Nature Moncton Nature News: March 4 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

March 4, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**David Gordon in Riverview spotted a juvenile Atlantic Puffin that had landed on the main road and was unable to take flight. He was able to rescue it before it got struck by a vehicle and get help for it.

The Atlantic Puffin is a pelagic seabird, and when it lands accidentally on roadways or open areas (usually after storms when it gets disorientated), it is unable to take flight as this species is adapted to take flight from water. The best rehabilitation technique if the bird is not injured is to simply throw it into an open water course (Petitcodiac River), and it will usually find its way to safety. Some of David Gordon’s photos are attached.

** Jane LeBlanc in St. Martins had lots of activity in her yard after the snow. She captured an American Tree Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker sharing one of her suet feeders.

Jane was walking her dog on St. Martins beach Friday afternoon and noticed a Red-throated Loon in winter nonbreeding plumage on the outgoing tide.

** Karen and Jamie Burris went for a walk down Old Coach Rd. and side streets Thursday in Riverview to see what birds they may find. They spotted a bird flying above the tree top level, and by the undulating flight pattern, figured it was some type of woodpecker. It landed high in the Eagle tree located on Florence St. It was over 200 meters away, so Jamie took a shot at it with the camera. It was not until they got home and zoomed in on the photo to find out it was a Red-bellied Woodpecker! The photo is heavily cropped, but one can see enough to ID it.

**Barb Curlew found an AMERICAN PIPIT on Friday. It was walking along Rt 915 in Waterside near the Newfoundland Creek bridge. Barb had been seeing one on the marsh, but the heavy snow cover must have forced it out onto the roadside to forage. Barb is assuming there is only one around this area.

** Dale Pugh spotted one of the two unusually coloured Red Squirrels others have reported seeing in Mapleton Park and was able to get a photograph.

**At sunset on Friday, Brian Stone photographed the planets Venus and Jupiter fairly close to each other but 2 days past their close encounter on Wednesday, which Brian missed due to clouds and snow. The two planets have changed position as Jupiter sank towards the horizon and Venus rose up, heading towards its highest elevation in May.

**Spring has sprung on Nelson Poirier’s dining room table with Apple blossom clusters bursting. Burr Oak buds are swelling green, Red Oak buds are still sleeping, and Serviceberry buds have plans of blooming before the leaves emerge momentarily.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton