Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 15 2016

** Carmella Melanson got a photo of a dragonfly on the water surface film far out in the Bay of Fundy on the Pelagic trip on Saturday. It is a COMMON GREEN DARNER DRAGONFLY. Gilles Belliveau points out that these are long distance migrants and will cross bodies of water and it would not be unusual to encounter them this time of year from a ferry or on a pelagic trip on their migratory journey. However this one was on the water's surface and may or may not be able to get airborne again to continue its migratory mission.

** Roger Leblanc makes some interesting comments on results from the Mason Bee houses built at the Nature Moncton workshop in the Spring under Lewnanny Richardson's tutorship. Roger built two boxes. He put one in a greenhouse which now has all holes filled with occupants, and one placed outside which was used but not filled. In my own case I set one up at home, that was built at the workshop that has had no takers, and set up four at our Miramichi camp. The four at the camp were constructed with five inch deep holes instead of the three inch deep holes and the houses at the camp were approximately seventy five percent filled with occupants. I'm not sure if it was the location or the deeper holes that got the positive response.

** Jamie Burris shares an excellent photo of a common mushroom in New Brunswick that we all should learn to recognize ... the DESTROYING ANGEL, Amanita virosa. It is one of the few deadly species we have in New Brunswick. One photo shows its innocent top view, but in the second view it shows the lower portion, which is usually just under the soil surface, carefully dug up to see the bulbous base covered with the remnants of the universal veil. A look up the stalk shows the partial veil detaching from the cap to be left hanging on the stalk. This mushroom is totally white when fresh. Lots of other mushrooms have a bulbous base, but the Destroying Angel has it covered with universal veil fragments to make one take note of its potential identity. Jamie also shows a selection they enjoy as edibles that includes the Lobster Mushroom, some Boletes, and the Sweetbread Mushroom.

Jamie also got a photo of a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] on Wednesday which he comments may be the last one he will photograph of the season with most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are already en route south. The hummer was attracted to the blooms of Crocosmia bulbs planted last Fall which are in very striking bloom at the moment.

** Lisa Morris comments as well on the many mushrooms popping up. Lisa got a nice photo of the very common FLY AGARIC, Amanita muscaria that is not an edible as it contains Muscarine, and the also common BIRCH POLYPORE which is not used as an edible due to its tough texture, and the SPINDLE-SHAPED YELLOW CORAL which is classed as an edible, but not choice.

** Aldo Dorio got an excellent photo of a juvenile HOODED MERGANSER [Harle couronné] near Tracadie on Wednesday. The yellowish color of the lower bill also suggests it to be a female.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca