NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Jan 30, 2022 (Sunday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**It is refreshing on a stormy day like today to share a pleasant photo from summer. A photo is attached today taken by Phil Riebel in his Miramichi yard of a False Crocus Geometer Moth appearing to be ovipositing on July 1 of this past summer. It’s challenging enough to be able to recognize some of the 1500+ moths that occur in New Brunswick, let alone the appearance of the eggs of each species. However, in this photo, ovipositing is assumed.
**Jane Wood reports her Pine Warbler is still a
patron. It visits several times a day, only coming to peanut butter. Jane
comments “sources online say it will eat seeds, but except for the first day, I have not seen it feeding on anything else. I hope it makes it through the
storm”.
Both Friday and Saturday, there's been a female Northern Cardinal
visiting off and on as well. This morning Jane saw it was also feeding on peanut butter. Yesterday it was in the hanging tray eating grey striped sunflower
seeds.
**Georges Brun captured a photo of 3 Red Foxes taken across from Halls Creek looking towards the eastern part of the Riverview Marsh.
When a
flock of Pigeons (37) surprised Georges on the Gunningsville Bridge (Riverview
side), he was intrigued with the close flight formation. He kept taking pics
until he noticed a lone bird a few hundred feet above the flock. Sure
enough, it was a Peregrine Falcon. The raptor had obviously been spotted by the pigeon flock and they went into a tight formation flock as would shorebirds in the summer/fall in reaction to predation.
While
scanning the former solid waste cells on the Moncton side he managed to
photograph a lone Red Fox. With 3 downriver on the Riverview side and one in the Dieppe Marsh, that makes 5 seen in the last week.
There must
be a good supply of shrew/voles on the marsh this year to support so many Red
Foxes.
**Jamie and Karen Burris have had 8 American Robins in
their Riverview yard Friday and Saturday. They have pretty much eaten all the
Mountain Ash berries from their backyard. They also have 2 Downy Woodpeckers
coming to the suet feeder and Dark-eyed Juncos are also enjoying it. They have a
Grey Squirrel coming daily. Jamie captured it praying the snow will stop
soon!
**Our male
Pileated Woodpecker has now become a regular patron for the past 3 days since
he found a particular suet blend very much to his liking. The past few days, he
has dropped by at least 4 times a day to refuel and pleasantly spends 15
minutes plus each time to be admired. He has become a valued family member and
not surprisingly has acquired the name Woody. Some other patron connoisseurs
have also discovered the blend but you can be assured, Woody feeds whenever
he wishes!
He also
sampled the custom Gordon Rattray peanut butter feeder.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
