Nature Moncton Nature News: May 27 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 27, 2020 (Wednesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Rhonda and Paul Langelaan found a CANADA WARBLER [Paruline du Canada] on the Buckley Rd. off route 112 in Second North River. Paul recognised the song and Rhonda got a great photo. This is a very special warbler to get a photo of as its numbers have seriously dwindled for not very well understood reasons and we don’t often get a chance to see one. Note the sharp, white eye ring and the dark necklace on the intense, yellow neck-chest background.

** Louise Nichols took a walk along the trail behind the Tankville School on Tuesday. Along with the usual warbler species she saw some CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique]. One of them landed in a snag, but when she looked again she saw a WILSON’S SNIPE [Bécassine de Wilson] perched way up high on the snag. She had never seen one perched so high before.

Louise also heard, and then saw, a WINTER WREN [Troglodyte mignon] which seemed to go into a small hole in the tree roots of a tree that had fallen. She then saw it emerge from the hole, wondering if it may have a nest there. She attached a documentary photo of the wren as good she was able to get with a bouncing Winter Wren and a photo of the tree roots that she saw it emerge from.

Louise also saw a GRAY COMMA BUTTERFLY [Polygone gris]. She was able to get an excellent top view and a view with the wings closed of the cryptic underside that it uses as camouflage to overwinter as an adult. Jim Edsall confirmed it as a Gray Comma, saying a quick way to identify it is the lone 2 dark spots on the hind wing above and the heavily striated underwing.

Just to illustrate the different climate of Aulac … when Louise left the Moncton area at about 4:15 pm the thermometer in her car read 28° C and when she turned into the laneway of her Aulac home 30 minutes later the thermometer read 14° C, plus there was a foggy mist rolling in from the bay. She was glad to have spent the day in Moncton to enjoy the bit of summer because there was no summer in Aulac on Tuesday!

** Susan Richards got a photo of a BLACK SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY [Papillon du céleri] in her Taylor Village yard on Tuesday. This is very interesting for me to hear as I have a dozen chrysalides in waiting to emerge in a screened in cage that have been outdoors all winter to be released when they emerge.

** Yolande and Eudor Leblanc have had GARTER SNAKES [Couleuvre rayée] overwintering at the bottom of an abandoned well on their property and have been helping them get back out, not knowing if they could get back out on their own or not. They have already netted out 9 Garter Snakes from the well. Two went back or fell off through the cracks between the concrete sections. They were freed on Tuesday. They seem to be a different colour and/or size development. They will not be sealing the well as they use this water for their greenhouse and garden. They will just keep netting the snakes out. As you can see in the photo they have put in a resting board.

** Ray Gauvin comments that spring has definitely sprung in his back yard. Lots of bird activity and new growth on trees and shrubs. Kiwis are sprouting well. Three days ago he put up RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] feeders. The day after one came to check it out and he has not seen one since. Usually he will wait until some come to the bay window to tell him it’s time. This year he hadn’t noticed any action till he put them out without warning.

Ray has regular RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide]. One day there were 2 cocks and 2 hens at the same time with the cocks sparring; now it is just the 1 pair but they are very habitual. Every day they do the same route across his property. One can just set their clocks by the cock’s arrival and the cock surely lets everyone know that he is in the area. Ray’s photo shows the full male cock breeding regalia and the much more conservatively plumaged hen.

Ray also has taken an interest in the Moon and its constant changes. He has learned a lot from a YouTube site, “Moon Phase Video”. He sends a photo of the waxing crescent Moon on May 25^th.

** Jim Johnson in Scotch Settlement comments that he usually has up to 20 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS [Colibri à gorge rubis] by this time, but this year he has only 4. He has not changed anything from last year and he is wondering if any others are noticing reduced hummer numbers. My numbers at my camp were only 2 as of Monday and were late in arriving. We normally don’t get that many but usually have 5 or 6.

Brian Stone has been monitoring a few small ponds off the Gorge Rd. area and as expected they are very active this time of year with amphibian life. He shares a video of the active life underwater, take a look at the action at the attached video.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ik8363bz6i3mp7/Pond%20Life%203%20.MOV?dl=0

He found a CHOKE CHERRY in full, beautiful bloom and a CRAB SPIDER camouflaging itself, ready to pounce on unsuspecting insect visitors. A LEOPARD FROG [Rana pipiens] posed nicely for a photo. The Leopard Frog will be getting quite active at the moment, mostly following the Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers. A RHODORA was also in bloom, doing so before the leaves appear.

Brian heard the district banging against windows and walls after dark of the June Beetles beginning their spring mating flights. They can make quite a racket in seemingly awkward flight but get the mating mission done to lay eggs in the ground to become large white grub larvae that will be relished in fall by skunks, crows, and more.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton