NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Jan 29, 2022 (Saturday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**Aldo Dorio got a pleasant photographic surprise when a Barred Owl perched on utility wire near his Neguac home on Friday. Aldo’s photo nicely shows the ruff around the neck and the dark eyes.
**Some birds are trying the newly minted peanut butter feeder in Jane LeBlanc's St. Martins yard, including a female HAIRY WOODPECKER on Friday morning.
Jane comments “They got at least
six inches of snow through the day. Enough to try snowshoeing down to the
river. It was completely still....no wind, not a sound, but no animals of any
kind either. Maybe they are holed up, waiting for the nor'easter?”
(Editor’s note: note the right
eye of the bird in Jane’s photo appears blue. The nictitating membrane (3rd
eyelid) is a well-developed protective mechanism in some species such as
woodpeckers. When they close this membrane over their eye, it appears blue
which may well be what is appearing here)
**Lois Budd is noting American
Tree Sparrows sampling a suet blend on a regular basis, a foraging behaviour
she is not noted in the past. It was wondered if there may be a seed component
to the mixture that was attracting the sparrows. Lois notes seeds don’t seem to
be present in the mixture.
Others have
commented about this behaviour as well.
I am noting
the same behaviour at my own feeder to one particular suet blend. There is no
seeds in it but it is laced with peanut butter. I have occasionally noted
American Tree Sparrows take straight peanut butter so that could well be an
attraction to some as well.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
