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Editor: Nelson Poirier    Proofreader: Louise Nichols

Monday 12 April 2021

April 12 2021

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April, 12, 2021 (Monday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by Susan Richards susan_richards@rogers.com

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

 

**While birding around Memramcook on Saturday, Marco Vachon found out that 2 BEAVER [Castor] had set up territory at the Reid McManus Nature Reserve and was able to get some good photos of the activity.  On Sunday morning it was a MINK [Vison d'Amerique] that greeted Marco around Memramcook Lake.  Nice to see these furry animals.  These sites have been very kind to naturalist’s observations the past week.

 

**Lois Budd had a near fallout of DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé] on Sunday afternoon.  She counted 50 of them at the front and side of her house and the ones bobbing and scratching over by a dead Elm tree, she didn’t get to count but perhaps another 30 or so.  A lot of scratching going on and millet disappearing. She also has a pair of EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi] starting to nest in her old barn and EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] and COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé] are still present in significant numbers.

 

**In follow up to the discussion yesterday on Avian Keratin Disorder, Frank Branch had a EUROPEAN STARLING [Étourneau sansonnet] appear in his Paquetville yard with this disorder in April of 2015 with photos attached.

 

**Shani Jones was very pleased to have a male NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] singing in her Moncton yard on April 9th.  Shani comments she has been waiting for years for this visit.  The appearance of more Northern Cardinals in a much wider range of New Brunswick this season has been a real treat and hope there is lots of successful housekeeping.

 

**Daryl Doucette’s female EASTERN TOWHEE [Tohi à flancs roux] continues to be a regular faithful patron to his Moncton feeder yard and posed for a photo on Sunday.

 

**Paula Lansdale in Alma also had her first of the year Eastern Phoebe arrive right to her deck and enjoyed feeding on Cluster Flies near the roof area where this fly often overwinters and starts appearing now to the delight of fly connoisseurs.  Sometimes NORTHERN SHRIKE [Pie-grièche grise] find them very attractive as well.

 

**Jamie and Karen Burris were checking and cleaning swallow nest boxes on Sunday.  They had 3 nest boxes set up; one was taken by wasps; one was empty and another had been occupied and the old nest cleaned out.  They were a bit surprised only one was successfully occupied as they saw TREE SWALLOW [Hirondelle bicolore] checking all 3 boxes last season.  They were pleased just as they were leaving the site on Sunday to see 4 Tree Swallows circling over them.  Great to hear lots of reports of Tree Swallows arriving in good numbers.

 

**Fishing buoys hanging in a yard may provide more avian interest than we stop to realize. Art Bateman has been noting a pair of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADDEES appear to be actively excavating a nest cavity chipping away at pieces and removing them to create a cavity of their liking. Art was not able to capture a sharp photo with them moving in and out so robustly. This is not the first-time fishing buoys have been reported of getting use by birds as Brian Coyle had a woodpecker use an excavated hole in one as a night perch all winter.

I wonder if it would be an interesting idea to hang one in our yards and excavate some man-made holes in them to encourage birds to use them as one more tool to attract birds to our yards.

 

**The TREE SWALLOWS and EASTERN PHOEBES are moving in fast and suddenly from all the reports the last few days. Dave Christie reports he saw 3 Tree Swallows foraging over Lars Larsen Marsh in Harvey on Sunday and an Eastern Phoebe was enjoying flycatching around his home.

 

 

**Brian Stone went through the Memramcook area once again on Sunday as the sunny early light turned to a dull, misty, windy afternoon. He checked out the lagoon at the Reid McManus Nature Reserve site first but only found a busy MUSKRAT there near the viewing blind. He then went to the Arthur St. lagoon and spent an hour watching for any interesting arrivals. Nothing rare showed up while he was there but he was happy to see 4 NORTERN PINTAILS enjoying the cold waters and an active NORTHERN SHRIKE patrolling the length of the lagoon fence. There were 30+ RING-NECKED DUCKS friskily pursuing single females (Editor’s note: an excellent photo of a pair to show the gender plumages) but only a few BLACK SCOTER were still there. A wave of fear spread through the lagoon population as an immature BALD EAGLE made a low flyover of the area but it didn't hang around for long. The Memramcook River behind the lagoon was crowded with Canada Geese. While heading back home along the Old Shediac Rd. he was lucky to spot a male AMERICAN KESTREL (another great photo) perched

 

 **All the nest box cleaning discussion got me to start checking mine in Miramichi on Sunday.  I checked 5 swallow boxes and 1 AMERICAN KESTREL [Crécerelle d’Amérique] box.  All had been occupied.  They were all mounted on utility poles near an open field.  At the Kestrel site I heard an American Kestrel vocalizing loudly but could not locate it but, it did seem close.  There are approximately 10 more to get to tomorrow and hoping we’ll have a similar level of activity as last season.  Permethrin and Diatomaceous Earth were in all the boxes to control fleas which seemed to work as found none among the nesting material.

 

 nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton

 


RING-NECKED DUCKS (PAIR). APRIL 11, 2021.  BRIAN STONE

RING-NECKED DUCKS (PAIR). APRIL 11, 2021.  BRIAN STONE

NORTHERN PINTAIL DUCKS (PAIR). APRIL 11, 2021. BRIAN STONE

AMERICAN KESTREL (MALE). APRIL 11, 2021. BRIAN STONE

EASTERN TOWHEE (FEMALE). APRIL 11, 2021. DARYL DOUCETTE

BALD EAGLE. (IMMATURE) APRIL 11, 2021.. BRIAN STONE

EUROPEAN STARLING (AVIAN KERATIN DISORDER). APRIL 24, 2015. FRANK BRANCH

EUROPEAN STARLING (AVIAN KERATIN DISORDER). APRIL 24, 2015. FRANK BRANCH

NORTHERN SHRIKE. APRIL 11, 2021.  BRIAN STONE

TURKEY VULTURE. APRIL 11, 2021.  BRIAN STONE

TURKEY VULTURE. APRIL 11, 2021.  BRIAN STONE

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE EXCAVATING BUOY. APRIL 11, 2021. ART BATEMAN




BEAVER. APRIL 10, 2021.  MARCO VACHON

BEAVER. APRIL 10, 2021.  MARCO VACHON

BEAVER. APRIL 10, 2021.  MARCO VACHON

MINK. APRIL 11, 2021, MARCO VACHON

MUSKRAT. APRIL 11, 2021.. BRIAN STONE



 

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