Nature Moncton Nature News: July 21 2018

Nature Moncton Information Line – July 21, 2018 (Saturday)

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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

**Elaine Gallant, Wendy Sullivan, and Louise Nichols went to Petit-Cap on Friday morning to check out the shorebirds. There were not large numbers yet, but they did see eight species, being GREATER [Grand Chevalier] and LESSER YELLOWLEGS [Petit Chevalier], SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau semipalmé], LEAST SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau minuscule], SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS [Pluvier semipalmé], SANDERLING [Bécasseau sanderling], SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS [Bécassin roux], and WILLETS [Chevalier semipalmé]. Several nice photos are attached to get us in the shorebird mode again this year: a kind of comparison shot of a Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs that as Louise comments, she couldn’t get them looking up together; a Least Sandpiper very camouflaged in seaweed on the shore; a distant Sanderling; a Willet; Semi-palmated Sandpiper; and Short-billed Dowitchers. A great start to the shorebird time window of our naturalists’ world.

**Aldo Dorio got documentary photos of a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER [Paruline à flancs marron]. The photos are not clear, but it clearly shows the signature yellow crown, white facial patch, and chestnut line down the side of the bird. Aldo also got photos of Least Sandpipers at Hay Island on Saturday morning, and a MUSKRAT [Rat musqué] busy on its daily mission. Aldo also took a photo of a KILLDEER that shows the two neck bands a bit muted to suggest the possibility of a young-of-the-year bird that is molting to get its two neck rings versus the of its first molt.

**Brian Stone did it again on Friday at his favourite milkweed patch, getting a nice photo of another New Brunswick Hairstreak, the STRIPED HAIRSTREAK [Porte-queue à bandes brisées]. There were many MONARCH BUTTERFLIES [Monarque] moving about the two patches of COMMON MILKWEED [Herbe à coton] located on either side of the Trans-Canada Highway overpass on the Gorge Road. It’s very obviously a banner year for Monarch Butterflies, with all the very positive reports of Monarch Butterfly activity, and now larval caterpillars. Brian was disappointed to see the City come along and mow along the sidewalks and the road in that area. That removed a lot of pollen- and nectar-producing plants that are so needed at this time of year by pollinating insects. Some photos of before and after are attached. Other insects captured in photos were EUROPEAN SKIPPER BUTTERFLY [Hespérie des graminées], a METALLIC BORING BEETLE, an ATLANTIS FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY [Argynne de l'Atlantique], a NORTHERN CRESCENT BUTTERFLY [Croissant nordique], the very small TEN-SPOTTED SPURLEG LADY BEETLE, and two more grasshoppers to build up our summer effort on grasshopper identification. He got a TWO-STRIPED GRASSHOPPER and a CAROLINA GRASSHOPPER. The BAND-WINGED GRASSHOPPER is very similar to the Carolina Grasshopper, but it stridulates (vocalizes, if you will), while the Carolina is silent. Brian also got a photo of the inflorescence of QUEEN-ANNE'S-LACE, aka Wild Carrot [Carotte sauvage]. Note the small grouping of purple petals in the centre of the cluster, which folklore has it that this is a drop of blood that occurred when Queen Anne pricked her finger while doing her lacework. Actually, it’s designed to get the eye of pollinating insects!

**Phil Reibel and I were on Miramichi Bay on Friday evening, in the area around Bay du Vin Island, Fox Island, and Portage Island. There were approximately 50 NORTHERN GANNETS [Fou de Bassan] in the area, diving for fish to make a spectacular feeding frenzy display. More bird excitement at dusk en route home, when a large black bird with very striking white wing markings was spotted landing in a roadside field. We did not recognize it. On doubling back, we realized the bird was with three crows, and as all took flight, Phil was able to get some documentary photos to show it to be an AMERICAN CROW [Corneille d'Amérique] with very extensive and bilaterally symmetrical striking white wing patches. This is shown in the Sibley Guide first edition on page 360, noting it as rare but regular. The photos are documentary due to oncoming darkness.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton