Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 3 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 03, 2017 ( Tuesday )

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Interesting to have two photos of CANADA MAYFLOWER, aka wild Lily-of-the-Valley, come in on the same day. It now appears as small red berries on one short stem with two to three leaves dried up. Both Lisa Morris and Brian Stone submitted specimens. Lisa also sent in a photo of a nice clump of BAYBERRY, now nicely formed. These often grow near the seashore or in wet areas and they stay on the shrub all winter after the leaves fall. The berries are a nut covered by a waxy, pleasant smelling lipid with a pleasant odour that has been used to make wax candles. Some Yellow-rumped Warblers that overwinter will use this as a rich food source, hence the old name of Myrtle Warbler since the berries were referred to as Myrtle Berries in the past.

** Lots of mushroom chatter in the past ten days. Jean Renton reports that she is finding nice LOBSTER MUSHROOM specimens at the moment that she is saving for the pot. The Lobster Mushroom starts as another species considered by most to be Russula brevipes and is parasitized by another fungus to produce the reddish-orange, quite large distorted mushroom with no gills that we all call the Lobster Mushroom and is a favoured edible by many. Jean also gathers the CHAGA MUSHROOM that grows as a canker looking growth, usually on Yellow Birch but also on White Birch. She was gathering some recently to find a SPRING PEEPER [Rainette crucifère] very quietly tucked inside which she left to continue its day.

** It's been a while since Jack Frost came by, leaving all his interesting designs on objects. Brian Stone captured a few photos of him in action on Tuesday morning. Brian also photographed a lot of mushrooms lately, many hard to identify without spore print or more detail, but one he submitted sure looks like the SWEETBREAD MUSHROOM. A medium size mushroom with a velvety feeling cap, white gills, white spore print and a distinct odor of fresh, rising bread when cut into. It is considered a good edible.

** Pat and I made a very pleasant run to Miscou Island on Monday to join several birders from the Acadian Peninsula enjoying and being fascinated by the antics of the SWAINSON'S HAWK there who seemed to ignore its group of admirers and put on a memorable show. It went from one field and lawn area to another, chasing insects about, and would then pop up to nearby utility pole summits for digestion breaks and let the assembled, popping eyed birders enjoy it even more. It tended to cover a relatively small area in the area where a few "for sale" signs are on a few cottages, approximately a kilometer before coming to the lighthouse, and barely past Lac Frye. A truly awesome birder experience in the fall sunshine. I was able to catch a video of it foraging. Take a look at

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qhqb8k17mh78ura/SWAINSON%27S%20HAWK%20FORAGING%20INSECTS.%20OCT%202%2C%202017.MOV?dl=0

As expected, a visit to Miscou Island always finds other eye candy. A BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER [Pluvier argenté] in winter or juvenile plumage foraged in a field by itself to make for a nice observation. Two WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] does posed briefly with the roaring ocean surf in the background and the fields of now fire red HUCKLEBERRY bushes in the foreground. We did a short stop at Hay Island en route to see a group of approximately fifteen DUNLIN [Bécasseau variable] foraging at the shoreline edge with a few SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS [Pluvier semipalmé] with them to compare size. Also a WILSON’S SNIPE [Bécassine de Wilson] cryptically strolled an area of marsh grass edging as did Savannah Sparrows.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton