Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 8 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Oct. 8, 2017 (Sunday)

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

Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

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

** Gordon Rattray made a CRESTED CARACARA [Caracara huppé] search on Wednesday but could not locate it. However, on Thursday he hit pay dirt. He first found it at the old mill site, where a group of folks had gathered. Gordon got a nice flight shot as it lifted off. He then drove around the marsh all morning with no observations of it, but en route home stopped at the old mill to find that it had returned to perch on the same tree so he could get some distant photos. It has been great to see the flight photos by Gordon and Gary Dupuis, to appreciate the field marks of this very interesting visitor.

Dave Christie was with a group of people for some time on Saturday morning. Early arrivals got good looks at the bird, especially near the mill road, and he suspects that others who searched carefully probably got observations later. The bird is not in a big area but can take time to locate if it is foraging among tall grasses or perching cryptically in trees between hunting sessions. [Transcriber’s note: Frequently it does perch high in trees where it can be easily seen.]

** Jamie Burris got an interesting photo of a wasp perusing a colourful cultivar plant, Crocosmia in his Riverview yard, a very striking flower that does not seem to have been touched by Jack Frost as yet, and still in Autumn splendour to impress this insect.

Jamie also got a photo of a funnel-web spider [agélénidé] taking down a wasp. He watched it attack its prey and then got a photo just as it was ready to dig in its fangs for a second time; it reared up and exposed the fangs before it stabbed them in its prey. Jamie comments that its mission was accomplished very fast.

** Brian Stone spotted a fog bow forming from his home early Saturday morning. He got a panoramic photo with the nearly full moon was within the fog bow.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton