Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 31 2021

NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE, Oct. 31, 2021 (Sunday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Yvette Richard noted 2 huge flocks of Common Eiders passing overhead Saturday afternoon in the Cocagne area heading north toward Northumberland Strait.

She has seen quite a few flocks passing the past few days.

Yvette got nice flight photos of 2 male Ring-necked Ducks at Arthur Street Lagoon in Memramcook on Friday. She also got a nice photo of Northern Shoveler Ducks on Friday swimming in a tight circle foraging which is a strategy of the species.

A large flock of European Starlings were doing their acrobatics then settle down on utility wires in soldierly fashion.

Yvette also photographed a group of mixed gender Green-winged Teal at the Sackville St. James Street Lagoon on October 24.

**Georges Brun also noted a flock of Common Eider flying by at the bend of the Petitcodiac River on Friday afternoon of approximately 150 + birds headed SSW into Albert County.

With 2 back-to-back reports of Common Eider flocks, there is assumedly large numbers moving through at the moment.

Georges also got a nice photo of a male Northern Pintail back in breeding plumage at Bis Marsh Pond. Georges comments there was/is a good water level there this year attracting birds where much of it was dry land last season. Georges has also been noting 2 Northern harrier Hawks hunting the Riverview Marsh all summer. Will the Short-eared owls rejoin us there this winter??

**Ron Arsenault comments on the bizarre Canada Goose in yesterday’s edition and agrees with the assessment of a genetic anomaly of some sort. He sees no evidence of hybridization with another species, nor does he see any evidence of anything that suggests "captive influence" for this bird (although the probability is likely very low, this does not completely eliminate the possibility of domestic influence). The photo is reattached today.

Ron suggests checking out this link for these plumage aberrations in birds:

https://www.sibleyguides.com/2011/08/abnormal-coloration-in-birds-melanin-reduction/

**Aldo Dorio’s Red Knot group swelled to 9 on Saturday at Hay Island. I felt that may be a high number but Gilles Belliveau suggests that may not be the case in more recent years with Horseshoe Crab fishing in Chesapeake Bay reduced (my words). I’m going to quote Gilles below as his suggestions on 2 spots many of us don’t check at this time of year should be considered.

Quoting Gilles:

“When Marcel David used to do his shorebird surveys at various sites in the Acadian Peninsula, he regularly reported flocks of Red Knots (sometimes considerable amounts).

Also, the past few 2-3 years, I’ve been going to check Johnson Mills in October and November and was seeing quite a few there as well. I don’t recall exact numbers, but I think I’ve had 30-50+ at least a couple of times. I’ve checked a few times this fall but I haven’t seen any shorebirds there when I’ve checked but there are usually Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Dunlin, White-rumped Sandpiper, Sanderling and Red Knots at this time of year.

I’ve also gotten a few to a dozen or more Red Knots at the Dorchester Lagoon several times in recent years.”

Aldo also had a good day in getting close enough to get photos of some of a group of 8 Black-bellied Plovers in a grassy area near Hay Island. I, suspect like others, find it hard from photos to rule out American Golden-Plovers so had to again ask Gilles Belliveau to straighten me out. Gilles wisely commented:

“While I can certainly see some things that may suggest a potential American Golden-Plover for a few of these birds (a few appear to have stronger facial patterns than most Black-bellied Plovers), I believe they are all Black-bellied Plover.

To me, the bill doesn’t look small enough and the primary projection is not as long as I would expect for an American Golden-Plover (both in relation to the tertials and also in relation to the tail)

You can also see some white at the base of the tail on a few of these birds which you shouldn’t see on an American Golden-Plover.

They all appear to be a mixture of white, black and gray with no yellowish or golden tones to them but colour can be difficult to judge in photos."

**Brian Stone drove around the Tantramar Marsh on Saturday to see if any birds of interest were present but saw nothing exotic, just the normally expected birds. He saw several NORTHERN HARRIER HAWKS flying and perching in the distance. Also, a couple ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were perching and flying as well. At least the weather was great, and the roads were dry. A few goats were interested in Brian’s presence wondering what he was up to and although not our favorite bird, a European Starling was photo candy.