Nature Moncton Nature News: August 3 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, August 03, 2017 ( Thursday )

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)

** The discovery of a BURROWING OWL at Castalia Marsh in Grand Manan has been a jewel to find for the birding world. Many have been able to get good audiences with it. Dave Miller shares an excellent photo he got of it on Wednesday. Care in approaching this rarity is extremely important and it should not be disturbed in any way.

** The big Sphinx Moths are still out there. Nancy Mullin in Quarryville had a visit from a GREAT ASH SPHINX on Monday and got some interesting photos. It would seem to be getting late for the Sphinx group, but the Underwing group are coming on now.

** Vaughn Hunter shares a photo of a FISHING SPIDER ( Dolomedes tenebrosus ) that he took recently. These are large spiders similar to the large Wolf Spiders in size, shape and coloration. Note that this is a female with an egg sack attached and will carry them until the spiderlings hatch. They are a very shy spider and will run from people when disturbed.

** Gordon Rattray was in the Hillsborough area at approximately 9:30 on Wednesday morning to be greeted by a flock of CHIMNEY SWIFTS [Martinet ramoneur] overhead. There were at least ten birds and Gordon expects that number was higher. He got one photo for evidence. Chimney Swifts have been reported from Hillsborough quite frequently over the years but I am not aware of any chimney or other gathering site that they use.

Gordon met Brian Stone at the Milkweed patch behind the Shopper's Drug Mart location on Vaughn Harvey Blvd., both with Monarch Butterflies in mind. They were able to locate two PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLIES [Belle dame] nectaring there that cooperated for photos. They then moved on to the Riverfront Trail where they were able to locate a male MONARCH BUTTERFLY [Monarque]. Note the sex patch, a wider area of dark scales on the vein just below the center of the hind wing. A COMMON WOOD NYMPH BUTTERFLY [Satyre des prés] was also nectaring there.

** Brian Stone and I came across a Lady Beetle very unfamiliar to us while checking out the Milkweed patch on the Gorge Rd. at the Trans Canada overpass. It was very small at approximately 2.5 mm. BugGuide has confirmed both our photos as being the TEN-SPOTTED SPURLEG LADY BEETLE. I don't know how common or uncommon this Lady Beetle may be. There were several of them on plants in the Milkweed patch but were so small that they could easily be overlooked. I am attaching pictures to try and show it from the top and from the front to see the pronotum design.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton