Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 21 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 21, 2019 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Ethel Douglas was able to capture some great photos of a RED FOX [Renard roux] on the hunt near her Royal Oaks home on Elmwood Dr. in January. The photo lineup shows the fox listening intently for potential prey, then the classic Red Fox leap and dive into the snow, followed by a successful walk away with its reward which was very likely to have been a meadow vole. There has been a successful fox den beside Royal Oaks for several years now.

** I’m sure that some of us are surprised at times by the number of Mourning Doves that can use a feeder yard as their foraging territory, however Frank Branch in Paquetville reports that he has a whopping 60 to 85 MOURNING DOVES [Tourterelle triste] as regular daily patrons. One individual stands out due to a misshapen, arrow shaped, tail feather. It is a bit hard to say why the tail feather is as it is.

The Mourning Dove scenario is an interesting one. This bird started to appear in New Brunswick approximately forty years ago and at the time many of the new arrivals experienced frozen digits during the winter. This is very rarely seen today and the Mourning Dove is doing very well but in the winter seeing a Mourning Dove means that there is a feeder yard in the area.

** Sarah Chouinard-Horne in the Saint John area photographed an uncommon plumage pigment expression in an EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] traveling with her sizeable group of Evening Grosbeak patrons. The bird was showing a classic example of what is termed xanthochroism and photos are re-attached today. I am putting this message out today as Sarah reports that she has not seen this bird with the flock since she has sent the photos. Hopefully it is just visiting another feeder yard so keep a close eye on your Evening Grosbeak visitors, especially in the Saint John area for the reappearance of this readily spotted individual.

Jane LeBlanc reported some Azalea branches she brought into her home and placed into water went into bloom over a week ago; however, the Weigela she brought in at the same time took almost a month to bloom as the leaves emerged first. The blooms are adding visions of spring to Jane’s St. Martin’s home today with snow squalls outside.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton