Nature Moncton Nature
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**Brian
Tozer was able to capture some nice photographs of a male black-backed
woodpecker that he has been observing quite regularly in a bog area near
his Miramichi camp.
It
is expected that black-backed woodpeckers will be in significant numbers this
season as a follow-up to the extensive burned-over areas in the Miramichi area,
as well as other areas of New Brunswick. It will be a very appropriate time to
keep an eye out for the uncommon American three-toed woodpecker, which is also
attracted to burned-over areas to forage on the wood-boring insects that will
be attracted to the burned-over sites as well.
**Heather
Veysey spotted a male pileated woodpecker on Monday morning before the
storm in Mill Creek Park in Riverview.
(Editor’s
note: It is suggestive to me that in former days we tended to see this large,
beautiful woodpecker predominantly in deep woods areas. Reports in recent years
have observed pileated woodpeckers quite contentedly using urban yards and
parks. Always a treat for any birdwatcher!)
**Jane
LeBlanc had a pair of American robins at her mountain ash berries on
Friday, as well as the sharp-shinned hawk in the yard hunting. She
glanced out the window to find a black-capped chickadee giving the
berries a try.
(Editor’s
note: These are mountain ash berries that Jane gathered in the fall and placed
in a freezer that several bird species were very pleased to find.)
**Fred
Richards reports that the activity at their Taylor Village feeder yard has
picked up with the snowfall on Monday.
They
got their first common redpoll, downy woodpecker, and pine grosbeak of
the season this week. A Cooper's hawk picked up a snack earlier this week
and carried it away. The white-tailed deer are present two or three times
a day and often stand within ten feet and wait while Fred puts feed on the
ground.
Fred
has been intrigued by the range of colour with the evening grosbeaks since
the pine grosbeak dropped in, and Fred tried to get a picture to show it better,
but they are rather camera-shy and leave whenever he tries. Fred did
manage to get a photo of a smaller group. The birds come in groups and seem to
take turns. The flock of small birds (approximately 50) has a lot of dark-eyed
juncos and American goldfinches, along with some sparrows and the one common redpoll
mentioned earlier. They continue to have a pair of northern cardinals
coming daily. All in all, it is fun to watch!
**John
Inman noticed on Saturday that the lone pine grosbeak that has been
around for a while made it in to feed and has an obvious lesion on the head.
The lesion appears to be an injury of some unknown type; however, pin feathers
are evident, suggesting that new feathering will soon cover the affected area.
Molting at this time of year would not be an expected option.
John
also had a juvenile red-tailed hawk briefly check out the yard,
with no comments available from John’s resident adult red-tailed hawk.
An
American robin was pleased to find some still clinging mountain ash berries.
**It
is unusual to have reports of two bird species with obvious lesions on the
head. Hank Scarth photographed a male northern cardinal in his Quispamsis
yard with a head lesion, the cause of which is difficult to determine. It would appear that this
lesion may be due to some type of pathology. The upper mandible of the beak
appears to be involved as well. The real cause of the condition in this bird is
difficult to say for certain without further testing. Hank reports that the
other cardinals travelling with it are unaffected, which hopefully means it is
nothing contagious. It is not a good area of the body to be featherless in the
present cold conditions; however, the bird appears to be doing fine. Any further
comments would be appreciated.
**White-tailed
deer seem to be getting more prevalent, checking out the menu at birdfeeders,
and telling their kin about the good things they are finding.
Larry
Sherrard in Miramichi puts out Ol’ Roy Dog food (small bites) each day for
bluejays, and one of the several white-tailed deer that visit his feeder
yard could not resist the temptation of being a bit bold in checking it out!
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
