Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 31 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 31, 2019 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** The DUNLIN [Bécasseau variable] is a shorebird that tends to arrive later in its southerly migration and also tends to stay with us longer than most. The WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER [Bécasseau à croupion blanc] is also content to stay quite late as well as the BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER [Pluvier argenté] and the AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER [Pluvier bronzé]. Aldo Dorio saw 4 Dunlin at Hay Island area on Wednesday. Note the heavy bill that droops nicely at the tip to help identify a shorebird of this size, just a bit larger than a White-rumped Sandpiper. One bird is just snapping up a morsel of prey that an arrow points to.

** MILKWEED [asclépiade] is a plant many folks are planting around their homes to provide the Monarch Butterfly with its host plant and so we can just enjoy them in our yards as well. The Swamp Milkweed seems to grow very nicely in pots from seed. Many folk have had luck with planting Common Milkweed seeds and transplanting plants but these methods have not worked well for me. Digging up rhizomes that spread under the ground from the main plant has worked very well for me at almost every place I have tried it.

Louise Nichols and I went on a rhizome gathering mission on Wednesday to easily get lots of rhizome sections with the little white knobs on them that result in new plants. We are trying a few methods to see what will work best. Louise is going to bury hers in soil in her yard immediately. I am trying a few other trials by simply placing some of the rhizomes in a light layer of earth in a plastic bag in the fridge to see if they will emerge when planted outside in the spring. Several went into a long pot that will remain in an unheated garage over the winter to see what happens in the spring and another group went into a pot that will be left outside. Rheal Vienneau suggested that this all would be best if done in the early spring before the plants emerge, so another trial may be indicated before we get it right.

Any comments from other folk’s experiences with Common Milkweed are very welcome.

It has been great to hear the TROPICAL KINGBIRD continued to enjoy its stay with us in Cambridge Narrows on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Hopefully the warmth of the next few days will keep lots of insects for it but suspect the rain may hamper spirits of bird and birders a bit. Could not resist adding a few more photos from Monday as its colour was a value added bonus to a beautiful fall tree in blazing colour.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton