Nature Moncton Nature News: March 31 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

March 31, 2022 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Louise Nichols visited some spots around Sackville and Aulac on Wednesday afternoon. She was able to see the Eurasian Wigeon which has been at the Sackville Waterfowl Park for several days and got some distant photos of the bird in a group of Gadwalls and American Wigeon. (Editor’s note: the white speculum on the Gadwalls shows beautifully in Louise’s flight photos).

She then went to Jolicure, at the corner of Hwy 16 and Parson's Rd, where the Sandhill Cranes have been lingering. (Editor’s note: all 3 appear to be adult birds) She ran into Brian Stone and a few other birders there who were able to direct her to where the birds were. Three of them were in the field fairly close to the highway, not seeming to mind a small audience watching. Finally, Louise and Brian went to check the impoundments at the Beaubassin Research Station. Some Green-winged Teals, American Black Ducks and Mallard Ducks were present along with a pair of Bufflehead in the distance. An immature Bald Eagle was hanging about the impoundments and Louise was able to get a couple of in-flight photos.

** Last Saturday Brian Coyle went out to his trail cameras and came upon a beautiful Red Fox in an open field. He/ she wasn’t bothered by his presence at all and continued to hunt for rodents after spotting him.

In addition, the lovely songs of Song Sparrows were evident to add to the early spring chorus line-up.

**Daryl Doucette captured a striking photo of that early blooming cultivar crocus in his Moncton yard on Wednesday.

One can only imagine how welcome all that pollen must be to early emerging bees.

**Brian Stone drove around the Sackville area on Wednesday looking for some reported birds of interest. In several areas along the way fields had many Canada Geese and American Robins in them and at the Memramcook Arthur St. lagoon a pair of geese were swimming in the partially thawed water near a cluster of Gulls.

At the Sackville Waterfowl Park, the Eurasian Wigeon was swimming at a distance among some American Wigeons and Gadwalls.

Beyond Sackville at Jolicure, Brian photographed the 3 Sandhill Cranes that were foraging in the large field at the corner of highway 16 and Parson's Rd. They wandered across large areas of the field sometimes getting close to the highway and other times being out of sight way back over the hill. While waiting and watching for the cranes Brian got photos of 2 of the 5 Turkey Vultures that were flying in the area.

Back at Aulac Brian imaged an immature Bald Eagle in the foreground of one of the large wind turbines and also a Duck landing in the marshy area there. Brian photographed another Bald Eagle in the Jolicure area sitting on a nest, incubating eggs.

Before leaving on his outing Brian took some pictures of a pair of Mourning Doves enjoying the nice weather in his back yard.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton