Nature Moncton Nature News: July 11 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 11, 2017 ( Tuesday )

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelson@nb.sympatico.ca . Please advise if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Louise Nichols did it again greeting the arriving shore birds with a visit to Petit-Cap on Monday morning. She saw a small flock of LEAST SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau minuscule] and a few SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS [Bécassin roux]. She comments that there are not many yet, but are definitely starting their visit with us. She saw approximately a dozen WILLETS [Chevalier semipalmé], which nest in that area, and I wonder if some of these might be young of the year birds. There were lots of singing NELSON'S SPARROWS [Bruant de Nelson] and SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés] in the grasses. Louise's photo of a Nelson's Sparrow is awesome. She also saw one CASPIAN TERN [Sterne caspienne] there.

** Roger Leblanc visited the Riverview marsh on Saturday. He noticed a significant change to the pond on the left as you walk towards the river. This pond berm has been breached at the river as the river regains its rights after the causeway removal. This means that the north/west part of the former pond will be rainwater fed only, which could make it an interesting shore bird site depending on rainfall amounts. The water level in the southern end could also experience a similar scenario, again depending on rainfall. They also put a scope on the PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] nest on the summit of Assumption Place to see the one chick on the nest. Great to see it not potentially affected by the July 1 fireworks. Roger said that it had an impatient look as if it wanted to make its maiden flight.

He was at Kouchibouguac National Park on Sunday, and was surprised to see a large number of NORTHERN GANNETS [Fou de Bassan] in that area, both adults and immature, which could seem early for them to be there in numbers and he wondered if they might be from Bonaventure Island to forage. He also spotted two CASPIAN TERNS [Sterne caspienne] on the mud flats there.

** As part of the Great Fundy Coastal Cleanup the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance is holding a cleanup day on the Crowley Farm Rd. this coming Saturday, July 15. The poster is attached in the picture lineup and the notice from the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance (Mariah Robichaud)is added below.

The Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance is planning a clean-up this coming Saturday, July 15^th and are wondering if you could spread the word that we are in need of volunteers. This clean-up is part of the Great Fundy Coastal Clean-Up, which involves 15 clean-ups across NB all on July 15^th! The clean-up is on Crowley Farm Rd, close the UDM, and starts at 12pm. The clean-up will likely take no longer than two hours. We are meeting at the water station near the beginning of Crowley Farm Rd. We are looking for volunteers of all ages! We will provide necessary clean-up materials but do suggest everyone bring a water bottle.

** Dan Hicks reports that his Nature Moncton swallow box fledged young this week. He still has a nest of BARN SWALLOWS [Hirondelle rustique] with four nestlings not fledged as yet. The vixen RED FOX [Renard roux] that was around his Elmwood Dr. home near the Royal Oaks subdivision is now being seen alone, with pups seemingly to have moved on. A few young WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie], bucks, are being seen together around his home. He suspects that this friendship might terminate at the season progresses. Dan, who is director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Moncton, also sends some interesting comments about the Northern Catalpa Tree chatter from the last few days. A quote from Dan would suggest that our scenario in Moncton is not the same as Ottawa, or at least for the moment. Dan also comments that the Tree of Heaven, "Ailanthus altissima", is quite another story. He hopes that it does not find its way to Moncton. This one has been problematic in south/eastern Ontario.

Quoting Dan

”Interesting comment on the Catalpa. Having lived in southern Ontario and working in the tree care industry I can say they are abundant there but certainly would not put them at that level. We do have a few nice specimens around the city and I look forward to seeing them in bloom each year.
If people are looking to plant new species I recommend looking at the Carolinian Forest species range as the climate seems to be shifting our forests to go in that direction. Hickory, Plane trees, Sweetgum and Black Gum are some that we are starting to plant. We also have had a number of Dawn Redwood planted in test sites to check their hardiness. We haven't lost one to winter kill yet in the 5 years or so they have been planted and one is on the Riverfront which can be a rather harsh winter climate.”

** Susan Linkletter has had an interesting scenario with a family of AMERICAN REDSTART [Paruline flamboyante] warblers that chose to rear their family near her deck. One of the fledglings got disoriented and flew into an open boot room and was not able to find its way out until daughter Natalie gently put a finger close to the bird and it hopped on to be escorted outside to continue its early life mission.

** Yolande Leblanc in Memramcook has had great MONARCH BUTTERFLY [Monarque] action. She has a lot of caterpillars foraging at the moment and others that have already formed a chrysalis. She had a worn female depositing eggs that seemed to be around the milkweed patch all day on Monday.

** Brian Stone was back out photographing nature in the Shubenacadie Park and Cow Bay areas in Dartmouth on Monday. He got a nice picture of two VARIABLE DANCER damselflies, male and female together, plus a TWELVE-SPOTTED SKIMMER dragonfly. Photos of warblers included COMMON YELLOWTHROAT [Paruline masquée], male YELLOW WARBLER [Paruline jaune] and a photo of an AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] and Yellow Warbler together that can get easily confused without a close view from binoculars. Also a photo of a FLOWER FLY, and a nice top and side view of a SILVERY BLUE [Bleu argenté] butterfly.

** It was great to look out our window on Monday morning and see two MONARCH BUTTERFLIES [Monarque] on the Common Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed that was planted in our Moncton yard last summer. One was a female laying eggs while the other appeared to be a male galavanting about. The female seemed to choose the Swamp Milkweed's as yet to open flower heads to deposit eggs on, but deposited eggs on the leaves of the Common Milkweed. The Swamp Milkweed are from plants donated by Jim Wilson while the Common Milkweed grew well from cut root rhizomes that were dug up in the Fall and set in the earth in the same Fall to nicely spring forth the next Spring

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton