Nature Moncton Nature News: April 5 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

April 5, 2022 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

** Frank McFarlane in Miramichi captured some dramatic activity from a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers on Monday morning. Within a half hour, the male on the left and female on right carved out a space in a tree branch big enough for a Hairy Woodpecker to get in and have lots of room to spare. The male Pileated spread its wings. It was so fast Frank was lucky to get a photo and was surprised to see all the white on the underside of the wing. The action continued later in the day.

Pileated Woodpeckers seem to be adapting nicely to urban environments seen from the many pleasant photos of their activities coming in.

**Judith Dewar has been visiting her Dad in St. George for a week and walking the St. George marsh each day. Along with Mallard Ducks and Canada Geese she has seen Wood Ducks, Green-Winged Teals, Ring-Necked Ducks and a Great Blue Heron.

They checked Beaver Harbour and Blacks Harbour a few times and took a trip to Deer Island. They saw Common Loons, Common and Red-Breasted Mergansers, Long-Tailed Ducks, Common Eiders, Black Guillemots, Buffleheads, Black and Surf Scoters. They also saw a Red-Necked Grebe in Lords Cove.

Judith just came face to face (60 feet away) with an American Bittern on the St. George marsh trail. Unfortunately, no photos.

On Monday at Beaver Harbour, they watched a Common Loon eat a flounder. The loon flipped the flounder over and over for more than 10 minutes before swallowing it. Get a look at the video action at the links below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fktxln1be9z41qr/IMG_7025.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/01qeyas6hs6904c/IMG_7021.MOV?dl=0

** Jim Johnson in Scotch Settlement is enjoying a double whammy this week when a pair of American Kestrels showed up in the field behind his home. He is hoping they take up residence in the box he erected last year.

There was also an Eastern Bluebird checking out the nest boxes. Jim has over a dozen nest boxes ready for newly arriving patrons to peruse.

**Aldo Dorio photographed a Beaver getting into immediate spring action on Hay Island. Note the intentional slant on the cut of the tree so it will fall just where the beaver wants it to!

**Anna Tucker has been enjoying spring unfold outside her Church Court residence in Moncton. The spring cultivars are exploding as she expects they will for the next few days to welcome earlier emerging bees. The many arriving American Robins will no doubt be able to enjoy earthworms and ground invertebrates as the sun warms the earth to get their protein fuel that will get nesting started very soon.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton