Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 7 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 7, 2022

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Frank Branch got a photo of a Cattle Egret late in the afternoon on Sunday as it visited the Riordon Farm in Pokeshaw. It conveniently posed for Frank with a group of cattle with which it prefers to associate to give it its common name.
November, as it often does, is starting off as a great month to see uncommon birds, vagrant wonderers, and birds coming down from the north to spend the winter months with us.

** Cathy Simon was thrilled to come home from work on Friday just in time to catch a PINE GROSBEAK feasting on berries in her front yard in Lutes Mountain. It was the striking adult male in its beautiful plumage.
From reports, it is starting to look like we may have a pleasant number of this species spending winter with us.

**John Inman had yet another female Rusty Blackbird arrive to his Harvey, Albert County yard on Sunday to make the duo into a trio. John got a nice photograph of the three buddying up. With the drastically reduced population of the species, that could almost be considered a flock!!
John also got a photo of a Polistes Wasp that settled on his windowsill. This wasp species is one of our ’paper wasps’ or ‘umbrella wasps’ as they are sometimes called due to the umbrella-shaped suspended nest which is attached by one heavy strand and is often found under the eaves of human habitations. They are not aggressive and make no effort to attack humans unless we attack them.

** Annegret Lamurre was surprised to find globules of jelly glowing almost fluorescent green in her flooded camp driveway. The flooding resulted from beaver construction.
Annegret’s grandson blamed the beavers and was most reluctant to touch them.

A consult with Alyre Chiasson as usual brought a prompt identification. Alyre points out “Not a fungus or an alien threat. These blobs are made by a colonial microscopic single-celled protozoan called Ophrydium versatile. They live symbiotically with Chlorella and algae which can give them somewhat of a glow. Worldwide distribution. They secrete the blob and then they attach themselves to it in a side-by-side arrangement. No danger in handling. Quite common.

Get the rest of the story at the link below:

https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/11732&showAll=1

** Brian Stone walked the wilder, back trails in Moncton's Centennial Park and sends some photos of the nature observable along the trails. His first opportunity for a photo came from overhead as a Red-tailed Hawk led a group of 3 American Crows on a merry chase.
After the mobbing scene departed, Brian photographed a couple Witch's Brooms, late blooming Asters, a Vireo Nest hanging from a V of branches on a small sapling tree, and the plant Pennsylvania Bittercress (Gart Bishop confirmed) in a small stream.
In the main pond Brian saw a group of Hooded Mergansers composed of 1 male and 9 females and managed some nice photos of the crest.