NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 22
December
2018 (Saturday)
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Edited
by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript
by: Catherine Clements
Info
Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
**A
short line for the first day of winter, which with rainy and windy
conditions is more typical of spring!
**Doreen
Rossiter leaves an activity report from
her Alma yard on Friday, before the warm rainstorm arrival. All
the regulars seemed to arrive, including
21 BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu], which Doreen comments is just a few too
many. The sparrow troupe
of 6-8 includes
SONG
SPARROWS and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche].
However, one FOX
SPARROW
[Bruant
fauve] is
still remaining. The male
RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] continued
to be present, as
well as one female NORTHERN
CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge]. One CANADA
GOOSE [Bernache du Canada] has
been roaming Alma for
the past few weeks, foraging herbs on any green space it can find.
**There’s
been
some chatter about CROW
[Corneille]-VOLE
[Campagnol]
interactions lately. Doreen watched such
a one, just after the snow last week. She watched a Vole traveling
across the crusty snow surface followed by a Crow.
Every time the Vole would stop
and turn around and face the Crow, standing, going into fighting
stance on its hind legs with front legs darting
at the Crow,
this
would cause the Crow
to step back a bit. The
scenario repeated itself several times, until the Vole
got to a large rock, circling
it as though looking for an exit. However,
the Crow then moved in and grabbed it.
**A
correction from yesterday’s edition which many of us may learn
from: We suggested one of the NORTHERN PINTAILS [Canard pilet] Stella
LeBlanc photographed at the pond aside the Bouctouche Lagoon to be a
female. Gilles Belliveau points out there are enough male plumage
features on this bird to say it’s a young of the year male, not a
female. A good point to watch for, as some young male dabblers may be
yet to show strong male plumage. We are used to this with young male
diving ducks, as most do take that second season to reach their adult
male plumage, while male dabbler ducks do take on their male plumage
the first year; however, it is transitional – a point to be aware
of at this time of year, especially as we may not see many dabbler
duck species left this time of year. Am repeating that photo for
second looks today.
Nelson
Poirier,
Nature Moncton
NORTHERN PINTAIL (YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR MALE), DEC 20 2018, STELLA LEBLANC
