NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 19, 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)
**David and Anita Cannon went for a walk around the
Irishtown Nature Park, Sunday afternoon.
They have been seeing 3 types of diving ducks there all week, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [Harle huppé] and COMMON MERGANSER [Grand
Harle] and LONG-TAILED
DUCK [Harelde kakawi] plus the MALLARD DUCKS [Canard
colvert].
David attaches pictures of 2 of them from Sunday, a Red-Breasted
Merganser and a Long-Tail Duck. The
Long-Taled Duck seems to be molting into its summer plumage, showing the much
darker body and wing area. It is also
much more uncommon to see the Red- Breasted Merganser in fresh water where the
Common Merganser would be expected to be there.
**Gordon Rattray leaves a report from
Hillsborough. He noted that his first TREE SWALLOW [Hirondelle bicolore] on April 18th at Hillsborough Wetlands
Park. They were checking some of the
boxes. He cleaned boxes on April 9th
and 5 boxes had old Tree Swallow nests.
On Gray Brook
Marsh, April 16th had a pair of AMERICAN
WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique], 1 BLACK SCOTER [Macreuse noire], BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur
d'Amérique] GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron], 15 Mallard Ducks, 7 RING-NECKED DUCK [Fuligule à
collier] and 2 Black Ducks [Canards noirs].
From Gordon’s Weldon feeder yard he saw numbers of
species swell to 14 on Saturday and 17 on Sunday. Of note were 20 DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé] and AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle
d'Amérique], both days approximately 50. After being missed for a few weeks, the BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun] was back, Woodpeckers, both DOWNY WOODPECKER [Pic mineur] and HAIRY WOODPECKER [Pic
chevelu] were in large numbers, 4 COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé] were still present, a NORTHERN FLICKER feed for some
time and Gordon comments it was amazing how deep it probed, and an adult BALD
EAGLE did a close over-flight.
**Loid Budd reports the COMMON
REDPOLL have apparently started their journey
north as she has not had any patronizing her feeder for several days now. AMERICAN GOLDFINCH are increasing in number
with the redpoll departure and one can note the males molting to their bright
breeding plumage. Lois had a nice flock
of EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant ] that had recently reduced to just a few but the
weekend snowfall brought them back in number loudly announcing the feeders were
running low. A few AMERICAN TREE
SPARROWS are still hanging in but the species that will soon head north.
**Aldo Dorio is continuing to see the BLACK SCOTER
groups at Hay Island. The blend seems to
be predominately male.
**Jane Leblanc photographed a GREAT BLUE HERON on the
St. Martin Marsh on Sunday morning nicely showing its breeding head plume. Jane has had a visit from 5 BOHEMIAN WAXWING [Jaseur boréal]. This species
would be expected to move out of the area, if most had not already.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
