Nature Moncton Nature News: June 20 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

June 20, 2023

Species names in boldface indicate that a photo is included.

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Nature Moncton’s first Wednesday night walk (in the sunshine!) Is repeated at the end of the message.

**Tonight, Tuesday night, the Nature Moncton June meeting will start at 6:30 PM with an outdoor barbecue of comradeship at the Mapleton Rotary Lodge to be followed by a slideshow of photos folks took on the spring warbler walk, and a few surprises May get blended in. Folks are asked to leave their name with Louise Nichols if attending, but if you and a friend decide to show up at the last minute, no problem. The write-up as it appears on the website is attached below:

NATURE MONCTON JUNE MEETING

JUNE 20, 2023, AT 6:30 PM

ROTARY PAVILION, MAPLETON PARK

END-OF-THE-YEAR BARBEQUE!

Our June meeting will be the social event of the year to celebrate a successful fall/winter/spring of meetings and activities. Members and non-members are all invited to the Rotary Pavilion at Mapleton Park, where we will serve some delicious beef and veggie hamburgers and enjoy a picnic outdoors. All food will be provided as a thank you from the executive for all your help and participation, which has made our club successful.

After we feast on hamburgers, we’ll go inside and watch some slides of photos taken by participants of the Hillsborough warbler excursion held on May 20^th and guided by Gordon Rattray. So if you were present on that outing, choose your best 10 photos and bring them on a USB stick. Many birds, plants, and insects were observed that day, and this will be a chance to look back on it all and share some great photos with others. Photos of the group are also welcome, as we had a couple of very special visitors (Dale Gaskin and David Christie) join us that day.

So we can get an idea of how much food will be needed, please let Louise Nichols know if you plan to attend the barbeque at nicholsl@eastlink.ca.

Hope to see you all there. All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

**Over the last few weeks, some mornings Deana and Peter Gadd find their hummingbird feeder empty!

It has not been damaged, nor has it been dislodged. They had their suspicions confirmed Monday evening. They are not sure how the Raccoon gets the liquid out; no straw was visible, and no damage, so it is not chewed through. It was licking the spillage off its coat!

Nearby is a peanut feeder, which has been dislodged on some mornings. Again, the answer is clear. Usually, though, one eats peanuts first and then has something to drink. These are, of course, unsalted peanuts.

Nelson Poirier, in a similar scenario, has had a Raccoon polishing off grape jelly leaving the container empty when the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers arrive in the morning. The Raccoon did not politely remove the jam, as did the Gadd’s Raccoon but chose to remove the whole setup. Alternate arrangements had to be made for the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

**Pat and Elaine Gallant were watching someone fishing for bass, and they caught and released a skate instead, which Elaine photographed.

(Editor’s note: there are several species of skate, with the Winter Skate being a relatively common benthic fish species in our area related to sharks and rays. There is a food fishery in some areas using the meat in the skate wing.

Skates lay eggs year-round but have few offspring. Their eggs are enclosed in a hard leathery case called a ‘mermaid’s purse’ that we frequently see washed up on shore and empty. The eggs incubate for 6 to 12 months, and young skates have the adult form when they hatch.)

**Nelson Poirier photographed the white form of Pink Lady’s Slipper recently.

This is not rare in New Brunswick, but not common.

** Brian Stone made a very brief stop at the Peregrine Falcon Nest Box spot, looking up at the top of the Assumption Building to take a few pictures in the dim light of the fast-maturing nestlings seemingly getting ready to fledge sometime soon.

**Tomorrow night, the first Nature Moncton Wednesday evening walk is on June 21^st, starting at 7 pm at Haut du Ruisseau Nature Park in Memramcook. Traveling on #106 from Memramcook toward Dorchester, turn left on Breau Creek Road, and then left again toward the park sign at the corner of Breau Creek Road and Palmer Road. The 5KM trail system within the park is well-signed and colour-coded.

There are 5 km of trails from easy gravel/packed ground to steep climbs and some tree-root paths giving moderate conditions. There is a portapotty in the parking lot. The lot can hold about 10 vehicles. There are benches, covered benches, and little buildings to sit in with windows to see out.

On a scouting walk, Fred and Sue Richards noted there were many places to stop and view nature which had many birds to be heard and some to be seen.

This nearby excellent hiking trail may be new to many and this is a perfect chance to explore it and to enjoy it with comradeship and lots of sharp eyes to miss nothing!

The regular Wednesday evening walks are starting with a perfect choice.

In addition to the written directions above, a park map is attached below.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com