Nature Moncton Nature News: May 26 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 26, 2019 (Sunday)

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Edited by Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Transcript by David Christie, <maryspt@mac.com>

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

** Suzanne Rousseau had a double whammy in her Sussex yard on Friday when a bright male INDIGO BUNTING [Passerin indigo] joined her ground-feeder patrons, as well as a bright male BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de Baltimore] at nectar. Two very colourful yard visitors!

** Clarence Cormier spotted his FOY VEERY [Grive fauve] at his Grand-Digue site on Saturday. BOBOLINKS [Goglu des prés] are still arriving as of Saturday, and a flock of 30 PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] are in attendance. They are not a regular species for Clarence and are enjoying niger seed.

The RED FOX [Renard roux] (“cross fox”) is still being seen, mostly near a mature forest. A GROUNDHOG [Marmotte commune], being a vegetarian, is enjoying foraging on a DAPHNE [Daphne lauréole] bush in bloom, and a WEASEL [Hermine] has been making regular daily appearances. Clarence got a photo of it with its prize of what appears to be a MEADOW VOLE [Campagnol des champs]. This is the animal that we saw as pure white with a black tail tip all winter. It now is in its shiny brown dorsal pelage with white underparts.

Clarence saw his last AM. TREE SPARROW [Bruant hudsonien] on May 20. In late evening on Saturday Clarence noted 3 AMERICAN REDSTARTS [Paruline flamboyante] and many more YELLOW WARBLERS [Paruline jaune].

** Jim Johnson reports that the sun surely brought life to his Scotch Settlement yard, with approximately a dozen pairs of TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore], numerous finches, 12 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS [Colibri à gorge rubis], and he is now getting BOBOLINKS [Goglu des prés] in the fields adjacent to his home. A pair of CLIFF SWALLOWS [Hirondelle à front blanc] are also back, checking out an area around his house that they successfully used last year.

** Jane LeBlanc got a nice photo of an Empidonax flycatcher. These can be very hard to differentiate from photos, without hearing the vocalizations. Gilles Belliveau offers an opinion. He would not call this one with 100% certainty, but gets the impression that it is a LEAST FLYCATCHER [Moucherolle tchébec]. The eye-ring seems a bit thick for Alder/Willow flycatcher [Moucherolle des aulnes ou des saules] . Gilles comments that there Is something about the head shape and size in relation to the body that just looks better for a Least Flycatcher.

** Yvette Richard shares some photos she got of a BONAPARTE’S GULL [Mouette de Bonaparte] in flight, appearing to be in breeding plumage. This is possibly a late migrant or a non-breeder. Yvette also got a photograph of an Empidonax flycatcher, and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER [Chevalier grivelé]. The same comments apply to Yvette’s flycatcher as Jane Leblanc’s report just before this one.

Jane also got a photo of a fly-by TURKEY VULTURE [Urubu à tête rouge], as well as of a striking, blooming RED TRILLIUM [Trille rouge]. The nice thing about Red Trillium photo is that you can enjoy it without its foul odour!

Georges Brun shares a photo of a Barred Owl sent to him by David LeBlanc who came across it perched on Main Street in Moncton appearing to be contentedly snoozing the day away.

Dave Christie spotted his FOY Eastern Bluebird near the Mary’s Point interpretive centre on Saturday.

** Bob Blake is noting a steady streaming of HAIRY [Pic chevelu] and DOWNY WOODPECKERS [Pic mineur], carrying food away from the feeders and wondering if they may be feeding hatchlings It seems early, but maybe not.

** Brian and Annette Stone are enjoying a pair of GRAY CATBIRDS [Moqueur chat] in their yard. The catbirds are equally enjoying the plump juicy orange put out for them.

Brian also got a photo of one of our Wolf spiders. This species does not build webs pouncing on their prey as they find it or even chasing prey for short distances. If one notes the eye arrangement of Wolf spiders, two are very large compared to the rest to help identify them. They carry their eggs in sacs by attaching them to their spinnerets.

** The Nature Moncton warbler workshop was blessed by pleasant, warm sunny weather on Saturday. Roger LeBlanc gave an indoor presentation to familiarize participants with the 18 warblers most common in the area. The outdoor portion covered some trails in Irishtown Nature Park, near the Tankville School.

Gordon Rattray got a photo of a bright NORTHERN PARULA [Pauline à collier] warbler and a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER [Paruline noir et blanc]. Note the seemingly over-sized bill of the Black-and-White Warbler, to help it probe crevices. Gordon also got a photo of a BLUE-HEADED VIREO [Viréo à tête bleue] that crashed the party.

David Cannon comments Roger spent a lot of time preparing the in class and field session and it surely showed.

** I have started trying the so-called bird pies on the market in my feeder area. They sure are popular and I have been a bit surprised at the patrons to it. Last week, a female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose] took to it and on Saturday I noted a GRAY CATBIRD [Moqueur chat] that returned to it several times, but was shy in true Catbird fashion. They are maybe a bit too popular, as the connoisseurs of it go through one every day, if not more. It could damage the bird-feeding budget.

Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Nature Moncton