Nature Moncton Nature News: May 31 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 31, 2020 (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)

** A very successful Nature Moncton field trip on Saturday, to the Caledonia Gorge Protected Natural Area, which was appreciated by all participants, who enjoyed being out together after a couple of months of COVID restrictions. They saw a total of 38 bird species, including 13 warbler species, and a number of plants as well, including TROUT LILY [Érythrone d’Amérique], HOBBLEBUSH [Bois d’orignal], and CLINTONIA [Clintonie boréale]. They were subjected to a few showers in the morning and some heavier rain after lunchtime, but then all cleared away, leaving a very pleasant afternoon.

Many thanks to Roger LeBlanc for leading the trip and taking the time to explain some of the more interesting aspects of the bird life they were seeing.

Louise Nichols and Mira MikKelsen shares a few photos of the day’s finds and folks, as well as Gordon Rattray who also shares some excellent photos of warblers and vireos seen.

** Phil Riebel again had his camera traps set to get a photo of a MEADOW VOLE [Campagnol des champs], which may or may not be the same one as a few days ago, but I’m attaching it again today so folks can compare it with a SHREW [musaraigne] that also got photographed. Note the much sharper snout of the shrew compared to the more rounded snout of the Meadow Vole. Also, the eyes are very small in the shrew compared to in the vole. We have several species of shrews in New Brunswick, but they all have similar profiles.

** Dave Christie reports that his SUMMER TANAGER [Piranga vermillon] has not been seen since last Sunday, but he did have a brightly coloured adult male INDIGO BUNTING [Passerin indigo] to enjoy on Monday and Tuesday. Dave’s neighbours, the Inmans and Wentzells each had a bunting last week as well. A GRAY CATBIRD [Moqueur chat] briefly arrived in his yard on Saturday morning, but it moved off because of the extremely busy BLUE JAY [Geai bleu] activity.

He hasn’t seen the bunting since Tuesday but did have an interesting observation at the Lars Larsen Marsh on Wednesday afternoon. A female NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] was flying above the marsh but pursued by 3 male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes], which were keeping the harrier up high, evidently to protect their mates and nests in the cat-tails.

A first this spring for Dave was an EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE [Pioui de l’Est] that was singing repeatedly in the woods on Friday between his Mary’s Point home and cottage.

** Louise Nichols got a video of a BOBCAT [Lynx roux] on her trail camera. Note the bob-tail, its tip black on top and white under, and the white spots on the back of the ears. The legs are shorter and the paws smaller than a Lynx, more of a spaniel dog profile than in a lynx. A Bobcat is much more common to see than the more uncommon Lynx. Take a look at the action at the attached video.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/22djbolrk641u4l/BOBCAT.%20MAY%2029%2C%202020.%20LOUISE%20NICHOLS.AVI?dl=0

** Judith Brewer found a nest on the ground, after the wind and heavy rain on Saturday. It had an approximately 5-cm-wide bowl, probably a nest under construction and, I suspect, possibly the reason it became dislodged. If that is indeed the case, the builders will likely just re-build, and maybe recycle some of the previous material. Any comments are welcome.

** Brian Stone went on a major butterfly excursion on Saturday, with some very interesting success in the Gorge Road area. A nicely posing HARVESTER [Moissoneur] butterfly was special. This is our only carnivorous butterfly. It lays its eggs in the nest of the WOOLLY ALDER APHID [Paraprociphilus tessellatu] and its larvae feed on the aphids.

He also photographed a DREAMY DUSKYWING [Hespérie givrée] butterfly, NORTHERN AZURE butterfly, SILVERY BLUE [Bleu argenté] butterfly, CABBAGE WHITE [Grande Piéride du chou] butterfly, MOURNING CLOAK [Chenille épineuse de l’orme] butterfly, and as well a BLUISH SPRING MOTH again, which is easily confused with the Northern Azure.

Brian also got his first dragonfly of the season, a HUDSONIAN WHITE-FACE [Leucorrhine hudsonienne], and the Common Milkweed patch was emerging nicely as per Brian’s photo. Brian also photographed a WOOLLY BEAR CATERPILLAR, the overwintering larva of the Isabella Tiger Moth. This larva will soon pupate with the adult if flight in approximately a month.

The common emerald green SIX-SPOTTED TIGER BEETLE was also photographed.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton