Nature Moncton Nature News: August 14 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

August 14, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**We are in the midst of the spectacular displays of shorebirds that arrive at Johnson’s Mills for their 2-3 week refueling stop.

Georges Brun captured some beautiful photos of the action on August 12. Most of these huge flocks are Semipalmated Sandpipers with other species dispersed among them, which we will be seeing long after most Semipalmated Sandpipers leave.

Georges comments that there were 3 Peregrine Falcons interested in the shorebirds as well, one adult and two juvenile birds.

**Barb Curlew captured some pleasant photos of a Solitary Sandpiper in one of the ponds at Waterside on August 13. There were also Lesser Yellowlegs, several Least Sandpipers, 3 Killdeer, and a Semipalmated Sandpiper in the group.

**It’s that time of year when lots of butterfly and moth eggs have hatched, and we are about to see lots more larval caterpillars.

John Inman got some great photos of the Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar. They have some favourite food plants but can be expected on almost any woody species.

(Editor’s note: it is important that we recognize this caterpillar as sensitive persons can get rashes and associated itching when exposed to the hairs; severe allergic reactions are rare.)

**On a recent pelagic trip off Grand Manan, the group got excellent close-up observations of an Ocean Sunfish and Alain Clavette shares a video that was taken of that special moment. Take a look at the action at the link below:

https://youtu.be/xIL6f_r_QOo

This is one of the largest bony fish in the world, and amazingly, its diet consists of jellyfish.

A recent photo of a bird photographed on one of those pelagic trips that appeared in a recent edition was mislabelled. It is reattached today and corrected as a 1st summer Pomarine Jaeger and is an excellent photo of a pelagic bird.

**Brian Stone shares a few more photos of the group that spent the August long weekend on a ‘botanical holiday’ in southwestern Nova Scotia with so many botany observations that many of us (including Gart Bishop!) saw for the first time and possibly will never see again. The several hundred plant photos taken will be shared a few at a time over the next days as the processing of them is completed. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

**As an early heads up to slot off this coming Wednesday night for the Nature Moncton Wednesday evening walk. The write-up below will be repeated Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nature Moncton Wednesday Walk, Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Starts at 6:30 PM

Wednesday’s walk will be from the Point Park area of Riverview, following the marsh trail towards the Petitcodiac River. The walk will be about 3 Km in distance (total return) on level groomed trails, easy walking. An interesting walk with lots of marsh plants, butterflies, and birds. Gordon Rattray will lead the walk.

Directions: On route 114 (Hillsborough Rd.) just before the Petro-Canada station, turn left down Point Park Drive, go to the end, then turn left on Avondale. At the end of Avondale St. go right along Hawthorne Drive to Hawthorne Park where there is parking.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton