Nature Moncton Nature News: June 27 2917

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June, 2017 ( day )

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** Susan and Fred Richards had a female EASTERN BLUEBIRD [Merlebleu de l'Est] arrive to their birdbath on Monday. A male came and perched on the line where the feeders are located, so a nest in the area is suspected. They also had a WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] come by with a fawn. They suspect the fawn to be very young as it seemed quite unstable on its legs. Susan got a great photo of the pair.

** Gordon Rattray shares some pictures of plants he photographed on Cocagne Island to include COW PARSNIP, INDIAN CUCUMBER ROOT, SUMAC TREE, SHEEP LAUREL, RED BANEBERRY forming its fruit cluster, DUSTY MILLER and BEACH PEA. Gordon also got a nice photo of one of the many MOON JELLIES on the beach.

** On the Cocagne trip a number of Jellyfish were washed ashore. Some appeared to be Moon Jellies with the obvious four crescent to circular shaped gonads. I hadn't seen them before with the orange color. In checking with Laurie Murison she commented that she had not seen them in that color either, however she said that the literature describes the gonad area as pink through magenta to blue so there must be some variation in that area as to the colour of the gonads.

** Sterling Marsh got a photo of a small critter washed up on the beach that Laurie feels to be an Amphipod, probably Gammarus, with the common name of Side Swimmer, Scud, and Beach Hopper.

** Galls on the stems of Goldenrod are very common and contain a larva at this time of year. We cut one open on Cocagne Island to see the young, larval caterpillar. Note in Brian's photo the private latrine at the bottom. There are several different gall makers on Goldenrod, but the Goldenrod Fly is a common one.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton