Nature Moncton Nature News: April 30 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Apr. 30, 2018 (Monday)

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca Please advise if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com

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

Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** Dave Christie reports that he spotted his first butterfly of the season, a SPRING AZURE [Azur printanier] that was flying at the edge of the woods by the salt marsh at Mary’s Point on Sunday.

** Doreen Rossiter reports her first CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier] of the season arrived in her Alma feeder yard on Saturday, April 28, and approximately 20 SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés] arrived on Sunday, Apr. 29, as well as her first YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune]. Doreen is rather surprised that she has had no FOX SPARROWS [Bruant fauve] yet, which is rather unusual from records she has kept over the years.

** Jan Tingley visited the Hillsborough wetlands on Saturday. She was able to see several PALM WARBLERS [Paruline à couronne rousse] and one YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune], NORTHERN FLICKERS [Pic flamboyant] and TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore]. She also noted a few LESSER SCAUP [Petit Fuligule], BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues], BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique] and NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin], and suspected a VESPER SPARROW [Bruant vespéral]. Jan also attached a photo of the GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] in Salisbury on April 22, showing its dark back-of-head marking.

** Brian Stone got several photos of interest while travelling from Moncton to Dartmouth via Memramcook and the Sackville Waterfowl Park, on Sunday. On his stop at Yolande LeBlanc’s in Memramcook, he was able to get one of the CLAY-COLOURED SPARROWS [Bruant des plaines], but only through bushes. It was very skulking and weather conditions were poor. I’m including all three photos, as they are documentary and show some changes to its breeding plumage. At the Sackville Waterfowl Park, he got male and female AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique], saw PIED-BILLED GREBES [Grèbe à bec bigarré], got a nice photo of the rich tones of a SWAMP SPARROW [Bruant des marais], and a male GADWALL [Canard chipeau]. He also noted blooming catkins of TREMBLING ASPEN [Tremble] and saw PUSSY WILLOWS [Petit minou] blooming. On the Pussy Willow, the male blooms (yellow) and the female blooms (green) are on separate bushes.

Brian also got a photo of a PAPER WASP [poliste]; it appears to be a female , which would be a queen that has overwintered and now out to start a new colony. The paper wasp’s nest is an open cell structure attached by a pedestal-like structure and not large. Brian also got photos of one of the orb-weaver spiders, in the genus Larinoides and a ZEBRA SPIDER [] with its unique markings that give it its name.

** It’s been a great few days in the Miramichi area for bird visitors. Peter Gadd and Pam Watters found two REDHEAD [Fuligule à tête rouge] ducks on the new Newcastle lagoon, behind the Atlantic Superstore, as has been reported already to NatureNB. They very much suspected that the males were with female partners. I visited the lagoon on Sunday. Unfortunately, poor light, drizzle and distance made for poor photos, however, the photos concentrating on the female with one male are documentary enough to confirm that it is a female Redhead duck partner. Pam and Peter also saw a GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette] fly into the marshy area behind the Superstore, as they were watching the Redheads. I was not able to find it on Sunday.

Early on Sunday, Peter got an alert that a adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER [Pic à tête rouge] was in Millbank at a feeder. Millbank is on Route 11, near Miramichi. He was able to see it and get photos. Pam Watters saw it on Monday morning early. It is very interesting to note it was attracted to dog food in a bird feeder. It is an idea that Julia Connell had, and I spoke to Julia about it. I’m going to give it a try, but suspect it would only be put out on dry days as it would probably disintegrate quickly in wet weather. Obviously, birds are attracted to it. [Transcriber’s note: I have never put out dog food for birds, but, in several summers, had BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu] discover my dog’s dish inside the sun porch which they would then enter to feed on kibble a few times each day.)

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton