Nature Moncton Nature News: May 1 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 1, 2019 (Wednesday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca .

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling. Note that corrections, deletions, or delayed additions may not always appear on the Info Line and email transcript but will always appear on the BlogSpot. For this reason, it is recommended that those wishing to look at historical records use the BlogSpot rather than the email transcript. The BlogSpot can always be accessed from the website.

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

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Judy Marsh marshj@nbnet.nb.ca

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

**Karen and Jamie Burris leave some activity from their Riverview feeder yard. They had a MALLARD [Canard colvert] duck pair stay with them for a few months last year, and this year they are back with a male MALLARD travelling with them (peacefully at the moment). They also had their FOY SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés] (3), a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] and a CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier] on Sunday. They had their first ever BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune] to their yard on April 28, which advised it to its kin as the next day 5 male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune] arrived. The number of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune] reported this year seems higher than other years. As they walked on the Turtle Creek Marsh, they saw a GROUNDHOG [Marmotte commune], EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi] and a very lucky photo of a normally bouncing about RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis]. Note the extended eye ring and the small petite bill as clues of this species.

**Rick Elliott and Barb Curlew continue to enjoy their FIELD SPARROW [Bruant des champs] patron to their Marsh Creek feeder yard in Waterside. Rick got that perfect photo to clearly show every signature field mark clearly on Tuesday, showing the pink bill, white eye ring, two white wing bars, and pink legs.

**Clarence Cormier looked out his Grand Digue home window to see what the crows were making a fuss about, which for Clarence usually means a raptor. To his surprise it was the cross-fox version of a RED FOX [Renard roux] checking out the menu in his feeder yard. He got a quick out the window photo, as it promptly went on it's way. This animal seems to be a resident of Clarence's area, as he has seen it several times.

**Brian Coyle sends a few photos of the activity around his yard and some forays into near by woods. The AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] males are taking on their brilliance rapidly. He came across a FOX den, which he suspects may be one from last season. Brian is getting more PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] at his feeders, as many are reporting. He also got some nice portraits of an EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi], which are arriving in pleasing numbers at the moment.

**Verica LeBlanc sends some photos of activity around the growing in popularity Miramichi Marsh. A BEAVER [Castor] lodge is getting some spring reparations. A pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues] had arrived and a MUSKRAT [Rat musqué] appears to be enjoying its favourite diet of cattail root.

Judy and Sterling Marsh visited the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Tuesday to find the birdlife fairly quiet at the time they stopped but did get a photo of a female Red-winged Blackbird that we are now starting to see arriving at bird feeders. An American Wigeon made a flypass for a photo.

**Aldo Dorio got photos of a male BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique]that recently arriving to Hay Island as well as a male GREATER SCAUP [Fuligule milouinan] cruising the shore line there.

**Bob Blake shares some weather stats comparing April 2018 to April 2019, which he maintains from his Second North River home. These are included below as Bob sent them. Note the rainfall comparisons from 2018 to 2019 but remember these are compiled from one site.

2018

There were 10 days of 0 to -7° and 9 days with a high of 10 to 21°. 3 days of those were +21°

8 cms. snow and 89 mms. rain

2019

There were 10 days of 0 to -4° and 11 days of +10 to +17 of which 2 were +17°

28 cms. snow and 208 mms. rain.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton