** Aldo Dorio got a photo of a GRAY CATBIRD [Moqueur chat]
on Wednesday from the underside that shows the signature undertail covert that
we don't often get to see with this species. He also photographed a GREAT
SPANGLED FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY [Argynne cybèle].
** To correct a wording
slip from yesterday's transcribed version ... it was a Bog Copper butterfly
Brian Stone had photographed, not a Bog Fritillary. The photo was labelled
correctly, and the blogspot is correct, but the email transcript is not. The
gender placement of one of the teneral Meadowhawk Dragonflies had to be
corrected as well. All is accurate on the blogspot
edition.
** Pat and I visited the
Daly Point Nature Reserve and Carron Point in Bathurst on Wednesday. A main
event was the MARITIME RINGLET BUTTERFLY [Satyre fauve des Maritimes] who's
world distribution is that area and a few other nearby sites as well as a few
nearby Gaspe Coast sites. It's hardly a striking beauty, but seeing something
flying about with such a limited existence is special. We did not see it at the
Daly Point Reserve as the boardwalk trail does not go deep into the marsh where
they are present. On checking the roadside at Carron Point one could see them
flying in their short, adult flight period.
They were around Sea Lavender as expected, but the Sea Lavender has not come into bloom as yet so I'm not sure if they are out early or if their nectaring plant is late blooming. A photo was challenging as they were not settling on blooms nectaring, but would occasionally land on the leaves of the plant. They are difficult to identify from the Common Ringlet, however flight period and habitat are totally different. The Common Ringlet is found in upland meadows and its flight period is from mid June to mid July, whereas the Maritime Ringlet flight period is from late July to mid August. The Maritime Ringlet is restricted to salt marshes where the larval food plant, Salt-meadow Cordgrass, is found as well as their favourite nectaring plant, Sea Lavender.
WINTERBERRY HOLLY was also in full bloom at the Daly Point Nature Reserve. Some folks were introduced to the Daly Point Nature Reserve as it was one of the day trips at the Festival of Nature held this spring in Dalhousie.
They were around Sea Lavender as expected, but the Sea Lavender has not come into bloom as yet so I'm not sure if they are out early or if their nectaring plant is late blooming. A photo was challenging as they were not settling on blooms nectaring, but would occasionally land on the leaves of the plant. They are difficult to identify from the Common Ringlet, however flight period and habitat are totally different. The Common Ringlet is found in upland meadows and its flight period is from mid June to mid July, whereas the Maritime Ringlet flight period is from late July to mid August. The Maritime Ringlet is restricted to salt marshes where the larval food plant, Salt-meadow Cordgrass, is found as well as their favourite nectaring plant, Sea Lavender.
WINTERBERRY HOLLY was also in full bloom at the Daly Point Nature Reserve. Some folks were introduced to the Daly Point Nature Reserve as it was one of the day trips at the Festival of Nature held this spring in Dalhousie.
John Filliter shares a photo of some brightly plumaged American Goldfinch
enjoying nyjer seed in his yard. This late nesting species should be doing so
now.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (MALES).JULY 20, 2016.JOHN FILLITER
GRAY CATBIRD.JULY 20, 2016.ALDO DORIO
GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY.JULY 20, 2016.ALDO DORIO
MARITIME RINGLET BUTTERFLY.JULY 20, 2016,.NELSON POIRIER
MARITIME RINGLET BUTTERFLY.JULY 20, 2016,.NELSON POIRIER
MARITIME RINGLET BUTTERFLY.JULY 20, 2016,.NELSON POIRIER
WINTERBERRY HOLLY.JULY 20, 2016.NELSON POIRIER,,
WINTERBERRY HOLLY.JULY 20, 2016.NELSON POIRIER,,
