NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April, 5 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)
**Jane Leblanc reports that she had a nice arrival of SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé] and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
[Bruant à gorge blanche] to her
St. Martins yard on Saturday. The newly
arriving birds must very much appreciate feeder yards with this sudden April
snowfall, as temporary as it may be.
**Like Northern Cardinals, there seems to be notably
more reports on White-Breasted Nuthatch in Southeastern New Brunswick this
season.
A neighbour of Ron Steeves has a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche] that has taken up residency in a little bird house in
their yard. Ron notes he has seen this
species around during recent winters. As
a point of interest, Ron looked up some information on them, and their nests
consist of tree bark, rootlets, grass, fur and hair. The female lays 5 to 10 eggs that are dull
white with brown and lavender streaking.
The bad news, is one of the main destroyers of their broods is the RED SQUIRREL [Écureuil roux]. They will be going to monitor their progress. Ron comments that, if they have that amount
of young it must take a lot of going in and out to feed so many little ones
which should be easy to observe.
** Gail Mills took a few close-up photos of a COMMON
GRACKLE gleaning up lots of winter leftovers. The blackbirds will be frequent patrons
for the next few weeks before they leave to establish nesting territories.
**Earlier in the season I had lots of PINE SISKIN [Tarin des pins] and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
[Chardonneret jaune] patrons. As the COMMON
REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé] started
building up into very high numbers, both the PINE
SISKIN and the American Goldfinch have
disappeared and haven’t see either in over a month, until an American Goldfinch
braved it Sunday during a Redpoll absence.
It was a male and sure showing that moth-eaten look of the molt to
breeding plumage. I am expecting them
back in numbers as soon as the redpolls file flight plans north.
Also, quite differently this winter, the fruit feeder
was quite quiet except for a few Grey Squirrels [écureuil gris] taking a look
at it. Sunday morning a bright male AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] decided it was the ideal day to partake and he chose
specifically Globe grapes over everything else. He is back Monday morning and
appears to feel the cache is ‘his only’!
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
