GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] to her Scott Road property pond on Friday. She got photos of it in three different scenarios. She also had a flock of small birds in a BOX-ELDER [Érable à giguère] tree on her property. The photo she got of a few was YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune], so they may all have been that Warbler species.

** Rick Elliott and Barb Curlew had a SPARROW [Bruant] surprise at their Waterside feeders on May 4th, with a visit from a breeding-plumaged CLAY-COLORED SPARROW [Bruant des plaines]. Unfortunately, the special visitor has moved on, but great to have a documentary photo.

**Doreen Rossiter was pleased to find a bright male INDIGO BUNTING [Passerin indigo] at her Alma birdbath on Friday. Doreen does get Indigo Bunting drop-bys most years, but this is the earliest arrival date in her records. She had one last year on May 26th.

**Mitch Doucet had a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] arrive to their Moncton feeder on Thursday. They are obviously starting to move into town from their seemingly coastal area arrival sites. Mitch also had a BARN SWALLOW [Hirondelle rustique] at Bell Marsh flying about with a TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] on Thursday, and as well on Thursday had a BLUE-HEADED VIREO [Viréo à tête bleue] and a PINE WARBLER [Paruline des pins] at the Irishtown Nature Park, and also saw three more Blue-headed Vireos at Mapleton Park on Friday.

**Gordon Rattray had 10 BARN SWALLOWS [Hirondelle rustique] appear to his Albert Mines farm on May 4th. They have been coming there for several years. The signature forked tail and orange breast of this Swallow species shows up nicely on Gordon’s flight photo.

**On Thursday, Dave Christie visited Calhoun Marsh, the Ducks Unlimited impoundment on Route 114 just past Riverside-Albert. There was the expected variety of waterfowl with one surprise being an American Coot blended with Ring-necked ducks; however, approximately 150 Swallows were hawking insects. They were predominantly TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore], but he did see two BARN SWALLOWS [Hirondelle rustique] among them. Dave also heard his first definite BLUE-HEADED VIREO [Viréo à tête bleue] singing in Mary’s Point on Friday, although he did suspect some a few days earlier.

Dave comments his hummingbirds and those of John Inman moved on but expect will be replaced very soon.

**Catherine Hamilton was out on the Petitcodiac Waterfowl Trail on Friday evening to note ten WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu] in the lagoon there. She was surprised to see ten, as usually only a single one is there. There were no females with them at all, so would wonder if the females are out on nests already, and this is a bachelor flock.

**Clarence Cormier takes in his feeders at dusk; however, he puts out more ground seed for late-day ground feeders. On Thursday evening he noted 25-30 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche] came right in, with one special one among them – a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW [Bruant à couronne blanche], which from Clarence’s records is earlier than in other years.

**Jean-Paul LeBlanc got a nice photo of a HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] on Chemin des Roches in the Bouctouche area on Thursday. The Hermit Thrush does not usually pose this nicely.

**Lois Budd had a visit from a female BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune] on Friday. This is a bird that often is not recognized due to its very different plain plumage from its male counterpart.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton