Nature Moncton Nature News: July 11 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 11, 2018 ( Wednesday)

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

Transcript by: Judy Marsh marshj@nbnet.nb,ca

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

** The AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] is a late nester, often getting nest construction started as others are fledging. Jack Perry of Saint John has been watching an American Goldfinch at cotton balls from his deck, obviously good material for ling a nest. The bird has been doing this for the past three days.

** Phil Riebel got a great photo of a fresh Rosy Maple Moth, day perched. This is a very colourful medium sized moth when fresh, as in Phil's photo, but usually fades after a few days into its short mating flight mission.

** Judy and Sterling Marsh photographed a COMFREY plant in bloom on the trail of the former Keddy 's Motor Inn on the Shediac Road on Sunday. This plant is sometimes grown for herbal medicine use, however there are some cautions about its use if taken internally. The plant Judy and Sterling photographed may be a cultivar, or one that has gone to the wild.

** Brian Stone got some photos from a few different angles of a HOBOMOK Butterfly [Hespérie hobomok] a few days ago. This skipper is a fairly common one at this time of year.

** Aldo Dorio took a photo of a male YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune] for a frontal view and a back view, photo positions we don't often see, but the signature split eye ring, white throat, yellow rump, yellow cap and the side patches are clear.

** I was at the Stone Haven wharf near Grand Anse on Tuesday evening. An adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON [Bihoreau gris] was fishing at the waters edge near dusk. It was special to watch it stalk its quarry. Some other folk at the wharf said they frequently see this species there. I assume the bird was from the Black-Crowned Night-Heron Rookery at Inkerman, which is not a far distance from the area. A photo was challenging in the on coming darkness.

** I am attaching a few photos of Dragonflies noted on the Point Escuminac Road on July 8^th. One is the commonly encountered Four-Spotted Skimmer Dragonfly. The second is the Incurvate Emerald Dragonfly. Gilles Belliveau points out that this species is classed as S-4 in New Brunswick, which means 'uncommon but not rare'. It may get that classification as it is more restricted to certain habitat like boggy areas and not sufficient records on it as yet. I have photographed the thorax of both of these dragonflies, by holding their tough wings and quickly photographing the side of the thorax which can be very helpful in identification. If you hold them by the wings, it does no harm to the dragonfly. The real challenge is one has to get them in a net first!

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton