Nature Moncton Nature News: August 6 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Aug. 6, 2017 (Sunday)

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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)

** Clarence Cormier reports a lot of bird activity around his Grande-Digue site the past few weeks. He was pleased to have an OVENBIRD [Paruline couronnée] come by to make species number 106 for his yard. He is also noting a group of 7 EASTERN KINGBIRDS [Tyran tritri] traveling together that are very vocal. He assumes that they are a family unit. He is noting increasing numbers of female and juvenile RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS [Colibri à gorge rubis], with numbers of males decreasing as is expected as August advances. He also comments that local berry trees are loaded with fruit, in wait for the fruit connoisseurs.

** Peggy Bohus comments that HONEY BEES have found her hummingbird feeder and are very anxious to share in the nectar solution.

** I'm attaching a photo of the day-flying moth that Brian Stone found last week. It's a SILVER-WHIP MOTH, showing its interesting head gear.

** The underwing moths are starting to appear. Aldo Dorio photographed a SORDID UNDERWING MOTH at his Néguac home, that nicely shows the colorful hind wing of this group of moths. Aldo also photographed a GADWALL [Canard chipeau] duck at Hay island that appears to be in eclipse plumage.

** I drove the Renous Highway, Route 108, on Friday and came across a group of 8 TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] circling a site just before Plaster Rock. It appeared that they had found some nicely ripened take-out but I couldn't see the source of their interest. A stop at a small stream netted an OCELLATED DARNER, the first of this striking dragonfly species that I have been able to bring to hand.

The real object of the trip was to join the New Brunswick Botany Club on a trip to look for interesting plants along the beautiful, rocky Aroostook River on Saturday morning. Leader Rick Fournier was able to find lots and I'm attaching photos of a few of the many plants seen in this special habitat. Included is WILD BASIL, which did indeed have some essence of its cultivated kin, the VERVAIN in bloom, NORTHERN WATER-PLANTAIN [Alisma commun], KALM'S LOBELIA [Lobélie de Kalm], and BULBLET BLADDER FERN [Cystoptère bulbifère] were only a few of the plants taken note of.

A visit to a site where the rare plant FURBISH'S LOUSEWORT [Pédiculaire de Furbish] had previously been growing was not able to detect any plants.

CRAYFISH were common, hiding under rocks. The photo of an intact shell appears to be that of the introduced VIRILE CRAYFISH (Orconectes_virilis), showing its blue front claws.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton