Nature Moncton Nature News: July 16 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 16, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

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** Brian Bauld mentioned in an earlier edition an angry female duck putting the run to a GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] she probably felt was too close to her brood in the Lars Larson Marsh in Harvey. He got a photo of the startled heron and the on-attack mode duck. Brian comments he also tallied 10 WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu] in that marsh on the same day.

** Jane LeBlanc got a photo of a PREDATORY STINK BUG confronting a MONARCH BUTTERFLY [Monarque] caterpillar. BugGuide just recently answered the query, so I’m not sure whether this was published last year or not, but a reminder anyway with all the Monarch Butterfly interest at the moment.

** The larger moths are still appearing. I had a recent visit from a WAVED SPHINX MOTH [Sphinx nodule], maybe one of the less colourful of the sphinxes, but still a bit of a show stopper in size and design.

** I’m attaching a few photos of some blooming plants on a recent botany outing: a MONKEY FLOWER, SEA MILKWORT, WINTERBERRY HOLLY, and HEDGE BINDWEED.

A female MONARCH BUTTERFLY [Monarque] returned to our yard milkweed patches on Monday in between showers to leave at least 6 eggs. They were collected with the hole punch method to hatch in 4 or 5 days and join the now 18 caterpillars voraciously chowing down on indoor Swamp Milkweed. At 4-days old, they are taking on colour, and looking like leprechaun Monarch caterpillars. An indoor food supply shortage could be looming!

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton