** In follow-up to recent reports of dark-plumaged RING-NECKED PHEASANTS
[Faisan de Colchide] Rhianna Edwards comments that in January of 2013, she
noted dark-coloured individuals in a group of pheasants at Upper
Sackville.
** Dave Miller came across the remnants of a BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de
Baltimore] nest on the north side of the park lagoon in Salisbury and hopes they
will return to the area this spring. It appears to be in an aspen tree, a
species that the Baltimore Oriole seems to favour for housekeeping.
** Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 17th, is Nature Moncton meeting night at 7
pm at the Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge Pavilion, where Rheal Vienneau will share
his very involved experience with the MONARCH (Monarque) Butterfly from egg to
adult and release. Rheal has been very instrumental in having tagged hundreds
of adult Monarch Butterflies to head to overwinter in Mexico. Many he raised
himself from the egg. The write-up is attached. All are welcome and hopefully
the present storm will be a day-old memory as of Tuesday night !
The life and times of the Monarch Butterfly with its incredible migratory
route within North America and back to Mexico to overwinter is a fascinating
story. A significant amount of new information on this amazing creature has
come to light thanks to uniquely numbered tags placed on adult butterflies in
advance of their return to Mexico. When these tags are retrieved, it’s possible
to trace the butterfly’s movements. Most of the adults tagged are netted in the
wild, tagged, and then released.
Rheal Vienneau, however, has taken the conservation and tagging effort one
step farther by learning how to capture females, letting them lay eggs on common
milkweed he grows in his yard, releasing the adults after egg laying, taking the
eggs into rearing units, and then tagging and releasing the new butterflies as
they emerge. This has led to hundreds more Monarch Butterflies heading off to
Mexico all the way from Dieppe, New Brunswick to reach their over-wintering
grounds.
On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Rheal will demonstrate the process he goes
through to contribute to this exemplary conservation effort.
Rheal also raises and releases other moths and butterflies and will share
his perfected methods.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
Baltimore Oriole Nest.FEB15,2015.DAVIDMILLER
.FEB%2C%2B2015..RHI%2BEDWARDS.jpg)
RING-NECKED PHEASANT (DARK PLUMAGE).FEB, 2015..RHI EDWARDS
.FEB%2C%2B2015.RHI%2BEDWARDS.jpg)
RING-NECKED PHEASANT (DARK PLUMAGE).FEB, 2015..RHI EDWARDS
.FEB%2C%2B2015..RHI%2BEDWARDS.jpg)
RING-NECKED PHEASANT (DARK PLUMAGE OF SOME).FEB, 2015..RHI EDWARDS
