Nature Moncton Nature News: May 16 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 16, 2018 (Wednesday)

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

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

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

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

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

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca.

** Bob Grant from Cape Spear near Tormentine reports that he had a pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu de l'Est] appear nesting in a nest box in an apple orchard by his house. Bob advises he’ll update the Line as housekeeping proceeds. Bob also reports that Barry Dean called in to say that there is an EGRET [Aigrette] in the field behind his home and adjacent the fire hall in Tormentine. The Egret species was not known. Barry lives in the second house on the Old Ferry Rd. His phone number is 538-9979.

** Audrey Goguen on 16 Northview Dr. in Moncton gets BALTIMORE ORIOLES [Oriole de Baltimore] to her yard every year. A male arrived on May 15^th and made a bee line for the waiting oranges, but also went to the black-oil sunflower seed feeder which Audrey had never seen Orioles visiting her yard do. She wondered if it had just arrived and needed higher calorie fuel than oranges.

** Gordon Rattray visited the Grey Brook Marsh in Hillsborough on Tuesday to find a nice selection of waterfowl that included NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet], several AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique] pairs, MALLARDS [Canard colvert], NORTHERN SHOVELERS [Canard souchet], GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d'hiver], BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues], AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] and RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier]. Gordon visited the SNOWY EGRET [Aigrette neigeuse] in Waterside last night week to get a distant photo. Gordon’s Weldon feeder yard is very busy at the moment with an excellent variety of regulars, but the big event is PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins]. He’s having 7 to 10 regulars everyday now which seems to be a very different scenario from the more usual winter flocking at feeders which we saw very little of this past winter. Gordon sends a photo of 6 Pine Siskins in one frame.

** Aldo Dorio shares several photos from his dedicated efforts at Hay Island. He got a nice photo of a CAPE MAY WARBLER [Paruline tigrée] that shows the identification features of this warbler nicely. One photo is branch-bombed, but does show that streaking on the yellow breast nicely. Aldo also got a documentary photo of a GRAY CATBIRD [Moqueur chat] that shows that signature undertail chestnut patch and the black-capped head. Another photo shows a GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] that got temporarily fooled by a piece of black plastic and a male NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet], showing its long periscope-like neck.

** A heads-up that the Nature Moncton Activities Committee has arranged for two upcoming nature events with “Out in the Woods” coming up on June 8^th and “What’s that Bird?” coming up on June 16^th. Attached are write-ups for both these events, so folks can pencil off those days on their calendars.

Nature Moncton Field Trip

Date : June 8th, 2018

Time : Meet at 5 :45 pm (to 9 :00 pm)

Location : Meet at Tankville School and we will proceed from there up Rte 115.

Leader : Roger Leblanc and Mathieu Leblanc

OUT TO THE WOODS

It’s spring! Migratory birds are coming back, plants are flowering, insects are flying (yes even mosquitoes) and soon mushrooms will be coming out. And a lot of that is happening in or around the forest. In fact a veritable cornucopia of natural sights and sounds is available in forested areas at all times of the year, but spring is special and some of us will be passing quite a bit of time birding and conducting other activities in forested habitat during the coming season. But how much do we really know about the beautiful Acadian forest around us? And then there is forestry? Wood is one of the main resources of the province.

If any or all of these questions have been on your mind Nature Moncton will give you a chance to learn more. On Friday June 8^th we will be offering an evening outing to a working woodlot about 20 km North of Moncton in Notre Dame at civic # 3764 on route 115. The owner of the land, our own Roger Leblanc, cuts firewood for his own use on these 150 acres and he will be there to talk about that but also show us the birds that nest there and some of the things, like owl nesting boxes, he does to help out our feathered friends. An added bonus will be the presence of Mathieu Leblanc a local forester who operates a sustainable commercial harvesting company. He will talk about the trees and forest types we cross on our approximately two-kilometre walk that will go at a leisurely pace on easy trails and last about 3 hours. Mathieu will also explain the services he offers to his clients that in a nutshell are able to make some profit from his land while still making sure its biological integrity is preserved for future generations. So why not join us for this outing of discovery? And who knows? -- if they are still there we just might end the walk with a visit to a nesting family of Saw-whet Owls Roger has been lucky enough to host this spring.

All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

Nature Moncton Workshop and Outing

Date: June 16^th, 2018

Time: 9:00 am (workshop); outing in the afternoon

Location: Tankville School

Leader: Roger Leblanc

Cost: $8.00

WHAT’S THAT BIRD???

Are you just getting started in bird watching and asking yourself these kinds of questions:

- Where do I start to identify a bird? There are so many.

- What about guides, apps, sites and equipment? What should I get?

And once I have the toys what should I do with them?

- What about places to bird? Field vs.feeders.

- Where do I find what bird?

- Where do I find help out there?

- How do I get better at birding?

Nature Moncton recognizes that a lot of new bird enthusiasts are joining our ranks but also that it’s not easy getting started. In order to share the great pleasure and sense of accomplishment one gets from learning to know birds and nature better, we are offering a birding workshop for beginners with our own Roger Leblanc. Roger, a well known birder and bird expert with more than 20 years of experience, will explore all these questions with you and any others you might have. He will also share with you his expertise on finding and identifying birds as well as many tips on various aspects of bird watching. And after a couple of hours indoors talking about birds and birding, we will put it all together by --“YES” -- going birding together. At this point you can put your newfound know-how to the test in the field again with the help of Roger. As many have said, bird watching is all about time spent in the field and so we will go out to see what the nesting season has in store for us. Some extra binoculars and scopes will be available.

All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton