Nature Moncton Nature News: July 3 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 3, 2017 (Monday)

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

Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

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

** A great find for Catherine and Mike Johnson was a CRESTED CARACARA [Caracara du Nord] that has been reported in the St. George region but has been hard to relocate because it has not been in one spot. They found it on Sunday working on a Porcupine road-kill on Route 785. To get to that area one needs to take exit 56 from Route 1 at St. George and turn right on Route 780, then drive 2.8 km and turn left on 785, driving along Lake Utopia until reaching the fish hatchery at 7 km. They encountered the bird at the road-kill, approximately 2.8 km past the fish hatchery. The Crested Caracara is a carrion forager, so it could be anywhere in that area. The important thing now is knowing that it’s still in that area, and several folks got to see it after Catherine spread the news on Sunday.

** Another SANDHILL CRANE [Grue du Canada] is in the area. Dale Gaskin spotted it foraging in a large, recently cut hayfield on the Murray Corner Road. Tie field was to the right just before coming to the Johnsons Point Road, but very visible from the Murray Corner Road, that is accessed off Route 15 en route to P.E.I., just past Shemogue.

** Paula Lansdale has had a bird coming to her yard for several days, using fence posts as hunting perches and dropping down to forage in the grass. She was not certain of its identity, but Doreen Rossiter came by on Sunday and confirmed it as a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD [Moqueur polyglotte]. Paula lives just outside of Alma.

** Brian Pond and Kathy MacDonald, in McKees Mills, have had a female WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] use a tree cavity just 50 feet from their back door, as a successful nesting location for four years. This year it was around the cavity but did not use it. They suspect that it has decayed just two deep, to about 5 feet inside, and she could not use it. Cathy got a quick video of her checking the cavity again this week. They are planning to put wood shavings in the bottom for the duck’s potential use next year, as well as erecting a Ducks Unlimited Wood Duck box nearby. Take a look at Cathy’s cell phone video at the attached URL using Ctrl and left click -

https://www.dropbox.com/s/addx1as3pxwptsd/IMG_1657.MOV?dl=0. Unfortunately the video does not come out as clear as Kathy’s original.

** Lois Budd shares some photos of three booming plants growing in her backyard. SPREADING DOGBANE [Herbe à la puce] is in full bloom at the moment, with an attractive odour to butterflies and other insects and a great one to watch for these visitors. The HUMMINGBIRD CLEARWING MOTH [Sphinx colibri] loves this common plant. Lois also has MULTIFLORA ROSE [Rosier multiflore] in bloom which is a bird magnet especially for the small rose hips that make it attractive to berry connoisseurs in winter. She also has a species of locust in full bloom, which will attract nectar lovers.

** Brian Coyle got some interesting stealth-cam videos of WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie]. One shows a doe with two fawns and another with one fawn. Another video shows a buck deer that is very noticeably showing the posts of antler development for fall display. Take a look at the attached links by clicking on the link (Ctrl and left click); it takes a moment to open; then hit the arrow to start it playing.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sku2pp2ge1md79q/STC_0006.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ftmje6jqhkp8unm/STC_0026.AVI?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/k17w9kxwbua9y2a/STC_0019.AVI?dl=0

** Mac Wilmot got some photos of a group who impulsively built a raft and put it in the Petitcodiac River at Belliveau Village, near Memramcook, and rode the tide up the river to the Gunningsville Bridge, where they chose a take-out site. This could well be an idea that will catch on, now that efforts are on to clean up the river and free its flow. It’s going to take time, but we’ll have a very interesting river to enjoy. The voyageurs sailed past Mac’s river-edge gazebo.

** Brian Stone made another productive stop at the Twin Oaks Bog in the city. The orchid, ROSE POGONIA [Pogonie langue-de-serpente], is now in peak bloom. CALOPOGON ORCHID [Calopogon tubéreux] showed some still in peak bloom but note in another photo that the top lip is turning down and folding over to indicate that it is maturing and preparing to go to seed. WHITE-FRINGED ORCHIDS [Platanthère hyperboréal] were opening but not yet in peak bloom. Brian also got nice photos of the small BOG COPPER [Cuivré des tourbières] butterfly showing an upper wing view and a folded-up wing view. Brian mentioned that there were a good number of Bog Coppers flying there. He also got a photo of a LONG DASH SKIPPER [Hespérie mystique] and of a plant that was severely infested with aphids feeding on its juices.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton