Nature Moncton Nature News: Aug 21 2016

** Dave Christie reports that the SHOREBIRD [oiseau de rivage] displays have been very favourable at Mary's Point beach during the past week. The numbers were not huge, but flocks in the 20,000 to 50,000 range, put on great shows intermingled with PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] activity. The tide was particularly high on Saturday, as it will be on Sunday and Monday, so that the birds roost near the shoreline to give visitors close observations.

** Rhéal Vienneau points out that the IMax movie “Flight of the Butterflies” is now available on NetFlix. This is the story of Dr. Urquhart from Toronto, who first started tagging MONARCH [Monarque] butterflies, which led to the discovery of their overwintering site in Mexico. It sounds like a must-watch presentation.

** Yolande LeBlanc reports that a friend spotted 4 EASTERN KINGBIRDS [Tyran tritri] on a utility wire at the Memramcook golf course on Friday and wondered if it may not have been a family group. He commented they had the look of large swallows at first. Yolande also had 7 NORTHERN FLICKERS [Pic flamboyant] at once visiting her yard flowerbed to enjoy the ANT [fourmis] booty, about which Yolande says she is delighted to share the numerous ants this year.

** Anna Tucker paid a visit to the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Friday and noted lots of activity of bird, plant and insect life. Lots of odes (dragonflies/damselflies) were flying. A red meadowhawk co-operated for a photo but is one of the three that are difficult to identify by photo, that is to say, the CHERRY-FACED [Sympétrum intime], RUBY [Sympétrum à dos roux] or WHITE-FACED MEADOWHAWK [Sympétrum éclaireur]. Anna also includes a CANADA DARNER [Aeschne du Canada] that cooperated for her in September 2015. These should be about in the area now. She found a variety seemingly always in the air, except for the one cooperative meadowhawk.

The expected variety of ducks were there, also a colourful, now-large, PIED-BILLED GREBE [Grèbe à bec bigarré] chick, and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS [Bécassin roux]. LADY BEETLES [coccinelle] were on the move after their summer larval period. There were the attractive blooms of SPOTTED JEWELWEED [Chou sauvage], which RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS [Colibri à gorge rubis] like to nectar on, of HIMALAYAN BALSAM [Balsamie de l'Himalaya] and TURTLEHEAD [Tête de tortue], plus more.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton