Nature Moncton Nature News: August 29 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Aug. 29, 2017 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

A special thank you to Dave Miller for giving his day to an excellent turnout of participants to visit Taylor Road on Monday for a Nature Moncton Field Trip. It was foggy and cool early to later let the sun burst through. Many birds were on the move with lots of warblers, many in challenging plumages, flycatchers, waxwings, a red-tailed hawk, broad-winged Hawk, and juvenile bald Eagle. There was a surprising number of fresh viceroy butterflies moving about. Gordon Rattray captured several photos. The early morning fog made the spider webs look special.

Louise Nichols did her shorebird count at Ann’s acres near Cape Jourimain on Saturday to have an excellent showing of 11 species of shorebirds as well as an excellent set of photos to share. The single dunlin still had its distinctive black chest patch of breeding plumage, a plumage we seldom see as the dunlin migrate through in the fall

Lisa Morris got a photo of a colourful caterpillar of the American lady butterfly on Monday in the Richibucto area. She also got a photo of ripening wild raisin and a photo of painted trillium in fruit.

Roger LeBlanc observed a few scenarios in Notre Dame on Sunday that caught his attention.

He noted a group of Eastern bluebirds, predominantly male birds, flying as a flock and vocalizing loudly. They were checking out swallow nest boxes, going in and out assumedly scouting for next spring. There have been reports of this activity each fall for the past several years at this time of year and later. Roger also noted a group of approximately 20 sparrows of a blend of white-throated sparrows, chipping sparrows, and song sparrows, all moving together and foraging together. There appeared to be a lot of young of the year in the group.