Nature Moncton Nature News: April 4 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 4, 2018 (Wednesday)

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: Judy Marsh marshj@nbnet.nb.ca

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

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** Dave Christie reports the NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW [Hirondelle à ailes hérissées], he found on Monday and was fortunate enough to get such a great photo of, could not be relocated on Tuesday. However, while searching for it on Tuesday, he did see a flock of eight GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron], flying past heading towards the tip of Mary's Point or possibly Grindstone Island. Dave, also saw his first NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] and first SWAMP SPARROW [Bruant des marais] of the season on Tuesday.

** John Inman reported today, he noted two TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] over his 225 Mary's Point Road home on Tuesday.

** Dave Cannon and his neighbours spotted a WOOLY BEAR caterpillar, [ Ours Laineux Chenille] motoring along under a bird feeder on Tuesday. This is the larval stage of the ISABELLA TIGER MOTH [ Isabella tigre papillon de nuit], which overwinters as the larval caterpillar. It will pupate, usually in June, then become a flying adult shortly after, to mate, lay eggs and start the process of complete metamorphosis again.

**Gordon Rattray reports, that it did not take long for the ducks to move into the Hillsborough Lagoon and Grey Brook Marsh on Tuesday. There was a large group of RING-NECKED DUCKS [ Fuligule à collier] , with one suspected LESSER SCAUP [Petit Fuligule] at the lagoon. At Grey Brook Marsh there were three pairs of MALLARD DUCKS [Canard colvert], five BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues], three HOODED MERGANSERS [Harle couronné] and several pairs of CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada]. Gordon met another observer who said he had seen several WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu] earlier in the day. A photo at his home feeder, nicely shows the AMERICIAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] males in their moth eaten plumage changed to bright yellow.

** Mac Wilmot reports lots of spring AMERICIAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique], are very much enjoying the Mountain Ash berries that were gathered last fall and dried. Mac comments that two of them were disputing over ownership of the more than ample cache.

**Krista Doyle got a nice photo of an AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] on Lewis Mountain, finding its Pot-of-Gold at a snow free tree base with a nice leaf litter cover to find its favorite spring fare. She also got a photo of two WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie], that appear to have adopted the friendship of two CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada].

**Clarence Cormier reports along with many COMMON GRACKLES [Quiscale bronzé] and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes], he is now starting to see first year male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes]. AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] numbers continue to swell as do residential EUROPEAN STARLINGS [Étourneau sansonnet]. SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] went from 1 to 6, and one NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] appeared on Tuesday. A SNOW-SHOE HARE [Lièvre d'Amérique] was about the area on Tuesday, still very white, with scattered light tan patches.

** Aldo Dorio got some photos of SNOW BUNTINGS [Bruant des neiges] around his Neguac home on Tuesday, showing they have taken on much more white plumage and will soon be leaving us to head back north, to their breeding territory.

**Bob Blake keeps weather statistics from his Second North River home. He was away 17 days in 2017, so comparison for the two Marches would not give a true picture. He does have snow records recording 36 cm of snow in March of 2017 and 109 cm of snow in March of 2018. So, a big difference in snow amounts comparing these two months.