Nature Moncton Nature News: Aug 7 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, August 07, 2018 (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)

** Georges Brun got a quick photo of a bird at Bis Marsh on Monday that took flight and he was not able to see it again. The photo is very documentary but in consultation with Gilles Belliveau he feels it to be a TRICOLORED HERON [Aigrette tricolore]. He comments that the bright, whitish belly, dark neck, bright yellow facial skin around the eyes and greenish, yellow legs are all good for an adult Tricolored Heron in non-breeding plumage. The Bis Marsh has produced good birds like this in the past. It is accessed by taking Louis St. off Acadie Ave. in Dieppe and following the trail to a nice marsh area. The photo is heavily cropped.

** Marcel Gallant got a nice photo of a BROWN THRASHER [Moqueur roux] in Grand Falls recently, always a pleasant bird to see in New Brunswick.

** Chris Antle is now seeing chrysalides form at her Maquapit Lake Monarch garden and comments that she is enjoying these enjoying these perfect works of art.

** Sterling Marsh spotted a dragonfly that caught his eye on Monday. It is quite dull and faded from age, but is still recognizable as a FOUR-SPOTTED SKIMMER DRAGONFLY.

** Brian Stone spotted some bees carrying bits of wood into a gap between the bricks of his home that were building a nest. They looked like wasps in Brian’s photos but BugGuide has identified them as the EUROPEAN WOOL CARDER BEE. The hairy thorax would be a clue, I assume, to its being a bee. Brian got some nice photos of the activity. This bee acts similarly to Mason Bees in its behaviour by making a “wool” nest of plant fibers in a cavity and covering over the opening with debris like wood chips. Brian got some nice photos of the activity. No comments are available if they protested, possibly a high zoom camera solved that problem. They may tend to be like the Mason Bee group and not be very aggressive.

** We have a loaded with ripening fruit Chokecherry Tree in front of our deck that CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique] and AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] are very much enjoying. A photo of a young of the year American Robin, between snacks, is attached.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton