Nature Moncton Nature News: February 18, 2015

** Jack Perry has a challenge to have a true bird feeder yard in an apartment building but was able to get a few feeders out that PINE SISKINS were not long in finding and in turn attracted a few REDPOLLS. The word is out about the mini buffet.

Kevin Renton shares a few photos of activity at their Stilesville feeder yard, including a Red Fox .

** A special thank you to Rheal Vienneau for his presentation to Nature Moncton on the rearing of the monarch butterfly for tagging and release, the rearing of other butterflies such as the BLACK SWALLOWTAIL and RED ADMIRAL as well as rearing the giant SILKMOTHS – the Polyphemus, Cecropia, and Luna. Rheal captured the total attention of the audience as he shared his tricks-of-the-trade on how he searches out females to get eggs, how he transfers them to protective dishes, and how he grew and provides the caterpillar food plants to reach a success rate of up to 80% whereas the expected success rate in the wild would be approximately 2%. Many of these beautiful creatures have flown off successfully into the wild that would not have if not protected from predators by the relatively simple ways Rheal has perfected to do so with at hand equipment and ideas. Rheal also showed how he transferred delicate eggs found on the foliage to containers for grow out.

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca.