Nature Moncton Nature News: May 6 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 6, 2019 (Monday)

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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)

John Inman at 225 Mary’s Point Road reports their first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD of the season arrived on Monday morning and immediately began to fuel up on the waiting nectar in the ready to boggie feeder. Great to hear these little lively leprechauns are arriving back on schedule. Definitely time to have all feeders ready and waiting.

They also saw their first BARN SWALLOW flying about the area on Sunday evening.

** The PUSSY WILLOWS [Chaton (Saule discolore)] are in bloom for real at the moment. Lisa Morris photographed some close-up and at a distance in Centennial Park on Sunday. The bright yellow ones that Lisa took close-up are all male pollen catkins that will be shedding their pollen and disappearing. The female blooms are on separate shrubs, will be green, and will form seed catkins when pollinated.

** Brian Stone paid a visit to Sir Sandford Fleming Park in Halifax on Sunday and made some interesting observations. He came across some quite large Red-eared Slider turtles [Tortue à oreilles rouges]. These are not native turtles and can create a problem for our native turtles if released into the wild and survive. These would have come from pet stores and were probably released when they grew too large. In many parts of the Maritimes these would not survive our winters, but with global warming they could present a problem. There has been reports of them successfully overwintering in the Halifax area. I have had photos submitted of Red-eared Slider in Mapleton Park in Moncton, but am not sure whether it would have survived winter or was a recent release. These turtles should never be released into the wild.

Brian also spotted a CEDAR WAXWING [Jaseur d’Amérique]. This species is normally a late-arriving migrant and would be an early arrival if it had not over-wintered in the area, which is quite possible. Brian also got a GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d’hiver] having a lively bath, and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] that had its eye on an insect which you can see in the photo.

Nelson Poirier, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton