NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Oct 15,
2022 (Saturday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**There has been some
nice comments come back on one of the photographs Louise Nichols got of a
confirmed Long-billed Dowitcher at the Sackville Water Retention pond.
Roger Burrows points
out this photo shows the
tail bars and it also shows the undertail and hind flank barring that are also
features of the Long-billed Dowitcher compared to a Short-billed Dowitcher this
late in the season. It also shows the more uniform colouring and
the longer, mostly dark bill well.
Roger also points out this bird appears to be
a juvenile well advanced in its moult into 1st-winter plumage as indicated by
the more limited rufous in the flight feathers...adults in winter plumage are
more difficult to distinguish because both species lack the contrasting feather
edge colours. (Editor’s note: the editor has placed arrows to the features
Roger has mentioned as well as one arrow the editor added pointing to the
greyish tertial feathers with narrow rusty edges of a juvenile bird as pointed out
in Sibley).
**The Winter Finch Forecast for 2022-23 has been published by the Finch Research Network by forecaster Tyler Hoar. The complete report can be viewed at the link below:
finchnetwork.org/winter-finch-forecast-2022-2023
**Sterling
Marsh had a male Hairy Woodpecker enjoying some shelled peanuts on
Friday when a Red-breasted Nuthatch zoomed in to join with the peanut
party. They fed together for a while until the nuthatch was left on its own.
**Verica
LeBlanc in Miramichi noted Canada Geese during migration (or in
preparation of migration) making refueling stops on October 12 and October 13 nearby her Miramichi home in three separate backyards.
On
October 13 a large flock of European Starlings joined them. The geese
were not impressed and all heads went up, but in the end they decided they could coexist
which Verica found interesting as she witnessed on previous occasions that an
aggressive goose would chase other goose flocks and perceived intruders away.
Nelson
Poirier
Nature
Moncton
