Nature Moncton Nature News: April 7 2018

Nature Moncton Information Line, April 7, 2018 (Saturday)

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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

**Maurice Richard got a photo of one of the assumed pair of NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS [Moqueur polyglotte] they are seeing regularly around their Jones Lake-front home. Maurice tried to get a photo of them together, but the duo would not cooperate.

**Ron Steeves made a third foray to Cape Enrage and New Horton on Friday. It was really cold and quite windy at the Cape, with very little migration of seabirds. 764 SCOTERS [Macreuse] recorded, practically all BLACK [Macreuse à bec jaune], and only 44 EIDERS [Eider] in a 5-hour stretch. He had a NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] come rocketing up over the bluff, and 5 immature EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] kettling together, but they eventually dispersed and seemed to go inland. One would wonder if these birds might have fledged from the known nesting sites along the river system last year, and they’re reluctant to find their own territories. Although it was hard to tell for sure, four of them might have been last year’s young, as they showed very little white feathering on the back and on the underside. Ron spent a couple of hours at the New Horton church, and had two immature Eagles, likely two of the ones seen earlier at the Cape, and a first AMERICAN KESTREL [Crécerelle] of the season, hunting the field by the church. Still no CORMORANTS [Cormoran]. Ron comments there has to be a lot of birds to come yet.

**On Thursday, Gordon Rattray visited the Saint-Thomas wharf, Caissie Cape wharf, and Cocagne Bridge looking for sea ducks. The ice was far offshore at both wharves, and there was a lot of open water at Cocagne. It was a cold -4° and extremely windy. At Saint-Thomas there were 20 BLACK SCOTERS [Macreuse à bec jaune] and a pair of COMMON EIDERS [Eider à duvet] that came close. At Caissie Cape there were about 75 Black Scoters. At Cocagne a COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d'or] and a pair of COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle] were near the shore. It’s nice to see photos of Black Scoters, as we see this species for such a short time window, and often they are far off in large skeins. Gordon got views of both genders.

**John Inman had an oddly-plumaged male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à epaulettes] arrive to his 225 Mary’s Point Road yard on Friday, that made for some second looks. It seemed to have a white throat area and some white on the wing area. However, when it did spread its wings in defense of food with other birds, it did show the red epaulettes , so it is assumed that this is a bird with areas that lack melanin, to make it a partial albino. They hope to get a photo today.

**Brian Stone visited Mapleton Park Friday. He didn’t note any particular new activity, but was rewarded just as he was passing Hall’s Creek off the Gorge Road as he walked back, to hear a different-sounding duck. He turned towards the sound to see a pair of WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu] in the water just off the Gorge Road roadway, and got some nice photos. Some PUSSY WILLOWS [Saule à chatons] were starting to swell their buds to show their effective winter insulation. These are not considered to be blooming at this point, but are on the way, to soon form yellow blooms on the male bushes and green blooms on the female bushes.

**The small pond just across from the Tankville School is now fully open. There was a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS [Harle couronné] on that pond on Friday afternoon. I also took a drive up Dan Hicks’ driveway not far past this pond. Five WHITE TAILED DEER [Chevreuil] were wandering about the small section of woods beside the highway, seemingly in very nice condition. They must be street-smart, with a busy road metres away, and forest on the other side of the road. Dan mentioned that a nearby FOX [Renard] den is active. He is being careful not to venture near it, as he suspects that he saw an adult carrying food to it.

nelson@nb.sympaico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton