NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Feb 9, 2022 (Wednesday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**The weekend snow brought in some pleasant new additions to John Inman’s feeder yard on Mary’s Point Rd. in Harvey. One Evening Grosbeak, two extra Song Sparrows, a group of Snow Buntings and a lone Fox Sparrow.
Nice consolation
prizes for a storm.
**Alyssa
Martin, a teacher at the Salisbury Elementary School, noted and photographed
some interesting tracks/trails in the snow by the school. Alyssa’s photograph
suggests an interesting scenario. It appears like a potential raptor took prey
under the snow leaving characteristic wing implants. From the trail leading to
the attack site, it would appear like potential prey such as a grouse or small
mammal may have ventured out and was spotted by a raptor.
**On Sunday morning out his kitchen window, Sterling Marsh
spotted a male Ring-necked Pheasant sitting in the sun. A female was nearby
feeding. About an hour later, when he took peanuts out, Sterling flushed a
hawk out of one his yard trees. Further search found a disturbed section of
snow with a multitude of pheasant feathers - female. Monday morning, he found
what was left of the pheasant near the tree the hawk was in. This hawk seems to
scoot through his yard every once in awhile and all birds disappear for a couple of
days. He has been unable to get a photo of the hawk yet, as it is so fast.
(Editor’s note: a pheasant is large pray to make one wonder about the
possibility of a Northern Goshawk or Cooper’s Hawk). Mother Nature’s community
does not waste a morsel of its meals.
**The American
Robin influx is also enjoying heated water supplies. Geoff Barnett got a
documentary photo through a screen of several robins enjoying the refreshment.
**Jane and
Ed LeBlanc in St. Martins do a lot of pruning in the winter because
everything is dormant, and you can see what you're doing when there are no
leaves in the way. Jane then brings some of the branches in the house, puts
them in water and sees if they will bloom.
Forsythia is one
that always blooms. This year, there were broken branches on the cherry tree,
so they were brought in, and bloomed. Lastly, Azalea has bloomed.
Gives some colour to wintertime.
(Editor’s
note: this is the perfect time of year to snip some leafless branches, bring
them inside and place them in water to remind us of the pleasantries of spring.
Many plants such as lilac, Rhodora, and many others will burst into leaf/bloom).
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
