NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 19, 2018
(Thursday)
Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors
are noted in wording or photo labeling.
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: Catherine Johnson johnson2@xplornet.com
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**Gabriel Gallant shares a few observations he was able
to accompany with photos the past few days. He has had his first PINE SISKINS
that he has had this past winter come to his feeder yard when 4 came by. Several
others have commented on the same scenario. There appears to be more pine
siskins around bird feeding areas recently than during the winter when we most
often see them.
On Monday Gabriel took a walk down the Bell Marsh trail
to encounter 6 HOUSE FINCH and a small group of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS. It's a
great time to monitor activity at Bell Marsh.
On Wednesday while driving on #2 highway, the
Fredericton highway, he spotted a very white plumage SNOWY OWL in a tree near
the highway. Most snowy owls at this point must be filing flight plans
north.
**Kathy Popma had a SUMMER TANAGER drop by her Sackville
yard on Wednesday for a brief visit and got a photo. It is a first summer male
and an uncommon visitor to NB. As it matures it will take on a reddish plumage
with dark but not black wings and tail that it will retain all year. They bred
to the south of us in the southern US across to the south-western
US.
**Roger Leblanc had AMERICAN WOODCOCK start vocalizing
around his Notre Dame home on Wednesday evening. There were at least two. To
add to the dusk activity, a BARRED OWL was calling as a backdrop.
The snow load is still heavy in the wooded area around
Roger's home and expected them to be later this year as they have been quite
active in some locations already.
**There has been a surprising number of INDIGO BUNTING
reports out of NS. It may be a bird to watch for in NB at the moment.
**Aldo Dorio got a photo of a HOODED MERGANSER pair
being escorted about the Hay Island coastline under the guidance of a male
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER on Wednesday. On Thursday morning he got a photo of a
female breeding plumage COMMON GOLDENEYE that shows the anterior bill with its
orange tip, where as its kin the female BARROWS GOLDENEYE would have a total
orange bill in breeding plumage.
COMMON GOLDENEYE (FEMALE). APRIL19, 2018.ALDO DORIO
HOODED MERGANSER PAIR AND RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (MALE) IN FRONT. APRIL18, 2018
HOUSE FINCH (MALE) APRIL 16, 2018. GABRIEL GALLANT
PINE SISKIN APRIL 14, 2018. GABRIEL GALLANT
SNOWY OWL. APRIL 18, 2018. GABRIEL GALLANT
SUMMER TANAGER. KATHY POPMA. APRIL 18, 2018
