Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 22 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, September 22, 2019 (Sunday)

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Edited by Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Transcript by David Christie, <maryspt@mac.com>

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

** Jane LeBlanc came across a large CROSS SPIDER, a.k.a. GARDEN SPIDER, nicely marked, in her St. Martins milkweed patch on Saturday. This would be a female spider, which is at its maximum size at this time of year. The males are much smaller. It appears to have a wrapped-up unidentified prey.

Jane also noted several SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS [Pluvier semipalmé] along the St. Martins beach on Saturday morning.

** Anna Tucker was in the Dieppe Marsh area on Saturday and spotted a GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette]. This is apt to be one of the 3 that have been in that area but could be a new one as well.

She also photographed a freshly emerged FLY AGARIC [Amanite tue-mouches] mushroom, which we have featured in earlier editions. They are usually yellow, but this one is showing more red, which they sometimes exhibit.

A BELTED KINGFISHER [Martin-pêcheur d’Amérique] was also voicing its opinion and the usual RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide] were entertaining.

** Brian Stone frequently visits Mapleton Park and knows its fauna well, but had yet to find a turtle there, until Saturday when an adult-sized WOOD TURTLE [Tortue des bois] was spotted among the cat-tails. The Wood Turtle is considered threatened in New Brunswick, and everyone is special. Brian also reports that his Hooded Mergansers [Harle couronné] are still present, seeing 4 there on Saturday.

** A Nature Moncton visit to the Mapleton Acadian Forest Nature Preserve is on schedule for next Saturday, Sept. 28, meeting at 12 noon, in follow-up to Cheyenne Currie’s presentation last Tuesday evening. We will be giving a meeting place and travel directions for participants over the next days, with a bonus being a turkey supper put on by the Women’s Institute there. The organizers have notified us to let them know how many would like to attend the supper early that day, and they will reserve a table for us to dine together. This particular fall supper is a popular one.