Nature Moncton Nature News: June 11 2015

**Louise Nichols shares a recent photo. She captured a surprise photo of a male BLUE-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues] and a GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d’hiver] side by side at the Sackville Waterfowl Park. She also got a photo of a RED TRILLIUM in bloom. All three of our native trilliums are have reported in.

** Doreen Rossiter had 2 female and one male RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] around their feeder yard since last fall. There was lots of courtship activity this spring, and the female disappeared. One female arrived back in the yard from tall grasses across the road from her home Wednesday with a whopping 16 chicks in tow to visit the feeder yard. The second female has not re-appeared so Doreen wonders if they will have more pheasants than they really want this summer. A few years ago a female turned up to the feeder yard with several half-grown young however Doreen thought that they fell victim to a red fox.

**Gilles Belliveau offers a second opinion on the bird photo Clarence Cormier submitted that we labelled as PHILADELPHIA VIREO [Viréo de Philadelphie]. Gilles felt the bill too long and pointed for a vireo. He wonders if it may not be a female TENNESSEE WARBLER [Paruline obscure], suggesting that the apparent dark cap in the photo might be a shadow. We will re-send these photos today for more opinions. Photos can be tough but nice learning scenarios.

** Brian Stone and I made a second attempt to locate the Aboujagane bog on Wednesday, this time successful. It sure is not an easy one to access but is rich with flora and fauna. Most of the early blooming bog plants were blooming except the orchids. The nicest experience was seeing hundreds of Jutta Arctic butterflies, a species neither of us had encountered before. They are not uncommon but a narrow time flight period combined with a very specific habitat at margins of some bogs, black spruce and tamarack edges. They were well photographed! Another butterfly was flying that is going to take a guide refreshment to identify appearing to be one of the ELFIN butterflies. Moose tracks seemed everywhere but we saw none, suspect they saw us. Several dragonfly species on the wing that will need more homework as well. Brian’s camera was busy so there is lots to share including a Canadian Tiger Swallowtails puddling, a regular pink LADY’S SLIPPER, also its white variant, a perched Jutta Arctic, Sundew, Wood Frog, Rusty Cottongrass , a Painted Trillium, Water Arum and Chokeberry in bloom. Chokeberry occurs in places other than bogs but is an attractive lower shrub that is often overlooked.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nature Moncton

Nelson Poirier