Nature Moncton Nature News: May 14 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 14, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Susan Richards had orange slices ready and waiting for the event … a bright, adult, male BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de Baltimore] arrived to her Taylor Village yard to enjoy the fare. Susan also has the RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS [Colibri à gorge rubis] back to her nectar feeder. Summer bird feeding has a lot of bonuses!

** Stella Leblanc got a photo of a male BOBOLINK [Goglu des prés] that visited her Bouctouche feeder yard on Monday. This is the first time that they have had one come by their feeders but do see them in a nearby hay field or in the trees in their back yard. Usually early spring is the only time the occasional Bobolink will drop by a feeder yard. The female’s plumage is very different from the male’s so it is a good idea to review your guide to be ready for identification should one drop by your feeder yard.

** Gordon Rattray heard on the weekend that some folks in Riverside-Albert had an INDIGO BUNTING [Passerin indigo] come to their yard. He went to check on it but could not locate it. Then on Monday, when he went to let his dogs out in the early morning, lo and behold a bright, male Indigo Bunting was ground feeding with some Sparrows. It returned several times during the day, seemingly enjoying white millet. On Sunday Gordon had a FOY WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW [Bruant à couronne blanche] come to his yard which he also got a photo of. He took a walk along the old Hillsborough rail line on Monday to look for Warblers. He found a good number of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune] and one PALM WARBLER [Paruline à couronne rousse] as well as a SWAMP SPARROW [Bruant des marais] on the path that stopped briefly for a photo.

** Brian Coyle sends some interesting photos of a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] to remind us of the colour presentations of this species. The two genders do not differ in plumage as adults, but some adults come in the brilliant white throat and head stripes while others come as a drab, tan striped form. They are both adult birds regardless of gender. It may make us think that the drab one may be female and the bright ones male, but that is not the case for the White-throated Sparrow.

** Maurice Richard photographed a male YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] that visited his Acadieville cabin location on Saturday. Some good field marks of a male Yellow-rumped Warbler are that white delineated throat, the split white eye ring on the black background, and of course the yellow rump patch and yellow shoulder patches. It may be one of our most common wood warblers but it sure is great to see and hear them more commonly again.

** John Massey came across some fresh FALSE MORREL MUSHROOMS on Monday in the Loggieville area. This is the time of year that this species is found. It is considered toxic as the fumes from it when cooked are released and are toxic to humans. There is no problem just handling them. The dark, brain-like convoluted cap is characteristic with a paler stalk and interior.

** On Sunday Verica Leblanc visited the Bay du Vin and Escuminac area. The OSPREY [Balbuzard pêcheur] are back on their nest in Bay du Vin to provide a very windblown photo. At Escuminac, Verica comments that there is not much bird activity in the area except for DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS [Cormoran à aigrettes] and Gulls but she did see a very distant NORTHERN GANNET [Fou de Bassan] and got a documentary photo. On Monday Verica dropped by the Miramichi Marsh to note approximately 30 TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] in a feeding frenzy that were more concerned with getting a bite to eat than checking out the supplied nest boxes. A lone, male GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d'hiver] was in the marsh as well.

** Dale Gaskin reports that the EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu de l'Est] are still very much around his Dawson Settlement home and he is seeing them every day. He also had his FOY, male RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] on Monday and he comments that a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] took a very serious bath in his water dish. Dale felt that it must have been a bit cool in Monday’s crisp wind!

Brian Stone dropped by Mapleton Park on Monday to find a Daffodil cultivar in blazing bloom that he finds every year at this time at the same spot by itself. Serviceberry, violets, honeysuckle, wild strawberry, and Red Maple were noted in bloom and a distant male Pileated Woodpecker flew off to a more private area.

Happy Birthday to me!

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton