Nature Moncton Nature News: July 22 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE – 22 July 2017 (Saturday)

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

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

Transcript by: Catherine Clements

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

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**Some very interesting COMMON GALLINULE [Gallinule d'Amérique] observations: On Friday, Dave Miller spotted a Common Gallinule with one chick in the southwestern section of the lagoon in Highland Park, Salisbury (at the end of Gordon Street); and on Saturday morning he spotted two Gallinule chicks, but not the adult. It’s great to hear of this species successfully nesting in the area. Dave got documentary photos.

**Another great MONARCH BUTTERFLY report: Georges Brun saw approximately a dozen Monarch Butterflies on COMMON MILKWEED [petits cochons] plants at three different locations along the Moncton Riverfront Trail on Thursday. The locations of the Milkweed plants were a large patch near the skateboard park and the RCMP monument, another near the first eastern ball field at the side of the trail, and the third in the middle of the first ball field. This is a very different scenario from recent years, when there were so few Monarchs that they were hard to locate anywhere. It was unfortunate to hear that the Common Milkweed plants at the trail entrance on West Main Street at Milner Road were cut. I suspect city workers were not aware of the value of this plant to the existence of this Butterfly species, at a time when folks are encouraged to plant them. I suspect the cut plants will regrow next season from the rhizomes, and hopefully will be left.

**Jamie Burris recently got a few photos of an EBONY JEWELWING Damselfly [Caloptéryx bistré] and a RIVER JEWELWING Damselfly [Caloptéryx à taches apicales] in the same photo. The Jewelwings are the largest of our Damselflies, with the SUPERB JEWELWING [Caloptéryx élancé] the largest. Jamie also got a photo of the day-flying VIRGINIA CTENUCHA Moth [Cténuche de Virginie], which is common at the moment, showing its colours nicely.

**Aldo Dorio got some nice photos of some adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS [Bihoreau gris] in Tracadie on Friday. There should be young coming off the nests soon, especially in the Lamèque area.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton