NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
January 8, 2025
Nature Moncton members as well as any
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**Rick Elliott and Barb Curlew had three interesting
sightings on their snowy drive from Mary's Point to Waterside recently: a BALD
EAGLE at the Harvey Dam, a RED-TAILED HAWK, and a BARRED OWL
on a fence post.
**A report comes from Doreen Rossiter in Alma via her
daughter Kathie: this year, there are 14 White-throated Sparrows and just one
Song Sparrow in attendance. Usually, it's the other way around. The male Red-bellied
Woodpecker is still around and king of all feeders when he's there. Doreen also
had a mature male Red-winged Blackbird on Monday.
**(Editors note: the long slender weasel scarcely
reaching 30 cm is a fierce predator for its size. It often chooses small to
medium-sized rodents as prey but is very capable of attacking birds it can get
hold of. It is not above attacking domestic chicken coops, which led to the
report Susan Richards shares below, sounding like they have a very well-cared-for flock
of chickens!)
Fred Richards saw tracks on the ground in the chicken run and he took some documentary photos. There were also bird wing imprints in the
snow just outside the chicken coop automatic door. Fred saw blood on one
of the hen's backs and near the tail. The chicken was crouched down in the
corner with her eyes closed, facing into the corner. Susan got a special dish
of food of oats, banana mashed up, peanut butter and lard mixed together and
freeze-dried insects with a few drops of olive oil and some garlic chips. Fred
took one smaller dish to her, now in the nesting box. She ate. Another
dish was given to the rest of the eight chickens. The next day, Susan cooked
eggs, crushed small eggshell pieces, peanut butter and lard mixture, and
freeze-dried insects with ginger pieces cut up into small pieces. Again,
the hurt hen ate. Again, all the chickens had some.
Three days after the attack, it was sunny and
above zero, and no snow on the ground. Fred opened the door to the run, and
they were all out, including the one who was hurt.
Fred deduced from the tracks that they were from a
weasel.
**Eric Wilson in Moncton North has a winter resident pair
of Common Grackles. There are two feeder stations, including one at the front of
the house. They are vocalizing as well. They're on the ground inside the shrub
that's below the feeder.
(Editor’s note: recent reports suggest that members of
the blackbird troupe are overwintering more than they did in the past and
taking advantage of birdfeeders.)
**Learning more about our resident family of Peregrine
Falcons that nest on the summit of Assumption Place in Moncton is always of
interest.
Brian Stone came across a very interesting article on falcons,
that gives us a little more insight from recent research on the life and times
of this bird. The link to that article is below:
https://phys.org/news/2025-01-falcons-stripes-eyes-complex-thought.amp
**It’s not exactly
hummingbird season in New Brunswick, but Georges Brun came across an item on
the hardy Anna’s Hummingbird in the snow that is comforting to view when
hummingbirds are not on our minds.
He Created a Hummingbird Paradise in His Backyard
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
