NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
June 17, 2025
Nature Moncton members, as
well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond, are invited to share
their photos and descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh
(almost) daily edition of Nature News
To
respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line
editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
Please
advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader
Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if
any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
For more information
on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com
Proofreading
courtesy of Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
To
view the live feed of the Peregrine Falcon nest cam on the summit of Assumption
Place in Moncton, go to:
**As a heads up, Kelly Honeyman has arranged for a field trip to the Walton Glen Gorge Protected Natural Area guided by some Nature NB staff taking place this coming Sunday, June 22. Pre-registration is suggested in the event of changes. All details are at the end of this edition.
**Louise Nichols visited the trail behind the Tankville school on Monday morning. Much bird life was present, including several warbler species, a singing winter wren, an eastern wood-pewee, a pileated woodpecker, a yellow-bellied sapsucker, and a broad-winged hawk. Other than the pileated woodpecker, the birds were not photographed as they were heard and not seen or seen very high up in the canopy. In addition to the bird life, many smaller creatures were active. Louise saw a number of both male and female ebony jewelwing damselflies as she walked the trail, and she photographed other dragonfly species as well. Some skipper butterflies were present, especially hobomok skipper and Arctic skipper, but the bright spot in Louise's day was a harvester butterfly, a species she had never found before, which landed on a leaf and cooperatively stayed there. After leaving the Tankville trail, Louise drove up to MacArthur Lane and found a trail off there to walk, where she saw a couple more dragonfly species. It was a nice morning out with lots of activity. Louise thanks Gilles Belliveau for help with the dragonfly ID.
**Barb Curlew and Rick Elliott checked a pond
in the Penobsquis area near the interchange of Route 1 at Hwy 114, where
they saw a common goldeneye with what appeared to be her four chicks.
** Mac Wilmot watched with a smile as Orange
Crush (the cat) was winding up his mainspring, homing in for the white-tailed
deer kill. It might be a bigger project than he bargained for.
**Rheal Vienneau has a dark pelage groundhog that has
decided to hang out in his Dieppe backyard for the past month or so.
**Lisa Morris shares several recent observations.
A garter snake was enjoying sunning itself on her deck
when she and the snake got a sudden surprise, not noticing the other present
Lisa also photographed a cow parsnip plant that
decided her garden had just what it wanted. This plant can grow incredibly fast
as well as very high.
Lisa also photographed a white-spotted sawyer beetle,
which is a common, significantly sized wood-boring beetle that will often
infest dead or dying trees. It is generally considered not to be a problem as it primarily infects trees affected by other factors like fire, wind,
distress, or logging. Its long antennae, black body, and white spot on the scutellum
quickly give its identity.
**Aldo Dorio photographed a hummingbird clearwing
moth seemingly enjoying more blooms than it could ever wish for!
Walton Glen - A Protected Natural Area Tour with Nature NB
Date/Time: June
22 (Sunday) 9am
Details: Join Nature NB staff as they lead
our group on a walk overlooking one of the most spectacular provincially
designated Protected Natural Areas in New Brunswick - the Walton Glen
Gorge. Lauren Verner- Program Coordinator at Nature NB, will talk about
the province's conservation strategy of PNAs and Nature Legacy Sites and their
part in the goal of 30% of land and water protection in New Brunswick. Of
course, we`ll also examine/ discuss local flora and fauna while on the
site.
The trail from the Walton Glen Visitor Centre
to the Glen Observation platform is a little over a km walk on even ground. The
tour does not involve hiking down into the Gorge. Boots with good
traction, trekking poles, and a snack and drink are a good idea.
Meet at the parking area behind the Tim
Hortons on 638 Main Street, Sussex. From there, we will carpool with
other members. Some members have season passes to the Parkway that will
allow for free entry with those who travel with them, but there may not be
enough spaces for all. Be prepared to bring a minimum of $7 for
entry if travelling with 3 others in a vehicle that requires a Day
Pass.
As the weather can be quite unpredictable at
this time of year, I'd ask that if you are at all interested in this outing,
please email or call me at kellyhoneyman@xplornet.ca so that
postponement or other additional tour details can be passed along efficiently.
Nelson Poirier.
Nature Moncton
