Nature Moncton Nature News: April 29 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Apr. 29, 2018 (Sunday)

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: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

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

** Catherine Hamilton captured some excellent photos of young of the year RED FOXES [Renard roux] on Saturday in Petitcodiac. There were five young ones playing in the grass.

** Carol Shea visited St. Martins to check on the SNOWY EGRET [Aigrette neigeuse] that had been located there and was able to share a photo that shows the golden slippers, a signature field mark of this species of egret.

** Brian Stone got a great photo of a WOOD LOUSE [] that came to him to be photographed on Saturday. His yard GROUNDHOG (Woodchuck) [Marmotte commune] is still enjoying snacking under a tree by his deck, and a pair of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire] are busy checking out a swallow nest box in his yard for a second day. Brian also got a photo of a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne rubis] to show that the male really does have a ruby crown patch that we seldom see.

Also a very special photo of a LADY BEETLE [coccinelle] about to lift off, showing it lifting its hard outer elytra that are used for protection, to spread its capable wings underneath to fly off.

** We surely got a rude awakening to the machine-gun banging of a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER [Pic maculé] pounding on a swallow nest box attached to the roof of our camp. It reverberated so loud through the camp that I could not help but wonder if the dishes on the shelf would come tumbling down!

In the warmth of Friday, I saw the first MASON BEES [Abeille maçonne] flying about our several mason bee houses. The ones I could see were males, which may have come from the bee-houses or from elsewhere. The males are always at the front of the holes and they come out first, followed by the females. This is why it’s so important that the holes be 5 inches deep or you could only be producing males; the important females are at the back of the usually five-inch holes.

Also, a dark morph REDBELLY SNAKE [Couleuvre à ventre rouge] joined one of its brown morph kin. You can see the partial neck ring more clearly in the dark morph. Red-bellied Snakes are small, rarely getting over 12 inches. Their under-belly is fiery red. A REDBACK SALAMANDER [Salamandre rayée] also joined the snakes under the boot map. The photo shows how it gets its name. The photo makes it look large but these are small salamanders that live and breed on land instead of water. David Cannon may not agree, as they have a real liking for his yard pool.

I’m also attaching a photo of why the Info Line went out late yesterday, when we lost power and woke up to see the pole supplying power to our camp lying in the river after being ponded by the ice break-up.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton