Nature Moncton Nature News: August 15 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

August 15, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**As Shannon Inman was driving drive home from work, she spotted a Great Egret in a distant pond at Waterside and got a quick photo before it left to a tree where she got a couple more photos, then had to leave due to heavy traffic.

**Christine Lever spotted one of those green, chubby, accordion-style caterpillars strolling across the parking lot at a pharmacy in Riverview. It appears to be the larval caterpillar of the Polyphemus Moth, one of the giant silkworm moths.

The common food plants of this species include the foliage of many shrubs and trees, and it is always a treat to meet up with these giant plump caterpillars.

(Editor’s note: some of these large green caterpillars can be confused in photos. The editor stands to be corrected on identification.)

**Aldo Dorio photographed a Belted Kingfisher at Hay Island on Monday. Some feathers on the mantle may not have molted to adult plumage, and the crest appears to be reduced. This may suggest a young-of-the-year bird. The species surely does have a ‘honker’ of a bill!

**The young-of-the-year Blue Jays are out and flying at the moment and have quite nicely molted into their adult plumage; however, they are a bit slower about molting out their beautiful head crest which gives them that ‘unfinished’ look!

Sterling Marsh has 2 youngsters visiting his yard in the teenage stage.

At one point, it was thought that this condition was caused by mites. That is not the case. They simply have a few wardrobe completions to take place, which soon will happen.

**On Saturday, Brian Stone visited 3 separate spots to view nature and take photos. He began the day early at the Government Rd. lagoons and wetlands in Salisbury and sends photos of an Eastern Phoebe, a Spotted Sandpiper, an immature Chipping Sparrow, 2 immature Common Yellowthroats, and an immature Eastern Bluebird that were hanging around the lagoons. Below the lagoons in the wetland ponds, Brian re-photographed the immature Bald Eagle that has been vocally perching in the same tree there recently. Once again, an adult Bald Eagle flew overhead at the same time.

After Salisbury, Brian headed down to Johnson's Mills to take some photos of the Sandpiper migration and was a bit late to get the best close-up pictures but did get some decent mid-distance images. He then left for Sackville to walk the boardwalk at the Sackville Waterfowl Park and took photos of American Wigeon Ducks and Ducklings, some resting and perching Yellowlegs, one of many Pied-billed Grebes, and a Northern Crescent Butterfly.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton