Nature Moncton Nature News
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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.
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you would like to share observations/photos with Nature News, contact the editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
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courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
** A heads-up notice on
this week’s Nature Moncton Wednesday evening walk is at the end of this edition
and upfront on Tuesday and Wednesday.
**Rheal Vienneau was
pleased to have his first monarch butterfly of the season arrive at his
Dieppe home milkweed gardens. Rheal photographed
a mostly spent female on common milkweed, but she spent most of her time egg-depositing
on his swamp milkweed.
**On Saturday, July 18, at
7:00 AM, Don MacAuley was pleased to
have a great blue Heron in Rabbit Brook at 89 Kendra Street in Moncton.
**Aldo Dorio photographed
a great blue heron perched in a tree at Hay Island. We may be more used
to seeing a great blue heron in the water, but they nest and frequently perch in
trees.
**Brian Stone has a few days'
worth of photos to share from a week earlier at several locations around
Moncton. A family visit over the last week put a hold on photo
processing that finally was able to be done, or most of it anyway. From
Highland Park and Wilson Marsh, Brian sends photos of the recently fledged
eastern kingbirds perched on branches, waiting for food delivery. At a kingbird
nest, a couple of hatchlings get fed by a parent kingbird, and some pied-billed
grebe youngsters were seen out on their own, foraging successfully.
Fledgeling tree swallows were practicing flying, and a yellow-bellied
sapsucker parent was delivering lunch to its hungry chicks that were
taking turns at the entrance to the nest hole to get fed. A cedar waxwing
was sitting on its nest but no signs of eggs hatching yet. At
Fundy National Park on Wednesday, Brian photographed a monarch butterfly
visiting some flowers and a very pink primrose moth.
(Editor’s note: the
striking primrose moth is completely dependent upon and lives its whole
existence on the evening primrose plant. It lays its eggs in the flower, and the
hatched larvae can be hard to distinguish from the evening primrose pods.)
**Nelson Poirier joined
the New Brunswick Botany Club for a field day in the Oromocto River area on
Saturday and shares a few special items among the many gems 15 pairs of eyes
and a great guide (Jim Goltz) can spot.
The stunning red of the cardinal flower is too brilliant for a camera to capture. The rare-to-New Brunswick tuberacled orchid (S2) was located. The small but significant tubercle on the flower lip is there to cause pollinators to have to travel around it to gather more of the plant's pollen to distribute, but very hard to photograph, so an Internet photo is included. A skullcap plant at the water’s edge nicely shows the white line on the bloom intended to guide pollinators to the sweet spot. It is not very often we see the plump maroon berry of the red trillium as well as the pale pink berry of the nodding trillium.
Raggedy Ass
Falls is a site every New Brunswick naturalist should make a special effort
to visit!
**Nature Moncton Wednesday Walk Night
Date: Wednesday, July 22nd,
2026, at 6:30 PM
Where: Mill Creek Nature Park
Meeting Place: Bridgedale
entrance, parking lot P3 on the park map (turn right at the green Mill Creek
sign on Bridgedale Blvd. coming from Gunningsville Blvd. This parking lot is
located before the Runneymeade entrance.)
Leader: Jessica
Belanger-Mainville
Description: Mill Creek Nature
Park is a 330-acre nature park that is rich in biodiversity due to its varied
habitats, ranging from wetlands to mixed forests. In addition to its nature
attractions, the park has a long, interesting military history – the land was
used as a naval radio station during World War II and was mostly staffed and
run by women. The park’s most well-known feature, the reservoir, was built to
provide an emergency water supply on the naval base. The reservoir outlook is
part of Fundy Biosphere’s 50 Amazing Places due to its breathtaking views.
This walk will take place on
well-maintained gravel trails, and participants are expected to see and hear a
good diversity of birds!
Bug spray and protective
clothing are recommended. All are welcome, Nature Moncton members or not. If
you are a member, don’t forget to wear your name tag!
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
