Nature Moncton Nature News: June 16 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June 16, 2020 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: david.cannon@rogers.com

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

** Gordon Rattray took some flowering plant photos when he visited the White Rock Recreational Area on Monday including MOUNTAIN MAPLE, YELLOW GOATSBEARD and JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT just beginning to show its performance. Nature Moncton will be visiting this location this coming Saturday.

** Lots of folks are starting to take note of the abundant HUMMINGBIRD CLEARWING [sphinx colibri] MOTH that seems to be especially enjoying nectar in the LILAC blooms. They will soon shift their attention to the abundant nectar-rich masses of SPREADING DOGBANE. Leigh Eaton photographed one as it enjoyed lilac on Monday.

**Yvette Richard reports her Lilac shrub was alive with action on Monday. Several CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL butterflies were enjoying it. One was missing its tail so may have had a close call from a predator and no doubt quite glad to just lose just its unrequired tail! Yvette was very pleased to see her first HUMMINGBIRD CLEARWING MOTH and was able to capture a great still photo of it which is not easily accomplished. A MOURNING CLOAK butterfly and a CEDAR WAXWING were enjoying Yvette’s Lilac as well.

** Sue Richards got a nice photo of a SWEAT BEE near its hole to its ground nest where many of its kin were sharing. They get the name SWEAT BEE because they are attracted to perspiration, but would only sting if significantly disturbed. We have several species in New Brunswick, but we don't see them that often because of their underground lifestyle.

** Brian Stone again got several nice photos of action in Mother Nature’s community near his home. Most maple species' seeds (samara) are now full and plump and CLOUDED SULPHUR BUTTERFLIES [Coliade du trèfle] are increasing in number. The Gorge Road MILKWEED patches are doing very well, with closed flower heads forming and with MILKWEED BEETLES starting to appear. If these beetles are in high numbers they can be significant defoliators of milkweed. This is now one of the two large milkweed patches expanding in size in that area.

A COMMON RINGLET [Satyre fauve] BUTTERFLY shows its ring on the forewing which is not always present.

Brian came across a pair of mating SILVERY BLUE [Bleu argenté] BUTTERFLIES when a third joined in the action. A RED-EYED VIREO [Viréo aux yeux rouges] was continuously calling its "Here I am. Where are you?" vocalization, which the male seems to be able to do for a very long time. And a SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] made a very serious perusal of Brian.

Brian's trail camera got a photo of a RACOON [Raton laveur] digging up grubs in his backyard, but the photo was deemed not up to standards, so he kept it between Brian and the 'coon.

Brian includes a nice photo of a YELLOW GOATSBEARD in bloom, which is not uncommon but you don't seem to see it in groups. A few more SYRPHIDS (FLOWERFLIES) joined the line-up. It does seem like we have a lot of species of this wasp-imitating fly.

** We have both COMMON MILKWEED and SWAMP MILKWEED in our Moncton yard, where LARGE-LEAFED WHITE VIOLET also grows in great proliferation. It's quite noticeable how it forced the Common Milkweed to the periphery, but the Swamp Milkweed came right up through it. The Common Milkweed surely does like to send its rhizomes out and new plants will form readily up to 7 metres away from the first growth. I dug up rhizomes in the fall and wintered them 4 ways: the rhizomes in a large pot placed in a hole dug out at ground level covered with seaweed mulch sent up new shoots; a pot of rhizomes left in an unheated garage sent up new shoots; a pot left exposed under the deck sent up new shoots, however some refrigerated rhizomes kept wet in a plastic bag have not produced.

Rheal Vienneau has commented that rhizomes dug up very early spring, before growth starts, and planted may be the best way and less effort involved.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton