NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
July 11,
2023
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Edited by
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols
at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**Heads up that the Nature Moncton Wednesday evening walk tomorrow night will be led by Gordon Rattray to the Hillsborough trails.
Details at the end of this edition and upfront tomorrow.
**Even though Glen Nichols had split his hives, he was pretty sure one of them was getting ready to swarm. On Monday afternoon when he was out in the yard, he heard the sound of buzzing bees and realized one hive was starting to move. The bees gathered on a nearby pine tree, presumably following the queen and eventually settled there. Louise Nichols attaches some photos to show the progression of the swarm group and also a couple of videos to show the bees swarming toward the gathering on the pine tree. Once bees swarm like this, the group sends out scouts to find another appropriate spot to build a hive. This process can sometimes take a day or two. Glen contacted Trueman's farms down the road to see if they would like to gather the swarm. The beekeeper from Trueman's was due to arrive at 3:00, but to everyone's surprise, the bees took off again, seemingly having already decided where they wanted to go, and flew out of the Nichols' yard and headed north toward Trueman's. It's hard to say where they settled, but Glen and Louise hope they may have found one of the empty hive boxes at Trueman's farms. It is unlikely that a swarm of honeybees will survive in the wild.
An exciting
afternoon!
Take a look
at the action in the video links below that Louise captured:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wwvsqazel92735e/Honey%20Bee%20Swarm%201%20-%20Louise%20Nichols.MP4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tkdt6la7iaovp77/Honey%20Bee%20Swarm%202%20-%20Louise%20Nichols.MP4?dl=0
**Aldo Dorio got a photo of a Snowshoe Hare showing ticks attached to the ear and snout.
The
so-called rabbit tick (Haemaphysais) is quite specific to the rabbit family,
and it would be considered rare to find one on a human. They are not considered
a significant vector of any of the tickborne diseases and not a significant
problem for the Snowshoe Hare.
**Many New Brunswick naturalists have visited Kent Island which is located in the Grand Manan archipelago. For those who have not been there, it is a significant bucket list item to consider as one of New Brunswick’s gems.
Eric Wilson
points out that CBC did a very interesting special documentary on Kent Island
which can be opened up at the link below:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/the-wild-history-of-kent-island-nb-1.6890324
** The Nature Moncton
Wednesday walk on July 12th will be at the Trails in
Hillsborough. We will start from the parking
lot on Steeves Street by the airplane and proceed around the trail loop, about
2KM on a flat gravel surface. This walk
is classified as low-impact walking. The
walk will give good exposure to birds, aquatic species, and many plants found
in marsh-type environments.
This outing will be hosted by Gordon Rattray, and all
are welcome. Be sure to bring your
camera and binoculars if you have them.
Bug control is essential to your enjoyment of the evening.
**Alain Clavette forwards the message below with links
to advise of planned pelagic trips on the Bay of Fundy this coming season:
“Would you like to experience an unforgettable adventure on the Bay of
Fundy with pelagic birds all around you? Would you like to spend 7-8 hours at
sea to get your fill and not be left hungry? Don't want to take the chance of
planning such an adventure only to have the trip cancelled by the weather on
Grand Manan? .... well THESE excursions are for you! And places are still
available for August!”
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/seabird-safari-2023-tickets-640303604317
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/midweek-pelagic-2023-tickets-640293784947
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
