Nature Moncton Nature News: July 25 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 25, 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)

** This is the last reminder of the Nature Moncton Field trip to Grand Lake Meadows led by Gart Bishop this coming Saturday, July 28. It is important that everyone willing to come, carpool at the Coliseum parking lot at 8:30 am and we will all head to Turner's One Stop Store parking lot in Jemseg. If not carpooling, you can just meet the group at Turner's store. It is indicated to wear rubber boots or footwear you don’t mind getting wet. Contact numbers, if needed to contact the group that day are 878-9151 or 852-0863. The write up is attached below.

Nature Moncton Field Trip

Date: Saturday, July 28, 2018

Time: 8:30 am start from Moncton, or 10:00 am start at location (for the day)

Location: Grand Lake Meadows

Leader: Gart Bishop

Gart Bishop kept a packed house audience in awe at the photos of unique flora in the Grand Lake Meadows area at a Nature Moncton meeting in April. The opportunity for a hands-on visit is waiting. Explore the flora of Grand Lake Meadows on Saturday, July 28 and get the chance to touch New Brunswick’s smallest plant. We will see two species of poison ivy, sweet flag, silver maples, many pond weeds, begger ticks, bryozoa, and potentially much more. And wherever there is good plant habitat, there is also good bird habitat, so we will have a chance to check out the birds too while we’re there.

Those who are interested in participating in this field trip are asked to register with Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca. We would like to have as much car-pooling as possible which is good for the environment and good for socializing with fellow club members! When you register, please also indicate whether you would be willing to drive others OR if you need a drive just so we can ensure we have enough vehicles.

Those who are joining others for car-pooling and leaving from Moncton will meet in the parking lot of the coliseum on July 28^th at 8:30. Otherwise, we will all meet with Gart at Turner’s One-stop store parking lot at 10:00 at Jemseg, located just south of the TransCanada Highway on Route 339.

Make sure to bring drinking water, lunch, insect repellent, raincoat if indicated, rubber boot footwear, binoculars, and magnifying lens (if you have a pair).

Please note that there will be a maximum of 20 participants for this trip. All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

** Debbie Batog came across an unfamiliar structure on a Daisy plant leaf and sends a photo. Bug Guide has identified it as a nest structure housing the cocoons of the subfamily Microgastrinae which is a sub family of braconid wasps, encompassing 2000 described species. They are parisitoids of lepidoptera, that is to say moths and butterflies in the larval caterpillar stage, that lead to the death of the host caterpillar.

** Chris Antle reports her Monarch Meadow at Maquapit Lake is alive with caterpillars. Chris is enjoying them as much as they her forage offerings. The flowering plant in Chris' photo is Butterfly weed, which is a plant used by Monarch butterflies as well as Milkweed.

** Phil Riebel shares a nice photo of a VIRGINIA RAIL [Râle de Virginie], he got as it moved about the Miramichi Marsh on July 6^th.

** Aldo Dorio photographed what seemed to be a PECTORAL SANDPIPER [Bécasseau à poitrine cendrée] and some SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER [Bécasseau semipalmé] at Hay Island on Tuesday. It seems to be a whole new learning session each July when the Sandpipers arrive. In consultation with Gilles Belliveau, he suspects one photo to be a PECTORAL SANDPIPER due to the fairly long primary projection, which is shorter in the SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, the fairly prominent supercilium and very dense gray streaking on the chest that ends abruptly with a clean white belly beyond and the slight droop to the tip of the beak.

Oscar LeBlanc in Ste. Marie is yet another to have found A Monarch Butterfly caterpillar in a milkweed patch. It looks like a well advanced one that could be thinking of forming one of those striking chrysalids soon.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton