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Editor: Nelson Poirier    Proofreader: Louise Nichols

Tuesday, 21 December 2021

Dec 21 2021

NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE

 Dec 21, 2021 (Tuesday)

 

 

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

 

**Jamie Burris shares a few photos of the 24 species they were able to tally in zone D during the Moncton Christmas Bird Count on Saturday. It was interesting to note that included a Pine Siskin that has not been appearing in numbers.

 Jamie also shares a photo of a large Privet hedge they found on their outing commenting they don't see many pictures of it on the blog.

Jamie just beat us to the punch as we also noticed a large Privet hedge on Saturday but then later saw a very similar looking bush and berry cluster on a trail away from human habitation. It was Black Huckleberry with photo of the similar berries but very different winter buds attached. Privet shrubs grow much taller than huckleberry if not trimmed as is often done with a cultivar hedge. There is a lone escapee Privet shrub growing aside Jones Lake in Moncton that is approximately 6 m. in height.

 

Jamie also had a special visitor to their Riverview back yard backyard on Dec 2nd...a Great Horned Owl!

 

**Rheal Vienneau was a bit surprised to look out his Dieppe window to see 4 White-tailed Deer enjoying black oil sunflower seed put out for his 6 resident Ring-necked Pheasants. Take a look at the action in the attached link and no, that’s not Rudolph!

 

 https://www.dropbox.com/s/cab0h4f5eb2vrtg/Deer%20in%20back%20yard%20.MOV?dl=0

 

**While on the Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Brian Stone and I noted the clinging berries of a Privet hedge as did Jamie Burris. Privet is a cultivar and expected to be seen around human habitation. It was therefore a surprise to see a similar shrub with similar clinging berries on a woods trail in a wet area. On closer look, it was obvious the winter buds were noticeably different, and the branching was alternate. Privet branching his opposite. The wild plant turned out to be Black Huckleberry. The resemblance at a distance was striking.

The clinging berries of both of these plants are choice for fruit connoisseur birds.

I recall a Northern Mockingbird that very aggressively defended a hedge of Privet berries all one Winter in Bouctouche. It put the run to even flocks of European starlings in very short order.

 

Black Cherry is not a common tree in this area. We came across an area of several Black Cherry trees and all were affected with the galls of the Black Knot (Apiosporina morbosa). Black Knot is quite common in Chokecherry and Pin Cherry but expresses itself differently in the Black Cherry.

 

I had thought Black Knot only affected members of the Prunus species. We noted some large gall like masses in a few nearby maple trees. Mr. Google stated it can also affect maple trees. I had never seen it before in maple trees but it certainly appeared exactly the same as the nearby Black Cherry trees.

 

 Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton


PINE SISKEN. DEC 18, 2021. JAMIE BURRIS

WHITE WINGED CROSSBILLS. DEC 18, 2021. JAMIE BURRIS

RED-TAILED HAWK. DEC 18, 2021. JAMIE BURRIS

BALD EAGLES. DEC 18, 2021. JAMIE BURRIS

DARK EYED JUNCO. DEC 18, 2021. JAMIE BURRIS

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. DEC 18, 2021. JAMIE BURRIS

PRIVET HEDGE. DEC 18, 2021. JAMIE BURRIS

PRIVET BERRIES. DEC. 18, 2021.. BRIAN STONE

PRIVET BERRIES. DEC. 18, 2021.. BRIAN STONE

BLACK HUCKLEBERRY  (BERRIES AND WINTER BUDS). DEC 18, 2021. NELSON POIRIER 

BLACK CHERRY TREE FUNGUS (BLACK KNOT). DEC. 18, 2021.. BRIAN STONE

BLACK CHERRY TREE FUNGUS (BLACK KNOT). DEC. 18, 2021.. BRIAN STONE

 

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