Nature Moncton Nature News: August 8 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, August 08, 2017 ( Tuesday )

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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)

** Louise Nichols noticed a greenish cloud forming over part of their Sackville yard pond just below the surface, as well as a grayish film on the surface. It seemed different to what she had seen in other years. Alyre Chiasson reviewed the photos and comments that he feels it is an algae, but noted that there are also some protozoans that contain chlorophyll that can not be ruled out. Alyre also comments that this is not uncommon on small ponds at this time of year in warm weather.

** It's August and COMMON NIGHTHAWKS [Engoulevent d'Amérique], although considerably reduced in population numbers, are starting their routes south and are often seen hawking insects during the day. Brian Stone noted six flying low over his Moncton home on Sunday heading in a south/westerly direction, but no photo op was possible.

Brian Stone visited the Johnson's Mills shorebird site on Monday to get many great photos that are attached along with a Dropbox video at the https://www.dropbox.com/s/q92ma2rwmzyupv6/%21%20Video%2003.MOV?dl=0

Dropbox videos seem to have a problem in the first few seconds and then clear up to show well. Brian comments that he heard estimates of up to 90,000 birds present on Monday with the displays becoming very dramatic with the young of the year arriving as well.

** There are two cryptic grasshoppers out at the moment that make short, sudden flights as you walk along dry areas such as roadsides, trails and beach shores. The CAROLINA GRASSHOPPER flares a showy wing with a thick, black basal area and a marginal yellow band. The CRACKLING GRASSHOPPER flares wings with a thick yellow base and a dark to pale marginal band. The Crackling Grasshopper can be very loud giving a crackling sound in flight. The Carolina Grasshoppers that I saw were silent in their short flights.

** A WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] passed by on the Little Southwest Miramichi River in front of our camp on Monday morning, swimming along with the greatest of ease. In the distance it looked like a bird sailing down the river with wings up.

Another two plants we had trouble identifying along the Aroostook River on Saturday have been confirmed by Sean Blaney. One is CREEPING BELLFLOWER which Sean reports can be a tricky one to identify. It is a creeping plant with seeds at the top and unopened blooms lower towards the base. Sean comments that it can be invasive but we only did see this one plant. The second plant is MONEYWORT which Sean comments can be invasive on riverfront floodplains but once again we only saw the one plant.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton