Nature Moncton Nature News: July 13 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 13, 2017 ( Thursday )

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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)

** Paul Langelaan leaves several interesting comments from his Second North River home area. Paul has had an AMERICAN KESTREL [Crécerelle d'Amérique] nest box up for a few years and on Wednesday he could see the heads of a few nestlings popping out of the box opening. This is interesting as Starlings had taken the box in early Spring, but obviously the Kestrels turfed out the Starlings to occupy the box. Paul had a CLIFF SWALLOW [Hirondelle à front blanc] nest built and occupied under an open garage door on an outbuilding. At the moment a second nest is being built, which would seem odd to be happening at this time of year but it is. He has four TREE SWALLOW [Hirondelle bicolore] boxes, all occupied, and six active BARN SWALLOW [Hirondelle rustique] nests in one of his barns.

Paul has seen a male INDIGO BUNTING [Passerin indigo] in a cut over below one of his fields a number of times this season. This is the fourth year in a row he has seen it at that site and last year also saw a female. A nest site there has to be a strong possibility. He also saw a MOURNING WARBLER [Paruline triste] in the same area.

** Louise Nichols has been tracking down different species of butterflies around her Sackville yard and pond and has identified an impressive 19 species so far, getting most in a photo. She shares a great set of photos captured including ATLANTIS FRITILLARY [Argynne de l'Atlantique], note the gray eyes, SILVER BORDERED FRITILLARY [Boloria à taches argentées], ARCTIC SKIPPER [Échiquier], DUN SKIPPER [Hespérie rurale], HOBOMOK SKIPPER [Hespérie hobomok], LEAST SKIPPER [Hespérie délicate], PECKS SKIPPER [Hespérie de Peck], BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT [Baltimore], HARRIS'S CHECKERSPOT [Damier de Harris], EYED BROWN [Satyre ocellé], NORTHERN PEARLY-EYE [Satyre perlé] , RED ADMIRAL [Vulcain] and WHITE ADMIRAL [Amiral]. An awesome photo review.

** Jamie and Karen Burris watched a cock RING-NECKED PHEASANT [Faisan de Colchide] enjoying a dust bath recently, doing so with great gusto for at least ten minutes. Jamie also got an interesting photo of a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER [Paruline à flancs marron] that nicely shows its characteristic yellow crown, the only real yellow area on this warbler species.

** Bryant Freeman reports a YARROW PLUME MOTH day perching on house siding. It is not an uncommon moth but is not often seen due to its nocturnal lifestyle. The dark, dorsal stripe on the abdomen and the pale, brown shading in the basal and median forewing show well. This moth is approximately Loonie size when perched. Amanda MacKenzie got the photo.

** Lois Budd noted that a KILLDEER [Pluvier kildir] nest with three eggs which she has been watching has hatched and fledged. Lois got a photo of a fledgling to show the single neck band and one of the adult with the double neck band. Lois also spotted a family of CHIPPING SPARROWS [Bruant familier] walking up her yard road with three fledglings in tow.

** Another report of a cat-like animal similar to the one reported by Peggy and Rick Bohus on the Cape Breton Rd. recently. John Fawcett had a german shepard sized animal with a long, ropy tail approximately the length of the body cross the road in front of his vehicle a few days ago on Route 490 in Bass River. The animal was seen at close range before it bolted off into a field area.

** John Massey got a photo of one of the ornately marked species of CALLIGRAPHY LEAF BEETLE. We have several Calligrapha species in New Brunswick with striking designs on the elytra and I don't think many have been assigned common names.

** Aldo Dorio got a photo of a juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON [Bihoreau gris] at the Tabusintac wharf on Thursday. It appears to be a first spring/summer bird i.e. born in 2016.

** Bob Blake comments that he is getting lots of DOWNY WOODPECKERS [Pic mineur], HAIRY WOODPECKERS [Pic chevelu], and BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu] bringing young to suet feeders at the moment at his Second North River location.

** A MONARCH [Monarque] butterfly continues to visit our urban yard Milkweed patch several times daily for the third day on Wednesday. I am not sure if this is the same individual as I have seen two on one occasion, but it was suggestive that one was a male. A lot of eggs have been laid so far.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton