Nature Moncton Nature News: May 11 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 11 May 2019 (Saturday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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

**Gordon Rattray was able to capture some great photos of the adult male SUMMER TANAGER [Piranga vermillon] still enjoying suet at the Chocolate River Motel in Hopewell Cape on Route 114 on Friday. Gordon stopped by Gray Brook Marsh to note a fishing male COMMON MERGANSER [Grand Harle], and a SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] with a definite nesting mission on mind.

**Jim Saunders got a photo of the sharply-dressed male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER [Pic maculé] that we hear at the moment drumming on mailboxes, stovepipes, birdhouses, etc. to announce itself. The NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant] has this habit of drumming on objects as well. Jim also captured the small beautiful female flowers of the TAMARACK [Tamarac] tree blooming at the moment, as well as RED MAPLE [Plaine rouge].

**The female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à epaulettes] often confuses summer bird feeders, being so different from her mate, and arriving later than the males and not as frequently at feeders. Daryl Doucet got a nice photo of one that dropped by his Moncton feeder on Friday.

**Aldo Dorio spotted one GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] at Hay Island on Friday, but has seen some earlier this year. This species tends to nest in muskeg areas to the north of us.

**Brian Stone got several interesting photos in his travels on Thursday. A HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] nicely cooperated to show its rust-red tail in contrast to the rest of the top part of the body, the white eye-ring (not a spectacle as in the SWAINSON'S THRUSH [Grive à dos olive] and VEERY [Grive fauve]), and the modestly-spotted chest. A RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis] actually showed its red ruby crown patch that we seldom see, as well as the extended eye-ring. A BARN SWALLOW [Hirondelle rustique] showed its long forked tail in comparison to other Swallows. INTERRUPTED FERN [Osmonde de Clayton] was emerging in its clumping fashion, lots of TROUT-LILY [Ail doux] blooms and their patchwork leaves. Violets [Violette] were in flower; however, their leaves will persist all summer, unlike other ephemerals at the moment. Brian also photographed a male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER [Pic maculé] and a male YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune].

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton